ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18708, 14 May 1924, Page 12

ENTERTAINMENTS.

— ■ • TEYOLITHEATRE. " The Love Piker," Anita ' Stewart's latest vetdde, will be shown 1 finally at the Tivoli Theatre, this .evening and tomorrow evening. On Friday the .. programme will be headed tby a film version of i the Charles Dickena' classic, '"Die Cricket on the Hearth," released by the Selznick organisation. •So many people ; have read Dickens' great story and so many others ■ are acquainted. with other ■ novels from his pen, thatf the season is bound Ito ibe popular. As , the originator of the modern novel, Charles Dickens has exerted an enormous influence on English literature, 'and even to-day few , English novelists : attempt to approach the pinnacle of story-telling which he attained so many years ago." His unerring sense for story value, the accuracy of his expression, the realism of his pen pictures, and his extraordinary insight into human character have won him a worshipped nook in every ; home and every library in the world. Ifc_ is small wonder that many of his most famous tales have been eagerly grasped by the motion picture producer as ; material for the photoplay. . Such novels as " Oliver Twist," • ' David Copperfield," and " A Tale of Two' Cities,", have been' transferred to the silver screen on more than one occasion, so that the adaptation for film purposes of *' The Cricket on the Hearth " comes hardly as a surprise. It is said, in respect' of this latest enterprise,' that the producer has obtained an accurate, painstaking replica of the famous story. Moreover, the picture has been produced in such a way that i(i can be fully enjoyed without the spectator having- read the original. As much cannot be said of all the novels and plavs that find their way to the . silver sheetThe simple, yet beautiful, tale .of " The Cricket on the Hearth;" has been pieturised in such a manner that it is marvellously touching and replete with a , hundred wavs to coax smiles and tears from any audience. Josef Swick'ard will be seen as Caleb Plummer. Virginia , Brown Fp.ire ■ as Dot Peerybinsle,; Paul Gerson ■as John Peerybingle, Margaret Laridis 'as May Fieldino - , Joan Standing as Tilly Slowbov. and . Friizi Ridgeway fas tihe blind girl. -" The entire cast is said to j have been excellently chosen arid handled.

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE.? 1 The film version of Peter B.- Kyne's well-known story, " The Harbour Bar," is attracting ci good deal of interest at Everybody's Theatre. This absorbing' tale gives something decidedly new in sea stories, and, produced with obvious care and technical correctness, it provides drama sufficient - to merit enthusiasm. With the same spirit that- ' made his " Civilian Clothes" one of the outstanding stage screen successes of & decade, the producer, Thompson Buchanan, has given the Kyne narrative a zest that lift,s Jt head and shoulders _ above tho„ber»t of the previous sea. ; stories and 'gives the spectator a most fascinating visual adventure. Monte Blue," whose work ! r in the popular recent releases, " Brass " and " Main Street," has' won him thousands of devoted admirers, is • admirably cast in "The Harbour t Bar." ' Having , once _ been a sailor he' 1 gives to , the title; role- of the picture i- a realism and grace none but a sailor could. His , supporting cast; is especially competent. Evelyn Brent is seen opposite Mr. Blue, and Joan Lowell,; a seventeen-year-old . Associated v- Authors discovery, plays a difficult part with delightful girlish free- . dom.. Miss Lowell's diving and- marked emotional talent establishes 'her as a " new ; screen; player whose future work will bear watching % Charles . Gerrard as the scheming shipping, operator also does splendidly with an exacting characterisation. The storm scene, which is part of the,climax of the play, .was filmed off the coast '■ at ; Lacuna Beach, California, and the action Si , storV deals with a shipwreck near North Bend, - Oregon., Monte Blue, who, iw 5? umbered , was the Danton of JYi. Griffith s • r phans of the Storm" and the Dr. Kenicott of " Main treat" bears the %runt of (he histrionic burden in - The Harbour-Bar V a-role decidedly different from anything he has I heretofore done. Ho plays ,the part of .Captain Dan Stover, tug captain bo lies to his wife about the dangers of his work to save her worry. ■ - ■_ < .

t PRINCESS. THEATRE !i, ■'^^ent;-:pr6^atanie, fcomprising Cameoj Eirbyarid; /.' The Law> ttf 'thl Lawless, will be. shown finally at the nncess Theatre to-morrow.. On Fridav another j double ■; bill, r containing, featares that should be as ' entertaining as aiiy in the current programme,.- will be shown, ut , the two i principal pictures, " Blue; Blazes.. is a iox production, featuring Lester Cuneo. . It : is; described as* a Western y melodrama, and ;; should please ; all: lovers of this ■ class i of ; picture. Lester S? e0 appears, as a champion pugilist who tires of being made a fuss of and decides I to go ranching in the West. 1' Oil well discoveries .plenty £of fighting, the kid Wing, of the heroine, - and an oil .well! nre, are some of the «xcitirig ingredients ' of this ■ picture. , i'? 1 $ other featured Him 1 WiU be ' Lawful Larceny," a Paramount i production, featuring Hope Hampton, Nita Naldi, Lew Cody, and: Conrad Natral. It i* £ Bc reen adapation of the sectional stage success ,by Samuel. Shipman, and is the story of a.wife,wlio; loses c ?°hu" S d^l a . ® 0^ Cleopatra and 8 him back in startling fashion. It is described as a \ sterling drama of - tangled lives, ;of a husband - who falls into', the merciless net o| another', "woman, and of dopts the other woman's weapons in, her Winning .fight for yhappi.

