AMUSEMENTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21022, 10 May 1930, Page 19

AMUSEMENTS.

PRINCESS THEATRE. The all-talking picture " Disraeli,” which lias proved such -a big attraction at the Princess Theatre, attracted large audiences yesterday. The filming of this picture has undoubtedly captured the fancy of the public. “ Disraeli " is based on a dramatic moment in the career of England’s great Jewish prime minister. He was one of the most remarkable, and farseeing British statesmen of the nineteenth century, and even in ordinary politics he was an extraordinary figure. In the picture there are masters of speech whom it is a great pleasure to hear. During the whole entertainment of two hours, not one word or syllable is lost by the audience. “ Disraeli ” provides a remarkable combination of stage acting and stage speech, and it is, therefore, an entertainment which is very gripping and admirable. The famous English actor, George Arliss, in the title role, gives a characterisation of wonderful finisfij and skill. He has many admirable lines, • and he delivers them in a very admirable manner. His utterances bristle with quiet humour, and his portrayal of the great statesman is a clever and finished piece of acting. The atmosphere of the picture is English, and dt is full of quality and substance. While Arliss is the principal figure in this remarkable production, he is well supported by a fine cast, all of whom speak with an articulation which is outstanding for purity and clarity. “ Disraeli ” has proved such a success that the management of the Princess Theatre has'decided to screen it throughout the coming week. OCTAGON THEATRE. With a bill comprising two first-class all-talking pictures, either of which would a good evening’s entertainment, the management of the Octagon Theatre has catered unusually well for its patrons this week. “A Song of Kentucky,” the principal feature, is a delightful talking and singing romance, the plot of which is based on the battle of : a talented young song writer, Jerry Reavis, to win the girl he loves, and his ultimate triumph, and the production abounds in romantic situations, clever comedy, and catchy musical numbers. Jerry i falls in love with Lee Coleman, a beautiful society . heiress, the owner of a colt “Dixie,” on which she had built< great hopes and has entered for Kentucky’s great classic, the Kentucky Derby. Gradually the girl is attracted to the young fellow, until at length they declare their mutual love. All goes well until the jealousy of a former suitor of Lee’s, who is supported by a girl who had previously been Jerry’s partner in- 1 a vaudeville act, causes their estrangement, whereupon Jerry determines to go back to New York to forget the past and live for his career alone. Lee, in the meantime, although broken-hearted, agrees to marry her former suitor, hut only if her horse does not win the big race. -If'it wins, however, he is to cease paying her his attentions for at least five years. The colt fails, and Jerry, knowing all about the Wager, sets to work to compose a great symphony which will make his name. Its. first public presentation proves a triumph. Through the melody he has woven the story of his love for Lee, their betr.othal, and their parting, and so poignantly does he express himself through the medium of his symphony, that Lee, who is -present, immediately understands all, and the lowers are re-united. Apart from the intense human interest of the story, some of the sequences are distinctly unique by reason of their remarkable settings. The idea of incorporating the actual race for the Kentucky Derby in the scene where Lee’s colt, Dixie, carries for her happiness or misery, was indeed a brilliant conception on the part of the producers, who have managed to get an extraordinarily fine record of the great classic. Not only is the audience enabled to see the race from start to finish, but the thousand and one incidents associated with every great hqrse race are reproduced with such wonderful fidel- . ity that one can almost imagine that one is actually on the course. Another spectacular scene is the great race ball given in the Coleman family mansion the night before the Derby, at which, dressed in the costumes of a century ago, 20 couples dance a stately minuet with charming oldworld grace. The musical numbers are all well worth hearing, but perhaps the two outstanding are “Sitting by the "Window” and “A Night of Happiness,” which are sung by Jerry. Joseph Wagstaff is cast in the role of Jerry, and gives a well-sustained and deftly handled character sketch. He has a fine stage personality, and this, added to his pleasingvoice and undoubted musical ability, should ensure his popularity with all picture-goers. The part of Lee ,Coleman —no easy part to play—is taken by Lois Moran, who portrays the role with the utmost naturalness. Nancy Morgan, Jerry’s former partner, is played by Dorothy Burgess, who 'also gives a convincing rendering of her part. Douglas Gilmore, Herman Bing, Hedda Hopper, and Edwards Davis are also in the cast, and all handle their respective parts capably. Co-education and its effects upon youthful minds furnish the theme for the second picture, “The College Coquette,” in which the many features incidental to , college life have been caught by the camera and used as a background to an altogether entertaining story. The plot centres round the adventures of two girls —one a confirmed flirt,’ portrayed by Rnth Taylor, and the other, a prude, reared in an early-Victorian