THE PICTURES—NEW PROGRAMMES

Evening Star, Issue 20374, 4 January 1930, Page 9

THE PICTURES—NEW PROGRAMMES

laugh and be happy EMPIRE—A HOUSE CF MERRIMENT Only one peculiar section of the public needs a word of advice as to ‘ Welcome Danger.’ The chronically lugubrious should not risk injuring their long-dormant risible senses by daring to visit the Empire Theatre this week, when Harold Llovd’s first talkie is being screened. Happy mankind will see Harold as a detective, and laugh as heartily as they laughed at his cavortings in the shorter , silents many months ago, and the blues wiu be completely dispersed for the despondent. The eccentric fellow with the goggles he made world-famous is funnier than ever—and that is saying a mouthful. . - . - Cumulative, continual comedy is * Welcome Danger.’ Many funny incidents, ample for at least two highclass full-length comedies,. are pacfjd into the picture. The incidents do not cause a mere titter of laughter. They immediately and spontaneously call forth an outburst of laughter, swelling in each scene to nothing Jess than a roar. Followin'* the surfeit oi mystery and sensational talkies, >veicome Danger,’ brings a welcome freshening touch to the screen entertainment in Dunedin. Throughout, the comedy is particularly brilliant, consistently so, and it is clean, 0 „f some comedy.- The boy and girl of five and the staid folk of sixty-five will alike gain from the picture an overlapping measure of unalloyed pleasure and amusement. Lloyd has long been one of the foremost comedians of the American film comedies. The .talkies will not play a swan song for ] him, as ‘his genius at'laugh provoking has been given a pronounced wider range or expression. Lloyd has an aptitude for getting into tight corners, and in the days qf the silents audiences the world over shrieked with him in his predicaments. The screeches by Harold m ‘Welcome Danger ' add an intensity to the situations. The boyish comedian has a pleasant voice, and he knows how to control it to bring out the subtleties and sublime absurdity of the scores of merry comedy moments. No one will be disappointed with Lloyd’s voice. It is softly nasal, not in the least and he records excellently. And the Empire’s reproduction brings out every word clearly. A torrent of laughter surged from the capacity house which saw ‘ Wellcome Danger’ for the first time last night. By the deft manipulation of the amplifying plant the clover dialogue was always heard above the roars- In an average picture the destruction of the dialogue by. the laughter of the audience w distinctly annoying, but no one could be displeased if his neighbour at the Empire blurred the dialogue. Everybody laughs naturally and raucously,at Harold,ana the great mass of people will see Welcome Danger ’ to be amused. Even if a word was not heard above the am, one could be no other than exceedingly happy. fbr the picture has even far more comic scenes that ‘Safety Last, the greatest of Lloyd’s earlier productions Harold is brilliant. The picture opens with a burst of laughter, as Harold Bledsloe, on his way to join the police in San Francisco, amuses himself in a railway carnage. He falls in-love with a peripatetic'girl motorist at a wayside station, and then goes, to ’Frisco to hunt the red dragon, the terror of Chinatown, the pedlar of dope, and the leader of Tong wars. He starts a screamingly funny fracas in chop-suey establishments, and eventually wanders into the den of the Red Dragon. Here most of the notion takes place, and the doings of Harold and Constable Patrick Clancey are delightfully whimsical. Harold captures the dragon, and also his bride. The farce is brilliantly exploited, with Lloyd always predominant as the funmaker. Barbara Kent is a pleasing object of romantic interest, and Charles. Middleton, William Walling, and Noah ioung are the leaders of the supporting cast. ‘Welcome Danger ’ is great entertainment, and will start the . New Year for many in a happy strain. Waring’s Pennsylvanians are also world-famous. The orchestra has provided many of the best dance numbers for gramophone records and their rooordings will undoubtedly bo more in demand after the troupe has been heard on the talkies. They play ‘We Have the College Girls.’ ‘The Little White House,’ and ‘Where Do You Worka, John?’ with striking precision and syncopation, and the choruses aro really fine, being handled, with artistry by a clear-throated set of men. Waring himself is an unassuming conductor with admirable control over his band. The Fox movietone news reel is very interesting this week, the notable recording being the expression by Britain’s Prime Minister of his views of the solidifying of the friendeship between two great nations as the aftermath of His visit, to President Hoover. Nirda’s famed aria from Dipet’s opera, ‘The Pearl Fishers,’ is well recorded, but the unknown singer falls below the standard set by Gigli and De Luca in their duet from the same opera heard at the Empire some months back. A remarkable reception was accorded •Mr Leslie Harvey at the organ last night, and the demonstration which followed his brief recital left no doubt as to his maintenance of public favour. The applause was insistent, and it was prolonged until the singing had commenced to the next picture. Mr Harvey scored with his playing of the ‘William Tell ’ overture, a heavy number, but he was even more successful with ‘A Perfect Day,’ in which ho sympathetically treated the lighter motif.

