PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 21285, 14 December 1932, Page 7

PICTURE THEATRES

REGENT ‘ Unashamed ’ mark? a new phase of the many-sidedness of Bayard Veiller, the famous author. This picture, now showing at the Regent Theatre, provides thrills that are all the more intense because of their ultra-modern aspect. The story deals with a woman who sacrifices honour for' love, then, when the brother kills the man who has disgraced her, must choose between disgrace and her brother’s life, as only her story can save him.. Interdst in the supporting film, ‘ Unashamed,’ first of all centres around the question as to what will eventually happen to a young couple who wish to get married but who cannot because of certain obstacles. The girl is of a wealthy family that has no liking for her fiance, who is reputed to be a gambler and a fortune-hunter. When he is killed, during a quarrel, by hiV prospective brother-in-law the interest then becomes concentrated on the possibility of the young man’s having to go to the electric chair. Two long court scenes are excellently directed, while the acting of the principals cannot be praised too highly. Helen Twelvetrees as a spoiled society daughter, Monroe Owsley as her lover, Robert Young as her brother, Lewis Stone as a lawyer, and Jean Hersholt as the father of the gambler, are among the chief players. Laurel and Hardy appear in their latest comedy, ‘ The County Hospital,’ which heads the list of supports. ST. JAMES Lovers of a good mystery thriller will find much unusually weird entertainment in ‘The House of Unrest 1 ’ at the St. James Theatre. The many strange happenings incidental to the, unfolding of the story are really feasible enough, and any person who remains unmoved by it must possess an iron nerve. It would be difficult to imagine a more appropriate setting for eerie occurrences than an old-fashioned manor situated on a. lonely, storm-swept island. and it is the clever manner in which the producers have caught the atmosphere of _ evil foreboding that makes this British production outstanding among pictures of its type. Only six characters appear in the story, and by ingenious methods the secret is blanketed in suspense until the last few feet of film. It i„s a pleasing fact that each player in this picture sneaks well—a good feature of the majority of English pictures to-day. Malcolm Keen adds another fine performance to his already long list of successes, though his work in no way overshadows that of Dorothv Boyd. Leslie Perrins, together with Miss Bovd, provides the romantic element, and others in the cast are Hubert Cartel - , Tom Helmore, and Mary Mayfren. EMPIRE A novel and interesting means of seeing many of the wonders of the world is provided by the film. ‘Around the World in Eighty Minutes,’ which is now at the Empire. Douglas Fairbanks is the principal, and his picture enables the audience to see part of the unsuspected attractions of foreign lands with himself as guide, philosopher, and jester. Making Hollywood his starting point, Doug, dashes bis merry way through China, Japan. India, Siam. Hawaii, ami the Philippines. He sees world wonders, strange customs, and meets all manner of, weird and wonderfull people. It is, obvious that he is having a great thug, and is determined tfiat yoii shall share it,with him. Fantasy is mixed with fact, especially when Doug. : rounds off . the fun by utilising the magic carpet from his own Oriental phantasy. ‘The Thief of Bagdad,’ to carry him hack to Mary. He is never dull. The more 1 boisterous jokes are followed by flashes of wit and satirical touches. OCTAGON I One of the most interesting and novel screen plays of .the current season is now showing at the Octagon Theatre. The picture is ‘ Ton Brown of Culver,’ the Universal production,' which presents Tom Brown and Slim Summerville in the lending roles and was filmed partly at Universal City and partly at the famous Culver Military Academy in Indiana. The entire story is told against the background of this well-known institution, and is said to tell a most dramatic story of a boy whose father was erroneously credited, with being a hero of the World War. A noteworthy feature of. ‘Tom Brown of Culver ' is the fact that not a girl appears in it—and yet the story is not lacking in intense “ heart interest.” The list of players appearing with Brown, Warner, and Summerville includes Richard Cromwell, Sidney Toler, Russell Hopton, Andy lievine, Kit Guard, Willard Robertson, Ben Alexander, and other screen favourites. STSAKD The story of ‘ Fireman, Save My Child,’ .now at the Strand Theatre, concerns “Smoky Joe” Grant, assistant lire chief, a natural-born fire fan, who would rather go to a fire than make love to his best girl. He is. also the star player of the local baseball team. “ Smoky Joe ” receives an offer to play for a famous metropolitan team. He accepts it in order to get the money to put over his fire extinguisher invention. He makes good, but is constantly battling with the team manager because be forgets the' game when fire wagons pass. Picture the convulsive situations that arise when the assistant fire chief and small town baseball hero stops an exciting game at a crisis to chase a fire. Picture a star player in a “crack” team dropping the ball to race after a fire wagon when the siren sounds. Picture him forgetting the deciding game of the championship only to show up at the last minute, and, of course, win the game, I “ KING EDWARD George O'Brien lias performed many daring feats, botli afoot and on horseback, during bis colourful screen career, but never lias this star attempted such a hazardous one as the acts of expert horsemanship he performs in his new picture, ‘The Rainbow Trail.’ which commenced at the King Edward Theatre to-night. The exteriors of this picture, filmed in the most inaccessible spots jpf the Grand Canyon, where the usual visitors do not dare to go, are said to bring to the screen for the first time the full breath-taking beauty of the world’s most famous scenic spot. Supporting O'Brien is a fine cast, including Cecilia Parker, inna Gombell, and Roscoe Atcs. It is the picturisation of Zanc Grey’s famous novel.