atmosphere, played by Jobyna Ralston. They enter a big university together, and the results of the environment and discipline on two - people of such widely different temperament furnish materia] for a picture with great dramatic possibilities. The leading male roles are taken hy William Collier, jun., and John Holland. An interesting supporting programme is also shown. ■' STRAND THEATRE. The Principal picture at the Strand 18 The Land of the Silver Fox,” a thrilling romance of the trapping trade Hndsor, Sr R OWy remC>te region «PPer Hudson Bay, and consequently the scenerv is quite a feature of the production. The Carroll V6ry ab fr filled bv Carroll Nye, Leila Hyams, and John Mii]an. who are strongly supported. But the most important figure in the picture is ? marcon 1 ” Tln ’ who fil,R his Part in a marvenous way. At the beginning of , J 1 ? 0 Btol 7 R l nt y. who is cruelly treated bv his master, is purchased hy Carroll Blnck^ mnVT thrße ® llVer fox fura which are to make his marriage with Marie du Fronque Soho 1 poss,ble - J ames Crawford (John Miljan) the manager of the North Bay Trading Company, has other intenrogard to Marie, and means to h f h , lmaelf - These three constitute the two lovers, and the villain, whose villainy is completely eclipsed later on namctl Butch Nelson. Blackton tells Mans about the purchase of the dog, which becomes a great favourite. The designing Crawford sends Blackton away with a load of f,,rs and lures Nelson to waylay and murder him Rmty remaining at home. He, however, gets rid of his bonds by chewing the rope through,- and arrives just in time to thwart Nelsons murderous intentions. Nelson returns to the post and reports to Crawford that Blackton is dead, and Crawford then presses his suit as strongly as he can. Marie will not listen to him but eventually consents to marry him if Blackton does not return in the spring In due course Blackton does return with a load of skins, accompanied by Rinty. Crawford’s next act of villainy is to steal the furs, and accuse Blackton of the theft. Butch Nelson puts in an appearance, and Rinty, who; dog-like, has not forgotten him, makes a ferocious attack Nelson accidentally falls upon his knife and drags himself away; Marie gets an idea into her head that Rinty has killed 1 an Indian baby, and Blackton is about to despatch the dog when the child’s cries reach hie ears. ,The furs are discovered. '

Nelsons cries are heard, he makes'a deathbed confession, and Crawford is led away in custody. In the final scene the lovers ar , e married, and Rmty and Nanette, with their seven offspring, are having a joyful • time. “ The Land of the Silver box is admirably produced, and an exciting and romantic story cleverly presented. The supporting picture is “The Greyhound Limited,” which will have plenty of admirers. Startling events follow closely upon the heels of one another. Monte, the hero-taken by Monte Blue—is. a railway engineer in charge of the Greyhound Limited express, and for him Edna—impersonated by Edna Murphy—has a great affection, which is not responded to by Monte - until the story becomes developed. There is a fight in a “ speak-easy,” and the proprietor is killed by being struck over the head with a bottle. Bill Williams is sitting in a drunken stupor, and the broken bottle ■with which the deed has been done is thrust into his hand. The result is that there is every chance .of his forfeiting his 1 .life, but a confession by The Rat clears | him. There is an attempt made during j the progress of the story to wreck the 1 Greyhound Limited with Monte on the j engine, which is about as exciting a moment as a spectator could experience. Monte plays the hero, makes a jump for safety, escapes, and saves Bill. The end of the story diverges from the ordinary path, as Edna marries someone else. REGENT THEATRE. Genuine amusement and intelligent entertainment are the keynotes of the new programme that was presented at the Regent Theatre for the first time yesterday, and last night’s audience made no secret of the pleasure it derived from the double-feature bill which the management has secured the coming week. Ramon Novarro appears in a very distinguished role in a very notable production. As Armand in “Devil-May-Care” he registers a signal success, and is responsible for a vigorous and life-like impersonation of a character well known in French drama. “ Devil-May-Care ” is a musical romance of considerable merit, and should appeal to audiences, not alone on account of the excellent subject matter and story on which it is based, but also by reason of the attractive musical numbers which it contains—tuneful melodies of the kind that are worth remembering, delightfully sung and well recorded. But in addition to this main feature there is a comedy item which found ready acceptance. It is “The Night Owls,” featuring those two inimitable and irresistible comedians, Laurel and Hardy. Their vogue in the silent film was a wide one, and they enjoyed the keen appreciation of thousands of admirers, but anything they achieved on the inarticulate screen has been undoubtedly surpassed in the sound productions in which they have appeared lately. Unquestionably they stand in a class by themselves as far as v American comedians are concerned, and it will be long before Laurel’s' ludicrously funny face and constantly moving and expressive hands fail to amuse. Hardy, his stout and choleric companion in nonsense, is no less firm a favourite. - In “ The Night Owls ” they stage a display of. slap-stick comedy of the most genuinely