...THE... Shadow World

Southland Times, Issue 20447, 27 March 1928, Page 9

...THE... Shadow World

LATEST REAL NEWS

OF REEL PLAYERS

? AT THE CIVIC. To-night: “Cheating Cheaters” (Betty Compson, Kenneth Harlan), “Chain Lightning” (Buck Jones). Wednesday: ‘Children of Divorce” (Clara Bow, Esther Ralston, Gary Cooper), “Lonesome Ladies” (Lewis Stone, . Anna Q. Nilsson). Saturday: “The Joy Girl” (Olive Borden), z "Wolf’s Wail” (Dynamite, the Wonder Dog). Melodramatic stories of crooks and their doings have an irresistible fascination for . most folk and “Cheating Cheaters,” which ' is now at the Civic, is proving to be one of them. Nan Carey (Betty Compson) is x placed by a crooked lawyer with a gang of y thieves. She win’s the love of a rich man’s son so that the gtmg may have access to his house to steal the jewels. Nan, too, falls in love, but remains to steal the jewels, z It. develops that the son is really a mem- £ ber of another crook gang posing as a wealthy family. He is greatly concerned * over having to thieve from Nan’s people. £ The two groups of crooks set out to rob . each other with laughable and exciting ” consequences and an unexpected climax. £ :: :: :: 4 During the last ten years the Belgian shepherd or police dog has come into unusual prominence, principally because of the notable part it played with the Red Cross units and in other activities on the ? battlefields of France and Belgium. The police dog is conceded to be one of the most handsome and attractive of dogs, ? with a very pronounced leaning to the wolf type. Strong of limb, bright of eye and . alert in every sense and gifted with high ” intelligence and a wonderful memory for what he has been taught, he shows in 4 every line the qualities which he is supposed to possess. In “Wolf’s Trail.” the Universal Feature Western which comes to the Civic on Saturday, ‘■Dynamite,’’ a perfect example of the highly-trained police dog, is the <S canine star of a thrilling phqtodrama of 1 the Western ranch country. Strictly a oneq man dog, it is a revelation to observe the J complete obedience shown to its trainer in J portraying its part as a neglected animal, q deprived of the companionship of its master, d reverting to the type of its wolfish forbears. J Edmund Cobb plays the leading role in 1 support of “Dynamite,” the wonder dog. fl Others in the cast are Edwin Terry, Dixie J Lamont, who plays the featured feminine j role, Joe Bennett, Frank Baker and others.

J Buck Jones can always be relied on to 1 give an exciting evening’s entertainment to q all who see him on the screen. In “Chain J Lightning” he does equal to the best he has hitherto given us. He is cast as a ranchman famous for gun-play who goes to live a quiet life in the city. But when his favourite horse is stolen from his ranch, the man buckles on his guns and returns to recapture the horse, drive out the rustlers and incidentally to win the heart of a lovely girl. Dione Ellis, making her first appearance in a Western, does remarkable Iwork. The balance of the cast, which includes Ted McNamara (Kiper of “What Price Glory”), is equally effective. Jones, mounted on his white horse, “Silver Buck,” performs marvellous feats of horsemanship. Lewis Stone gives another sterling performance in “Lonesome Ladies,” his latest First National picture, which is coming to 1 the Civic to-morrow. Anna Q. Nilsson is ' also in the cast of this spicy and colour- i ful comedy of domestic life. A riot of beautiful costumes as worn by five striking and handsome models, is a feature of this picture, which will appeal very strongly to the feminine mind and there is also a lingerie display to intrigue them further. “The Joy Girl,” which comes to the Civic Inext Saturday, certainly strikes a gorgeous note for the story is one of care-free youth in the playground of beautiful Palm Beach, ■Florida, America’s great pleasure resort, where society disports itself at leisure. Many of the scenes are done in beautiful colours registered by the Technicolour process. Olive Borden, flashing, dark-eyed beauty, Is well set-off in the part of a poor girl with big pretensions—the idea of “marrying money” at all costs. Jerry Miley and Neil Hamilton are also in leading roles. I Clara Bow, the “It” girl, and Esther Ralston are featured in “Children of Divorce,” which comes to the Civic to-morrow. Clara is probably the most discussed girl in the movies at present. She came most into prominence when Madame Elinor Glyn pronounced her as the very personification of I that mysterious and indefinable quality “It,” and since she was starred in that picture fans have been anxiously waiting for her next appearance. She Is enough attraction to herself to make every man who has seen her walk miles to see the picture. She is as snappy, peppy and brimful of personality as ever, and she has a great supporting cast behind her. Esther Ralston is co-starred and Gary Cooper is also with them. Norman Trevor, Einar Hanson, Hedda Hopper and many others are also in the lengthy cast. The story of “Children of Divorce” is told in a powerful story. It is an indictment of divorce, its evils and the effect it is having on the younger set. Frank Lloyd, director of “The Sea Hawk,” scores another big success with this one.

