ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 19859, 3 May 1926, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS

ALBION THEATRE. “ON THIN ICE,” and “BEFORE MIDNIGHT.” Despite the counter-attraction of the Dunedin Exhibition’s last day, the popular and cosy Albion Theatre was again packed to capacity on Saturday night when the fare provided proved that the policy of the new management, quality, quantity and variety, is being faithfully adhered to. “On Thin Ice,” the new Master Picture which opened for the first time on Saturday night, is I a picture that should not be missed, because ■ it is a clever mixture of adventure, mystery, 1 rapid action and romance, not forgetting ! the unusual spectacle of seeing a gangster I turn brother to a naive, unsophisticated girl 1 in order to carry out his ends, which ends J become utterly lost in his infatuation for 1 her. The girl, on the other hand, finds her pseudo-brother so satisfactory that she : soon asks his blessing on her love for | another, with the result that everybody I misunderstands and is misunderstood. Two hundred thousand dollars worth of bank bonds forms the not uninteresting pivot of the mystery, which swings its fascinating path around a band of thieves,Xa bank official and an innocent girl. Tom Moore and Edith Roberts give excellent performances in the major roles, while William Russell, Theodore Von Eltz, Gertrude Robinson, Wilfred North and • others help hold up the high histrionic stani dard set by Warner pictures. “On Thin Ice,” was written by Darryl Francis Zanuck ■ and directed by Mai St. Clair. A good i mystery story is like cold water on a hot day. Everybody likes it. This is just as : true of a good mystery picture, which, after , all, is the story in action rather than in , words. Speaking of action, this Royal Pic- ' ture, “Before Midnight,” which also had its I initial screening in Invercargill on Saturday, has a wealth of it. With William i Russell in the starring role that might be i expected, for this veteran of the screen has • always favoured the school of action in ■ his art. In support are Barbara Bedford, | Brinsley Shaw, Alan Roscoe and Rex ] Lease. John Adolfi was the director and I the story was written by Jules Furthman. The mystery and suspense are continued to the last and there is scarcely a foot of reel not alive with action. “Before Midnight” is the sort of picture to please all ages and all types, for it has the love interest, the character study and the heat of action combined. The supports, as usual, are of the best, and include a Universal News which abounds with interest, and Century Comedy which is just the last thing in laughter creating situations, and the Albion “Select” Orchestra are to be commended on their unusual efforts in wandering from the beaten paths of Picture Theatre music. CIVIC PICTURES. TOM MIX, LOIS WILSON AND WARNER BAXTER. Tom Mix and Tony are to be seen jn a jnost entertaining thriller —“The Best Bad Man”—at the Civic. Surrounded by an excellent cast, the modern Buffalo Bill is thrust into action from the moment the story opens, in colourful old New Orleans, until its smashing climax in the great open spaces of the West. Tony, put to the hardest test of his equine career acquits himself nobly and saves two lives in one of the most dramatic scenes ever photographed for the silver sheet. In addition to Tom Mix, the cast includes Clara Bow, Judy King, Frank Beal, Paul Panzer, Cyril Chadwick, Tom Wilson, Buster Gardner, Tom Kennedy and the hard-riding and straight-shooting Mix cowboys. Critics have pronounced this one of the most thrilling pictures Tom Mix has ever made. There are no dull moments and the fun is enhanced by the blackface antics of Tom Wilson. “Rugged Waters,” a fine Paramount picture, is on this bill also. It is the story of a man —a son of the sea—two women, and a coward, and through it all is the influence the rolling jwaves have on those who love the sea; Calvin Homer, a fine young man, is disappointed in not getting the coveted captaincy of the Setuckit Live-saving Station, the post going to a fanatical, eccentric sea captain, who is somewhat of a