diverting nature, the type of buffoonery and fooling that can always be relied to put an audience in the best of humours. It was good fun throughout, and when their turn came to go. one had the feeling that their next production could not come along too soon. " Devil-May-Care ” is an intriguing and exciting story of the fall of Napoleon just prior to his banishment to Elba, and after his return for a brief reign before Waterloo cut his career in France suddenly short/ The tale centres round Armand, one of the leaders of the Buonapartist movement that is working for 1 the return of the Emperor from Elba, and Leoine, a charming and personable damsel who has been unfortunate enough to feel the heavy hand of the Emperor and the revolutionaries, who pillage her aristo- i cratio home, kill her father and ruin her mother. The position that arises is no new one. The Buonapartist leader falls in love with the girl whose harsh treatment has made her Royalist. A great many things happen to both of' them before the tangle is unravelled, but as all good stories invariably do, tills one ends very felicitously with the happy pair crooning love songs to each other. The production is well staged, and has the advantage of good recording. There are several delightful songs included in it, euch as “How Can You Be So Charming ? ” “ If Only He’d Understand,” “ The Madame Pom-pom-pompadour,” and a stirring male chorus that recurs with pleasing frequency throughout the piece. Ramon Novarro’s voice is heard to excellent effect, while Dorothy Jordan and Marion Harris prove themselves to be vocal artists of no small merit as well as competent actresses. They have their vocal triumphs as well the star, and they support him to excellent effect in every way. The atmosphere of the film is refreshingly new, and few who visit the Regent Theatre during the next few nights will have any serious quarrel with the class of entertainment it provides. The entire programme will certainly repay a visit. * The supporting shorts such as news items and sound featurettes, are characteristic of the good fare the Regent Theatre has dispensed for many months. During the interval some pleasing vocal numbers from next week’s attraction are rendered,, and the entr’acte, played by the unseen orchestra, is “The Marriage of Figaro,” a very enjoyable item. EMPIRE THEATRE.' A production which embraces all the most sensational points of both “legitimate ” and gang warfare, and blends them into a story of grim realism, tinctured with a lighter dash of humour and romance, is “ The Mighty,” the latest featured attraction at the,Empire Theatre. Although the action throughout the story is kept at the highest pitch of sensationalism, little, if any, exaggeration has been allowed to creep into the stirring episodes which form the basis of The production, if any of the reports pertaining to the activities of the gangs of gunmen in the various American centres are to be believed, and some idea of the ruthless and cold-blooded methods of those bodies of law-breakers in their endeavours to gain their ends can easily be obtained. The principal role is filled with considerable credit by George Bancroft, whose rugged personality makes him admirably suited to the role of the one-time gangman who, by a series of circumstances over which he has little control, ultimately becomes the arch-enemy of nil branches of gangdom. His performance is characterised by none of those gentle graces associated with so many of the leading male actors in American films, and this fact makes his portrayal even the more acceptable in his latest production. A modicum of grim humour is also instilled into his part, and in this portion of the production he is very ably assisted by Raymond Hatton, whose portrayal of “ Dogey ” Franks, the miniature but wily racketeer, is little short of masterly. Esther Ralston enacts the part of Louise Patterson, the girl who plays such an important part in the final reformation of the whilom gangster with admirable grace and reserve, and those who found her acting in lighter parts so satisfying will have an excellent opportunity of discovering her talents in a production in which the background is more severe. In the story Blake Greeson, a gangster of mighty thews and sinewe. whose supreme contempt for recognised authority makes it necessary for four military police to exert themselves to the utmost to put him into the array after he has ignored a draft notice, goes overseas as a private, but his complete indifference to all danger brings him such rapid promotion that he emerges a fullfledged major and something of a national hero. On his return he visits the family of a dead friend, and there meets the who exerts such an influence over his lawless life. He is offered and accepts the position of 'chief of police and

