STAGE AND SCREEN

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 28 July 1928, Page 18

STAGE AND SCREEN

PICTURES, PLAYS AND PEOPLE

OPERA HOUSE. GRAND THEATRE. To nimiit | To-night—-♦‘Squaw • Crooks” (aJI-staT cast),! “ Quality Street” (Marion Davis), Fox Films. \ Meitao-Goldwyn-Mayer. | Jul v 30, 31*— Ju : lv 31, Aug. 1,2, 3 j ‘ ‘Finders Keepers” (Laura. La ♦ ♦ Sorrell (H. B. Warner),! Plant), Universal. United -\tist special. j Aug. 1, 2 „" ~ ~ „ 1 “Two Hanning Voubhs (AY. C. . ; Fields and Chester Conklin). i Aug. 4 “Buttons” (Jackie- Coogan)", Metro- “Flood Will TeM” Jones), Gofilwyn -Mayor. Fox Films. COMING ATTRACTIONS. Aug. 7 ... Aug. 20, 30, 31 Full or’s League of Nations Revue “Sceorid to None” (Paramount Conipanv. I . special). A-u«. S, 0 ’ . ALSO BOOKED FOR SCREENING: • • Barbed Wire’’ (PioJa. Negri), lfaiwi- ‘ *l'he Circus.’' mount. “The Flash tiind the Devil. ” Aug. 15, 16, 17— ' • , “King of Kings.” “Now We’re in the Air”. (Raymond “Chang.” Hatton and Wmilhaeo Beery).* “The Gaueho.”

Herbert. Bremen haw- just produced his greatest emotional triumph. Thils famous dir pelf or has hr ought AValrwick Deepi ng ’is . lime .novel, ‘ ♦ Sorrell and Son, ” to It'he screen, along with its itaeuueitdous theme of illove of father Tor son and of son for father. If you 'have been thrilled iby “SorrelM and Sou” ais a hook, you will now be more than thriul'od by tli'i-s amazing panorama of human appeal and dramatic action. H. B. Warner gives a superb (performance a'.s knightly, lovable. Caipt. Sorrell, one •of war’s- derol'idfcsi, dirivon (to scrub haw cm floors for the isake' of educating hits boy. The 'hero pitots- the lad through fife’s temptations amid- cm-lainglk-ments while struggling .himself with a crucial iromanco. Other favourites' like Anna Q. Nilsson, Alice. Joy we, Nils Asther and Carmel Myors., appear respectively ais Do'ra, Sorrell’is fa'iilhlcste-, butterfly wife; ais Fanny Garlamd, his eonsioliimg angel;' ate Kit, his beloved and restlcisis son; amd a's Florence Palfrey, amorous miisltrass of the squall,id inn where Sorrell fought against humiliation o.nd surrender. * ‘ Sorrell and Son ’ ’ will commence a four-might season at the Opera House on Tuesday next. The box plan is now open at Mitels Blake’s Sweet Shop. In his latest picture for Mctro-Goild-wvm-Mayer, Jackin Coogan takes to- the se'a. ;oin a huge .modern liner as page or hell boy. - His nickinamie, “Biitto-ns, ” is tlie title given to the picture. Superb diranua, interwoven with the most impressive wreck sequence ever flashed on the screen, cbaraictorisp the end of “Buttons,” and the end is. in every way viort'hy of the mhgnifijcionlt story, 3avish production-, amd skillfully cbolsien eaisit, i-ncileidimg Lairs Hanson as 'the Captain. ‘ ‘ Buttons ’ ’ is- due alt. the Grand Theatre on Friday next.. '“’The Circus,” Charlie Chaplin ’s only comedy during (the -last two .years, proves that Chaplin’s genius for coin - ody i.s ate popular an attraction ate- ever. Tim’ his latest picture he is /given .the enormous pote'sibilities of a: circus for his own iimi'taflie form of humour amd every opportunity has becrl realised.to the utmost. H-is infallibly humorous make-up is 'the sarnie; the fattened -1 lowlier, the unreliable expressive came and the enormous ilhoots, and, above all, tiro '.sometimes humorous, "sometimes pathetic moustache, again co-operate in a wealth of gesture and grotesque 'movement to delight the- mo-tion-picture public. Again he fleets from distrustful policemen, again hie rescues fair damsels without flitting reward, and over amd above these levor-.mcw adventures .there is a. host, of new “ Chaplin ismis.” Tlie great screen comedian is 'supported by .a. powerful east, all selected) for their gift of co-operation. The h ero iine is Mem a Kennedy, wh o plays ithie part of the circus equestrienne. Her father, the proprietor (Allan Galreia), is responsible for the discordant element. Other prominent parts are played by Steve Murphy, as ia pickpocket, who. ."provides Charlie Chaplin ■with one of" his earliest adventures, George Daivis, ais the circus magician, amd Harry Crocker. Caipt. Taylor E. Duncan, who commanded mttuiy -motion picture people during the war when he was in charge of the .17th Compamy" of Coast ArhiJlieiry, composed entirely of .motion picture folk, is now portraying the role of a captain in “Finders Keepers,” the Uni versa] picture. Ten years ago the actor grimly trained hits men for the ordeal of war. Niow he commands' them i'll! just as strict a manner, but only for nbe camera.

