AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20089, 4 May 1927, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS

EMPIRE THEATRE. “Variety,” a picture of more than ordinary interest, has been drawing large audiences to the Empire Theatre at every session. The opening scene of the picture shows a prisoner, old, discouraged, and weary, telling the story of his past life to tne prison warden. The prisoner's story is then unfolded before the eyes of the audience. Many years ago the prisoner liad been a member of a world-famous acrobatic act. He and his partner were prime favourites at the Berlin Winter Garden, and thousands went to see them nightly. Then something happened winch spelt the beginning of the end. The prisoner’s partner began to make love to his pretty wife, and she, faithless, had returned his affection, completely, forgetting her husband. For a long time the prisoner was in complete ignorance of the intrigue which was going on before ms very eyes, until a friend told him of his wife’s faithlessness. The same night, whilst performing a daring trapeze act over the heads of a huge audience he debated whether he should.kill the man who had stolen hia wife. He had only to miss his partner’s hands by a hairbreadth and he would be rid of him. The thought occupied his mind throughout the act; out on looking down at the thousands of faces beneath him each one of them seemed to say “No.” Hours later, the thought became an obsession, and so he killed his partner. The scene then fades out and once more the prisoner is seen with the warden. As his story finishes, an official appears and tells him that he has been granted a pardon. Features of the process are the remarkable “sets” and backgrounds against which the picture was taken, ino photography is also very fine. The ac tmg of Lya do Putti and Emil .Tannings, the two featured players, is full of merit. “Variety,” which was produced in Germany, is a story of the vamlm-'lc . nm Emil Janmngs has a role distinct from anything ho has yet - seen as the trapeze acrobat. Miss do t utti plays the part of Jannings s faithless wite. Warwick Ward completes the trio of principals, Of Emil Jannings it is sufficient to say that he is regarded as Europe s greatest ‘make-up” artist. Ibp part ot Artinelli, in “Variety,” is played by \Varwick Ward. Several supporting pictures are also included in the programme, OCTAGON THEATRE. “Sally of the Sawdust” is the feature film which is being screened at the Octagon Theatre. It is most entertaining from start to finish. The part of bally is played by Carol Dempster a young Californian girl. She appears as the whimsical, impulsive waif who idolises Hop lop and accepts his greatest rogueries as tho perfection o! “a noble, honourable gentleman.” The story is one of circus life. Eugene M'Garglo, a circus comedian, takes charge of a waif, who, later on, assists him in his “turns.” Jl j° v circ^l ha /bo carries out lus promise to look after tho girl, and, years afterwards he succeeds in ascertaining the namo of her parent.. But. before that happy stage arrives, the pair have many experiences in their cnous career, and it is the recounting of these experiences that goes to “/fco a mctuio that is one of the most entertaining e\o produced. Running through the gaiety of the piece is a sympathetic story of °' abl ° humans very much beset at times with the minor problems such as lack of money, a free-for-all circus fight, flight to richer harvests on a blind-baggage of a railroad car, and other rueful troubles. Tho I " t T settings were made at the Paramount L f? Island studio, and include among othci imposing sets a huge circus and carnival scone for which one who e stage »««< aside. Exteriors wore filmedi m Green wich Conn., and along tho Motor Pathway and oilier locations in various towns and villages on Long Island.

EVERYBODY’S THEATER “Paradise,” a First National picture, W the present attraction at Everybody s Theatre. Milton Sills is seen m the leading role, with Betty Bronson as tho leading lady. The scenes are located m LoQ; don, and the South Seas. In “Paradise Sills steps forth as a devil-may-care, irrosnonsible and wastrel son of an English earl It’ is a role entirely different from anything he has ever done before.. Ho is seen at his gayest moments as a flier m the Royal Air Force, as a member of an ex-officers’ band which pays upon the streets of London, with Sills as , chief collector ot contributions, as tho driver of a " hotel sight-seeing automobile, and finally as King of Paradise Island in tho pouth Seas, whom he and Betty Bronson decide to remain with a lifetime of happiness in front ot them. An extraordinary cast is seen in this picture. Noah Beery Kate Price, Charlie Murray, Lloyd V. tut lock. Clause King and Ashley Cooper are tub supporting players. The second picture is “Forlorn River,” from the story by 2ane Grey. The principal roles are played by Jack Holt and Arlolto Marchal.

