PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 20361, 18 December 1929, Page 11

PICTURE THEATRES

EMPIRE ‘The Desert Song,’ now running at tb® Empire Theatre, has,'in addition to a cast including John Boles, fjarlotta King, Myrna Loy, Otto Hoffman, and ; many others, a chorus of 100 voicee. One of the particularly intriguing things about this operatic work is the romantic colour of its story. Previously , when the story of a musical comedy ap- '■ pealed to a producer he acquired the rights to transfer it to the screen just as he acquired the rights of any stage work. In the finished picture of a musical work, however, all that remained was the title and the theme song, the latter being retained for the accompaniment of the action by_ the theatre orchestra. This was sufficient; it was all that could he used. That day . has passed, however. In securing the rights to ‘ The Desert Song ’ the Warners obtained the entire musical score and the libretto as well by buying all the rights just as if they were to produce the musical work on .the legitimate stage. In presenting ‘ The Desert Song ’ on the screen all of its original numbers have been retained. The, score is played by the Vitaphone Symphony Or- • chestra of 100 musicians. It was the intention to make an even more im- , posing production of the musical comedy on the audible screen than did its original producers on the legitimate stage. The screen has this advantage, all of the desert scenes can he taken . out. ia tho open. OCTAGOH The Janet Gaynor-Chavles Farrell combination is back at the Octagon Theatre this week in a story written by Tristram Tupper, and given in the name of ‘ Lucky Star.’ A story of salvage, ‘ Lucky Star ’ promises to rival ; in intense interest any of the Gaynor- ■ Farrell features that have already been shown here. Farrell, as “ Tim Osborn.” meets Janet Gaynor (Mary Tucker) the day he goes to war. He forgets her. but she remembers him, particularly because he came to blows < with a big bully, played by Guinn Williams, over an indiscreet act of hers. When Tim returns from war he is a cripple, but his philosophy of life is such that the little country maid is charmed, their love is mutual and when Mary faces peril—Tim forgets he is a cripple, and rescues her, and the emergency is such as to put life back into his paralysed limbs. Guinn Williams and Hedwiga Reicher head the supporting cast of players who speak their parts. A full supporting programme forms the early half of the bill, which is recognised as ono of the best shown at the Octagon yet. REGENT Again this week the Regent Theatre Is offering an exceptionally pleasing programme headed by ‘ The Love Doctor,’ in which Richard Dix returns to farce comedy. This is the typo of picture he does best, and also tho kind in which he has met with the greatest success.. It is his third talkie, and is likely to prove the best of the trio. For a couple of years Dix has wanted to make a picture out of ‘The Boomerang,’ a play by Winched Smith and Victor Mapes. ‘ The Love Doctor’ is this play, adapted by J. Walter Ruben and Guy Bolton, the famous Broadway librettist, who also wrote the picture dialogue. There are three other important roles besides Dix’s part as the young society doctor who. has handsome offices and shiny instruments, but no patients. With Dix, as his office nurse, is June Collyer, and her rival for the doctor’s favour is Miriam Seegar. Her lover in the picture is Morgan Farley. The other feature is ‘Show Folks,’ a very interesting story of the lives of vaudeville artists, and including in a strong cast Eddie Quillan, Lina Basquette, and Bessie Barriscale, who won outstanding success in ‘ls Zat So?’ Tho mutual love of Quillan and Miss Basauette, who are cast as dancers in a vaudeville company, forms the theme of the film, and the production affords an excellent insight into vaudeville entertainments in America. The scenes depicting the various performances of the ‘ Show Polk,’ including juggling, dancing, and acrobatic numbers, are a feature of the picture. Supporting items are good. STRAND , 1 Father and Son,’ an extremely captivating story of love and sacrifice, is attracting big audiences to the Strand Theatre. _ The story is built about the machinations of an adventuress who endeavours, successfully at first, to cause dissension between father and son, chiefly for her own ends, but in the end right triumphs The son, Jimmie, is not at all willing to accept the Oomtesse Moletti, who marries his father, as a step-mother, and as soon as she appears on the scene she commences to sow the seeds, of discord between the boy and his father, although she keeps up the pretence that she has a warm affection for the boy. The boy runs away from home, and goes to ■Miss White, who has loved tho -widower Fields for years. Fields biter quarrels with the Oomtesse, and then matters are brought to a head by the release from prison of a confidence man named Lebau, whom the comtesse harf betrayed. As the result of a scene .between > the comtesse and Lebau the former is killed, and after a series of dramatic events father and son are once more reconciled. The principal characters are played by Jack Holt, Micky M’Ban, and Dorothy Revier There is also an excellent supporting programme. XING EDWARD There are lew screen personalities to equal Miss Colleen Moore, who delights the hearts of young and old alike with her playfttl pranks, and while her latest picture, ‘Why Bo Good?’ is showing at the King Edward Theatre there should be the usual rush of eager patrons to see their favourite. In addition to ‘ Why Be Good?’ there is another very fine picture, ‘The Rescue,’ in which Ronald Coleman is starred. Tho short items showing on the programme are the best available.