Lew Cody and Aileen Pringle, each well known to picture-goers, have ben combined as a co-starring comedy team by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and will make their debut to Invercargill audience at Albion Theatre soon in “Adam and Evil,” a sparkling comedy-farce of marital mix-ups. Cody will be remembered for his work opposite Norma Shearer in “His Secretary,” “A Slave of Fashion,” and “The Demi-Bride.” He was also the featured player of “The Gay Deceiver” and many other Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer successes. Miss Pringle first came into prominence when she was chosen by Elinor Glyn to play in a number of her productions. She is noted for her flaire of sophistcated comedy and is acknowledged to be the best dressed woman on the screen. Robert Z. Leonard directed “Adam and Evil’ and with the combined talents of Lew Cody, Aileen Pringle and a supporting cast that includes Gwen Lee, Hedda Hopper, Roy D’Arcy and Gertrude Short, has been successful in making one of the funniest pictures of the year. Erich Von Stroheim has only directed four pictures and has gained the reputation of being one of the five greatest directors in the industry. They are “Blind Husbands,” “The Devils Passkey,” “Foolish Wives”* and “The Merry Widow” his Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production with Mae Murray in the title role and John Gilbert in the part of the Prince. RENEE’S EASY JOB. Renee Adoree is getting paid for “dreaming” eight hours a day. Not that Miss Adoree is sleeping on the job, but she is working in a dream sequence of Ramon Navarro’s new starring picture of life in a mythical European Kingdom, “Hie Night.” to be screened at the Albion. Working in a dream is easier than working awake, declares Miss Adoree.

ATTRACTIONS AT THE ALBION. To-night: “Spring Fever”. (William Haines), "April Fool” (Alexander Carr). To-morrow: “The Blue Lagoon” (H. De Vere Stacpoole’s famous romance), “Loves of Mary Queen of Scots” (Fay Compton). Saturday: “Mockery” (Lon Chaney), “The Danger Girl” (Priscilla Dean). William Haines, who had never played golf before, had to take intensive training under golf professionals to prepare for his role in “Spring Fever,” his new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer vehicle closing to-night at the Albion Theatre. He plays a young golf expert in a series of hilarious adventures with Joan Crawford for his sweetheart and a notable cast directed by Edward Sedgwick, who recently directed him in “Slide, Kelly Slide.” A picture with the spirit of eternal morning, eternal happiness and eternal youth, "The Blue Lagoon” H. de Vere Stocpoole’s world famous romance will commence tomorrow (Wednesday) at the Albion. “The Blue Lagoon” was produced on a tropical island and offers a succession of beautiful views of dazzling sands, waving palms and tropical nights . . . the story of a little girl and boy who grow up alone on the island is portrayed with charm and delicacy.”— London Evening News. The author’s opinion of the film version: “I feel that I must congratulate you on the film of ‘The Blue Lagoon.’ It is a wonderful piece of work, quite distinct from any screen picture I have ever seen, and made so, I believe, by the fact that you have cast convention and the tricks of the studio aside, and gone straight to nature for your effects.”—H. de Vere Stacpoole. “Mockery,” Lon Chaney’s new starring vehicle for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer which opens at the Albion Theatre on Saturday next is a dramatic mystery play of the Russian revolution. Chaney plays the role of a strange, hermit-like peasant who worships a girl of the upper classes and is content to be her slave if only he can serve her. Then by a strange turn of fate, she is placed absolutely in his power. The bloodshed and horror of the revolution rages about them. The peasant becomes a leader and drunk with his power, he all but destroys the thing he had loved. His love changes to brutality and then the unexpected happens in a most dramatic climax and the peasant pays with his life for a disaster he could not avert. As the strange mujik of darkened Russia, Chaney has a role rich in unusual and startling opportunities. His supporting cast is one of extraordinary ability, headed by Barbara Bedford as leading lady and Ricardo Cortez as the young officer whom she loves. Benjamin Christensen directed the tale with such directorial skill as to place it among the finest pictures of the season.

For the peace of mind of college professors, it is a good thing that Marion Davies is a student only on the screen. This charming actress proves her ability to be a thorn in the side of college instructors by her work in “The Fair Co-Ed,” her latest starring vehicle for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which is coming soon to the Albion Theatre. Adapted from George Ade’s musical comedy, “The Fair Co-Ed” has been made j into an hilarious picture under the directorial guidance of Sam Wood, who was responsible for “Rookies” and many of the late Wallace Reid’s successes based on athletic sports. Supporting Miss Davies in the leading male role is Johnnie Mack Brown —a former star of the football team of the University of Alabama—Jane Winton, Thelma Hill, Lillianne Leighton and a number of real college students. “The Fair CoEd” was made with the co-operation of the college faculty of Pomona College, and every exterior scene of the pictwre was filmed against actual college backp-ounds. The Heeney-Sharkey fight film will be screened very shortly at the Albion Theatre. The New Zealand heavyweight champion established his claim as one of the contenders for the championship of the world before the greatest crowd ever gathered at Madison Square Garden, New York, in the history of pugilism. THE THRILLS OF "BEN HUR.” The chariot race and the sea fight in “Ben Hur,” are the outstanding thrills of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer epic to be seen again at the Albion very shortly. These two sequences have been lavishly produced and will live for ever in the minds of all who see them. Ramon Novarro plays the title role, and May McAvoy has the role of Esther. Francis X. Bushman, Nigel de Brulier, Carmel Myers, Claire McDowell and Betty Bronson are included in the cast. LILLIAN GISH IN “LA BOHEME.” Mimi and Rodolphe live their idyllic love and its tragic ending over again with Lillian Gish as the personification of the classic tale of the Perisian Latin Quarter, in “La Boheme,” the Metro-Goldwyn-Hayer adaptation of the story that inspired Puccini’s most famous opera. John Gilbert plays the role of Rodolphe, and Renee Adoree, Roy D’Arcy, Karl Dane and Edward Everett Horton are included in the supporting cast. “La Boheme” will be screened at the Albion Theatre.