ENTERTAINMENTS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 17 August 1929, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS.

UIM.HA HOUSE, MAV'KBA. ■THE BARKER ” The eswnival is si. peculiar i institution, it 11 sis si. language aid its own. its people live m a world apart —a strange world of oaiiva.fi! tihisit perambulates from town to town .in search of the elusive ilollsu'. Oswniviai; iKop'.e swe more ctianisli than circus folk. The ia.ymia.n. to them, is a greedy yokel who wants more, than Iris money s worth when .he bucks a. carnival joint. Their quaint philosophy is to see that he gets considerably less. And Ire usually does. The carnival lists been neglected in literature and on the stage and screen. The circumstances lias been glorified, histories have been written upon it, but the lowly street carnival with its colour 1 and aumre, has been a closed book as far as its inner workings are ounce rued, until the past season, when Kenyon Nicholson wrote a play based on carnival life, it was called “The Barker,” and its tense drama, and marvellous 1 obarascterisa.tiqn made it one of the stage successes of the decade. “The Barker’’ is now brought to the screen by First National Pictures. and: will be screened to-night- at the Opera House, Mawera. Milton Sills is starred in the title rove, and Dorothy Mackaill is co-starred: as the carnival girl. A notable list of pvavers is headed by JJctty Conipson and Douglas Fairbanks junr. GRAND THEATRE, TO-NIGHT.

“STRONG BOY.” Victor McLa.glen, now firmly entrenched as a. star of the first magnitude, believes that a comedy should be funny, fast and bolstered up by a story. In his newest Fox Film, “Strong Boy” starts out in a raidroad station and ends where it began—for it isn’t necessary to look elsewhere for humorous situations and riotous 1 tangle®. MeLaglcn, oast as a. burly baggage-smash-er, is tin love with Beatrice Joy, the liewsigirl. The one l obstacle to the match is Victor’s smug content with Ills job. From this initial. snag things trip merrily along. A heroic act enables him to secure, promotion, but lie is satisfied to- wear a white collar and take charge of the Lost and Found department and: tag parcels. Troubles begin when a: baby, a monkey and a pearl necklace get mixed u.p in his domain. A hilarious, eha.se ensues with tihe entire station staff involved. Another promotion, and he is in ft reman on the train of a touring queen. Then there’s a train robbery with a dash of heroics for a skilfully contrived climax. Clyde Cook and Slim Summerville, as the Strong Boy’s, two buddies, come in for several good pieces of work.

An excellent supporting programme the serial “Wolves oi the North.” HEUGHAN THE BARD. When Scott wrote of the “Last- Minstrel” he was ia> little too previous, “The last of all the Bards was he that sang of Border chivalry.” quoth Soott. But Scott was wrong. If liisi shade could see and hear William Heughan he would admit that the two lines quoted require re-writing or deletion to fit with the facts. For Scottish minstrels will not have arrived at the last single survivor of the tuneful race so long as William Heughan lives. Never has Scotland 1 bad a more capable or gifted or melodious exponent and 1 interpreter of her musical ballad yore. He provides a treat, a feast swell as we perhaps never before had an opportunity of hearing. He plays on the hearts of his audience a« a violinist plays on his instrument, land many hearts went wandering under his spell in the dear old scenes of seeing again the faces of dear ones “loved long since and. lost awhile.” Thus did a well-known critic recently write of this great singer and his heart, and aid who have had the pleasure of seeing and hearing him will, we think, agree that he writes truly. His interpretation and dlramatiisation of tfie- folk-songs and ballads of England. Scotland and Ireland have been in the nature of a revelation to all who have heard him, and with his. art never fails to charm. Dr. Floyd, the well-known critic of the “Argus (Melbourne) wrote 1 : “No one can aL lord to miss the Heughan. concerts. The concert, will be given in the. Opera House, Ha.wera. on Monday next.