THE PICTURES-NEW PROGRAMMES

Evening Star, Issue 20244, 3 August 1929, Page 13

THE PICTURES-NEW PROGRAMMES

ijij, -/i.; ■ v ', i: ■. ■ !• ■■ ,y ,/ STIRRING SEA DRAMA ; : h l ..’ : • • -V. ' ' STRAND'SCREENS ‘THE RESCUE’ A, ' ’ ~ On several occasions each year tlie majority of picture theatre patrons, have ; had good reason to feel sorry for themselves, when in the expectation of seeding a truly classical picture, they have gone to some theatre or other to view an adaptation of a favourite novel. In .some cases the_ producers appear to ; be 'hopelessly ambitious; they cannot possibly do justice to an immortal piece of literature, which may not be suit- _ able for the presentation of a screen version. Then, again, there are the producer* who arm themselves, metaphorically, with a very crude pruning ■\ knife, and in the endeavour to imbue the written masterpiece with an .. allegedly popular appeal hack away ■■ many touches of gonius and replace them with patches that are merely maudlin. However, no criticism such as has heon voiced can be directed at ‘The Rescue,’ oiie of Joseph Conrad’s immortal sea stories, which had its first screening in Dunedin at the Strand Theatre yesterday. Combining a stimulating sequence of adventure in subtropical seas with a wealth of'human psychology, all tastefully leavened by a .romantic theme, ‘ Tho Rescue/ even in photographic form, bears an almost uninterrupted string of evidence of magical Conrad treatment. The daring sea rover and his natty gun-run-ning brig, the stodgy landlubber, whose yacht is stranded in dangerous waters, tho pirates, over ready for treachery, and the legitimate natives of a mystic isle are surely features which must i. lire tho imagination. So realistic are the scenes and so convincing is the acting that it is hard to believe that ■ the film was made during the temporary invasion of a Californian island by a number of business-like folk from tho mainland. The production is a . triumph for Ronald Column, the celebrated English movie star. To see one who is often termed the screen’s greatest lover as a -hard-bitten sea captain is an oxpereince which makes the beholder realise what a versatile artist the man is. From opening to denouement 'Column is more than forceful; ho is dynamic The heroine —if slio can bo given this flattering title—is represented by Lily Daniita, an actress of undoubted talent and physical beauty. Theodore You Eltz, John Davidson, and Philip Strange all come through their difficult roles with flying colours, but very special interest is attached to the appearance 01 Duke Kalmnainoku, once tire world's champion sprint. swimmer. Apart from iris general good showing as an actor he gives a glimpse of his prowess in the water; Briefly, the drama delineates tlio feelings of a man in tho throes of a mental conflict, the battle being waged between ]ovo and a promise to friends who oucc saved his life. To attempt even a scanty synopsis of a Conrad yarn would be unseemly. Tho first section of the Strand’s programme is--packed with a great variety of shorter features. There r.ro two very interesting news films, the one a i'ox production and the other a Pa tho series Tho best of a good collection of scenes is that which shows the carni- • val at Nice in all its irresistible gaiety. Then there is ‘ The Vintage,’ an absorbing educational picture ..that takes one through the processes involved in the J making of wine. From the grapo to : the ■bottling—everything ds there for all to see. ‘ Old Wives Who Know,’ a fantastic yet clever comedy, provides , . a continual chuckle. Throughout the programme the orchestral music is clear and harmonious.

