AMUSEMENTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19614, 19 October 1925, Page 11

AMUSEMENTS.

EMPIRE THEATRE. “Six Days” and a series of remarkable ©vents that happen therein are the basis of a dramatic story from the graphic pen of Elinor Glyn. now being screened at the Empire Theatre. It is a First National picture, and has been presented as a tense tale of human passions and a series of remarkable circumstances. The scene opens in the house of Robert Kingston, a wealthy banker, who, finding ruin staring him in the face, chooses the coward’s way out. His ambitious and selfish wife, and his daughter, Laline, are loft penniless. Mrs Kingston plans to marry her daughter to Sir diaries Chotwyn, a wealthy Englishman. At first Laline rejects the proposal of marriage, but eventually agrees. A sudden call on a diplomatic mission takes Chetwyn away for some time, but ho travels as far as Paris with Mrs Kingston and daughter, who are planning a visit to the battlefields. In Paris, Laline meets a young sculptor, Robert Undo, for whom she quickly flevclops a strong affection, and she realises that she will have to make a final decision soon. Then conic© a dramatic turn in their fortunes. During the visit over the deserted battlefields Laline and Robert are trapped in an old dugout through an explosion. Together with their guide, an aged priest, they are hold prisoner, and despairing of release they ask the priest to marry them. The ceremony is performed, but daily it appears to the occupants as if the dugout is to become their tomb. Another fall of earth results in the death of the old guide, and Robert and Laline are left alone. When wandering about looking for some means of escape thov become separated. At the dawn of the sixth day Laline emerges from a series of underground tunnels and is found by a party of rescuers. Robert, too, escapes later. He is picked up unconscious by a half-demented woman who lives the Me of a hermit. She cares for him till he recovers. In the meantime, however, his friends believe him dead. Laline tells her mother of the marriage, and Mrs Kingston replies that as the husband and priest are dead no one will believe her story. She endeavours to coerce her daughter into marrying Sir Charles Chetwyn, but Lalm® steadfastly refuses. The climax reveals a surprising secret concerning the lives of the two families. There is an attractive supporting list of pictures. The Empire Orchestra renders the following musical selections:—Entr’acte; song, (fox Hot). “Heartbroken Rose” (Hagen and Gould); “My Heart at. Thy Sweet Voice, from “Samson and Delila” (Saint-Saens); valse, “Gradouse” (Ed. German); ‘Mystery Valso” (Rolfe); “Summer Showers (Logan; “An Arcadian Lullaby (Mosmann); “Souvenir’ (Ed. German); Pensoes clu Soir” (Phil Meny). OCTAGON THEATRE. The popular Douglas Fairbanks in * Don Q., Son of Zorro,” drew crowded attendances to the Octagon Theatre at both screenings on Saturday. The other leading actors featured are Mary Astor as Dolores do Muro, Jack M.‘Donald as General do Muro, Donald Crisp as Don Sebastian, and Stella, de Lanti as the Queen. Not only is the cast excellent, but settings are on an unusually lavish scale. Ahe story is set during the period when Spain was proud ruler of the Seven Seas. Minute attention has been paid to the historical correctness of the costume and furnishings of the time. The story centres round Don Cesar de Vega, of California, who is brought into disagreeable contact with Don Sebastian de Lucharvo, a supercilious officer of the Queen’s Guards. In the course of the story Cesar gives a most excellent account of himself. His concluding exploit saves a number of bystanders, and incidentally Don Sebastian . himself, from being gored to death by a bull that has broken from the ring and invaded tho streets. This brings Cesar into the favourable consideration and observation of the Queen and the visiting Archduke. It also brings him the acclaim of the crowds. Escaping from the latter he finds himself in a beautiful garden ami in the presence of tho beautiful Spanish senorita Dolores de Muro, whoso father was Lord High Chamberlain in the Royal household. Don Sebastian, sent by the Queen to fetch Don Cesar, comes to this same garden on the? heels of Cesar’s leaving it. and thus both young men meet the lovely senorita the same day, each unaware of tho other’s