sets about cleaning the gangs out of the city until at last he gets to gripe with his old comrades in crime. The climax is worthy of a production throughout which the action is characterised by high pressure, and the complete reformation of the one-time racketeer is achieved. The supporting programme of sound shorts is particularly enjoyable, and includes Rathe I f ox Movietone news reels, the latest Empire local gazette, a bright comedy of the tangled domestic affairs type entitled “ Let Me Explain,” and an amusing no\ elty sound cartoon. The principal feature of the musical section 'of the entertainment is the welcome return of the Empire Concert Orchestra under the conductorship of Mons, De Rose, whose first appearance last evening was the signal for a great burst of applause from the large audience. During the earlier part of the evening the orchestra, in conjunction with Mr Joseph Wayne, at the organ, gave a number of very enjoyable selections, all of which were received with richly-deserved approval, demonstrating conclusively the audience’s keen appreciation of the excellent quality of the musical feast afforded them. The 1 overture from “ Orpheus ” was the outstanding orchestral presentation of the evening, and the large house was not slow to show its unqualified approval of the masterly interpretation of this famous overture. The second series of community songs, conducted by Mr Joseph Wayne, was received with delight by all sections of the house, and at the conclusion of the excellently-arranged series of popular song numbers the audience was loud in its demands for a continuation of the selections. Mr Wayne’s presentation of KreislerV “ Liehesfreud ” completed a musical programme which " h-. live long in the memories of those privileged to hear it. PLAZA THEATRE. “ Annapolis ” is the title of the feature picture on the new programme at the Plaza Theatre. It is an engrossing romance, of love and jealousy,, with the colourful background of the United States Naval Academy as a fitting offset. The story deals with two young men who enter the Annapolis Training Academy together They are very close friends, although they are very frequently somewhat hostile to one another. Herbert is a more experienced cadet than his companion, but during practice he quits the wheel to study a chart, which results in the vessel running down a small boat. Pending investigation into the mishap, Herbert is confined to barracks. Meanwhile the girl Betty, arrives to attend a ball. She .is engaged to Herbert, although she does not love him. On her way she meets Bill, the other cadet, and he falls in love wRb ber - Learning that Bill is paying attention to the girl, Herbert violates his parole and goes to the hotel where Betty is staying. He quarrels with her. When returning to the academy, Herbert encounters a guard, whom he knocks down in the hope that he will escape recognition. Facts point to Bill being the guilty party, and, anxious to shield his companion, he shoulders the blame. Betty learns the truth and informs the officer commanding. Bill is about to face courtmartial when a''letter is received from Herbert, in which he admits his guilt and exonerates Bill, The men later again become fast friends. There are many spectacular scenes in the film. There is the collision and sinking of a small boat and the rescue by aeroplane of a stranded and sinking motor launch which is crippled by the guns of rum-runners. Then there is the naval wedding with the guard of honour of naval officers in their white uniforms. The cast includes many film notables, the chief being, John Mack Brown, Hugh Allen, Hobart Bosworth, Jeanette Loffe, and Maurice,Ryan. “The Exalted Flapper " is the title of the second picture. The story tells how quickly a sedate and conservative young princess, fresh from the tutelage of royal governesses and the decorum of a European Court, may be transformed into a typical American girl of the period during a visit to New York. The part of the girl is taken admirably by Sue Carol. The story tells how the girl, after her return home,' is mistaken for an American flapper by a prince. The role of the prince is portrays 1. hy Barry Norton. A very amusingcomedy film" completes an excellent programme. The Plaza Orchestra played as an overture Ballet Egyptian Suite No. 1, and the entr’acte was a selection from the “Gondoliers.” The music played during the screening of “ Annapolis ” included “ Count of Luxemburg ” and " Our Miss Gibbs,” and Mrs K. B. Johnstone rendered the violin solo, “Victor Hubert.” Both feature pictures are of the silent variety. PARAMOUNT SILENT PICTURES. The management of the Plaza Theatre has entered into a contract to screen, commencing in two weeks’ time, every silent version of Paramount talking pictures. These films will include “ The Mighty,” featuring George Bancroft, and “ The Love Parade,” with Maurice Chevalier in the principal role. During the year from the date pf the commencement of the contract, approximately 200 silent Paramount productions will he screened at the Plaza Theatre, KING EDWARD THEATRE. The King Edward Theatre screen displays two new pictures for the ensuing week, the first in point of importance being “ Smilin’ Guns,” in which the hero is Jack Purvin (Hoot Gibson). Jack is making his regular trip from Bar X Ranch, where he frustrates a train robbery, and observes Helen Van Smythe, and “ Count ” Baretti, a would-he suitor for Helen’s hand. The count ”is an impostor, Jack, realising that in maimer and appearance he is not exactly the sort of man to, gain the favour of Helen, polishes himself up. A man named Durkin tries to kill Jack’s dog, and Jack overhears Durkin and the “ count ” plotting to rob Mrs Van Smythe and kidnap Helen. In the end Jack leads the cowboys to the hiding place of the thieves, rescues Helen, after a stiff fight, and rides away with" her. The rest can easily be imagined. Helen Van Smythe is played by Blanche Gibson, and the “ count ” finds an able exponent in LeO White. Patrons are also afforded an opportunity of seeing Pola Negri in “ The Woman on Trial,” in which a mother places herself on trial to save her child. The scene is cast in the Latin Quarter of Paris, where life, gaiety, happiness, and very much that is opposite are met with.