Auckland will see the premiere in Now Zinnia ml of the Ben Travers corned v season, commencing with ‘‘Rookery Nook.” A season of laughter is dusuiml', for Ben Travers has written dialogue thait is smart’ and subtle, and beshkw, the company is one of (the best Ei.i-giish comedy coiupaaieis iscint a'cross by °J. U. Wil'liamison, Donailda. AA-arne, a” 16-yea.r-.old girl, makes her debut in ‘ ‘ liookcrv Nook, ’ ’ and cloos al'l thait is required ot" her with teipiec and ylautlhirul naiiviot V. Halsltings' Lynn is an English comedy actor who excels in pjays of the type "that. Ben Travers has wtruthen. He will make his first Now Zealand appearance An ‘ ‘ RookarjNock. ’ ’ Basil Radford, who was -here in “The. Ghost Train,” in a siLly-ates rife that was a complete surprise, has a congeniail rbl-e. The rest of the- company is such thait- the A'ustralli'am season, has been a laughing -boom, and New Zealand will gurgle with, amusement at ihe developments foMowding on the unexipeated arriva'l in a married man’s ■home'of a. charming giinl in a: -ravishing .-lutit of ’pink pyjamas. “Rookery Nook” widil come t.o Haw-era on, 10-th August. Tavo old boy» with young ideas! Thait/is . the idea, of ■‘ ‘ Two FlamingVouthis,”. the finHt vehicle Palramiounit select oil' for itls new comedy team —AA r . 0. Fiehlis . and Chcteitier Oon’klin—Whiich reacih-es the Grand Theatre on AVedmesday. Field's is seen as the owner of a fast-failing side show which staggers into .the 'little K'anteate town of Arkosa. where Conklin is .sheriff. Cenkilin' lias for seawall years consiidered liimsellf engaged to (the town As most aititracitivo “'old girl,” the widow, Madge Malarkey, played by Cissy Mtz-Ge.raild. But Fieldis gets the -idea of marrying the widow, and the two. youths fliainne aimbifiiouisily in front of the widow in this ilrud for her' hand.

Mir Maurice Ralph has (been appointed by Messrs J. C. AA’iiMiamson Ltd. to act as their roproteemtalt.ive- in the South Iteilamd, with headquarters at Christ* cihureh. This means that Air Ralph aviill be in charge- of the handsome their Fro being ereefied on the. site of the o'kl Theatre Royal. It will ibo opened on August 4 with the ‘ ‘ Madame Pom-pid-our” company. The musical comedy “Hit the. Deck’’ (vecured by J. C. AA’ililia-imson) saw its 250th performance at the London H-ip-podrome on .15. Madge Elliott and Cyril Richards are at present .playing to great success i.it ithe AA’inher. Garden.

.Tosie Melvi'We is playing lead on lour in “Hit the Dock.”

A’era. Pearce is at .the Hippodrome in .Tack Buchanan’s show.

