ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 20446, 26 March 1928, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS

‘CHEATING CHEATERS” (BETTY COMPSON, KENNETH HARLAN), “CHAIN LIGHTNING” (BUCK JONES i AND “THE KANGAROO’S KIMONO.” “Cheating Cheaters,” which delighted Saturday night’s audience at the Civic, is undoubtedly one of the best of the crop of dramas of crooks and their doings seen for many a day. The story is well worked out, and carries a very surprising solution that will leave you astounded. Thrills and suspense in plenty are there, with flashes of humour, supplied by flat-nosed Eddie Ribbon, to relieve the sterner moments of the plot. Betty Compson is remarkably good, and has a part that suits her to a “T.” Able hero support is found in Kenneth Harlan. Nan Carey, who, by her beauty and light-fingered cleverness, earns a place in a gang of jewel thieves; conceives a plan whereby they may get away with a big haul of the well-known Palmer jewels. The gang rents a house next the Palmers, and jloses as a wealthy family, with Nan as their daughter, who very quickly gets an introduction to the family, becoming friendly with young Tom Palmer, and worming her way into his confidence. Matters reach a particularly exciting climax on the night the thieves propose to burgle the Palmer home, and are cleverly checkmated by the Palmers, who are But, no, we will not divulge the surprising explanation! See for yourself, and get thrilled and shaken with laugher in turn. It is not necessary to say much more than that the Buck Jones picture ‘Chain Lightning” is as good a Buck Jones picture as we have yet seen for fans to realize, that Buck, his horse and Ted McNamara, of “What Price Glory” fame, and their supporting case have given us something exceptionally good. The story tells of a ranchman who goes to San Francisco to live a quiet, peaceful life after a period of excitement in the open country. But a favourite horse is stolen during his absence and he returns, determined to capture the thieves and the horse. He does both and also captures the heart of a charming girl. AT THE POPULAR. W. C. FIELDS IN “THE POTTERS” AND JACK PERRIN IN “STARLIGHT THE UNTAMED.” W. C. Fields, Paramount star, well remembered in “Sally of the Sawdust” and “So’s Your Old Man,’’ scores as Pa Potter in "The Potters,” which is now featuring at the Popular Theatre. Fields strikes a sympathetic note with his characterization. “The Potters” is all about the typical family, the usual squabbles, hopes and disappointments, with an appeal to every type of audience. How the family faces ruin and then becomes rich is told in rare humour by Fred Newmeyer, who is responsible for the direction. The film opens as Pa decides to plunge into a sure-fire oil deal. He takes all the mortgage money and exchanges it for a couple of gilt-edged bonds. Mamie, his daughter, gets wind of it, but to curb her tongue, Pa gives her one as a birthday gift. Then ma becomes suspicious, pa sells his stock, pockets a small profit and—oil actually starts flowing. What happens? Jack Perrin is seen in the leading role of “Starlight The Untamed.” As its nanie would indicate, the main happenings in this picture centre around a horse, “Starlight,” a magnificent white stallion, to which Jack Barham (played by Jack Perrin) becomes attached. When a band of horse thieves attempt to fix the blame for the disappearance of a number of mares on “Starlight,” young Barham rises in defence and protects the stallion at the risk of his own life. Besides “Starlight,” said to be Mr Perrin’s own horse, a herd of wild horses also figure conspicuously, and there is a wonderful Collie, Rex, which also plays an important part. ALBION TO-NIGHT. WILLIAM HAINES IN “SPRING FEVER,” ALSO ALEXANDRA CARR IN “APRIL FOOL”—ENTERTAINMENT DE LUXE. A splendid programme of pictures was screened to a packed house on Saturday night at the Albion Theatre, when William Haines made more admirers in his latest vehicle “Spring Fever.” Here’s a novel golfing romance that sweeps along from the rpoment the boss “discovers” Jack Kelly can drive a ball of string through a window as easily as he can drive a golf ball. He takes Kelly away for a fortnight to his country club, where the other members give the clerk the cold shoulder, but chair him in the end—and the prettiest girl of a fashionable high-brow bunch falls headlong in love with him! You will like this sporting romance immensely—it’s packed with thrills for everyone—and William Haines gives the performance of his brilliant

career in the role of Jack Kelly, the newlymade golf champion. “April Fool,” a “Potash and Perlmutter” type of screen play which also screened for the first time in Invercargill on Saturday at this theatre, is one of the most absorbing and most amusing pictures that has been seen in many a day. Launched in the umbrella business in, certainly, its strangest aspect as the result of an April fool joke, Jacob Goodman, a Russian immigrant, wins his way to the top of his chosen field. Success in business, the result of shrewd judgment and dogged determination, is paled by the shadow of a blasted romance that darkens his life. Living his youth again in the love of his only daughter and her fiance, he is doomed again to a bitter fate. In the depths of fallen again to

the bottom of the ladder, he finds a greater happiness in the waiting love that a bitter joke had withheld these many years. The entire cast was splendid, and the direction of Nat Ross was evidenced to good advantage. Duane Thompson, Raymond Keane and Edward Phillips, forming the junior triangle, portray their roles charmingly. Mary Alden, in one of her typical character parts, is always convincing. Nat Carr, brother of the star, is a very funny jack-of-all-trades.