PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 20421, 28 February 1930, Page 7

PICTURE THEATRES

REGENT On© wonders, after seeing and hearing Gloria Swanson in ‘ The Trespasser,’ at its local premiere at the Regent Theatre to-day,, whether the producerstar has, not introduced ; in her. first all-dialogue picture, _ a new era in audible films. Certainly Miss Swanson’s independently-produced picture unfolds a technique that is new to the speaking screen. All of which amounts to the most pleasing sort of entertainment. ' Popular interest of course focuses on the fact that Miss Swanson talks—and singSTT-from the screeh for the first time. Miss Swanson’s voice is a delight to the ear. Had she never entered pictures, her stage voice would have 1 guaranteed stardom in the legitimate ) theatre. Hero is a soprano that is clarion-sweet. She demonstrates a ,wid« vocal range in the two songs she presents. One is ‘Serenade,’_ a quasi-classic, ; familiar to all musiclovers. The second pieco is ’Love,’ composed especially for Miss Swanson by Edmund Gouiding, who, wrote and directed the feature. a : In the new technique manifested in ‘The. Trespasser,’ one sees; the hand of Edmund Gouiding at work;. There is suspense crowding suspense, with the plot ' always taking a turn contrary to that expected. The theme concerns a successful girl of the ness world and her ma*rriage to the.; son of a Chicago millionaire. It is not. Until the hero, Robert. Ames, has married again, .that he discovers he is the father of the heroine’s son. What happens when the invalid second wife insists that the heroine take her husband and go away with him; when the heroine refuses to do so, and eventually sacrifices her boy to 'the care of his », grandfather, all provides an emotional crescendo that , finds a happy solution in the last lines df the dialogue. <_ Selected sound featurettes comprise the first portion of the programme. EMPIRE Marian Fuller returns to her Fullervale home after studying art in New York. She finds that her aunt. Prudence; her fiance, Jasper Hickson, and his mother view her suspiciously, ■ fearing that life in the big city has affected her. , Marian, wearying of her fiance’s attitude, tells her family that she has engaged in a “ trial marriage ” in New York. . Her father, Adam Fuller, demands that she name the man. In desperation, Marian gives the name of Thaddens Cruicksbank, whom she remembers as the author of a. book. Her father wires Thaddens, demanding that he come to Fullervale and face the music. The amazed Thaddens, thinking that an impostor has been using his name, obeys the summons. Thaddens finds Marian much to his liking, and is not at all disturbed when Adam Fuller insists upon an immediate marriage. Various complications ensue when the family endeavour to keep Thaddens and Marian apart until after the ceremony, with Marian making desperate efforts to explain the situation to Thaddeus. Marian, with feminine wilfulness, declines to marry Thaddeus, who. thereupon “ compromises ” her to such ah extent that she consents to the ceremony, much to her liking. Briefly, that is the story of Reginald Penny’s first all-talking film, entitled ‘Embarrassing Moments,’ now showing at the Empire Theatre. The cast is a particularly good one, among the players being Merna Kennedy,.. Otis Harlan, William Austin, and Virginia ■ Sale.' .

The Empire is also showing a big supporting programme. Perhaps: the biggest feature of the; current entertainment is the appearance of Mr. Leslie V. • Harvey, . whose contract as Empire organist expires after this week. Hi* final offerings at the Christie organ are Liszt’s ‘Hungarian Rhapsody, No. 2’ and '* Painting the Clouds With Sunshine.’ Later in the evening he appears on the stage in a very effective setting to further entertain with selections on the piano. He plays Binding's delightful melody, ‘ Rustle of Spring,’ and a medley or popular airs, and as an encore item he presents ‘Softly Awakes My Heart,’ from the Saint-Saens opera, ‘Samson and Delilah.’ OCTAGON Before the picture ‘Flight’ came to' Dunedin last Friday, it had established for itself a reputation as a spectacular drama of the air, aiad. one of the best pictures of its sort that has been created. The picturegoing: public of Dunedin has endorsed this; opinion of tho film, and capacity houses have attended at its screening at the Octagon Theatre.' The patron»age.of the"public has been so gratifying ‘ that the management of the theatre ■ has decided to screen the production till next Thursday. The daring of some of the aerial . • evolutions shown with telling force in the film outdoes that of any aox;ial pageant. The close formation flying , i» at once a surprise : nd a revelation, and the onlooker must need wonder how the intrepid airmen can keep their planes so close to another without bringing about a disastrous collision. Thief spectacular wonder of the' film is • well supplemented by a fine dramatic • story, with it exciting passages, its • love interest, and its comedy. In the capable hands of Jack Holt • and Ralph Graves the action goes • with a swing from beginning to end. . >The sergeant in charge of the . flying school is well portrayed by Jack Holt, whose - “hard boiled ” manner > while , being highly disturbing to the =. cadets, uramusing to the onlooker. In • striking contrast is Ralph Graves, whose experiences finally goad him from his unassuming ways into those . of aggression and accomplishment. /• Gravest sterling Work in the air is . seen to great advantage, as the photo- ■ graphy throughout tho film is excellent. . Two men are at loggerheads in love, • and the .plot thickens as the two are i sent out to quell a rising of rebels. ; From'then on the excitement becomes . even more tense, and the final scenes . take a turn which is just and more or less satisfying to air concerned. , There is much in the film that is novel to Dunedin theatre-goers, and it is a production that will no doubt find favour with patrons wherever it is, shown. . . There is a complete change of supporting suhects, which include Fox Movietone News and an interesting scenic subject. STRAND At the Strand Theatre to-day the all-talking film ‘lnterference’ was shown, with Clive Brook in one of the leading roles. Another featured player is William Powell. Powell has the part of a* care-freo rake, yet his • role is one which earns the sympathy ‘ of the audience before the film is half over. Miss Brent is cast as a revengeful young lady who resorts to blackmail when thwarted in the game of " love. Miss Kenyon has the difficult , role of the wife of two husbands— Powell,and Brook—and who is finally saved, and her happiness restored, by tho jvorking of her first husband,

Powell. Lothar Hendes, faniouts European director, handled tho direction of the film. An excellent supporting, programme of short 1 talking and singing subjects is shown,