MUSICAL COMEDY EXTRAVAGANZA ' ‘ CLOSE HARMONY ’ DELIGHTS REGENT ; AUDIENCE Yet another distinctive development of the nuich-discusied talkies lias prcsented itself to wondering theatregoers. The possibilities of these speaking films are apparently unlimited,'for , each succeeding week seems to produce a fresh marvel in eye and ear entertainment. Everyone who was present ‘ . at the Regent last evening' must have . been impressed with that fact. In the presentation of ‘ Close Harmony ’ the audience was treated to ■ a veritable 'musical comedy extravaganza. This brilliant revue 'represents the most recent exploitation of the talkies, and to say that it scored an outstanding success is putting it only too mildly< The restrictions necessarily attendant upon: a stage presentation have been completely eliminated, and the result is all one could 1 possibly wish for. ‘ Close Harmony ’ combines all the ’ essential features of a modern musical comedy. Rut, although the pro- ■■ duction is spectacular and wholly de- . lightful from 1 that ‘point of view, it is subordinated to a very charming romance. In .the opening scene, the stillness of the night is being rudely shattered by the blare of a jazz band. With ; , “ big time ” prospects, on the horizon, -Veits -youthful Conductor urges the band ■••un, so that when it does finally receive v'.its “break 51 into vaudeville it will , constitute the last ■: word in syncopa- ’ '“tiou. But the boarding house in which ‘' V the enthusiastic musicians are practisr V ing contains many ■ unsympathetic /boarders and an extremely unsyinpatheT 4 tic landlady. The young hopefuls are Y about, to be ejected-into the, night when ; a theatrical star who is passing relieves \ the situation. She appreciates thepre-i-f- dicament in which the young conduc- '! f tor is placed, and sets him on the high road to'fame. He. naturally falls in * loye with her. That is the opening ot - Close .Harmony. It is, a talkie that j<"/is delightful in every sense. The bright V\ particular stars of the production are ’V- Charles (Buddy) Rogers and lovely -./'Nancy-Carroll. That they will be; in ' ■' the front rank of talkie artists could -Viot be better exemplified thap by their • 1 ierformances in this picture. The days of the “ beautiful but dumb ” type are over. Screen stars must now possess remarkable versatility. That is why these two young artists score such a ' silccess in Close Harmony.’ Buddy Rogers is the .struggling young conductor, "and as such he gives a brilliant performance. He not only leads the jaw band, but ulays five instruments ana sings very pleasantry. His singing of ;i IbnAU A-Twittei-.’, is delightful. Apart from his musical ability he is an actor of unusual ability, and his delineation of. his role is deserving of the highest praise. , Miss Carroll is admirably cast as the revue star. She has a charming presence and style, and, in addition to being very beautiful, has marked musical and histrionic ability. She sings ‘1 Wanna Go Places and Bo ■ Things ’ with quaint effect, and dances very gracefully. .The comedy element -."is,well sustained'by Harry-'Green, the famous .Tewish comedian, who is seen as excitable theatre manager. Right touches are also provided by Jack Oakie—h* <M ih« fining freckled lace

—and Sheets Gallagher, who take .the part of .a vaudeville team. Their singing simply brought tho house down. Tho picture sparkles with .witty dialogue,. all. of which is perfectly audible and free from any unpleasant twang; Altogether,' ‘ Close Harmony/ is the most delightful talkie production staged in the theatre yet, and, as such, is to bo heartily recommended. In direct contrast is ‘ Craig’s Wife/ the picturisation. ■of the George Kelly play which proved so successful in America .some, four years , ago. The picture will have the same measure of success, for it will find its'public, a thoughtful, observant, intelligent public. Jt is one that reflects a keen study of character and technical proficiency on _ the part of the dramatist. An essentially human drama, it is splendidly enacted, particularly by Irene Rich. Her conception of the arrogant, domineering Mrs Craig is extremely real. She is ably supported by Warner Baxter, who plays the harassed Craig with fine effect. * Craig’s Wife * is distinctly unusual, and something entirely new in domestic dramas. It is the story of a woman’s complete domination of her husband and of her enlightenment through tragedy and unhappiness. A bright little talkie sketch entitled ‘Knights in Venice/ contains some particularly good singing by tho artists who appeared in the school burlesque at the Regent recently. They parody the operas most delightfully. The outstanding musical numbers are the 1 Barcarolle ’ ' from * The Tales of Hoffman/ which is sung as a duet by a soprano and a contralto, and a rather revised- version of the famous quartet from ‘Rigolotto/ which, iu this case, is given most effectively by. a sextet. - A talkie cat cartoon and an interesting Patlie Audio review complete an excellent programme. The cartoon is especially delightful.