visit. The Archduke’s interest in Cesar is enhanced upon acquaintance, and it chances that he is,a guest at the de Muro homo on an evening, and has the whimsical experience of seeing Don Cesar make love to Dolores on a balcony in the garden while Sebastian, indoors with her father, is proposing himself as a suitor for her hand. Ultimately Sebastian murders the Archduke and endeavours to plant the guilt of the crime on Cesar, who is under suspicion, but tho hero, of course, is innocent, and is rewarded with the hand and heart of the maiden he loves. Tho Octagon Concert Orchestra excels even its own high standard in a gpecially selected musical programme, comprising the First Movement from “The Unfinished Symphony” (Schubert); La Farandolo Ballet. Part 1 (Dubois) —(a) “Les Tambourinaires,” (b) “Les Ames Inficlelos,” (c) “La Provencale,” (d) “Sylvine,” (o) “La Farandolo Fantastiqiie”; “Spanish Serenade” (Friml); “Luigaresca” (Baron); “Chanson Melancholique” (Collinge); “Spanish Dance,” Op. 26, No. 8 (Sarasate); “Spanish Pastoral” (Luscomb); “A La Cubana” (Granados); “Intermezzo” (Howard Clarke): “Italian Serenade” (Reubens); and “Marche Militaire” (Granados). QUEEN’S THEATRE. “One Way Street” and “Meddling Women” are the principal films at the Queen’s Theatre this week. The first picture, which features Bert Lyon and Anna Q. Nilsson, deals with the spirit of youth and its foolhardiness. The second feature, in which Lionel Barrymore has the leading role, is an exciting story of a false accusation. EVERYBODY’S THEATRE Tirno lias gone back a few hundred years at Everybody’s Theatre this week and once more Robin Hood and his morrie band of outlaws pace the greenwood forest in search of adventure which they have no difficulty in finding, for in those “good old days” life had a peculiar zest of its own, and more than once the unfortunate wight who evoked the royal ire was made to realise what a dear thing to him his life was. Douglas Fairbanks portrays the part of the blithesome outlaw, and, in the true Fairbanksian style, he carries with him tho imagination of his beholders. It is an attractive picture, produced in a lavish and realistic setting. ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY’S CONCERT. The final concert of tho 33th season of the Dunedin Orchestral Society will bo given in llis Majesty’s Theatre to-night. The orchestral numbers include Schubert’s sth Symphony, overture “Strudella” (Flotow), selection “Patience” (Sullivan), overture “Nachtlager m Granada” (Kreatzer), and Hungarian March (Reckling). Tho assisting vocalists are Miss Mary Wilson and Mr Sidney Taylor. Miss Wilson, who possesses a beautiful mezzo-soprano voice, has selected “Fair Sfiring is Returning” (Samson and Delilah) as one of her items. Mr Sidney Taylor has a tenor voice which will be heard to advantage in “Salve Dimora” from Gounod’s “Faust.” A special item for this concert—a violin solo by Mr J. A. Wallace; “7th Concerto,” by de Boriot, has been selected, and the audience is assured of a musical treat. The orchestra, will accompany this item. The box plan is at tho Bristol, and a limited number of 2s tickets will be available at tho theatre. SAVOY CABARET. Onco again on Saturday night the overpopular and tastefully appointed Tudor Hall was the scene of u brilliant and animated supper dance. From the moment the orchestra struck up the first of its lino selection of dance music till the dainty supper was served and tho curtain was finally lowered on one of the most enjoyable of Dunedin’s week-end functions, carnival and pleasure reighed supreme. The whole scene was one in which even tho most harassed and world-weary business man and woman could forgot the bustle and tear of the busy week and in tho soft glow of beautiful lights have one night of carefree enjoyment. HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE. “GOOD MORNING DEARIE!” The last appearance of Josie Melville and George Gee'in “Good Morning Dearie!” was staged at His Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday night, when a most successful season closed with a packed and appreciative house. A feature /of the revue was the beautiful dresses and costumes displayed by the players. Miss Josie Melville surpassed herself as an unaffected and innocent little shoo girl, and George Gee added to tho host of admirers ho has won during his short stay in Dunedin.