r ;• y .' , , 'v';v. : Vv, / ; , ■ . , CAPITOL THEATRE, I ; :N "A man of Paris,'' a pictures which the ■ the - entry ofyCharles ; Chaplin into the arena of motion picture >: producers is heading the current, programme at the Capitol Theatre, » 0 5,mTo n Ro,d Though Chaplin himself does not . appear ln picture, th*. story is his own,. was written by himself, ' and he directed' : the fin' a <W In . the i filming of this, Chaplin sy first serious motion picture, : the screen s great comedian , has paid l " particular . attention, to the. personnel of the cast and m selecting Edna Purviance for the , featured ' role, he was ; not 'onlv re-" warding well-known actress for her i work with him through ; eight: years of i making comedy pictures, "Outf he«was' capitalising van innate : dramatic ability : that : Miss Purviance . had more |than once cSn wm th • years of feeirVasso-:-ciation. - ; Her - sensational success in the ; role is considered one of the outstanding; screen portrayals of; recent years;;

' A EMPIRE THEATRE. 'IW^ proprietorship r> of , the Empire Ineatre, Dominion ~ Road, : # 'has been jointly. taken over by Mr.' J. H' Quinn proprietor of the - Capitol , Theatre, Doj minion ROad, and Mr. R. H. Armstrong Wietoiyof,;the Theatre Royal^Kinj! land. ; The principal;, picture to .be Sn W L 1 rS® ' PWamme this evening will be « j When Romance Rides," with Claire Adams in ; the ; leading role. 5 The story:-: is s based on Zane Grey's ''Wild' fire," and Contains - many of ; the elements of interest . familiar to lovers ;of that author s virile ;,. impositions. i s There will be : a: good , supporting programme....VM . ■' - ■ y '' '" DOWN ON THE FARM." . ; A dramatic ; and musical " revue entitled . ' Down '.°, the Farm" will be ; presented by -toe i Akarana Amateur Dramatic Club ] in - the Town Hall concert chamber this evening., Among - those taking part will be I Messrs. ;/ Tom Harris, Dan Flood, Maurice Balance, Stand Pritchard,; ? and .Frank" Adeane. .. ; The proceeds are for the Good Shepherd Convent at . Dominion Road. - .

CONCERT AT MOUNT, ••• ALBERT. " A :most successful concert was r given at the Kosic Theatre, Mount Albert, fcby The Gaiety Entertainers' in | aid offunds; to " purchase •; a - fire-fight machine - iov the ' Avondale Borough. [ The theatre r was practically - filled, ; and every performer was compelled to give an encore. ■-• _. j

f * - STRAND THEATRE. • ':' The New Zealand-made picture, "■ Venus-r • ••= of the South Seas," featuring Annett#3®l3]@9 •Kellerman,J.will be shown >at the Strand Iliffl Theatre for the last time to-day and to - morrow. t ; On Friday : the new programme 'fi will ha headed* by:<*T;The. Fighting Blade," 'ItP a JFirsi „National release, .. with Richard - flSt# Barthelmess in the principal - role. J' In' iSg§i| this picture Barthelmess has chosen '"a 1 - i'f?i type .of I story that ,' differs greatly "from - ! 1 his previous '. vehicles. _ Ha Has forsaken =~ir?&* stories Which '* show him as a f man : ; ©f|£|§f|||l humble origin 'and: surroundings, > bowed IV down by the force .of . circumstances until ll|lßl some great situation arouses him' to assert -if * himself and brings out his innate course '%■' and power. 'Barthelmess .this pilars ' 5 joins the ranks of - the screen actors, who, ?-*■ during -'the ' present season, have gone in ; S§|li for costume drama. In 41 The Sighting l Blade " he will be seen in a swash-buck- i ling story of, England 'in the days of : \" *'- Cromwell's fight against Charles 1., amid 'C< surroundings of pomp and grandeur. H e U will appear asia- Flemish soldier of for- Xi •' tune, one of > the finest, swordsmen of a- 7" period : when J; every gentleman dependedupon his sword. Nevertheless, states <» reviewer,- there is to be scon ,in "{his - character many traces of the former Bar- i'l tbelmess, for even in such surroundings he is never a fdandy or a swash-buckler .' Though possessed of skill and sublime' *'* ; ! courage, fie is|always quiet in demeanour *'4 his sword always raised in a good cause and for defence, not offence, and he i 3 never .bombastic or showy. Dorothy Mac. V:" kaill plays the opposite* role. A feature* • of the new..programme will. be the appeal-- /1" ance of the well-known Lyric Quartette i in a number, of plantation melodies The usual British topical pictures and a comedy, " Rural Cinderella," with Ches, £jter Conklis and Louise Fazenda wall" f- » complete tip programme. . , ■' »-