THRILLS AND MYSTERY ‘ THE TERROR ’ AT THE EMPIRE In all its crumbling solitude, the old manor stands on the storm-swept moor. Beside a flickering fire seven terror-stricken people sit about a rickety old table. They are in communicni>'ion with the psychic world. From under the cobweb-covercd and creaking staircase the grand chords of a far-off organ creep out.- The music is-that played by unseen hands, dominant and exultant. Across the floor jumps a slimy toad, an omen of evil. Lightning flares into the room, thunder peels, the candles fade out, the sepulchral voices of those about the planchett hoard are silenced, and a fearful scream shivers the air. Not even .Edgar Wallace iu his wildest thoughts of possibilities when he wrote ‘ The Terror 1 could have imagined that such truly amazing, uncanny effects could ever be produced on the-screen or stage. Last night a packed house at the Empire Theatre screamed when the Terror entered tho manor and. started his havoc. ‘ The Terror ’ not only thrilled {and at times terrified) them, hut in the American vernacular, always so expressive, it “ got them guessing ” and “ kept them guessing.” Of all the different classes of entertainment which the stage offers —and there must be at least a dozen—few can claim the popularity which the mystery-thriller can boast. Maurice Moscovitch scored with tho Edgar Wallace thriller on the stage, but to the screen story realism more intense and graphic is given. ‘ The Terror ’ is a thriller in every sense of the word. The censor has recommended it specially for adult audiences. •Even for adults it has its* horror. ‘ The Terror’ is not entertainment for those taking tonic for nervous disorders.

While many of the mystery-thrillers rely upon mechanical sound effects for the thrill element, ‘ The Terror ’ is one which depends entirely upon the characters to terrify the spectators. The audience is not fooled, yet it is inclined to fool itself in seeking the solution of the-identity of the maniac who shoots to lull and whisks the inmates of the ghostly mansion through trap doors and down pits to his torture den. Through this house of cobwebs and dilapidation the Terror stalks, murdering with speed, and raising nerve-shattering yells of fear from the inmates.

But ‘ The Terror ’ is nob all ghastliness. The- antics of the panicstricken guests, of the manor • will set the audiences in convulsive laughter, just at the moment when some relief is badly needed from the shocks to the nervous system from the succession of thrills. The comedy is of the “ silly ass 11 'style, but ‘The Terror’ all round is the most astonishing film of this type yet seen or heard. The talking sequences are remarkably clear, and no written titles are used. The eeriness of the incidents is accentuated by the terrified voices of the actors, and the sound accessories are strikingly effective.. Warner Brothers have scored tremendously -with ‘ The Terror,’ in which the cast is well balanced. Skilful acting and clear speech make evei-y part outstanding for a “thrill” play. Among the members of the cast are Edward Horton, as the poetical golfer, Alec B. Francis, as Dr Eedmayne, May M‘Avoy, as Olga, and in lesser roles Louise Fazenda, John Miljan, and Holmes Herbert.

The short subject “Talkies’ this week are of exceptional merit. Outstanding is Mischa Elman,, the worldfamed violinist. His • playing of Dvorak’s ‘ Humoresque 5 and Gossec’s ‘Gavotte’ is beautiful. From his instrument he obtains exquisite tone, and the reproduction is splendid. The Aristocratic Four are young men with pleasing voices and skilled as instrumentalists. They are new to Dunedin audiences, and their turn will he appreciated. ' Iza Kremer is a vocalist of note in America as an interpreter of -folk songs. Her numbers include Neapolitan, Brittany, . and English songs. The English number is ‘ No, Sir,’ and it is sung with charm. Daphne Pollard, an English comedienne, presents a slap-dash turn of a style of days gone by, but she is so funny that one is forced to laugh heartily. ; The musical section of the Empire programme is,, alone worth hearing, as usual. Mr Leslie V. Harvey’s popularity remains at a high point. His diversity seems to know no end. Elgar’s stirring ‘ Pomp and Circumstance ’ is played by the organist with high; interpretative understanding and faultless execution, and by way of contrast; he tinkles ‘High Up On The Hill Top.’ Of the many jazz numbers played by Mr Harvey,, none is more charmingly ■ presented than this one. The orchestra, under M. de Rose, is necessarily being limited in its work as the “ Talkies ’ make greater strides into the programme ; for many this is a master for 1-egret, as the best in music can be played by the orchestra. The entra’acte this week shows the,balance of the combination. During the screening of ‘ Charles Gounod,’ Mr Harvey plays some of the best-known selections from ‘ Faust,’ and his playing is a compensation for the loss of the orchestra.

