ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19417, 27 August 1926, Page 15

ENTERTAINMENTS.

STRAND THEATRE. ] "Zeebrugge," the only picture -yet produced under the patronage of His ' Majesty the King, will commence its ! Auckland season at the Strand Theatre : to-day. The picture was produced with " the assistance of tho Admiralty, which ' lent official documents and gave «very 1 possible assistance.. It will be shown 1 throughout New Zealand under the • auspices of the New Zealand Navy I League, and it has received the approval j of the Auckland Education Board. : Modern Britons are apt at times to think ( of Drake and his legalised pirates- as ! being wonderful heroes when they read i of their hand-to-hand battles with the ; enemy, their glowing deeds and their : thrilling escapes. Xnero is a modern parallel to this naval hero of old, and •where he singed the beard of tho King of Spain, Sir Roger Keys, on the night of St. George's Dav, 1918, singed the pointed ends of the Kaiser's moustache, since the Kaiser had no beard to singe. No hero of old took such risks as this intrepid band of 2000 hard-headed, devil-may-care volunteers, who went in on that memorable night in the face of every known projectile in the war, and the whole story is said to have been reproduced in screen form with remarkable realism. At the afternoon and evening sessions the picture will be preceded by a spectacular prologue in which songs and dances of tho British Empire will be presented. The Strand-Majestic Follies will appear in a ballet of national dances arranged by Madame Valeska, and Mr. George Martinengo, baritone, will sing ;» number of sea songs. At both sessions music will be provided by an augmented orchestra of 20 performers. At the day sessions "Wild Justice," a United Artists release, starring the Belgian police dog. Peter the Great, will also be shown. " COLLEGE DAYS." " College Days," now showing at- the Princess, Tivoli and Everybody's Theatres, is said to bo one of Harold Lloyd's greatest characterisations. Tor several reasons the picture has been proclaimed a pronounced success. It is a story of college life and consequently has an appeal to all those who look back on their school career as the happiest time of their life. There aro laughs and thrills in plenty arid the humour is all wholesome and refreshing. But the picture is not endless comedy. There is just sufficient pathos in it to make the comedy ring true. There is also a love theme in the story. Much of the success of the picture, however, is duo to Lloyd himself. The vacant expression characteristic of the comedian is admirably suited to the portrayal of Harold Lamb, the unsophisticated freshman at college. When Lamb first goes to college all manner of tricks and jokes are played upon him and ho is led to believe that his popularity is assured. He obtains a place in the football team as water boy and he is allowed to think he is an emergency. Then he is overjoyed when he wins the heart of Peggy, his landlady's daughter. Just when everything seems to be going smoothly the inevitable crash comes and Harold is disillusioned. The final act comes with tho annual college football fixture. There are but 15 minutes of play remaining. The opposition leads. The hero's team is weakened by having a man knocked out in every down. The substitute players are eliminated and only Harold remains on the bench. There is no other choice—he must be sent in, and in trlie comedy fashion he wins tho game and realises his ambitions. MAJESTIC THEATRE. The " London Pierrots" commence their .second week at the Majestic Theatre today. Composed of six talented artists, tho troupe provides plenty of fun in tho way of song, dance and burlesque. The company contains several first-rate comedians who provide- clever light entertainment. Jackie Coogan's new comedy, "Old Clothes," will be shown at the clay sessions. Jackie Coogan has already won his way to the hearts of thousands of picturegoers by his work in connection with "The Kid." His pantomimic powers are marvellous in one so young. Every movement is expressive of some emotion, and his restraint is so well controlled that his acting has a naturalness which, combined with his youthful naivety, results in a realistic performance of the rarest merit. At the night sessions a Metro-Goldwyn picture, "Wine of Youth," will be shown. Although the story is modern, it opens with two scenes of the method of wooing in 1870 and 1897-. Tho story proper opens then, in 1924, with an up-to-date flapper being pursued by two very different suitors. In an endeavour to have an absolutely safe marriage, the girl tries out- an J experimental honeymoon, but is able to fall back on conventional methods before it is too late. Included in the supports are an overture, Geisha," the Majestic News Pictorial Review, and a New Zealand scenic film, "The Seven Lakes." GRAND THEATRE. Another of Paramount's highly-succes-ful adaptations of Zane Grey's famous novels will be screened at the Grand Theatre to-day. The latest of these popular stories to be brought to the screen is " Desert Gold," which is one of Zane Grey's best and most stirring tales. It was directed by George B. Seitz, with Neil Hamilton, Shirley .Mason and Robert Frazer in the principal roles. The story tells of a young man who is driven from home owing to his dissipated habits. Ho goes West, ancl arrives just in time to participate in a series of exciting events culminating in the, rescue of tho sweetheart of his chum from an outlaw gang who have kidnapped her. The hero and his friends then set out across the desert, where they meet a terrible sandstorm. A climax is reached when the outlaw gang is buried beneath an enormous landslide. A second attraction will bo " The Kid," featuring Charlie Chaplin and Jackie Coogan. RIALTO THEATRE. " The Best People," a Paramount production, featuring Esther Ralston, will head the new programme at the Rialto Theatre to-day. The story, the stage version of which was recently produced in Melbourne, tells of a brother and sister who, in spite of the endeavours of their aristocratic mother to sea that they each follow her choice and marry into seciety. follow their own inclinations, the boy falling in love with a chorus girl, and the sister eventually marrying a chauffeur. The acting is said to be excellent and the picture rich in comedy. A Metro-Gold-wyn picture, " Along Came Ruth," will also be shown HIPPODROME THEATRE. Fred Thomson's latest production, "Ridin' the Wind," is now being shown at the Hippodrome Theatre. It is a thrilling tale, containing an excellent combination of excitement and comedy. Thomson's intelligent horse, Silver King, is seen to advantage, performing a number of amazingly clever "stunts." Thomson himself gives .a remarkable display of horsemanship, and performs many daring feats, even riding Silver King out of the door of the luggage van of a moving train. The programme also includes "The Circus Cyclone," in . which Art Acord plays the leading role, supported by his horse, Raven, and his dog, Rex. PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE. Betty Balfour, the dainty and popular English actress; will be seen m a British production, "Reveille." which will be screened at the Prince Edward Theatre for the first time to-day. The picture gives a series of truthful pictures of thewar and of the post-war problems 61" Europe. It has reminiscences and char» acters that will create- a great deal of laughter, but it also has a sacred memory that will be expressed in a silence most eloquent of great emotional stress and that- will be a tribute not only to the work of the film players and the film producer, but also to the indomitable spirit, patient hope and unflagging courage of those who fought in the Great War. Also included in the programm-i will be *'Silk Stockinged Sal,"

