AMUSEMENTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20703, 29 April 1929, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS.

EMPIRE THEATRE.. Glct ? T ryon and Patsy Ruth Miller appear in, The Gate Crasher,” which is the principal offering at 'the Empire ineatre this week. The story is a light one, and Tryon proves himself to be a comedian of the heat type. Dick Hensnaw, an amateur country detective, meets iviara di Leon, a stage star, who is returning to New York. Dick falls in love wi'tn the actress and is able to saw her jewellery from being stolen by her maid and press agents, who are in league with each other. _ He follows her tu the big city where it is found that her jewels nave again been stolen. In the course of his hunt for them, Dick arrives at the theatre where Mara is acting in a Roman play. _ Dick finally finds himself on the stage in a burlesque Roman costume and his antics are screamingly funny. He is finally ejected, but is no less determined to get the jewels back. After a hilarious series of adventures he is successful. " The Rutter and Egg Man ” is the title of ™ iu e ?? nd Mature picture, in which Jack Mulhall and Greta Nissen have the leading roles. The story deals with a young the country who is induced to put his money into a theatrical show for which the producers cannot provide sufficient capital. The show proves a failure, i j’ f° r the sake of the leading lady, the new financier, buys the production outright for a mere song, and changes the character of tbe plot from -a drama to a comedy. The new production is an instantaneous success, and the former producers, realising that they have been caught in their own . trap, attempt to buy back the play. The story then takes an amusing and unexpected turn in which the former producers, who had used the [ young man to their own ends, are again i outwitted, and the hero and the leading n & ar ® t«PPily united: Martin Mac“un and Ivy Jermyn provide a variety, turn which is greatly appreciated by audiences. Mr. Mac Duff is the possessor of a pleasing tenor voice, whictt » Hu 68 > * considerable advantage in Mother o’ Mine” and “ Charmaine.” Miss. Jerrnyn • is then heard in several pleasing violin solos. The remainder of ut,™. mu ? ,c 18 accompanied by violin obbligatos. It includes “La Donna E Mobile ( .Rigoletto”) the prelude to tbe ‘/Miserere Scene” from II Trovatore," An excellent musical programme is presented by Mr Charles Aies and the Empire Orchestra. REGENT THEATRE. There are two feature pictures and four supporting films on the present programme .at the .Regent Theatre, and every one of tnese is of outstanding interest. The xt- 1 i * ?, - the it?? 8 is “ Shadows of the s’S.bt. in which the beautiful, canine star, J* lash, is the most prominent artist, u is almost incredible that a dog could ; ® to . act a port with such amazing fidelity, for Flash offers a performnwbich not only rivals, but possibly, excells what is done by the human players, ine story is woven round the adventures m.f a n n «^i pap i er ? la ? and ,b‘s dog, who set out on the trail of a city Kane. News comes to hand that one of Fcagan’a *gang has teen captured, and Jimmy Sherwood ° D * tk ?m p 2 t to e ct tbe Story. Feagan plans to kill Sergeant O’Flaherty, who made the capture, and one of the. dancing girls from the Dreamland Cafe is forced to act as a decoy/ By mistake, however, a constable is killed, and Jimmy! r£L 1 ?i, ne £- r i 1 at hi P d at , the time goes after the killer only to be knocked out. nu+i* chaße gets the number YwlJ? • Eeagan’s car. By means of this Jimmy is able to trace him to the cafe. succeeds in getting a job. and wit b whom he falls in loVe. He hears that Feagan is about to make another attempt on O’Flaherty’s inf™;? u 5 Jmmy appear to be the culprit, but Molly warns him, and by means of the, dog, Jimmy in turn warns the sergeant. The latter .comes to the u i 6 where he attempts to arrest Feagan, but the gangster .shoots him. The lights tnen go off and, in the confusion, all tbs P aB A escapes. Jimmy, in tracing the leader to his hiding place, is caught, and he and the dog are tied up. They escape in time to warn the police that Feagan has escaped in a coffin, and they mve chase to the hearse. Flash runs ahead, and. jumping on to the vehicle, attacks the driver, who loses control of the machine, which crashes into a post. As Feagan attempts to get away, the dog Hies