PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 20151, 16 April 1929, Page 4

PICTURE THEATRES

OCTAGON After seeing tho air sequences in ‘ The Air Circus,’ which is at the Octagon Theatre, it is easy to believe the advance stories which stated that Sue Carol, David Rollins, and Arthur Lake learned to fly before making this picture. These three youngsters perform in airplanes like veterans at the controls. While the thrills and exciting moments arc furnished by tho scenes in the air, this movietone picture is not lacking in heart interest and sentimental appeal. There is a winsome quality about Sue Carol that makes her entirely charming. In her efforts to'make David Rollins a fearless airman, she wins tho sympathy of tho audience, Tho charm of tho acting in this picture also is enhanced by the presence of Louise’ Dresser, who plays the role gf young Rollins’s mother. As always she” gives a perfect performance. Arthur Lake, tho third member of the trio ot young-! sters, is absolutely infectious in his performance. The theme of the story deals with the efforts of a young man to conquer his fear of the air with, the aid of his mother, tho girl he loves, and Ids friend. There is plenty of room for hoai t-pnil in this picture, and the directors succeeded in getting remarkable performo necs out of all members of the cast. Tho first support is a Fox movietone news showing all the latest happenings. Beatrice Lillie, an American vaudeville artist, is seen and heard in humorous songs and comedy sketchc.-. A jazz band presentation is given by Ben Bernic’s Band. The comedy is entitled ‘ The Bath Between,’ and features good players The Octagon Orchestra renders a musical programme before the pictures commence screening, and items arc played during the time taken to change spools. EMPIRE The film of Rex Beach’s novel. ‘ The Michigan Kid,’ K the main feature at ■tho Empire Theatre tins week- Jimmy Rowan (Conrad Xagel) alias the Michigan Kid, is a notorious gambler in Alaska during the gold rush. Ho is still in love with his childhood sweetheart, Rose Morn's (Renee Adoree), but he- discovers that she is arriving in town the next day after ho catches Frank Hayward (Lloyd 'Whitlock) cheating at roulette. Hayward claims to bo engaged to Rose, and admits that the money he lost' gambling belonged to the companyJ Jimmy agrees to give it back if Hayward will go to the mine to await the coming of tho girl. On the way to tho mine Jimmy and the girl are forced to take shelter at the halfway lions'® duo to a severe windstorm. She discovers who ho is, and their love flowers again. Hayward comes buck from tho mine and finds them. A forest fire breaks out; and he knocks Jimmy unconscious, hiding him in a closet; then he awakes Rose, and they prepare to lice, down the river in a canoe. Hayward tells her that Jimmy escaped to safety, but when the girl returns for her coat, which she had furgotten, she finds Jimmy. Jimmy is attacked by Hayward, and they fight. Jimmy overcomes him, and throws the man into tlie canoe, and the three go down the river between burning banks. They drop over a falls, and Jimmy rescues the other two. The fire finally passes over them, and Jimmy and Rose paddlo away, leaving Hayward forlornly on the bank.

The story of ‘The Wheel of Chance,’ featuring Richard Bart holiness, which is also shown, relates the dramatic adventures of twin brothers separated in childhood by a, trick of fate, and meeting again twenty years later in one ■of the most dramatically conceived scenes in the history of the motion picture. To tell more than this would be to take away the thrills and enjoyment in witnessing ‘The Wheel of Chance.’ REGENT The story of ‘ Beyond the Sierras,’ which is showing at the Regent Theatre, centres around the land-thieving activities of notorious bands of Yankee outlaws in the gold days of Old California. A particularly lawless gang attempts to deprive Don Carlos del Valle of bis rich property by lorging documents of title. To complicate tins drainatic situation, which Don Carlos resists with .Spanish passion. Owens, the gang leader, threatens to allow no other man to wed the Don’s sister Rosa. The masked stranger (Tim M'C'oy) now appears, and makes a friend of Owens to anticipate his attack on Don Carlos. He also falls in love with Rosa, and is determined to protect her from Owens, in a crisis, however, Rosa believes the masked stranger is one of the gang, an,d from this point onwards one dramatic situation follows another. The end comes with the revelation that the masked stranger is a Government official—and Rosa’s change of heart quickly follows. Opposite M'Coy Sylvia Beecher gives a talented, appealing performance which will win her place in Iho hearts of movie-goers. Roy D’Arcy, as the gang leader. Polly Moran, and the rest of the cast do line work. The other attraction is ‘ The Cop,’ starring William Boyd. Two popular vaudeville artists, George Storey and Dulcie Milner, contribute a number of humorous songs and “get’’ Iho audience without difficulty. STRAND Syd. Chaplin is scoring the biggest success of his career in ‘ The Fortune Hunter,’ now at the Strand Theatre, ft is the screen version of the brilliant stage play. Graham Baker’s picturisation has kept all the uproarious mirth and humanity of the original, and the added advantage of staging and photography, together with the masterly direction of Charles F. J.lcisner, who .directed all the rest of Syd.’s successes, make of the piece the tremendous “ hit ” it is. It recounts the story of a young “go-getter” who swoops down on a Vermont village with the intention of marrying the richest girl in town. Beautiful Helene Costello plays the lead. ‘ Rinty of the Desert,’ Rin-tin-tin’s fifteenth picture, is the minor attraction. ‘ RILEY THE COP..’ ‘Riley the Cop,’ featuring Famd! MacDonald and Louise Fazenda, will open at the Strand Theatre on Friday next. About two years ago Miss Fazenda was paired with MacDonald for the first time in her screen career in ‘ Cradle Snatchers.’ MacDonald, as a New Pork “ cop,” is sent to Munich to find a so-called embezzler. Ho finds the crook and meets Lena. Then things begin happening in a beer garden. “Follow Riley and see stars!” might well be used to describe the tour this big policeman makes of the pleasure resorts. He fights in every calc in Paris and spends money like a drunken sailor. To say more is to destroy any illusions concerning the story. There also is a beautiful love story in the picture, with Nancy Drcxel and David Rollins in the leading roles.

EVERYBODY’S The principal attraction now screening at Everybody’s Theatre is Dry Martini,’ u joyous comedy drama, based on the sensational novel by John Thomas. The story tells of a father who, after enjoying the night hie ol Paris for eight years, is suddenly visited by his American daughter, whom he lias not seen iu all that time. Vi mu happens when lie tries to get rid of his convivial friends and “lights of love and change his mode of life is the theme of this film, crammed with laughter, romance, excitement, and suspense. Albert Gran, the brilliant character actor, plays the role of the father, and Mary Aster is the American daughter. ‘ flic Traffic Cop,’ supplementing the programme, is tho comedy romance o) a policeman who tried to break into socictv. and the romance between himself and a young girl forms the plot of this Gerald Beaumont story. GRAND AND PLAZA The latest British war film. ‘The ,Somme, l is a reconstruction ol the lacts of the great campaign, and has been made by New Era, who arc now regarded as the official British war film historians, ft will be remembered that they have already given ‘ Mons, ‘ Zecbrngge,’ and 1 pre-a’ This latest war film is said to be the greatest of them all, and is now showing at the Grand and Plaza Theatres. A tense mystery story entitled The Monkey Talks,’ is the other picture on this programme. KING EDWARD A British picture, entitled ‘ Somehow Good,’ forms the chief attraction (featuring the well-known English actress, Fay Compton) of a very strong double programme at King Edward Theatre. The sparkling, snappy comedy of life in Paris, ‘Dry Martini,’ screening Mary Astor and Matt Moore, is the .supporting picture. It is a rollicking story of the gayest city iu the world-—Paris.