NATIONAL AND LYRIC. Monte Carlo, with its glittering casino and gay, reckless 'holiday-makers, and Deauville, the home of pleasure and luxury, are the principal scenes in "Recoil," a new Goldwyn-Cosroopolitan production, adapted from a short story by Rex Beach. The picture, in which Mahlon Hamilton and Betty Blythe have the principal roles, was shown for the first time at the National and Lyric Theatres yesterday. The story is highly- dramatic. A beautiful but poverty-stricken American girl obtains entrance to a party given by Gordon Kent, a South American millionaire, who has spent'his life in a wilderness and comes to Paris seeking pleasure. They are married, but the girl admits she does hot love him und runs away with Marchmont, a notorious international criminal. Kent, with a detective friend, discovers them before leaving Marseilles, and uses his wealth to have them shadowed for the rest of their lives. The pair move all over Europe, but aro always followed by Kent's agents, who'insist on them living together. The tension drives both almost insane, and Kent himself wishes ho had not used so terrible a revenge. After a series of sensational happenings, culminating in an unexpected ending, both tho millionaire and the girl find happiness. A second attraction is "The Shamrock Handicap," a Fox picture, rewritten from a story by Peter 13. Kyne. Tho story commences- in a picturesque Irish village and is later carried to tho racing track in America. One of the best scenes is that in which an injured jockey rides to win in an exciting steeplechase. Leslie Fenton and Willard Louis head a strong cast, including Janet Gnynor, J. rari'ell MacDcsnald and Claire McDowell. The supporting programme includes the latest Fox News, the Gauinont Graphic and a Felix cartoon. CHILDREN'S PANTOMIME. A pantomime which should prove particularly interesting to children is beiiip presented at the Hippodrome Theatre each afternoon this week. "Mother Grundy," as it is entitled, was written and produced by the popular comedian, Lester Sinclair, "who takes the leading role, and is ably supported by Arthur Lord, as Tommy Tucker. Charming ballots have been arranged by Miss Edith McMilhe. The production is said to bo pleasing to tho eye and highly amusing throughout