fit him and bears him down. When the. patrol arrives .Feagan is dead. The story ends happily with the union of ..The other feature is Midnight Madness,” and there is a good musical programme. ' , : . OCTAGON THEATRE. The third programme,of was presented at the Octagon Theatre for the first time on Friday night, and there were excellent houses at all succeeding presentations. Once again it is proved that the Fox. movietone films are excel™weSomplesr ?. £ the kind of'entertainment. Une of the most popular items on a long and varied programme is the last public speech made by Ring George V before his recent serious illness. The occasion is the opening of a new bridge at Newcastle-on-Tyne and his Majesty.accompanied by Queen Mary, is. seen and heard performing the ceremony. Scene and sound, are perfectly synchronised and the effect is startling in its realism, when tne cheers of the great crowd and all the otner incidental sounds are reproduced With great clarity. The next film is a short one showing General, Godley welcoming a party, of American visitors ’to | Gibraltar, Again the sounds of the crowd but the general’s speech comes out sharply and clearly, The noise of the cosmopolitan dwellers on this ’ island is intriguing for many different 1 languages may be distinguished at once. , lncidant ln tbe life of Stephen C. Foster,_the composer of “My Old Ken- I tucky. Home and other well-known American folk songs, furnishes the theme In a . Music Shoppe,” which Is a little musical play of a sort in which song and patter are judicially blended. The dnef feature is ‘ ? The Red Dance,” m which the popular Mexican player. Dolores del Rio, is the featured artist, ihts picture is accompanied throughout by the Roxy Theatre Orchestra of 110 pieces, and the music plays no small part in the success of the production. The story contained in .the picture is a clever one. and is well worked out by the direcJ2f» , wln i? tbe acting is also excellent. Charles Farrell is the leading man. The ShlTfi Re y°, lutio “ iß ' the event round ulnch tbe plot centres, and Miss del Rio e ? ns .Tasia, a girl whose parents have been tortured by the Cheka for no other, reason than that they had taught certain of the peasants to read. The mother dies and the father is thrown into prison. Ta?ia vows revenge on her persecutors. There then enters into the DuS Tr le haughty figure of the Grand ne, A Whose are with people, A romance springs up between Tasia and the duke. The storv S* Its Z ay tb . roUß b some thrilling 1 /f 1 b«PPy end is finally “ Somet-bpr^ 6 t ts heme ,. son K borne where. Sometime, We’ll Meet Again, is sung at the close of the performance by the Roxy Male Choir. The whole picture is admirably presented. * STRAND THEATRE. "The Woman Disputed.” Norma Tat madge’s latest picture” has verv successful opening at the Strind Theatre and there is little doubt that it will main-’ tain its popularity throughout the sS The production is one of the bpiS has come from Hollywood for some* JS? and ,t is said of the picture tha” it ™ a straightforward, if somewhat grim chanter, from the. Book of Life transferred to the screen with the greatest of truth and fidelity. Gilbert Roland and Arnold Kent & niale roles o!pSte ftiiss ialmadge, who is seen os a street girl named Mary Ana Wagner, who has great ambitions. She meets two army fc rs ~? ft^-,H^ l:man » the Austrian Turgenov, a Russian ofll cer—and this acquaintance changes her love wUW? -° I *1 e ' , Eo l th men fall in *Jl OU Hb ®be is not aware a ? . firßt “Pb. though they, have been great friends previously, their friendshir is called upon now to stand a greatei strain Than it can bear. War breaks out and. before going the Russian tells the girl of bis love, and discovers that she it already .pledged to Hartman, He if ‘ nto . a ra s<? of. jealous fury and goes off to join his regiment-swearing al manner of revenge on his former friend and successful rival. By chance he lap his opportunity when Mary Ann is brought in with a number of other prisoners. iSugenov. devises a terrible torture and gives the girl the choice of coming to him willingly or dying.- If she submits, the other prisoners will also be spared. The girl resolves to die, but is convinced by nn Austrian w, who bas important news to take away, that it is her duty to sur-

