ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 20487, 15 May 1928, Page 15

ENTERTAINMENTS

AT THE POPULAR. LAST TIME WITH RICHARD DIX IN “THE LUCKY DEVIL,” ALSO LOIS MORAN AND LYA DE PUTTI IN “GOD GAVE ME 20 CENTS.” “Ths Lucky Devil,” Richard Dix’s latest starring picture for Paramount at the Popular Theatre to-night, is another of those Byron Morgan automobile tales, chockful of laughs, thrills and just the right kind of romance. The feminine appeal is furnished by Esther Ralston. “The Lucky Devil” is a story of a young demonstrator of autocamping outfits who through a fluke wins a beautiful roadster. It develops that the car has been the centre of a sensational divorce suit and when Dix, as Randy Farman, meets Doris (Miss Ralston), “the only girl,” she recognizes the car and will have nothing to do with him, believing him to be the good-for-nothing Rudolph Franklyne. There’s a big road race to be run off at the fair grounds. Two hundred dollars is the entry fee, and Randy wins the money by staying two rounds with a prize-fighter, only to have it taken away from him by an officer who mistakes him for a thief. For thrills the screen has never seen the equal of the race sequence in this picture. For laughs it has never seen anything funnier than the department store scenes with Dix demonstrating camping outfits—his wrestling match with a “trick” lion, etc., and for romance—well, Dix himself admits that his one weakness is pretty girls, and they don’t come any prettier than Esther Ralston. “God Gave Me 20 Cents” refers to two doubleheaded coins which bring about strange happenings in the lives of three persons. Down on the waterfront at New Orleans, Cassie Lang bet Steve Doran that he was not game to take her with him, and leave his wife. Urged by the crowd around the bar, he accepted and lost. Then at the coffee stall on the wharf he found that Cassie had used crook coins and . . . what happened is one of the most thrilling and dramatic moments that have been seen on the screen. Lois Moran, Jack Mulhall, Lya de Putti and William Collier are the players. CIVIC PICTURES. LAST NIGHT OF OLIVE BORDEN IN “PYJAMAS” AND DYNAMITE, THE DEVIL DOG, IN “FANGS OF DESTINY.” The scenic surroundings are particularly beautiful in Olive Borden’s new picture “Pyjamas,” which is to be seen at the Civic for the last time to-night. Miss Borden starts out by despising Lawrence Gray, a good looking, business-like young man who comes to her father's New York home to close a business transaction. Gray not only threatens to spank the wayward little rich girl but actually does so. Then, to get even, she disguises herself as a pilot and makes a daring fight with him to Canada. Here they strike an air pocket, the -plane is wrecked and they are forced to descend in a parachute. They are constantly fighting in this rugged background, but love finds a way and the story ends with a dramatic twist wholly unforseen. Pure melodrama with all the accompanying action and thrills is in generous doses in Universal’s latest police dog Western, “Fangs of Destiny,” which comes with “Dynamite” the Belgian police canine actor in the stellar role. Edmund Cobb and petite Betty Caldwell play the leading human roles. Supports on this bill include a Clyde Cook comedy and excellent news reels. MAJESTIC THEATRE. LAST NIGHT OF “PRIVATE IZZY MURPHY’’ WITH GEORGE JESSEL AND PATSY RUTH MILLER, ALSO “PRIVATE AFFAIRS” FEATURING GLADYS HULETTE AND ROBERT AGNEW ENTERTAINMENT DE LUXE. “Private Izzy Murphy,” the Master Picture, released by Master Pictures, closing tonight at the Majestic Theatre, stars George Jessel, the famous “Jazz Singer” who won such enviable acclaim in New York last year. Featured with Jessel are Patsy Ruth Miller and Vera Gordon. An excellent company is in support and the filming was directed by Lloyd Bacon, son of Frank Bacon, star and author of “Lightnin’.” “Private Izzy Murphy” is the story of Izzy Goldberg, a young delicatessen keeper of New York, and of his dealings with the Irish. For business reasons he decides to change his name to “Murphy,” and goes overseas with an Irish regiment under that name. The story does not burlesque racial traits, but is a play with that “touch of nature which makes the whole world kin.” It’s more than a great laugh show—much more! You’ll laugh until you cry—and you’ll cry until you laugh ! Director Renaud Hoffman has done remarkably well with this widelyread Saturday Evening Post story by George Patullo which made its printed appearance under the title “The Ledger of Life,” and is now being screened at this theatre under the title of “Private Affairs.” With some exceptionally capable actors he has etched in celluloid a story that is replete with human interest and intimate characterization, with a strong current of pathos running through it.