ENTERTAINMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18709, 15 May 1924, Page 10

ENTERTAINMENT

; ; ■" LYRIC theatre;.:.■;• - - -<■ •'Early ;in 1935 a \ sensational ; novel ■ appeared iin the f New'-- York- \ book. ■; market. •■ Within.' four" months it. had swept the country and taken the; position,, of the second™best' seller in-the book stores to : date. " : This author was; new to most of ; fee public,.but to-day he is more talked of than anyone 1 in the literary field. ' Arthur Train, a; New York attorney, : jurapod into the limelight ;; overnight with "His .Children's Children," a Paramount film version of which will be : shown at | 1&e- Lyric Theatre; to-morrow. It. '« a story of . three V generations (? of ,': New. Yorkers. It asks- the question boldly; ;if this is a sample,of? what wo find; in New / York's upper strata, then • what; is New York really: coming to? Vital pic tores of New York life are always inter-; esting. It is not a picture of New; York cabaret or New York night ;life* r ;Thca* ore only incidental. It is the story! that tells of moral and mental decay, but in a. clean, gripping, vivid manner. ■ v "The featured players are Bebe Daniels, Dorothy Mackaill, Jambs Rennii,; and George Fawcctt. v The! supporting cast is said to be„'.,■ one of " the bfcsfc assembled in any -picture.' ' The i picture contains some interesting ■ views Kof Delmonico's, New York's far-famed restaurant, which recently . went -: under the auctioneer's hammer. Reproductions of the palm room and the Fifth Avenue room, which was the main .dining room, were built at the studio for luncheon v; scenes in ;. the picture. ,v' Not only have .the interiors of, the room been copied % exactly, but ) much of the furniture, dishes, and -silverware,' ■which was sold at = auction,: were used in the scenes. Even the familiar faces of the old Delmonico waiters will be seen in the picture. The picture is noteworthy, too, on account of . the. return,, to th» screen- of Joseph Burke, after an absence of 10 years, to play the part of Uncle Billy McGaw in the new production, and he enjoys the distinction Ox hav* ing played with all of the present reigning stars in motion pictures, with the exception ,of Mary Pickford. v

NATIONAL THEATRE. The principle picture :in the new, programme at the National Theatre to-mor-tow will be "The Spider and the Rose. ■'>■' a B \F Zeldman production, of an unusual character. ;; According to. accounts, "The Spider '<- and the Rose" is different from ; the % average -film rfory and ; therein Jies its excellence. "Mission life in California when that 'State was province of s Mexico: uncler the reign of ■MaxnuUan i., is pictured as the scene otf an active series ; of Events. \. The. story briefly . concerns Panla (Alice Lake), sweetheart of Don Mai-cello (GasSoa Glass) who has pledged himself to the causa of revolutionists seeking to oust ; the ■ tyrannical : conspirator Mendozza :~• from his self-appointed position as Governor of California. Lies, deceit and rteeacliVery have been the successive stepsJjy -which Mendozza has been ■: enabled to r'eW«JVO Dor. Marcello's father as Governor. Plenty of action and. fighting accompanies ; tbO scenes in .which Don 1 IMarcello heads art uprising that eventually l ; dethrones Mendoz-fca i and > proves him the '■. real scoundrel tha* ft* is. - \ A beautiful : story is the backgi tmnd for this tale, and a reviewer states .&at not; for one A mosaeht does it '■; seem overdone or overacted. It would be difficult ,to name the player who gives the best performance—they are described as beinjt ail excellent. Gaston Glass, than "-- whom v i hero is no batter known juvenile ; leading *ian appearing in pi tires, has ■ : a prominent part :in «: "The Snider and the Rose." *Jfc made millions of admirers■:-.: through his ,good work m i "EFnrnoresque." and bis vt'oVk in) this, his latest; photoplay is said 6!> -eclipse «aU>ofbis previous efforts. "j?a;by Richard X Headrick, most, popular of \SJ3C youngsters who have enjoyed 'a: vogue iin the films portrays the part of Gaston -Glass as a baby.

