PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 21381, 7 April 1933, Page 7

PICTURE THEATRES

EMPIRE With a cast of notables, for the greater part from the English stage, • Sherlock Holmes ’ opened at the Empire to-day. Clive Brook, who needs no introduction, portrays the role of the great detective and makes the super man hunter more human than do even the Conan Doyle stories. The story is well sustained and embraces many thrilling sequences. It lias to do with Holmes’s method of handling a reign of terror created in London by Moriarty, the master criminal, and a gang of American and English racketeers. In fact, “ Moriarty ” sets the stage for Holmes to commit a murder, but the super criminologist sees through the trick and circumvents his ancient enemy in a neatly-planned hoax. Thinking Holmes and “ Gore-King,” chief of the Intelligence Department, out of the way, the gangsters inaugural? a reign of terror, "but they are run down and either killed or captured by the police, while Holmes outwits and outmanoeuvres Moriarty, sending him to a death cell. Miriam Jordan, a beautiful woman and an outstanding actress, last seen in • Six Hours To Live.’ opposite Warner Baxter, enacts the leading feminine role, Ernest Torrence gives his usual splendid performance in the role of Moriarty, and the part of Dr Watson is in the capable hands of Reginald Owen. Herbert Mundin and Frank Atkinson. English comedians, appear in a highly amusing .sequence. Others in the fine cast are Howard Leeds, Alan Mowbray. Montague Shaw, Arnold Lucy, Stanley Fields, Roy D’Arey. and Brandon Hurst. The picture was directed by William K. Howard, who seems to possess a particular flair for productions of this type. mm ‘ Leap Year,’ the latest GaumontBritish Films picture, has been so enthusiastically received at the Grand Theatre that the season has been extended. Much of the credit for the success of the film is duo to Tom Walls, the leading player of so many Aldwyoh Theatre productions, who is engaging as Sir Peter Trallion, a member of the staff of the British Foreign Office. His profession is mainly concerned with making love to beautiful women for reasons of State, but when ho is assigned to make advances to Mrs Paula Zahren, the diplomat pleads for a respite. However, Ills chief-of-staff, Sir Archibald Mallard, is adamant, and introduces the pair by a, trick. Sir Archibald’s ruse has an unforeseen sequel. The lady, to Sir Peter’s delight, proves to be very beautiful. The pair spend a happy evening together, and the diplomat falls in Jove with his partner. However, she is destined to pass out of bis life, and, in spite of frantic searching. he tails to locate her. Four years pass. Sir Peter, now engaged to tho daughter of Sir Archibald Mallard, makes a dramatic encounter■ with Mrs Zahren at Cannes, and the way is paved for an entertaining comedydrama. A feature of the film is the display of gorgeous gowns, which will prove of special interest to women patrons of the Grand Theatre. The author of the play was A. R. Rawlinson. Acting in conjunction with Tom Walls are Edmond Breon, Ellis Jeffreys, Jeanne Stuart, diaries Carson, Lawrence Hanray, and Joan Brierley. Anne Grey is charming as Mrs Paula Zahren. An entrancing musical .score is incorporated in the production, which is preceded by interesting shorter films. REGENT It is probable that few more dramatic and better-acted films will be seen this year than ‘ A Bill of Divorcement,’ the R.K.O. screen version of Oleinence Dane’s famous English ■■ play, which started to-day at the Regent Theatre. It is a milestone in a season which has produced' many exceptional pictures. There are two great names in the cast, and another that is destined to become great. The two names already' known are those of Billie Burke and John Barrymore; and the third, as yet unknown. is Katharine Hepburn, After her performance in ‘‘A Bill* of Divorcement ‘ there is a new and brilliant star on the cinema horizon. Not many times in the history of celluloid entertainment has there been such a first, performance as Miss Hepburn gives. She is in the fastest company a young actress could possibly have—John Barrymore at his finest, playing one of the most difficult roles of his or any other actor’s career with a superb certainty and a dazzling variation of shading; Billie Burke with a lifetime of acting experience;’ Elizabeth Patterson, David Manners, Paid Cavanagh, and Henry Stephenson—each one of them a skilled veteran by comparison with this girl. And yet not only does Miss Hepburn hold. her own, but sho displays in every gesture, inflection, and movement the unmistakable innate gift, of expression that distinguishes the great actor or actress from the merely good one. No play of recent years has caused such a profound impression as Cleraence Dane’s frank treatment of a theme based on latent insanity and its effect on family life; and never has the screen in its search for new material made such a notable adaptation, OCTAGON Truth is stranger—more stirring—than fiction because happenings in real life are often more terrifying, more unusual, more thrilling than those which emanate from the mind of man. In motion pictures this has long been an established fact. The actual event is far more convincing than the reacted one. For this reason alone ‘ Siege of tho Soutlp’ will be eagerly received- by picture patrons at tho Octagon Theatre. The film is the official record of tho British Australian-New Zealand Antarctic Expedition, under tlio leadership of Sir Douglas Mawson; on their second cruise aboard the Discovery into the frozen south, and is the last word in thrilling and educational entertainment. The love of adventure is tho birthright of every Australian and New Zealander, and so these adventurous sons of the nation,, in winning another continent for the Empire, live through a series of the most thrilling adventures ever “ caught” by the eye of the camera. The audience will be transported to the kingdom of ice and snow, there to share the adventures. the hardships, the triumphs, and the disappointments that are but part of the everyday life of these fearless explorers. The entire film is the work of that world-famous Australian photographer and Antarctic authority, Captain Frank Hurley, whose genius with the camera and skill in producing film subjects that are the perfect combination of entertainment and education, bas made his name a guidance of something really “ different ” in the way of screen entertainment. Naturally, there are no studio sets in ‘ Siege r the South,’ nature herself “ painted the scenes and “ directed ” the action of (ho story, and the result is a film epic.