render. When rescue comes", Hartman finds the girl, but Turgenov, who has been wounded and is dying, taunts the girl with her baseness and the man with his blind faith. Hartman spurns the girl, until the spy explains. The climax is a stirring one and the end is happy. There arc excellent supporting pictures. GRAND AND PLAZA THEAXi: “A Lupatio at Large,” the screen : V sion of J. W. (Houston's famous book," i 3 one of the principal attractions on fhe current programme at the Grand and Plaza Theatres. Dorothy Mackaill has the leading feminine role. Buried beneath a heap of sand, gravel, and clay for six hours, was one of the unpleasant experi-' ences of Leon Errol during the filming-of the picture. The "lunatic” is tricked into a private asylum for feeble-minded ■ • men of wealth. He escapes in a series of very amusing adventures, and finally he is confronted by a quartet of guards.--A headlong plunge over a stone wall lands : him in a gravel pit just in time to be picked up by a steam shovel and deposited into a huge pile of material. Ano thereof hm escapades is a hazardous jump from . a balloon. The picture suits the players to perfection and their work is really excellent. The other feature is “ The Woman in Pawn.” This is a melodrama in which the principal artists are John Stuart and Glayds. Finnings. It is a British Dominions Films production, and is one of the best British pictures that have been on tne ,local market recently. The picture, which is a thrilling drama of a London business man’s combat with a financial rival, is based upon the inviolability of the marriage bond. One man secures an-<-|iber mans wife in pawn, and the crux °| the story is .the. discovery, of the body of the murdered philanderer under circnmstances which throw suspicion on both the husband and wife. The mystery surrounding the crime develops into a strong situation which leads up to a good climax, .there are excellent supporting picture^. “ THE LUCK OF THE NAVY.” " The .Ugh quality of the new British Homimon Film releases in Dunedin has been the subject of most favourable coin,merit. On Friday next the Grand and Plaza Theatres will screen. the British special, The Luck of the Navy," which is generally reckoned to be that company’s most outstanding film production to date, it is a fashnoving melodrama and a big British testimony to the “ Silent Scenic. EVERYBODY’S THEATRE. ; : , Widows,” a Columbia production, heads the bill at Everybody’s Theatre this week. As the title suggests, tbe story concerns golf, and particularly the humorous situations which arise out of a fiursome. “Golf Widows" relates tha-ad-ventures of an insurance salesman who is always ready to write policies on every possible risk. He has two clients who prove very profitable.’ These men insure then- games against rain, themselves against losing their wives, and their bfiihes •against damage from a misguided ball in • §° j Practice. The Two golf enthusiasts nnd that .infatuation■’for the game is a certain cause of domestic trouble and'also a very expensive pastime. Their wives ■realise that it does not pay to go hasting for adventure if one is married to a golf player. The plot revolves round the per- - sons who are neglected because of the game, and the complications which arise from the wives revolt. The action is fast all through. The cast includes Vera Reygolds, Harrison Ford, John Patrick, Bally Band, Kathleen Key, Vernon .Dent,- and Will Stanton. The ever-popular Clara Bow has. the chief part in the other picture, which is called “The Plastic AgC." j a ls .. an -American college story with a definite moral to depict, which necessitates the showing of the life which youth is apt to follow when it breaks away, from toe family circle for the first time. Donald Keith has the leading male role. -The entire picture is full of the romantic action and sparkling comedy which make up college life. Several well-known players are included m the supporting cast. v KING EDWARD THEATRE. There is an excellent double-feature programme at the King Edward Theatre this week. . Kit Carson ”is the title of the first picture, which features Fred Thomp- t ?2 n . an< * "S famous horse. Silver King. Western story of more than usual merit. The spectacular settings and excellent photography combine With the fine acting to make a film at once intereetino: and instructive. There are two love - stories, in the tale, and both are very well w-'j T £ e , supporting picture is Golf Widows, featuring Vera Reynolds and Harrison Ford; ' ■ ■- ■