PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 20118, 7 March 1929, Page 2

PICTURE THEATRES

EMPIRE The Empire Theatre programme, including ‘ Home, James ’ and ■ The Good-bye Kiss/ will conclude its week’s run to-night. In the former attraction Laura La Plante, the popular comedienne, plays the part of a successful artist in a big department store. The floorwalker has trouble with her and she is reported to the manager for starting work late. Not knowing that the boy who had driven her home from work the night before was the manager’s son (taking his father’s _ place while he was out of town on business), she enters the manager’s room very gloomily. Some clever comedy work is gone through at this stage, and the laughs rise in crescendo to an unexpected climax. ‘ The Good-bye Kiss ’ is a war story of the front trenches, where the hero is almost out of his mind with fear, and after evading many parades and getting the name of “ Yellow Bill,” he saves a trench explosion, and is given a higher rank, besides winning the little army girl,' with whom ho has fallen in love. REGENT ‘What a Night’ and ‘The Pioneer Scout’ wall be finally shown at the Regent Theatre to-night. The former picture, which stars Bebe Daniels, is an American newspaper story, and depicts the attempts of an upright journal to expose the graft that is going on in the city. The adventures of the chief reporter in his attempts to outwit the crooks, together with the conndy work of Miss Daniels, combine to make good entertainment. Fred Thomson, assuming the principal role of a mounted and armed escort to a. stage coach that traverses the “bad lands,” is seen in the other picture. He falls in love with the granddaughter of old Jason Baxter, and appoints himself guardian of the outfit, as the old man intends to travel to a new settlement without an escort. The villain of the piece, one Hook Anderson, is also attracted by the girl, but Fred proves more than a match for him? and comes out triumphant, assisted by his horse, Silver King. OCTAGON

‘ Sailors Don’t Care,’ the feature at the Octagon Theatre, which will have its last screening in Dunedin to-night, is a film full of laughs and many thrilling situations. It has been adapted from a story by “Seamark,” and concerns the rivalrj between two A.B. s for the favours of a dainty little parlourmaid The picture also gives glimpses of lower deck life in the Navy and its many humours. Gladys Hamer and Mary Brough as the kitchenjnaid ar.l cook respectively give very amusing character studies, particularly that of the parlourmaid who determines to win a sailor’s heart at all costs, no matter who he is. Estelle Brody is the delightful parlourmaid, and John Stuart and Alf Goddard two sailor boys. STRAND ‘ Two Arabian Knights,’ which has commenced its second week of screening at the Strand Theatre is a l»st-war comedy-drama in which Boyd and « o - heiraycast as companion doughboy adventurers, escape from an enemy prison camp, unwittingly ship as stowaways aboard a tramp steamer at Constantinople, and, becoming _ rivals for the affection of the beautiful daughter ox an Arabian Emir, are drawn into seemingly endless complications in the land of harems. ' GRAND AND PLAZA Syd Chaplin provides plenty of amusement in ‘Oh, What a Nurse! the principal attraction at the Grand and Plaza Theatres. Syd. is first seen as a reporter who dives from a terry boat to rescue a girl, and gets mixed up ivith bootleggers. He is forced to become a nurse temporarily and is shipped away with the gang. When he loses his wig things begin to move. The other picture is ‘ Cradle Snatchers, featuring J. Farrell Macdonald and Louise Fazenda. EVERYBODY'S To-night will witness the last screening of ‘ The River Pirate ’ and ‘ Powder Mv Back’ at Everybody’s Theatre. ‘The River Pirate’ has proved to be one of the best entertainments seen hero this season. Victor M‘Laglen is seen in the title role, with Lois Moran and Nick Stuart in the romantic leads. ‘Powder My Back 1 is a comedydrama of stage life, in which Irene Rich is starred as Fritzi Foy, a publicityseeking queen of the song-and-dance ranks. KING EDWARD ‘ The River Pirate,’ with Victor M'Laglen, and ‘Life’s Circus,’ a German film of circus life, will be shown finally at the King Edward Theatre tonight. ,