coward. Calvin, in his pique, allows himself to become entangled in the meshes of the village vamp, and before he knows it, is engaged. Then he meets his rival’s daughter, Norma, and, in the natural course of events, falls in love with her. A schooner founders in a gale, and the captain of the station refuses to put out a boat, Calvin takes command, and supervises the* thrilling rescue of the crew, and Norma hearing from a garrulous villager that Calvin had mutinied against her father, and also jilted the other lady, is turned against the hero. Things appear very black for the seaman, but everything culminates in a satisfactory manner, and in spite of many obstacles the couple are re-united. Lois Wjlson and Warner Baxter play the leading roles and give a strong performance and Wallace Beery is there too. ARGYLL AND SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS’ BAND. OLDER THAN WATERLOO. VISITORS’ FAMOUS REGIMENTAL HISTORY. A regimental history extending over a period of 130 years attaches to the band

of the Second Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders which will give a farewell concert in Invercargill to-night. The regiment originally consisted of the 91st (Argyll),. and 93rd (Sutherland) Highlanders, which were raised in 1794 and 1799, respectively for service against France, and were amalgamated in the reconstruction of the Army in 1881. The two regiments combined have been in every campaign of importance in which the British Army has been concerned. Both saw their first active service at the Cape of Good Hope. The 91st had a record second to none for continuous fighting in the Peninsula War, from the covering of Sir John Moore’s retreat, to Corunna to Wellington’s victory at Toulouse. The 93rd gained imperishable fame as “The Thin Red Line” at Balaclava in the Crimean War and served with distinction in the 1 ’ Indian Mutiny. In both these campaigns they were under the leadership of Lord Clive (then Sir John Campbell). The 91st, now the Ist Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, fought right through the South African War, and in the Great European War the 93rd (2nd Battalion) was the first battalion to land in France with the 19th Infantry Brigade in August, 1914. In all twenty-seven battalions of the regiment served between 1914 and 1918, taking parkin every campaign of the great struggle. The Ist Battalion is now stationed at Cairo and the 2nd Battalion at Parkhurst, Lie of Wight. There are four Territorial battalions in existance and the Princess Louise’s Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada and the Calgary • Highlanders are affiliated. The following ; are the battle honours gained by the regi- , ments:—Cape of Good Hope (1806), Rou- | cia, Vimiera, Corunna, Pyrenees, Nivelle, 1 Nive, Qjrthes, Toulouse, Peninsula. South I Africa (1846-7 1851-53) / Alma, Balaclava,! Sebastopool/Lucknow, South Africa (1879) ; | Modder River, Paardeberg, South Africa 1 (1899-1902); Mons, La Cateau, Retreat from Mons, Marne 1914-18, Aisne 1914, La Bassee 1914, Messines 1914-18, Armen- i tieres 1914, Ypres 1915-17 to 1918, Gravens- f ! tafel, St. Julian, Frezenberg, Bellewaarde, i Festubert 1915, Loos, Somme 1916-18, Albert i 1916- Delville Wood, Poziers, Flers, Courcelette, Morval, Le Trourloy, ' Ancre Heights, Ancre 1916, Arras 1917-18, Scarpe 1917-18, Arelure, Pilcrem, Menin i Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poel- ' cappelle, Passchendaele, Cambrai 1917-18, I St. Quentin, Bapaume 1918, Rosierei, Lys, 1 Estoireer, Hazelbrouck, Bailleul, Kemmel, ■ Bethune, Soissonais, Oureq, Tardinois, Am- I iens, Hindeburg, Lille, Enehy, Canal du I Norn, St. Quentin, Canal Beaurevoir, Cour- j trai, Selle, Sambre, France and Flanders 1914- Ifalv 1917-18, Strumna-Doiran 1 1917- Macedonia 1915-18, Gallipoli ! 1915- Romani, Egypt 1916, Gaza, El j Nughar, Nebi, Somwil, Jaffa, Palestine 1917-18. The 2nd Battalion holds one V.C. gained during the War by Captain Henderson. The coming here of a band with such a glorious regimental tradi/ion is an event which will not be paralleled for many .years and the unique opportunity it offers should on no account be missed.