PRINCESS THEATRE - The .new, programme 'at' th ( * r i ss f Theatre to-morrow will include Yiwo fea- ■'' • tured films. One, a Fox productii m, is entitled "Blue ami '■& * |Vestern '■•f'j drama featuring Lester ; Cuheo. Th *• latter, fas Jerrys Connors ,"its, a champion Vugihst ■who. has become, tired of • being r, |ade a fuss of. ' He,decides to-go ranching f'n the West, and, after lex-ting the is ; ' V'' ; 'be*t*ntJ^iti^^^'^torsfee^fMs?3ttftti^y'v. ; Seeking any habitation he stumbles across ■■:■;> the Circle U ranch, owned .by the mother of Mary Lee, but- heavily -mortgaged to Blfvck Lanningi an unscrupulous man-"who;-wishes to marry --Mary. the advent, of Connors— ' hides J\is -^identity— i -* is a certain dislike- in * * quarters, and'admiration in other :•:. dire, actions. ."The pugilist, getting the true state of affairs, determines to do his best for*, the Lee mother and daughter. He proves $ ■?that Lading, is a cattle thief, the foreman i a willing assistant, ; and several others'! around the township; more or less. dishonourable. Oil well discoveries, 'plenty of ■:-. fighting, kidnapping of the heroine and an ( oil well :afire;are; included in the many incidents calculated ;to thrill With the "• ■ evil-doers brought to book, ? Jerry discloses; r his true calling/* after which Mary decides id say yes "to a very important question. "The second featured film will be the -:Paramount production "Lawful Larceny." The title chosen for the story may seem contradictory at first sight, but the ideait is intended to convey is the face that ' there .are .things the 'law does not - cover* one of them "-being to steal a woman's husbind and her happiness. This, it is: . ,claimed, is "lawful larceny;" ■<■-, The story may well he calculated to command a w;de appeal as the entire theme conveys if the suggestion of a modern Cleopatra, who ".y J steals •: the romance from happy lives, calling it lawful larceny. The story is inter-' ■ ■ preted by {a worthy cast,• including Kita : Naldi. Hope Hampton, Lew Cody, and, Conrad Nagel. A Fox* comedy, "School Pals." will also be included m the programme. . ,

TIVOLI ; THEATRE. Charles ;■ Dickens' r famous , novel "The Cricket on the -Hearth,-" has been trans-" y erred to '■■ the screen for, Selzriick and the S; first showing in Auckland - will .take j place ?■; 'it*' the Tiyoll Theatre ' ■ to-morrow ■] evening,., Much has' been "written, about this par-, . ticular ■ work ,of g Dickens, and, : a; large proportion-of the reading public is fami-, liar '. with its- story and' its inimitable' characters. t' In recent years the tendency to utilise the classics of literature as material for. film dramas has ' grown ■:. •with surprising;rapidity and it was natur-. •ally only a' question' of time :;befpre some producer, more ambitious : than ! the rest, should turn i, to '"The ■':. Cricket ,on the : Health" > for inspiration. This ..'.'{at-'' last' been ; done,. andJ-jthe";", picture-going public will certainly be interested in the result. ■'' Dickens' ~ simple, yet "pouching V- tale, lends itself ideally • for the purpose of a film drama/ provided the producer .appreciates the author's outlook, and is capable of reproducing the atmosphere \ : of th book, a f difficult task which . other I producers; have- obviously : shirked. : This Ticv SeljmickVrelease, b<|veyer, has been : highly praised by American critics, { and Ti'oli patrons may look forward to something cut--sf the ordinary, to say the least. :;/ The whole 'production, declares one reviewer, is £ - enchanting. "Th great novel. has been transferred accurately and.' in siskin rrly.- to the silver, sheet, and all "; the'.: characteristic ; tenches retained that" bring smile's , and tears -.' in their train. • T>-e, cast is in .the^' hands of a specially-Kele-ited ■ group of. players. I v• Josef Swickasd, will be seen as Caleb Plammer, Virrmia Brown Faire as Dot. Peerybingle, ' -'-I" rgaret \ L&ndis ~as T May - Fielding, Joan ' : J^PA m %i as Tilly .-- Slowooy -, and Fritzi -• J^duway,. as the ...blind girl. ; A suppoking programme is promised, with an rUractive mumral programme by the ■!ivoh Orchestra J

.'■■■'■ ORGAN *™.. ; % The , programme _ for the organ recital In tha Town Hall on Saturday evening .' will include Handel's ' Concerto No. 4, which stands pre-eminent in, the -.list- 0 * ; .- "j composer's organ works. Mi» Lois