PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 20898, 15 September 1931, Page 5

PICTURE THEATRES

REGENT Love, intrigue, infidelity, and selfsacrifice are the outstanding elements in ‘Unfaithful,’ the sound Mainatc. picture which features Ruth Chatteiton and Paul Lukas this week at the Regent; When Fay Houston marines Ronald Kilkerry, she does so befieving him to be the finest wan wi England. When she ascertains that ho is carrying on with her brother’s wife, Gemma, something breaks within her. She cannot sue for a divorce, as it would break her brother’s heart to know the ‘ truth—she is trapped by considerations of family, and what her once shellshocked brother would do were the • worst divulged. Fay goes gay in her ■ misery, gives wild parties and Gonti- ' nental picnics, caring for no man until ehe meets Carl. Heitlan, an artist, who interests her, as ho is so serious and ' sincere, and ho falls in love with Fay because she pretends to be exactly tnc reverse. Heidan seeks to learn the identity of Kilkerry’s mistress in order that ’ Fay might divorce her husband, but • even as this is divulged Gemma, the unfaithful. and Kilkerry become concerned in a motor crash, the latter being killed outright. It is then that ; Fay makes the supreme sacrifice lor her brother’s sake, but even so Carl is aware of Fay’s loyalty and courage, and they find happiness together. Notably good acting goes to the account of Miss Chatterton, Paul Cavanagh, and Donald Cook. One remarkably good vocal novelty is Eddie Miller in I airways and Squareways,’ a clever midget golt f scena. ' , , Children aro referred to our advertising columns for particulars of tho “ Dirigible” kite competition. EMPIRE The Greta Garbo of languishing lores, of exotic boudoirs, of passionate glamour—the Garbo wo knew so well von the silent screen—comes back to_ us with more power than ever m Inspiration,’ her new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ;■ starring vehicle, which is now showing at the Empire Theatre. , Robert Montgomery furthers his hold on screen popularity by his splendid work opposite the star. Brown’s direction keeps, the story moving at a fluid ■ i pace, and is masterful in sophistry and ingenious camera angles. Lewis Stone heads the supporting cast in his usual capable, manner. The .cast ■ includes such striking players as Mar- : iorio Rambeau, Judith Yossolli, Beryl Mercer, John Miljan, Oscar Apfel, Edwin Maxwell, Joan Marsh, Zelda Sears, Gwen Lee,' Karen Morley, Richard • Tucker, Paul M‘Allister, and Arthur Hoyt. ' The main feature of the supporting programme is a Laurel and Hardy comedy of great merit. Mr Leslie V. Har--1 vey .contributes very acceptable organ • solos. One of the most attractive fea- : tures of the programme is the appearance on the .stage of Mr Maitland 1 M‘Cutcheo.u, one of New. Zealand’s finest violinists. The box plans are at the theatre and The Bristol. PRINCESS Audiences at the Princess Theatre are appreciating Bebe Daniels in ‘-My Past,’ in the title role of the strangely fascinating story of .The loves of a famous actress. But there is a sincerity about the acting of each of the characters in ‘ My Past ’ that makes it especially moving. Lewis Stone, in the part of tho older man, who discovers at Inst that his longing for tho Move of a younger woman, for the love which he commanded and made victorious in earlier years, must be cast aside ; —does a character portrayal which is ■ not exceeded by any of the roles which he has made memorable in other plays and pictures. Ho manages to give up .the thing-he wants most in life and to keep his friendship for the youth who takes' it as Ms own. It is like the gesture of the clown who, seeing himself supplanted by his son, cries: ‘ The king is dead. Long llvo the king. Ben Lyon, as the young man whoso lusty youth captures.the heart of the woman who wishes to bo true to her older love, puts the same feeling of ' reality into his portrayal. Ono can % seo how much lie grieves to appear false, to the man who has proved himself such a true friend. And when at last John Thornley sails away leaving Doreo and Bob together on tho_ shore there is a true note of sorrow in the : joy which has como to them without their willing. B, 3 be Daniels’s performance is deeply . beautiful—-it lays bare a soul torn between past happiness and the desire for present and _ future realisation. ‘ My Past ’ is a picture to be remcm- . bpred. OCTAGON A great favourite with Dunedin audiences is now appearing at the - Octagon Theatre in her latest picture, ‘ Madonna of tho . Streets,’ adapted . from ,W. B. ‘Maxwell’s story, ‘the Ragged Messenger-.’ It is none other than Evelyn Brent, tho alluring, the : beautiful, tho magnetic personality or the screen. Tho story is an excellent ■ vehicle for her. It is a dramatic story of lov© and reformation unfolded in the. colourful locale of tho Barbary coast of San Francisco. Evelyn Brent plays tho designing woman of the world who goes through an amazing change of. character when she falls in loVo with,a man who patterns his lile along the golden rule. Miss Brent has shown herself supreme in the interpretation. of this sophisticated woman ruled men with her haughty glance. In, ‘ Madonna of the Streets she is allowed a slight variation in portrayal. The story permits her to be. transformed from this typo of woman to one who is willing to humble herself and work hard for the man she loves. An excellent cast has been assembled to support Miss Brent, Robert Ames beading the list. ‘ Sea Legs ’ is also showing. Book at Tho Bristol or at the theatre. FRIDAY’S ATTRACTIONS. A two-master schooner, a sea-going tug, a barge carrying approximately ' 100,CKX)doL in talking picture equipment, and a fleet of .six powerful speed boats were used in making ocean scenes ‘ in Radio Pictures’ striking sea melodrama, ‘Tho Sin Ship.’ The cost of this mobile, seagoing studio is said to - have been approximately ll,ooodol a day, making it almost as expensive to • film simple ocean sequences as spectacles on land. ‘The Sin Ship,’ featuring Louis Wolhcini and a great cast, including Mary Astor, lan Keith, Hugh Herbert, and Alan . Rcscoe, comes to the Octagon on Friday, in conjunction with ‘ Laugh and Get Rich,’ starring Edna May Oliver, tho “Mrs Grundy,” of ‘Cimarron.’ i "■ ' : STRAND In ‘ Six Cylinder Love,’ the Fox • offering which is delighting crowded - houses at The Strand Theatre. Diree- ■; tor Thornton Freeland has taken a • tale of newly-weds - and extravagance and used it as a background for ono / of the cleverest farces to grace the SC '[Jnlikc so many film comedies, how- • ever, enough of the background shows through to make tho offering realistic and truthful, and these qualities in, turn make tho picture qyo» funnier,