' MATRIMONIAL AND WESTERN COMEDIES GRAND AND PLAZA BILLS When Mabel-Pulton'was chosen from tho ranks' of British film artists to play ‘Tho Constant Nymph,’ .her work was known only to the discriminating few. To-day she is : definitely the rising star of British films,' and in ‘Troublesome Wives/, a British Dominions. Film, which is now tho feature at the Grand and Plaza Theatres, patrons have an opportunity to understand the reasons of her success. Mabel Poulton _ can he wistful, mischievous, gay, fascinating, ‘Troublesome Wives’ reveals her as dramatic, quick-witted, , courageous, handy at trigger or steering wheel, and ready to stand up to a gang of spies with the sangfroid of any “dare-devil heroine ” of American films. With Mabel Poulton are other well-known British screen players, the chief one being . Eric Bransby. Williams (son of the famous entertainer), cast as the handsome husband. One of the most entertaining Universal western comedies produced for some time is Hoot Gibson’s ‘ Smilin’ Guns,’ which is also showing at these theatres. Portraying a devil-may-care but rather unkempt cowboy, Hoot affords many laughs by his inimitable performance, but it is not until he decides to become a polished gentleman that the real laughs commence. There are spots in ‘ Smilin’ Guns ’ during which Hoot rises to veritable heights as a comedian. Blanche Mehaffy heads an excellent supporting cast.

EVERYBODY’S NEW BILL QOMEBY PREDOMINATES A comedy of champagne ■was the feature of the bill presented at the Everybody’s Theatre last night. It was the C.A.F. release, ‘ Champagne,’ starring Betty Balfour and Jean Bradin. Filmed in America and Europe, the story, which dealt with a daughter of a champagne millionaire and the impulses that led her into many an exciting situation,'proved an immense success, judging hy the applause of the audience. Betty Balfour, the star, carried out her role with exceptional talent and proved all that has been already announced about her as the “ queen of British films.” In support of Betty Balfour is the young star of Moulin ■ Rouge,’ Jean Bradin, who is equally successful in this role. The credit for this production goes to Alfred Hitchcock, who directed ft at the British International Studios, at Elstree. ‘Flames,’ a drama of forest fire andtimber lands, was the supporting feature. In this film Virginia Valli, Jean Hersholt, and Eugene O’Brien hare the principal roles to portray. KING EDWARD Patrons of the King Edward Theatre welcomed the new programme shown at the theatre last evening, as one of the best they have ever seen. ‘ The Woman from Moscow ’ is a rather celebrated picture, and Pola Negri, supported by Norman Kerry, is quite capable of sustaining the interest of the spectators. There are some very dramatic scenes in ‘ The Woman From Moscow,’ and as much love-making as anyone could desire. Pola impersonates Princess Fedora and visits the castle of a Russian general. She, is betrothed to his son,.Vladimir, who is mysteriously ealled away from a balk at Fedora’s house. Much that is Nihilistic follows, hut tho lovers emerge unscathed from all intriguing, and are •last.-seen---very-happy. But before that stage is reached, many remarkable things happened. Fedora incidentally meets a stranger at a, ball, and it is a case of love at first sight. Then complications arise; the stranger lias killed a man and cannot return to his country, Russia. Then Vladimir has imputations cast upon his character _ by Loris (the stranger), as to his relationship with the latter’s sister, and his base desertion. The end is rather sad. Fedora takes poison and dies in the arms of Lons. ‘ The Woman From Moscow ’ is well supported.

OCTAGON THEATRE CLOSED TO INSTAL HEW TALKIES The Octagon Theatre has closed its doors to the public in the meantime, while a new Western Electric talkie plant is being installed. This system has gained praise wherever it lias been heard and seen, and to keep up with the times, the management of the Octagon Theatre decided to have “superior” talkies. The opening date and the programme titles are not yet able to be announced.