ENTERTAINMENTS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 14 March 1929, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS.

-—: ♦ OPERA HOUSE. NOW SHOWING. “THE COSSACKS.” Most pictures have to do with love, of course, but it has remained to John Gilbert, more or less noted as a lover, to inject a new idea into this thing that screen drama is made of. This idea—and it is an intensely dramatic and thunderously powerful one —is to be seen in “The Cossacks,” his new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture which opened at the Opera House last evening. But there is still another element of love in it; one that lends itself to more powerful drama* and that is the love of father and son. It is the love that drives a father to absolutely torture his son until the boy is bent to his ideals; the lov e of a strong lighting man that becomes almost a fanaticism under the stress of emotional turbulence. Still, through it runs the sweetest love story in the world; the romance’ of a boy and a girl tossed hither and tuither by the resistless tide of affairs. Gilbert, as the swashbuckling Cossack soldier on the Russian steppes, is dramatic, dashing—and appealing. Miss Adoree is charming as a peasant girl. Ernest Torrence, as the stern old Cossack chieftain, is a figure of compelling power, and Mary Alden, as the hero’s mother, Dale Fuller, Josephine Borio, Neil Neely, Yorlce Sherwood, Joseph Mari and Paul Hurst make up a truly notable cast. The third series of “The Collegians” will be again (screened in support this evening. The box plan is at Miss Blake’s Sweet Shop.

GRAND THEATRE. TO-NIGHT “KIT CARSON. ’ ’ Spectacular backgrounds, mass movements of whites and Indians, struggles between trappers and the red men, with Fred Thomson and his white horse, Silver King, at their best, combine to make “Kit Carson” one of the outstanding pictures of the season. Carson’s life was a series of thrills and Mr Thomson has skilfully chosen many of them in building up a remarkably dramatic story for his Paramount special which opened last night at Grand Theatre. Two pleasing love stories are threaded into the drama—one with a pretty Indian girl, and the other with a Spanish woman. This latter role is played bv Nora Lane, who first leaped into prominence in “Jesse Janies,” and later added to her laurels in “The Pioneer Scout.” The Indian gild, a newcomer, is Dorothy Jams. The film version of the two romantic episodes in the life of America’s famous Indian scout and military leader is authentically done, the intensive research work undergone by Mr Thompson in setting it to the screen, being manifested realistically. It compares favourably with any of the big Western specials produced by any film company in recent years. The supporting programme includes, News, Comedy and Cartoon.