ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 19459, 26 January 1925, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS

CIVIC PICTURES. “TRIUMPH” AND “K.~—THE UNKNOWN.” Cecil De Mille, creator of “The Ten Commandments,” exposes another side of his remarkable genius in “Triumph,” a Paramount special attraction now showing at the Civic. This picture was produced immediately after “The Ten Commandments,” and De Mille has used practically the same cast, Leatrice Joy, Rod La Roque, Charles Ogle, Robert Edeson, and Julia Faye, in addition to others, including Theodore Kosloff, George Fawcett, and Zasu Pitts. The picture is an ultra-powerful problem play dealing with modern trade and fashionable society. It is a story of two men and a girl. One man, a strong type, who is ruined by an over-plus of money, and the other is a weakling who is regenerated through loss if it. It takes a man from the haunts of the rich and tosses him into the gutter; it takes another from poverty to wealth and the pinnacle of triumph. It takes a factory girl in the whirl and thunder of ponderous machinery. It shows the same girl at the pinnacle of what she calls “Triumph,” with the world at her feet, but with happiness almost out of her grasp. Like “Manslaughter” and other De Mille stories, “Triumph” is a story with a message to the modern world of strife and luxury hunting people. Virginia Valli and Percy Marmont score again in Mary Roberts Rinehart’s story “K —The Unknown,” which is also on the bill. Percy Marmont is so well-known to screen patrons that he requires no introduction; for him suffice it to remark that in his characterisation of the name part of the story, K. Le Moyne, the man who sought to hide his identity in the small town where, instead of success to his hopes, he became the moving figure in a series of events that had such tragic results £or some of those who had become his friends in his new environment, Marmont attains the fine standard expected of him since his work as Mark Sabre in “If Winter Comes.” Miss Valli is, as always, charming and sincere in the role of heroine and Margarita Fischer returns once more to the screen for this picture. This programme is equal to the Civic’s best. ALBION TO-NIGHT. THE WHITE SLAVE TRAFFIC PICTURE “MISSING DAUGHTERS.” The crowds that packed the comfortable Albion on Saturday night were loud in their praises of one of the finest programmes ever seen in Invercargill, headed by the British picture “Mord Em’ly,” starring Britain’s Queen of Laughter, Betty Balfour. “Mord Em’ly,” a delightful Master picture, tells the story of an irrepressibly bright and charming little Cockney who lives with her poor mother in the shadows of the Walworth Road. She believes her father dead, whereas he is serving a lengthy term in gaol. Brimful of life, fun and harmless devilry, she is pressed into the service of three staid old maids of Peckham. She feels her tied position very keenly, and so does ’Enery Barden, a railway worker and pugilist, whose heart has been captured by the boisterous, yet fascinating young Cockney. After a brief and comically inglorious experience as a servant, Mord Em’ly “does a bunk.” Baek with her old friends, including ‘Enery Barden, and having a high time, she is arrested for petty theft and sent to a reformatory for three years. Here her gay spirit lightens the hearts of her unfortunate associates. Nearing the expiration of the three years, she is destined for “more service,” and. again the call of Walworth Road prompts her to escape to the old haunts. After many adventures Mord Em’ly finds a happier life in store for her when she emigrates to Australia with ’Enery, her pugilistic lover. The second feature of the evening is the biggest sensation that has ever come to Southland, “Missing Daughters.” To say that Saturday’s audience were thrilled is to put it very mildly. The story follows on these lines. Roche is the owner of the chain of cafes where life is fast and furious, seldom stopping in its wild rush. His young wife leaves him, taking with her their baby daughter. Time rolls on, the daughter grows to womanhood and, her identity unknown to her father, becomes enmeshed in his evil plot. Rogers, a secret service man, admirably played by Rockliffe Fellows, is put on to the job to clean up the Roche gang, which he does successfully after a number of adventures. A thrilling fight in mid-air between two aeroplanes, gay scenes in cabarets, lavish dressing and mountings, a charming love story’ between Rogers and the Roche girl—all these incidents combine to make “Missing Daughters” a picture to remember. A Mack Sennett comedy completes this great programme. MUNICIPAL THEATRE TO-NIGHT. NELLIE BRAMLEY SEASON. Direct from a highly-successful season in the North Island and Dunedin, the Nellie Bramley company will make its first visit here, commencing a season at the Municipal Theatre to-night in “Fair and Warmer,” an American comedy revolving around the domestic entanglements of two young married couples, who find themselves involved in compromising situations that are, however, quite harmless. An Australian writer says: “Miss Nellie Bramley has proved her worth as an emotional actress in the front rank of her profession, but as Blanny "Wheeler, the trustful wife of Jack Wheeler, in ‘Fair and Warmer,’ she was given great scope for her gifts, as a comedienne, and excelled herself in a role that was vastly different from any of her previous performances. With Mr Arthur Cornell, who took the part of Billy Bartlett, the home-loving husband, she had the house in roars of laughter during the second act, when each takes a sample, for the first time, of the many and varied wines and liqueurs that Mrs Bartlett keeps for the use of her friends.” (The Dry Monopole used in this scene is the real thing, and is supplied by Mr Arthur Paape, Grand Hotel, Dunedin.) Thus it is easy to see how complications can arise! Mr George Hewlett, Guy Hatsings, George Bryant, Billy McGowan and John Galway are with the company, also Beryl Barraclough, and Miss Sylvia McNair. Prices are fixed at popular rates, and the booking is at the Bristol, where the plans are on view. Mr William Russell is presenting the plays by arrangement with J. C. Williamson, Ltd. Following “Fair and Warmer” will be that popular comedydrama, “Peg o’ My Heart.” “It Pays to Adverti.se” and “The Third Degree,” owing to the theatre being engaged for the wool sales on Wednesday night, January 28, will have to be missed, but in the other four nights Invercargill will be treated to a variety of plays seldom seen in New Zealand. The company returns to Perth for a three months’ season after Invercargill.