STAGE AND SCREEN

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 24 March 1928, Page 18

STAGE AND SCREEN

PICTURES, PL A YS AND PEOPLE

OPERA HOUSE. To-night— Tumbling Rivct m (Tom Mix), Fox Films. March 27 — , “Fangs of Destiny (Universal Films). March 28— “Soft Cushions’’ (Douglas MacLean). Paramount Films. March 30. 3.1 — “The Gay Retreat’’ (Fox Comedy).

GRAND THEATRE. To-night—- .“ Altars of Desire” (Mac Murray), Metro-Gold wyn-Mayer. Ma’rih 26 — “Fangs of Destiny” (Universal Films). March 29 “Soft Cushions” (Douglas MacLean), Paramount. March 31 — “The Red Mill” (Marion Davis).

ATTRACTIONS BOOKED FOR

HAWERA.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, April 4, 5, fl—“ The 7th Heaven.’’ Saturday, April 7 —“ East Side, West. Side.” Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, April 11, 12, 13—“ The Flag Lieutenant”

Mondav, Tuesday. Wednesday, April 16, 17" 18 —“ That’s My Daddy” (Reg. Denny). . May’ 2.3, 4 — “ Mods ” ' Commencing May 7—“ Ben Hur.” •

The .Too Brennan Revue Company, which has just finished a seven-week season in Wellington at His Majesty’s Theatre, will play a. one-night season at the Opera House on Thursday next. This is a smart little combination of IS artists headed by the inimitable -Toe Brennan himself, who for years has been making people laugh with his comedy work in pantomime and vaudeville. Mr Bfenuan was born in Dunedin, but, as ho expressed it to the writer once, “it is not necessary to mention that, for 1 was born so long ago and have appeared in so many countries since that that piece, of my past should not bo held against me now.”

The New Zealand tour of Maurice Moscovitch and Company in “The Ringer” and “The Terror,” two thrilling Edgar Wallace dramas, has had to be rearranged owing to the impossibility of ending the Australian tour until a date later than was at first anticipated —this due to the fact that in almost every instance the season had to be extended. Moscovitch will now open at Auckland on May 2. Later these wonderfully spectacular musical plays “Madame Pompadour” and “The' Student Prince” (with Beppy de Vries, the famous Dutch artiste in the lead) mil come over. The date for the Hawera presentation is April 27. ’Sammy Cohen and Ted McNamara ■are now in the army! They are coming to the Opera House on Friday next in “The Gay Retreat,” Fox Films feature comedy, which is- said- to be one of the biggest laugh films of the year. Besides the two comedians of “What Price Glory” fame, the cast includes Judy - King, Holmes , Herbert, Betty Francisco, Gene Cameron and “Jerry ■the Giant.” Ben Stoloff directed the production.

The Vanbrugh-Boucicault Comedy Company, now playing to crowded houses in Australia, is also due in New Zealand this year. The opening play will be Somerset Vaughan's powerful work ‘ ‘ The Letter, ’ ’ which has the humour of a comedy and the gripping power of a dramatic production. The other plays to be produced are “All the King’s Horses” and “Caroline,” also a new play by Lonsdale, which has- not yet been produced.

A veritable banquet of dramatic and musical fare is that which J. .C. Williamson is preparing for the delectation of the good people of New Zealand iu the near future. The new London Comedy Company will open the season at Auckland on April 7 in “The Cuckoo m the Nest,“ the'amusing dramatised version of Ben Travers’ great work “Rookery Nook,’’ and “Thnrk” will also be staged.

It is hoped that the popular musical comedy artiste and accomplished actress Miss Nellie Stewart will tour New Zealand with a specially selected company in her great success, “Sweet Nell of Old Drury,’’ opening at Wellington at Easter. “Our Nellie” was—and still is--’the idol of the people, and that she has retained her beauty, figure, charm and vivacity in a manner nothing short of wonderful was demonstrated when she appeared in Australia amidst the tumultuous cheering of enthusiastic audiences. •“Trilby,” in which Nellie Btewart plays the same part as it has seldom been played, may also be produced.

Director Frank Borzage has achieved another masterpiece in the film version of ‘ ‘ 7th Heaven, ’ ’ which comes to the Opera House, Wednesday, April 4, according to all report. In fact, he is said to have set. new picture standards for future productions with this picture. This Fox production, based on the play by Austin Strong, tells ■one of the most remarkable love' stories, and one of the most beautiful that has ever been written. The plot, revolving as it does around two seemingly mediocre characters, brings them literally from the sewers to the great heights of love and self-sacrifice through a doctrine of courage and faith. Jainet Gaynor and Charles Farrell have brought Diane and Chico to the screen in a manner that will long be remembered. Others in the cast are Bon Bard, David Butler, Gladys Brock well, Albert Gran, George Stone, Marie Mosquini and Brandon Hurst. In his unique new comedy “Soft Cushions,’’ which comes to the Opera House on Wednesday next, Douglas' Mac Lean has undergone a complete screen transformation. From tho character of the bashful, timorous young American who couldn’t fly an airplane, scale a mountain or capture a lion, Mac Lean lias become a swashbuckling, solf-confid'eii't oriental rogue, who willingly dares anything to win fortune and a lovely lady. “Soft Cushions’’ is from the pen of the late George Randolph Chester, creator of “Get Rich Quick Wallingford.”

We have heard much talk about the British and their production methods, of the many efforts they have made to capture a world market, but it has remained for the producers of “The Flag Lieutenant” to show the way. This is without doubt, a great picture. With the active co-operation of the Admiralty, the makers have been able to build into the story much impressive grandeur and spectacle. Around the wellwritten play, a picture of excellent calibre has been made with a well chosen and carefully selected cast. “The Flag Lieutenant,” as produced by Astra National, is being handled throughout the world by Paramount. This big production is booked for screening in Hawera at an early date.

Vcrv.groat interest is attached to the .presentation of Lord Dunsany’s remarkable play, “If.” This author is probably the most successful and delightful of the repertory writers of to-day. With a style entirely his own, this eminent Irisli writer has written in the past ten years some sensational and fascinating pin vs. “If ” to be produced by the Auckland Little Theatre Society on March 28, is possibly his most successful offering. It starts in a suburban railway station. Tho hero of the play is refused admission to the platform, one of the porters pushing him in the face when he attempts to pass through ■the gate. The action then jumps .ten years, and we find the hero comfortably seated in his little suburban home telling his wife of the incident in the proceding scene, and how that push in the face has rankled ever since. A few minutes later he becomes possessed of a crystal with magic power that will allow him to re-live the past. With this interesting situation Dunsany proceeds to write a fascinating play, transplanting his middle-classed hero from Bromley. on the outskirts of London, to A 1 Shaklomir, a territory beyond the bordors of Persia, where he reigns as kind. He finishes .his delightful work with the man seated once again in his arm chair, saying to his wife, “I thought I’d catch that train.”