ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 20171, 6 May 1927, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

ALBION—TO-NIGHT. LAST NIGHT OF “THE WINNING OF BARBARA WORTH”; ALSO “THE WANING SEX,” FEATURING NORMA SHEARER. Houses packed to overflowing are the order of the day at the cosy Albion, so that patrons wishing to be “au fait” with current topics of interest, and also enjoy an evening’s -wonderful entertainment, would be well advised to make their reservations without delay, or be early to see “The Winning of Barbara Worth.” Imagine a beautiful American girl—a rose abloom on a desert —a girl who inspired one of the most colossal feats of all times, the remaking of the face of the earth. Imagine the superb Vilma Banky as Barbara. And Ronald Colman as the resolute young Easterner who came West to conquer the obstacles of nature —who pledged his career and his heart to the reclamation of an untamed desert that the dreams of Barbara Worth might come true. If you want the utmost in photoplay, art and action, a romantic drama that entertains, exalts and thrills, see this gigantic screen achievement. It visualises not only the reclamation of frontier wasteland, but also the reclamation of happiness to a pair of sublime lovers. Barbara Worth will engrave itself in your memory. Away back in the Garden of Eden an apple that was probably sour started the fall of man. To-day, the younger generation of women who think theirs is the dominant sex, claim to have completed it. Now the burning question is—will the old order of things be changed? ‘The Waning Sex,” the new picture which also finishes its season to-night- at the Albion, quite brazenly asserts the superiority of the fairer sex. As males, and therefore, misunderstood, after seeing it we are too depressed to think—much. The only thing to relieve the situation is the memory of the unusually charming Norma Shearer, who is

starred in the leading role. We W’ill give this picture a first-class comedy rating—when we are over our depression. At present, one wants to forget one’s association with a waning sex. Miss Shearer’s dazzling beauty and fascination go a long way towards soothing one’s feelings, but—it stings. There is scant comfort for males in this picture. Of course, in the end, she does marry him, but even then it was like paying him a compliment. But there are probably worse things than being complimented by a pretty woman. CIVIC PICTURES. LAST NIGHT OF “WE’RE IN THE NAVY NOW” AND “MISMATES.” The crowds who have seen the current programme at the Civic are agreed that a more enjoyable and interesting programme could not be imagined. Nothing has seemingly been forgotten toward making “We’re in the Navy Now”—the Wallace Beery-Raymond Hatton sequel to “Behind the Front,” a rip-snorting comedy. Spiced with gags, well-seasoned—and setting apace that makes it truly lively the new picture is one of the funniest hits of the season. Edward Sutherland, who directed the stars in the war comedy, has struck off some rich scenes—and you can leave it to Messrs Beery and Hatton to come through with flying colours. The stars come on as a pugilist and his manager and by a misunderstanding and what not they find themselves in the navy. The gags here are richly productive of laughs, but once the goofy gobs get on the battleship their troubles develop and so do the howls of merriment. The fun is fast and furious. By way of contrast, “Mismates,” the supporting picture, is an unusual drama of mother love, with Doris Kenyon as the mother of a little three-year-old child. There are thrills, tears, laughs, and smashing spectacle in this picture, and a brilliant cast that includes in addition to the above players Philo McCullohgh, Mae Allison, Charles Murray and others. She was a manicurist. He was the idle son of a wealthy family. They met and loved and married. But the wealthy mother refused to recognise this manicurist as her daugh-ter-in-law. She stopped her son’s allowance, and he was forced to go out into the business world and work to support his manicurist wife—and later their baby. Work was not what this husband was cut out for. It did not agree with him, and he did not agree with it. He lost his jobs almost as quickly as he secured them. And all the time his mother was working to bring about a separation. On the fourth anniversary of their wedding, the husband lost another job and decided to go back to his mother, leaving his wife and child to the mercy of whatever fate might come along. That is the foundation on which is built the story of “Mismates,” a picture that is tensely dramatic, and one that is exercising a very strong appeal, particularly to the ladies.