MARY PICKFORD MILESTONE ‘ COQUETTE ’ DELIGHTS REGENT AUDIENCE Ouo good programme after another has been the order of things at the Regent Theatre ever since this comfortable house of entertainment became a big power in the modern picture world. And, subsequent to the introduction of talking films, which were more than satisfactory in the first place, it has been distinctly noticeable that the standard of acting and the stories that have to be unfolded are gradually improving. It is interesting to conjecture when the summit of all ithat is desirable will be reached, but at the 1 present time one experiences tho greatest difficulty in trying to conjure up visions of productions which for real merit could possibly surpass the 3e of feature film that has been sened at the Regent during the holiday season. Following “Sapper’s ’’stirring yarn, ‘ Bulldog Drummond,’ comes ‘ Coquette,’ with dainty, intriguing Mary Pickford swaying her audiences by meahs not only of her charming personality, but also of the clear, subdued beauty of her voice. ‘ Coquette ’ is Miss Pickford’s first talkie. Fortunate it is that the won-

derful secrets of the microphone have been plumbed in ample time to allow “America’s Sweetheart” to start out on what should be a long list of triumphs in the theatrical sphere, which Lies beyond the new milestone. In ‘ Coquette ’ the United Artists folk have seen to it that the delightful little lady has been surrounded by a cast so brilliant that even she is not called upon to carry anyone on her shoulders, as it were. As in all Mary Pickford productions, the photography is faultless, and in order to preserve the true atmosphere of the Southern States, the players have cultivated, some more easily than others, the quaint, pleasing drawl so characteristic of those who live “way down South.” Small. wonder, then, that last evening’s capacity house of first nighters left the theatre with their tongues wagging approval. They had something to talk about, a great story to summarise to their friends. As is, perhaps, implied by the title, ‘ Coquette ’ is largely built up on the captivating whimsicality of a roguish miss. In this case she is a care-free, pretty flirt, Norma Besant, who plays wild havoc with many ardent young men who share with her the privilege of belonging to a rather dignified small town. Into the life of . the girl comes a dashing young cavalier from the mountains.. He, Michael Jeffrey, will have none of her light-hearted trifling, and, realising his mastery, the little coquette falls in love with him. All should go well, but unfortunately a menacing abstacle in tho course of true love is Dr Besant, the paternal representative of all that is stern and conventional. The demeanour of the girl’s father towards the young people constitutes the foundation of an absorbing sequence of events, and the climax appears to be the logical outcome of the whole. Of course, the incomparable Mary Pickford herself takes the part of Norma Besant, and in doing so she reveals the innumerable mannerisms and histrionic subleties that have made her a screen favourite of long standing. John Mack Brown, a wellknit young follow with an air of distinction, infuses wondroiis power and virility into the role of Michael Jeffrey, and John Sainpolis plays Dr Besant with a rare sense of the ’dramatic. Matt Moore makes a very pleasing impression as Stanley Wentworth, an admirer of Norma, who, in spite of everything, remains always her understanding friend. One hardly knows what to expect when the title of a first half feature, ‘ Noisy Neighbours,’ is flashed on the screen. Somehow or other it seems to presage a short comedy or a domestic farce of tabloid dimensions. In reality it is a very fine comedy-drama, fairly lengthy, with well sustained interest running right through, it. Tho story of how a family feud is settled, it is, strangely enough, set also in tho Southern States of America, and when talking is introduced in the latter half of the picture, the effect is quite pleasing. Scene number one shows with adherence to romantic and chivalrous detail the origin of-, the feud, which took place many decades ago. A ganie of croquet it was that disturbed the peace of adjoining country homes. Then a jump is taken into the present era, and we find that the Carstairs have apparently wiped out the Vanrevels However, the family lawyer succeeds in locating the next heir to the Vanrevel estate. The heir happens to be a vaudeville actor with a large family, the members of which are each gifted in some particular branch of the art. When this family settles down in the Vanrevel mansion the fun which follows can well be left to the imagination. Eddie QuTllan, Alberta Vaughan, and the late Theodore Roberts are the star trio. : “ Once again the Pathe Gazette has interesting topical items to present. Views of Titania’s Palace, that remarkable model which took twenty-five years to build, are shown with a thorough understanding of artistic values, and beautiful, fashionable Deauville in its natural colouring is depicted at the height of tho bathing season.