Ilian ifc would otherwise - bo. Adapted from the Broadway success of a icw seasons past, the' talkie version ■ keeps all the pungent situations of the original, and adds its own. The dialogue is side-splitting. The story deals , with the troubles brought ; about in two successive families through tho purchase of too costly a car. Trying to live up to the glittering splendour of then; vehicle, the owners collect a group of sponging friends, whoso chief ambitions lio in tho direction of spending other people’s money. Tho results are hilarious in tho extreme. Spencer Traey, whoso remarkable acting talents have won him stardom niter two pictures, ‘Up the River’ and ‘ Quick. Millions,’ displays his versatility as tho giih auto salesman, while the evcr-popular Edward Everett Horton shines as the leader of ■ the spongers. A cast that includes Sidney Fox, William Collier - , sen., El Brendcl, Lorin Raker, Ruth Warren, and Bert Roach is uniformly excellent. KING EDWARD Two very popular actresses are featured in ‘Let Us Bo Gay,’ which is enjoying a successful run at the King Edward Theatre. Norma Shearer and Marie Dressier arc entrusted with tho most outstanding roles, and they provide a delightfully contrasted combination, which carries through tho action of tho picture without a bitch. ‘Let Us Bo Gay’ is the story of a young wife who, when she (imls that her husband has been unfaithful to Iter, sets out to lead a gay and carefree life. How she later meets her busband and regains his affections makes a really entertaining tale, -A very line supporting programmo is also shown.