John- Kirby has just finished a long nun in “Oh Kay.” Athol Tier, too, lias landed on both feet in London. Ha is going big at the Winter Garden, and, in addition, ais doing a publicity stunt for the film “Dawn.” Cecil B-. do MiMe’s much-discussed production, based on the life of 'Christ, “ The King of Kings, ’ ’ iis booked for j local showing early in October. Probi ably no other picture’ hate been the isubj jeet of so great interest- on the pant iof critics and the public alike.. The National Board of Review in America, •in passing this picture with. .special mention, stated: “/The King of Kings’ has. como and conquered... It lias been, received with a unanimity of approval perhaps .never accorded to any other motion picture. Shown to itihe large and represent.alive commiithCie of the National Board, numbering upward of sixty persons l , it was unanimously | voted that ‘The King of Kings’ reprej sented a unique effort, ameritting the I fulleWt cindansememit c* the board. The i Gemerail. feeling was that this pie tore I* should' not'be judged by the ordinary dramatic standards, that the tnaitore of the subject, made small .criteria seem out of 'place. Rather it wais .to be conisddor- [ ed a rcivorent picturisation of historical | and- divine events whose spiritual! force needed no further accentuation. High tribute wais paid to the directorial skill and judgment of Air B. die Malle.” The “League of Nations” Revue, John Fuller and Sons’ newly organised company, prior -to commencing a lengthy season ait the magnificent n.ew St. Jamies’ Theatre in Auckland, is playing a short provincial tour, and Opera House patrons will have am opportunity of seeing what as un question - r iblv Fullers’ greatest revue sucaesis on Tuesday, August 7, one mishit only being played. The company is mow completing a notable ton weeks’ .season at H.is ATajesity’s' Theatre l , AVcllington, where a, like success (has new previously been achieved. The ladens of tli company. Alike Connors' and Queetnie Paul, are well known to Now Zealanders, and' their re-a.ppouiranco in AYellingtcn created a: furore. The AYellington Press, after the opening in. that city, wrote: “It is not ihair.d to undiei - - sttand why the company has been so suieieos'siful in Australia, where for momiths past it lials been enjoying a record-breaking season. It cam toe Safely said that the revue is one of the best, if not actually the best, and brightest for many years past, Omie of the most popular attractions iu the show .iisi Limn Smith’s jazz band 1 , who play varied selections of musical items and accompanied several of the singers. >Syd Beck, (the Australian comedian, ‘who is imfaiki'ng Inis New Zealand debut, its one- of the most versatile and genuinely cmitcirtaining comics ever seen here. ” ■-

Jesse Jamies’ life story has reached (the iscreem with the aid of hiis son, Jesse E. Jamies, jun. One of the most romantic and colourful daivers of Amorim,m history, it wais sicreoaiod by Fred' Thom son exaicitly ais i t wate lived us the son of the famous soldier and guerilla fighter acted as technicail adviser amdi biographer. The pie. tore, which is called ‘ ‘ Jesse James', ’ ’ is the first production to be mafidie by , Air Thomson for Pairaanoumit redeate'e.

The amia'.zing picture of jungle 'life in Northern Siam, ‘ * Chang, ’ ’ which thrilled thousands of Aucklanders dur;g its long season there, is booked f.or local screening at an early daite. “Oliang” is neither u travel nor an animal! picture, (but is itllio istory of real life ais it is stiill lived in 'many parts of the world to-day. The unceasiing fight waged by primitive imam against the Inscrutable forces of nature, hiis victory over the ca'imi various beaislto of the trapica.l forest., his deadly struggle to I advance the fringe of civilisation onward in the face of trem'ondious odds—all! form the 'basis of ais gripping a draima as anything produced within Ithe. four walls of a mod'ern studio. Photo - graphed by two intrepid explorers in the tangled maze of the jungles of Northern Si atm, this picture shows the ambitious, the joys aind sorrows, and the fear exiperd'onicied by a- family dwelling alone in the raid's! of .natural enemies. There are only four human actors —Krn, a. Lao tribesman, his wife, and their two tiny children'—(surrounded by fi. horrifying number of fierce a nimoils. Through the undergrowth prowl great mam-eating tig-el’s, sleek and cunning leopards attack ttliie family's domestic herd and wicked pyt'hons creep through the v treos. The greatest | feature of all' is, perhaps, the destruc-1 five charge of a> hundtned wild cleiplramts j through. tire jungle, sweeping a. whole! village before it and leaving only deso- j iaitaon in its wake. There are other animal scenes which .provide ready| laughter. A mother bear at play with her young, monkeys leaping from tree | tio (tree, a;nd the antics of Bimbo, the household pet. are genuinely amusing I by reason of their spontaneity. As a j spoetaclie “Chang” is- one of the most remarkable production's to .the credit of motion picture producer's.