ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 20499, 30 May 1928, Page 4

ENTERTAINMENTS

“THE KING OF KINGS.” LAST THREE DAYS OF SCREENING. “The King of Kings,” that wonderful and reverent film which has been accorded so much commendation by both clergy and laity and some little criticism, will be screened again at the Civic to-night, to-mor-row and on Friday, with matinees for school children and country patrons each afternoon at 1.30. Those who have not yet seen the picture should make early arrangements to see it at one or more of these sessions. It is an admirable thing to approach the reviewing of “The King of Kings” from a personal viewpoint; more admirable to discard adjectives and superlatives, and endeavour to treat of this production in the friendly, familiar spirit that a child approaches its evening prayers — something very well known yet a little sacred. As “The King of Kings” moves across the sheet, as all those characters, men and women, from the Bible make their appearance, appear in their deathless tableaux and speak their inspired lines, you behold in them kindred personalities—the Twelve Apostles, the two Marys, Pilate and the High Priest all seem to be wonderfully human, natural people, who, making themselves known in early childhood, are now, on the screen, people that the spectator has known all his life. Why should one dilate on the external beauty of this film, on its gorgeous scenes in one or two parts, on its fidelity, learning and the like, when its chief business is palpably to follow the Lord and His ragged band, to record His miracles, His kindness, His passion and His glorious triumph over death on the first Easter morn ? Why as one notable writer has said, speak of the marble stairways of Heaven when it is possible to see the Christ? It is impossible to say what an infinite amount of good this revelation will accomplish. It comes at a time when an irreligious and impious world is waiting blindly for such an inspired and exquisite work. MAJESTIC THEATRE. JOHN GILBERT AND GRETA GARBO IN “FLESH AND THE DEVIL,” ALSO HARRY CAREY IN “SILENT SANDERSON.”

One of the most sensational pictures ever filmed is showing at the Majestic Theatre to-night. It is “Flesh and the Devil,” a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production, starring John Gilbert and Greta Garbo. This powerful story is taken from the novel, “The Undying Past” by Herman Sudermann. It deals with the social conditions of an aristocratic circle in Europe in the restless days preceding the Great War. It is a startling exposure of the triumph of primordial instincts even amongst cultured and sheltered human beings. The intensity of the drama in the story, especially toward the end, when Leo belatedly discovers the soullessness of Felicitas beneath the mask of her amazing beauty, has rarely been seen before in motion pictures. What is conceded to be one of the most spectacular thrills ever screened occurs in “Silent Sanderson,” the latest Hunt Stromberg production starring Harry Carey, which also opens to-night at this theatre. This is a wolf-attack on one lone man —so nicely executed that you actually see the wolves pounce on the hapless fellow and begin to tear him to pieces. It is incidents of this sort that place “Silent Sanderson” in a class far above the average “western.” Harry Carey, who portrays the victim, declares that the sequence was almost too exciting to enact! He-continues that when the ornery wolves were let loose and asked to look pleasant for their “closeups,” it was very difficult to find anyone in the immediate vicinity who would with any enthusiasm second Director Scott R. Dunlap’s eternal cry for “Realizm!” Carey says it took more courage than he ever had occasion to summon up before to plough through this band of snarling, temperamental beasts—amidst reassurances that he would be rescued before any harm could be done. They kept their word—and all the wolves managed to get was his shirt. Plans are at The Bristol till noon, after at Rice’s (next to Majestic), or ring Majestic, telephone 738. POPULAR PICTURES. “THE SEA BEAST” WITH JOHN BARRYMORE AND DOLORES COSTELLO. “RED HOT TIRES,” WITH MONTE BLUE AND PATSY RUTH MILLER. Emboldened by the success of John Barrymore in “The Sea Beast,” a stupendous drama of the old whaling days, the management have secured the film for three nights to allow those who were unable to witness it on the occasion of its initial screening an opportunity of seeing this epic of the sea. “The Sea Beast” is not a studio lot picture. The storm scenes were not made to order in a tank. The mountainous waves that break over “The Piqued”, of New Bedford, from stem to stern, are real waves, snapped in the midst of a severe storm at sea. Six men pitting their skill against the brute strength of a 90 ton monster of the deep. He was 90ft long and weighed 90 tons his heart weighed 5400 pounds and his tongue 4900 pounds. This was the creature against which “Ahab” (John Barrymore)) pitted his puny strength and conquered only to be conquered himself by a slip of a girl. The second feature “Red Hot Tires” Is a mile a minute comedy-drama, with Monty Blue and Patsy Ruth Miller in the stellar roles. There is a further supporting comedy and the programme ranks as one of the best screened locally. Seats may be reserved at the Bistol,