ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 20016, 2 November 1926, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS

CIVIC PICTURES. BUCK JONES. ADOLPHE MENJOU AND FLORENCE VIDOR. A picture to be seen and enjoyed. Such is “'The Grand Duchess and the Waiter,” Adolphe Menjou’s latest which is at the Civic for the last time to-night. Adolphe Menjou and Florence Vidor are the central characters in the fun-filled story, which details the exploits of a rich Parisian Beau Brummel, who masquerades as a waiter in order to be near the outwardly haughty, inwardly emotional, Grand Duchess, who has caught his fancy. “A Woman of Paris” brought Menjou to the forefront and here we have him in an equally delightful role. Menjou is his usual charming and subtly wicked self, delighting in his part and revelling in a role which allows him to display to ‘the full the polished acting and sophisticated airs for which he is noted. He is as immaculate as ever, as sauve as ever, and as a waiter brings his full powers of characterisation in a part which he really creates by his splendid acting. A poor actor could have ruined the picture. Both Mr Menjou and Miss Vidor excel themselves and ably supported as they are combine to make the picture perfect. The scenery was in all cases well chosen and the picture absolutely devoid of crudities of any sort. This sparkling tale should not be missed. Buck Jones’ latest “A Man Four Square” was directed from the story of William McLeod Raine, one of the foremost writers of western fiction and deals with a westerner who goes to Chicago for a whirl of life. But after experiencing synthetic gaiety and artificial friends, he realises that his heart is really in the west where his true friends are. He returns to the west just in time to help a friend who is in trouble and also breaks up a gang of cattle rustlers who are operating in the country. He makes a spectacular rescue of the girl with whom he later falls in love. This picture gives Jones an opportunity to show the west as it really is. It is replete with thrills and good fun. The supports on this programme —“Cobham’s flight to Australia,” “Jacli Dempsey in Training,” etc., are worthy of special note. ALBION THEATRE. “THE SET UP” AND “THE HAPPY ENDING.” An unusual feature starring Art Acord will be presented at the Albion Theatre foi the last time to-night. “The Set Up,” s Blue Streak Western, is its title. It was taken from the popular story by L. V. Jefferson, “Horse Sense,” and features the un canny cleverness of Acord’s horse and dog The plot commences with Acord in the roh of a deputy sheriff, with his sweetheart’/ father drawing 40,000 dollars froir the bank and with the crooked banker’/ plan to get the money. A whirlwind o: action follows with crisis after crisis build ing up a tremendous climax. Action nevei lags, according to those who have seen pre views of the picture, and holds the spectators tense until the fade-out. Direction was by Clifford Smith, whose name has becomt a by-word for excellent Western features In his long motion picture career he hac directed nothing but Westerns and is ac [ credited with being the producer of a/ many as 200 features. The cast of “Thf Set Up” is excellent, containing such name/ as Alia Allen, Jack Quinn, Thomas Ling ham, Montague Shaw, Harry Royer, Jesi Deffebach, William Welsh, Jimsy Boudwin Hank Bell and “Spike” Spackman. “Thf Happy Ending” is a most unique screer play; an adaptation of lan Hay’s play o! that name, featuring Fay Compton and Jac! Buchanan. This is the story of a wife blackmailed by a renegade husband whon: she had represented to her children as i hero, and has an unconventional climax. A screaming comedy entitled “There Sh< Goes,” featuring Wanda Wiley, is includec on this programme, which is most evenlj balanced. “THE BAT’ AT THE ALBION TO-MORROW. When the screen’s big mystery melo drama. “The Bat,” makes its local bow al the Albion Theatre to-morrow, the probleu of its audiences will be to detect the identity of the title character as the film progresses Thrill after thrill, with everybody fooled t< the top of their bent—that is the thunder bolt awaiting the placid fans who may sup pose they will get one of those easy movii plots to solve. As remembered for a perea

nial stage success and as now presented on the screen as a Roland West production, “The Bat” is a fascinating detective problem, with everything in it calculated to interest the most jaded of audiences. “The Bat” is one sensation after another, with no solution bubbling up until the moment the story gives its secret up. There are attempted murders and sudden encounters on every floor of the seemingly haunted mansion, and its spooky garrets are filled with bales of money. There is an hysterical slavey who jumps at every shadow that crosses the wall, and a comedy detective who butts in to add complications. There is the shuddery, expectant and destructive atmosphere of unexplained evil doings, with a dozen people under suspicion all at once. There is a bank robbery, a financial crash, and the demise of the respected president under peculiar circumstances, and the sudden absconding of the teller who holds the key to the debacle, or at least to the vault that held the money. Hidden blue prints of a secret room in the house are sought by eager volunteers. Romance shines undefeated throughout all the troublesome plots and counter-plots. There is not one single minute that the spectator’s spine is not called upon to rise and shiver, and his throat to rattle in frightful gasps of joy. Although tens of thousands have seen the stage version of “The Bat” in its several years’ career, the secret of its real culprit as finally revealed by its authors, Mary j Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood, has been well kept. The public has refrained from giving away the solution to members who have not seen it, and it is expected that the same loyalty to good entertainment will prevail when the big film production of the play comes to this city. NOVELTY ENTERTAINMENT. There is something fascinating in the old plantation melodies and the entertainment to be presented by the Invercargill Amateur Operatic Society on Thursday evening should be of an interesting nature. Chorus sing ing by a company of fifty mixed voices plays a leading part in the second part of the programme and the old favourite songs will , be sung. There will be jokes and local hits, quartettes, the much discussed Charleston dance, also a clog duo by two of Southland’s leading dancers in the persons of Misses M. Betteridge and M. Cavanagh. The whole show will be under the direction of Mrs J. W. A. Prentice and theatre-goers can look forward to two and a-half hours of rollicking fun. Special lighting effects by Little and Colbran. The box plan is now open at the Bristol and patrons would be wise to book early.