ENTERTAINMENTS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 26 November 1927, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS.

OPERA HOUSE—TO-NIGHT. “BATTLING BUTLER.” At last a comedy star has made a “different” picture. It is “Battliiig Butler,” the new Buster Keaton mirthprovoker, now showing at the Opera House. Keaton can always be depended upon to provide good entertainment; in “Battling Butler” he excels himself, for the picture has a real plot-, is replete with love interest ill addition to the kind of screen farce that has made the frozen-faced comedian famous, and is clean and wholesome. The story of “Battling Butler,” a successful musical comedy before it was adapted to the screen, is a scream from start to finish. Keaton, wearing his traditional frozen face, portrays the part of a rich, pampered youth who goes to the country for an outing—and finds adventure. He falls in love, masquerades as a famous boxer to win the lady of his choice, and suddenly discovers himself hailed as a hero—the world’s- champion middleweight pugilist. To- confess- the deception imperils his- status as. a bridegroom ; to go through with it endangers his peace of body. How he “saves his face” and ,1-etains his wife’s love is too novel a denouement to reveal to those who have not seen the .picture. The -supporting programme is excellent. and includes: Pathe Gazette, comedy, New Zealand scenic, and cartoon. GRAND THEATRE—TO-NIGHT. “THREE HOURS.” “Three Honrs,” First National picture starring Corinne Griffith, capably supported by John Bowers and Hobart Bosworth in -an -unusually fine cast, will be shown at the Grand Theatre to-night. Miss Griffith, as the victim of an unjust and unreasonably jealous husband, who divorces her on purely circumstantial evidence-, taking her child from her, .gives one of the greatest emotional performances of her career. Hobart Bosworth. gives a powerful and convincing portrayal of the cruel husband, and . Bowers is ideally cast as the friend in need. . The second big attraction on this evening’s hill will be chapter one of the latest chapter play “The Firefighters.” Here is pictured accurately the real life or the firefighter. One rides with him to immense conflagrations, clinging perilously to swaying truck as. they round corner, sirens .shrilly piercing the air, driving the pedestrians, frightened, to the kerb, and stopping all traffic as he dashes forward to save the city from the fire god. Jack Daugherty, noted for his daring and skill in many adventurous screen roles, plays the hero of the serial. Helen Ferguson is the dashing and: fearless heroine. OPERA HOUSE —MONDAY NEXT. . “MARE NOSTRUM.” Metro-Goldwyri-Mayer’s release of Rex Ingram’s celebrated picture success “Mare Nostrum” (Our Sea) will take place at the- Opera House Theatre on Monday next. While the world’s war was in prpgress Blasco Ibanez, the popular author, became, possessed of some wonderful facts of real dramatic character which he later used as the groundwork for his novel ‘‘Mare Nos>trum.” The book hit the public taste, had an enormous sale, and the author has proclaimed it to be his- own favourite work. When Rex Ingram was making the picture Ibanez pointed out the exact localities referred to in the novel, and otherwise assisted the producer. The narrative n-ae been described; as “thrilling—no less.”. It deals with one of the most -sensational pages of the war—the tense months when Italy was deciding on which side to throw in her aid. Previous to the publication of “Mare Nostrum.,” little was known to the general public of the vast network woven by the secret service emissaries of the Central Powers over and about the Mediterranean, in which sen numberless submarines and mystery ships had been planted. The motion picture is credited with exposing all this in truly great fashion. Alice Terry and Antonio Moreno head a big and powerful cast of Continental players of distinction who are entirely fresh to New Zealand.