ST. JAMES ‘ Money Means Nothing,’ the new picture which opened at the St. Janies Theatre to-day, is a sparkling comedy filmed at Elstree. It is hilariously funny, and involves an unexpected fortune coming into the hands of the faithful butter to a penniless carl. John Locler is cast ’as the earl, the role of Faringay, the butler, being taken by Gibb M'Laughlin, who is responsible for much of the lighter side of tho entertainment. Faringay, whose ancestors have been butlers, continues to serve his impecunious master with as much attention as if he had possession of his full estates, but his life is altered somewhat when he receives the news that he lias inherited the “ modest ” fortune of £20,000,000. , Faringay does, not inform the earl of his good luck, and continues in his menial position as he desires, with the help of his solicitor, to assist the master without hurting his pride. The butlers daughter takes a prominent.part in the proceedings, and the merry mix-np creates roars of laughter as the plot develops. STRAND A short time ago RKO Radio Pictures, in announcing its new programme for the coming year, promised the public stories filled with action and adventure. The first of that new programme reached, the Strand Theatre today, when ‘ The Hounds of Zaroff,’ featuring Joel M'Crea, Fay Wray, Leslie Banks, and Robert Armstrong, began a season, RKO’s promise of films crammed with excitement, will be' seen to have been more than fulfilled in this instance. ‘ The Hounds of Zaroff ’ has a strong, romantic note, usually absent in thrillers. Based on Richard Connell’s widely-known prize-winning short story, the film narrates the strange experiences of a boy and a girl shipwrecked on an island owned by a sinister Russian, who has turned his game preserve into a human hunting ground. The action of tile film is as breathtaking as its theme is daring. The dramatic opportunities offered Joel M‘Crea add further laurels to this handsome young actor who has been steadily climbing toward stardom. Fay Wray, as his shipwrecked partner, has a role full of delicate nuances and strong emotional scen'es. Leslie Banks, formerly of the London and New York stage,, makes his motion picture debut as the menacing Count Zaroff. whose passion for hunting leads him to a weird mania for tracking humans and slaying them with bow and, arrow. Robert Armstrong has a brief but important role as one of the victims of Zaroff’s hunt. ' The Hounds of Zaroff ’ is the first studio production of Merian C. Cooper and' Ernest 18. Scboedsack. makers of the successful ‘Chang,’ ‘Grass,’ and ‘ Four Feathers.’ . KING EDWARD - George Wallace, who last week appeared in a number of. vaudeville performances in , Dunedin, is this, week seen at the King Edward Theatre in a talking picture, the first of his ventures on the' audible, screen. Wallace is too well known as a coinedian to. require any introduction to theatregoers, and it is sufficient to say that he is just as amusing in ‘ His Royal Highness ’ as in any of the most riotous of his stage presentations. There is a strong supporting cast of players, and the story js one which gives the star full opportunty for the display of his exceptional abilities. The • programme of short features is an entertaining one.