THRILLING ENTERTAINMENT ‘ MASQUERADE ’ SCORES AT OCTAGOH A Fox Movietone production of thrills and suspense from first to last is 1 Masquerade,’ the film version of the Louis Joseph Vance story, which was screened at the Octagon tor the first time yesterday. Supported by a strong talkie programme, it provided entertainment of unusual merit. Few thriller films have succeeded in capturing the atmosphere that is sustained throughout ‘Masquerade.’ It is as though the author’s Hair for devising exciting situations has been repeated in a clever and resourceful producer. As the plot unfolds each moment is tense, uncertain, and filled with interest. ' Masquerade ’ is the story of a wealthy bachelor, who_ returns from abroad rather bored with life. He finds excitement from the moment he steps inside his own front for his fiat has been entered and a search made for valuable jewellery. The touch of a woman is evident in this exploit, and a little later he sees a beautiful girl running from the apartment. Fascinated with her, he follows, and finds himself plunged into a series of amazing adventures. A criminal who is tho exact double of the leading man. a stupid butler who allows tlm pursued crooks to escape time and again, a detective who is always a mile behind tho case, a girl who is trying to save her father from imprisonment, and a small body of enterprising American reporters—these are the principal characters of a story with an entirely new twist and development. To describe ‘ Masquerade ’ fully would bo to spoil it for the audiences, who will extract from it much enjoyment during tho coming week. Suffice it to say that tho screen tale runs smoothly and iijtviguingly from the first to the last scenes. At the head of a strong cast is Alan Birmingham, a comparatively new player, but one who appears to have a decidedly bright future in tho talkies. Ho handles one of the first dual film roles that has been attempted by an actor in tho new pictures, and makes a thoroughly convincing bachelor and criminal. The scenes in which tho “ two men ” appear are extremely web done, the faking being so clever that it is difficult to believo that tho or player is portraying both character' Next is Leila Hyaras, an attract’ blonde with (thanlts to the Fox casting bureau) a really good voice. Though she is decidedly an American, Miss Hyains’s voice is clear and melodious, assisting to prove that it is lack of vocal culture and not nationality which is condemning so many motion picture players to-day. Clyde Cook, the popular Australian comedian, of whom so little has been seen recently, makes a welcome reappearance as the very amusing butler. Speaking clearly and vividly, Cook draws a Cockney character excellently, supplying practically all the comedy relief of the film. Other well-known personalities in ‘ Masquerade ’ aro Arnold Lucy and J. Farrell Macdonald. £he production scheme is a happy one, enabling speedy action, while the photography and effects are most , realistic. _ Tho supporting programme rounds off a pleasant entertainment, Clark and M'Culloch, that very amusing pair.

romp through an uproarious comedy entitled ‘ Waltzing Around.’ The Fox Movietone News this week contains a highly interesting address by King Alfonso of Spain. There is also a delightful ‘Krazy Kat’ cartoon, and scenic and educational films of unusual merit.

1 BULLDOG DRUMMOND ’ ENJOYABLE ENTERTAINMENT Enjoyable entertainment is provided at the Strand Theatre, the feature attraction being the pictunsation ot “Sapper’s” famous novel Bulldog Drummond.’ A large audience last night gave further evidence that the second run of this picture is likely to be as popular as its first presentation. Ronald (Jolman, one of the present-day favourites of the screen, is seen and heard in the title role. It is Colman s first talking production, and he is heard to every advantage in the stirring tale of a demobilised army officer. He is ably supported by a cast which includes such well-1’ nown players as Luyan Tashman, Montague Love, Joan Bennett, and Claude Allister. The lastnamed takes the part of Algy, a foppish sentimental, typical dude to perfection. He provides the comedy, which is necessary for the success of a good picture. . The story is well known to most readers of fiction. Bulldog Drummond, demobilised officer, finds peace too dull for him, and he decides to seek adventure in England. He receives a host of replies to a newspaper advertisement. One reply is from Phyllis Benson. _He meets the girl, and is embroiled in adventure of a kind which is exciting enough for even such a blase man as Drummond. He quicklv finds that several persons form a combination of no little strength, but he was the courage to oppose them Colman is seen at his best as the seemingly foolish, but actually wide-awake Drummond. His acting is excellent throughout the story. No one could wish for a better actress than Lilyan Tashman to fill the part of the sinister but beautiful Irma, who turns out to be Drummond’s most formidable foe. Joan Benson :as PhyKis Benson, Montague Love as Peterson, and Lawrence Grant as the unscrupulous Dr Lakingtou are all perfectly cast, and the remainder of the players acquit themselves very well in their exacting parts._ A feature of the production is the singing of a nameless country boy at the old inn, where much of the action of the story takes place. Accompanied by an accordeon, and with a pretty little girl as his audience, the boy offers a selection of songs at various intervals during the screening of the picture. The pleasing voice of the youth cannot fail to give pleasure to everyone. The photography, lighting effects, and settings are the work of experts. It can be said, indeed, that every detail of the story has been worked out carefully And to the very best advantage. ‘Bulldog Drummond ” should have a successful season, and all those who have not seen the picture will not be disappointed if they visit the Strand Theatre during the week. The invisible orchestra adds its quota to the programme, and, while the feature picture is the main attraction, the whole entertainment has the widest appeal. The short talking and sound pictures are well up to the usual standard. KINS EDWARD THEATRE A swiftly-moving drama, ‘ Taking a Chance,’ featuring Rex Bell, is the principal attraction’ at the King Edward Theatre. The other feature is ’ The Sunset Legion,’ in which Fred Thomson, the popular western actor, takes the leading role.