QUEEN’S THEATRE. “The Flaming Forest,” which is being shown at the Queen’s Theatre, is a blending of historical fact with imaginative fiction. The story has boon adapted from James Oliver Curwood’s book. It deals with the lawless days in the great NorthWest spaces of Canada m the 80 s. The history of the famous JVlounted Police, and the thrilling events that led to their mobilisation are vividly depicted. The picture shows how the thin red column of the Queen’s soldiers trekked into a lawless country and brought the protection and peace of the Union Jack to a crime-wracked region. Antonio Moreno has the main masculine part. This polished featured player is never so fascinating as in a virile outdoor role such _as that of Sergeant Carrigon. in “The Flaming Forest.” His dramatic reputation gained much from his portrayal in “Mare Nostrum” and will be immensely strengthened as a result of this picture. Claire M'Dowall, Bert Roach and Tom O'Brien are also in the cast. .There are one or two good supporting pictures included in the programme. PLAZA AND GRAND THEATRES. “Prowlers of the Night,” a Universal Blue Streak Western picture is the principal atraction at the Plaza and Grand Theatres this week. The story_ tells tow Jack Norton, a youthful sheriff, is wounded in a gun fight with bandits, and taken for dead. A girl, Anita Parsons, finds him, binds up his wounds ( and saves his life. His interest in the girl is awakened* and he later visits her home. The girl’s father, A 1 Parsons, is thc _ leader of the bandit gang with which Norton had his almost fatal fight. Ho is lorn betwen love of the girl and devotion his duty, and his conflicting emotions put him in a terrible position. Tho law of compensation works out affaire satisfactorily, however, and brings happiness after an eventfo* climax. In support is £ Master picture, with Irene Rich and CHvfc Brook in the leading roles. KING EDWARD THEATRE. “Forlorn River” is tho titlp of one of the feature pictures presented at tho King Edward Theatre. The story centres around the thrilling experiences of a mysterious individual known as Nevada, played by Jack Holt. Raymond Hatton is his mate, a tramp cowpuncher, who contributes some good comedy work. Arlotto Marchal, charming French actress, provides tho love episodes, while Edmund Burns completes tho quartet of principal players in tho role of Miss Marchal’s boyhood sweetheart. Milton Sills, in the role of a devil-may-care scapegoat son of an English carl, appears in “Paradise,” tho second feature picture. Ho is scon making a living in London by means of his remarkable personality and his wit. One never grows tired of Sills, for he is aways different—always standing forth as an entirely now personality. And in “Paradise” ho is s cen in one of the happiest roles of his career. Betty Bronson is tho leading lady, with Noah Beery, Kate Price. Charlie Murray, Lloyd Whitlock, Claude King, and Ashley Cooper supporting. “Paradise” is the film version of Cosmo Hamilton’s great novel of the same title. “THE FLAMING FRONTIER.” Several thousand Indians, a half-dozen troops of cavalry, fronticrmon and women of tho period of 1876, and numerous plainsmen and pioneers form part of the cast of the big spectacular production entitled “The Flaming Frontier,” which will ho presented at the Empire Theatre on Friday. “The Flaming Frontier.” which is an Edward Sedgwick-Universal production, is portrayed by an all-star cast, and the story is laid during tho last big effort made by tho united red men of the West to stem the westward march of tho white race. It I has for its thrilling climax General Custers last stand, and shows in full detail the massacre of Custer and his men of tho Seventh United States Cavalry on tho Little Big Horn on Juno 25. 1876. Tho picturo is of more than usual inlorost because j of tho fact that among Hiq Indians taking part in are scores of descendants of those 1 who fought under Sitting Bull. In rnak- ( ing tliia last stand th» whites,

ting Bull had rallied to hia cause some 10,000 redskins, the great tribes of the West allying themselves with the Sioux to make common war against the whites. Edward Sedgwick, who directed “The Flaming Frontier,” had to meet the Indiana’ terms before they would agree to work for him. The cast to be seen m this thrilling frontier picture contains tho names of men and women who have made themselves famous not only on the screen but also on’ the stage. Among them are Hoot Gibson, Anne Cornwall, Dustin Farnum. Ward Crane, Kathleen Key, Eddie Gribbon. Harry Todd, Harold Goodwin, George Fawcett, Charles K. French, Noble Johnson, Walter Rodgers, Ed Wilson, William Steele, and Joe Bonomo. SCHOOL BRASS BAND. Tho Albany Street School is one of the first primary schools in the South Island organise amongst its pupils a brass band. The young boys have developed surprisingly as a playing unit, and will make their first public appearance to-morrow night at Burns Hall at a concert, in association with leading Dunedin artists. “FINE MANNERS.” In ‘‘Fine Manners,” which will bo opened at tho Octagon Theatre on Friday, Gloria Swanson adds still another characterisation to her large gallery of interesting screen portraits. Gloria ventures into a field entirely foreign to anything she has ever before attempted. “Fine Maimers” finds the star enacting the part of a little burlesque chorus girl. Pretty, vivacious, happy, and full of the joy of living, she attracts tho attention of a wealthy young society man. He falls in love with her because of the girl’s naturalness, so conspicuously absent in tha debutantes, he knows. What happens when she is induced to take a course in “Fine Manners” provides the audience with a series of thrilling climaxes and more than a few laughs. Gloria is better than ever, and aiding tho star in her efforts are such tine players as Eugene O’Brien. Helen Dunbar, and Walter Goss. In “Fine Manners” the star is supported by the world’s tiniest actors. This is not reflection on tho size of Eugene O’Brien, her leading man, or Walter Goss, one of the junior stars, who plays her brother. Tho miniature entertainers are a circus of trained fleas, which Miss Swanson and O’Brien attend in the course of tho story.