ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 20396, 27 January 1928, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS

AT THE CIVIC. LAST NIGHT OF LEWIS STONE IN “THE PRINCE OF HEADWAITERS,” GARY COOPER IN “THE LAST OUTLAW,” AND GEORGE PROCTOR, TENOR. “What do you think you are —my father? What do you mean—insulting this young lady!—What business is it of yours if she is my fiancee! I’ll marry whomever I please . . . Even if you are the famous Pierre of the Ritz—what right have you to interfere in my affairs?” What right! Two words with a world of heartbreak for him they called The Prince of Headwaiters . . . Crushed —disgraced— centre of all eyes in the suddenly hushed hilarity of New York’s riotous rich. One word—out of the past—and this young heir to millions would be at his feet—sobbing—begging. . . . But his son must never know the truth! What could possibly be the outcome of such a tensely fateful situation? Theatre audiences have been thrilling nightly to this nerve-tingling climax to “The Prince of Headwaiters,” in which Lewis Stone is starred as Pierre the Prince of Headwaiters at the Civic. This is an emotional play of exquisite feeling and great dramatic depth. There is a little of tragedy in the lives of all, and while waiters, and especially head-waiters, are supposed to be the most impersonal and inhuman of beings, this play is written with the purpose of revealing what hidden drama lurks in the lives of the most prosaic. Robert Agnew and Ann Rork play the juvenile leads and Lewis Stone excels himself in this very entertaining story. Another Western “star” comparatively new to the screen is Gary Cooper, who is in Paramount’s exciting Western special, “The Last Outlaw,” in which the subject is treated from an entirely different angle, thus affording varied entertainment. Contrary to what one may think, Gary Cooper does not enact the title role; “the last outlaw” is a woman (Betty Jewel), and it is the star’s task 1o capture her. Mr George Proctor (late of New Zealand Diggers), a pleasing tenor, will also make his final appearance to-night. Mr Proctor’s songs have been greatly appreciated nightly, and provide a pleasing interlude in a programme that is exceptionally well balanced and entertaining. ALBION THEATRE. LAST NIGHT OF “THE NIGHT OF LOVE,” FEATURING RONALD COLEMAN AND VILMA BANKY; ALSO “AFTER MIDNIGHT,” NORMA SHEARER.

Presenting the love, the beauty and the glory of old Spain in the days when armourclad nobles ruled and conquered and died, Samuel Goldwyn’s “The Night of Love,” which last night scored another triumph for that greatest of all acting teams, Ronald Coleman and Vilma Banky, at the Albion Theatre. The keynote of the production is romance, not prosaic romance of to-day, but the old romance of the days that are gone; days of grandeur and colour, when love was not held in leash by convention, but cut deeply into the raw reality of desire and far-flung achievements. It will be considered Ronald Coleman’s greatest picture, for he fits his role perfectly and reaches new heights of dramatic interpretation. When you see “After Midnight,” Norma Shearer’s latest starring picture now showing at the Albion Theatre, you will witness a drama that has its foundation on real fact. Monta Bell, the young genius who directed “After Midnight,” was once a newspaper reporter, and is a keen student of human nature, as a good reporter must be. He reasoned that there must be much dramatic interest in the lives of the girls who earn their living in night clubs and cabarets, so he determined to find out.Miss Ruby McCoy, a brunette cigarette girl at the Montmartre Cafe in Hollywood, gave him his inspiration, and a stirring and intriguing story is the result. A Pathe Gazette and some really worth while music complete a programme of exceptional merit. To-night is the last of this programme. AT THE POPULAR. JACK PERRIN AND HIS HORSE STARLIGHT IN “SILENT SHELDON,” ALSO “BORROWED FINERY” WITH A CAST OF SCREEN CELEBRITIES.

Jack Perrin has the leading role in “Silent Sheldon,” the new Master Picture produced and directed by Harry Webb, now showing at the Popular Picture Palace. The story of “Silent Sheldon” has to do with a young fellow by the name of Jack Sheldon who spends his days in golfing and teaing, his evenings in dining and dancing and making love by the silvered rays of the moon. A. dark shadow suddenly falls across the care-free bliss of this existence, however, by the arrival oi a telegram which announces with, frank brutality that young Sheldon is no longer a moneyed man, — that he is, in fact, absolutely penniless, exexcept for a ranch situated in the wilds of Arizona. There is nothing for it but to leave the gay life; and we next see Jack Sheldon, his coloured valet and his beautiful collie, bound for the rough and rugged ranch country in Jack’s car—his white horse, “Starlight,” in a wooden trailer behind. Suddenly Jack and his outfit are confronted by Joe Phillips, an unscrupulous villain who is engaged in the appropriation of gold found on Jack’s ranch. After an insult which Phillips flings at young Sheldon’s natty knickers, a fight ensues in which Jack is victorious and his identity is disclosed. After this events succeed one another in rapid succession. A Tiffany production, “Borrowed Finery” is also showing at the Popular Theatre. It was produced by Oscar Apfel with Louise Lorraine in the principal role. It tells of a girl who is employed in a large wholesale dress manufacturing factory. She is invited to a party, but is unwilling to go because she has no pretty clothes. A friend urges her to borrow a beautiful gown from the factory, and finally the heroine allows herself to be persuaded. She goes to the party, but during the course of an entertainment she trips and falls headlong into a swimming pool. The beautiful and expensive gown is ruined, but this story does not follow the usual course of tales of this type. The film provides an absorbingly interesting entertainment, and contains a good supply of strongly dramatic situations. The producers spared no expense in preparing the settings, and purchasing the beautiful gowns to be worn by the principal members of the cast. The result is that many of the scenes are lavish and spectacular. The supporting cast includes Ward Crane, Hedda Hopper, Lou Tellegan, Taylor Holmes, Barbara Tennant and Gertrude Astor.

PARTNERS AGAIN WITH POTASH AND PERLMUTTER OPENING SATURDAY AT THE POPULAR. When “Partners Again—with Potash and Perlmutter” opens at the Popular Theatre on Saturday at the matinee comedy lovers are promised a portion of laughs such as is seldom meted out in an evening. Needless to say, “Partners Again” is another of those rollicking business comedies wherein the famous partners, portrayed by George Sidney and Alexander Carr, engage in a distinctly different line of business. This time it is the distribution of automobiles which captures their fancy. They deal in the “Schenckmann Six,” a car principally noted for its faults. Many and han-assing are their experiences in demonstrating the new models, and many hair-breadth escapes are their lot.