AMUSEMENTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20431, 11 June 1928, Page 11

AMUSEMENTS.

EMPIRE THEATRE. “ The Life of Riley ” and “ Gigolo,” together with an excellent supporting programme, provide patrons of the Empire Theatre with an evening’s entertainment of exceptional merit. Both the featured films possess casts of rare brilliance, and the Local Weekly News Budget, which has now run for over three months, still attracts the keenest attention. “ The Life of Riley ” is a comedy in which Charlie Murray and George Sidney, who take the leading roles, have numerous opportunities to display their abilities as comedians, and it may be said that they exploit these opportunities to the fullest extent. Murray takes the part of the fire chief, and Sidney that of the chief of police. Other outstanding parts are taken by Myrtle Stedman, who appears as the widow for whose hand both the fire chief and the chief of police are aspirants, and by June- Marlow and Stephen Carr, who are • responsible for the presentation of a charming junior love affair. The picture represents a blending of romance and comedy, in which the former predominates. The film is based on the efforts of the fire chief to sell his fire extinguisher invention, and the efforts, almost crowned with success, of the villain to circumvent him. The rustic village atmosphere lends itself to the development of comedy, and the opportunities in this direction are increased by the arrival of a big circus and other events, all of which are utilised to good advantage. The other feature is “ Gigolo.” Rod La Roque’s new nicture deals with life in Parisian caf ■■ the period after the war. The 11 : - an attractive one, and is nicely v. a out to a happy ending. The local features cover the second and third day’s racing at the Dunedin Jockey Club’s winter meeting, the South African war veterans’ memorial parade, and other features of current interest. OCTAGON THEATRE The feature at the Octagon Theatre this week is the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production “ Buttons,” which has in the leading role Jackie Coogan, the worldfamous juvenile star and comedian. It is apparent that this film represents him at his best in this type of acting. The story is amusing, and concerns the various clever machinations of a small boy from the time when he endeavours unsuccessfully to stow away on a large Atlantic liner up to where he is directing (with an odd mixture of success and failure) the love affairs of his captain. As usual, Coogan plays the part to perfection, and some of the scenes are jewels of their kind. Especially worthy of mention is the ingenious ruse by which he obtains promotion, after serving for 12 months on board a training ship, and is made the captain’s page—hence “ Buttons.” The strange collusion of the small boy and the ship’s physical culture instructor to dash the hopes of an aspirant for the hands of the captain’s fiancee has a kind of grim humour all its own. They inveigle Miff into a steam bath in the gymnasium, and, after turning on the steam, the pair of them, with Spartan indifference, leave him there until someone else chooses to rescue him. When finally the crisis does come in a scene full of incident, through the action of the fire alarm, the result is not exactly what was expected. However, all perplexities soon begin to straighten themselves out, and everything concludes happily. The cast, which is a very strong one, includes Lars Hanson (the captain) and Gertrude Olmisted, who is an entire success in the somewhat difficult role of his financec. Paul Mart, the gymnasium instructor, plays his part with genuine appreciation of the possible comic situations, and Polly Moran as the stewardess provides laughable interludes in her own good style. The supporting features on the programme are excellent, and the entertainment offered is a particularly fine one. A good selection of music provided by the Octagon Orchestra, under the baton of M. de Rose. There is a dramatic fantasia, “ The Bartered Bride ” (Smetana), while the overture is that old favourite Nikolai’s “ Merry Wives of Windsor.” THE REGENT THEATRE. The Regent Theatre was well filled on Saturday night, and .for many the novelty and beauty of the surroundings are Still exerting their first charm. The major attraction at the theatre is “ Hula,’’ starring the inimitable Clara Bow, who has emerged froji the ranks of Paramount junior players into an amazing and well-deserved popularity. The locale of the film is Hawaii, and the settings alone are sufficient to ensure the success of the film, for they are unexpectedly striking and realistic. However, the true value of “ Huk ” lies in the work of the principals; Clara Bow. Clive Brooke, and Arlette Marshall. The acting of the first two is remarkable for a certain restraint that one has not associated with moving pictures. The verve with which the heroine hastens the many climaxes of the plot is in itself a triumph; and it is unusually evident that few other actresses could have handled a part carrying with it so many fine shadings of character. The difficulty lies in the fact that such fast, and amazing changes of conduct must not be allowed to suggest a mind indifferent to the more splendid issues of life. Clara Bow achieves this perfectly, although she gives more of her own personality in the interpretation than perhaps the novelist —Armine von Tempski—would have desired. Still there are few people captious enough to object to this more than pleasant intrusion. The picture opens with the appearance of Hula, the daughter of the house of Calhoun in numerous amusing and ingenuous situations. She meets the young English engineer (played ■by Clive Brook) and falls in love with him at first sight. Unfortunately, he is already married to an English wife, and this complicates the issues from his point of view. Nevertheless, in spite of his strange and apparently English aversion to divorce, all obstacles are removed, and the picture ends happily in the usual way. The supporting film is “ Honeymoon Hate,” from the story of the same name which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post last year. It is overflowing with comic incidents, and Florence Vidor fills the leading part in manner bom. Her intolerance of authority and belief in her own potent manner leads her into some perplexities which ultimately tame her spirit to some puhposes. The scenes of “ Honeymoon Hate ” are placed in Venice, and they add not a little to the charm and gaiety of this light-hearted production. The Regent Operatic Orchestra, under the baton of Mr Maurice Guttridge, provides an excellent programme of light music, and the entr’acte, Von Suppe’s “Morning. Noon, and Night,” is particularly effective. PLAZA AND GRAND THEATRES. There are two excellent featured films on the double programme now being screened at the Plaza and Grand Theatres. The first picture is “ The 13th Hour,” in which such well-known and popular players as Anna Q. Nilsson and Francis X. Bushman have the leading roles. It is New Year’s Eve at a fashionable city cafe. Richard Marsden sits alone while his wife and his best friend, Henry Desmond, a brilliant lawyer, dance together. A well-known and powerful pchtician occupies one of the scats next to Marsden, and suggests that there is something more than friendship between Desmond and Mrs Marsden. The husband resents the insult to his wife and friend, and a scuffle follows. The Marsdens and Desmond go to their respective homes, but Marsden, apparently intent upon return to the cafe to punish the politician, goes out again. On a street corner, near the cafe, Marsden is arrested hear the body of the politician, who has been shot. No one has seen the crime committed. How Desmond handles the jury in an

