ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 56, 3 February 1927, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

KOSY

“SPORTING LOVER” AND “THE

PRAIRIE WIFE.”

An army hospital is shown razod to the ground and its wounded occupants buried under tho debris by tho bombs of enemy aviators in “Tho Sporting Lover,” Conway Tearle’s now picture now showing at the Kosy Theatre. Tcarle, who is seen in tho role of an officer in an English regiment, and Barbara Bedford, who plays the part of a war nurse, are among those buried tho destroyed edifice. According to the story of “The Sporting Lover, ’ both Tearle and Miss Bedford are lifted out of tho ruins in an unconscious state and removed to remote hospitals where they lose sight of each other. They were in love with each other but duo to this separation Miss Bedford prepares to marry another man. One of the most dramatic incidents in “The Sporting Lover’’ shows the famous English Derby ( the renowned British turf classic. This episode was filmed in England and 6hows King George and Queen Mary surrounded by a host of notables in their boxes at the track. The picture is an adaptation of “Good Luck,’’ a famous Drury Lane 6tage hit, by Seymour Hicks and lan Hay. Hugo Ballin stresses characterisation rather than plot in his Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production, “The Prairie Wife.” Through it all Ballin injects a vein of high comedy into the struggles of the titular character. Dorothy Devore, noted as a comedy star, makes her debut in film in the title role. Herbert Rawlinson, star of many Universal pictures, was loaned by that company for the loading male role. The supporting cast includes Gibson Gowland, Alphonso Martell, Erich von Ritzau, Boris Karloff, Leslio Stuart, Frances Prim and others.

DE LUXE. ALMA RUBENS IN FINE ROLE. Imagine a father who meets a lovable young chap for the first time, vaguely recognises him as being like someone lie has known, but never realising that it is his own son whom he has never seen. This is but one'of the big dramatic moments in “Marriago License?” the film version of the Broadway success, “The Pelican,” which opened at the De Luxe Theatre last evening. Alma Rubens is featured in tho leading feminine role, that of tho lovely Wanda Ileriot, whose divorce and subsequent disowning of her child forces her to take refuge in France. Sho is about to marry another man when fate brings about circumstances that make it necessary for her to choose between her son and her lover. Her choice forms the big climax of the picture, keeping the suspense of the audience aroused until the final fade-out. Her decision will bring about many arguments as to whether -she pursued the right course. In addition to Miss Rubens, there is a notable cast in this special production, with Walter MeGrail and Walter Pidgcon in the masculine leads. Others arc Richard Walling, Emily Fitzroy, Charles Lane Georgo Cowl, Langhorne Burton, Lon Poff, Edgar Norton, Billie Latimer, Patsy O’Byrne, Eric Mayne and Arthur Rankin.

PALACE. REX BEACH’S “THE BARRIER.” A stirring, virile story of the far north of Alaska, rational in treatment and with an undercurrent of delicious humour as a fitting foil to its tense dramatic naure, comes to the Palace Theatre in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picturisation of Rex Beach’s widely-read novel, “The Barrier.” It was directed by Georgo Hill, with a distinguished cast including Lionel Barrymore, Norman Kerry, H. B. Walthall and Marcelino Day. The brilliant character studies of this quartette are drawn with artistic insight. The theme of Rex Beach’s novel is well known. A young army officer is transferred to an Arctic outpost and there falls in love with a beautiful girl, whom lie supposes to bo the daughter of tho village factor. Ilis discovery that she is a half-caste Indian, and tho arrival of her father, a villainous seaman, after an absence of twenty years, leads the story to it s terrific climax, when tho girl’s sweetheart fights a tremendous battle with the enraged skipper on his ship, while it is slowly crushed between towering mountains of ice. This scene is one of the most remarkable in screen history. Added to the enthralling nature of tho story aro spectacular photographic scenes, and hairraising incidents that aro a ' tribute to George Hill’s masterly direction. Included in the supporting programme is the Amundsen polar flight. Seats may be reserved at Martin’s or by theatre ’phone 5328.