effort to prove the innocence of Marsden is one of the most dramatic portions of the picture. “The White Sister,” starring Lillian Gish, is the other attraction. QUEEN’S THEATRE. “The Eagle,” with Rudolph Valentino in the leading male role, and Louise Dresser is the chief attraction at the Queen’s Theatre this week. This film had an excellent run in Dunedin during its last screening, and its popularity this week is assured if the initial houses are to be taken as a criterion. Valentino is seen as a Russian, first in the role of a Cossack lieutenant, and then as the bandit who became known as the Eagle because of his swift and mysterious exploits. The action of the story takes place in Imperial Russia before the revolution, The romance starts in a brilliant royal setting, and is then transferred to the Russian countryside. The leading female role is taken by the young Hungarian star, Vilma Banky. “The Eagle ” is a picture full of Russian types and characters. Valentino’s role is quite different from any which he has previously essayed. It gives him an opportunity for greater versatility. '* The Eagle ” might be described as a romantic comedy-drama. The second picture is “Down to the Sea in Ships,” which features Clara Bow and a host of other notable screen players. EVERYBODY’S THEATRE. The usual attractive double-feature bill is drawing good houses to Everybody’s Theatre this week. The first picture is “ Meet the Prince,” in which Marguerite do la Motte and Joseph Schildkraut are the featured players. The story deals with a Russian prince and bis sister, who are forced to flee fom Russia doing the revolution and seek safety in America. The prince hides his identity and becomes a butler in the household of an old magnate, while the princess finds employment at coaching the oil millionaire in good ns anners so that he may marry the American girl whom her brother secretly loves, but of whose attachment the princess has no knowledge. This brings about humorous and dramatic complications, but the climax ends happily for all concerned. The other attaction is “ Come to My House,” with Antonio Mdreno and Olive Borden in the leading roles. KING EDWARD THEATRE. This week’s programme at the King Edward Theatre contains two feature pictures —“ Come to My House,” which has Antonio Moreno and Olive Bordern in the chief parts, and “ Meet the Prince,” in which Joseph Schildkraut is the featured player. The latter picture is a comedy drama of Russian nobility in America.