ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 20886, 23 September 1929, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS

MUNICIPAL THEATRE.

“MOTHER KNOWS BEST,” MADGE BELLAMY, B.ARRY NORTON, LOUISE DRESSER.

A picture with laughter and tears is “Mother Knows Best” featuring Madge Bellamy and Barry Norton (Mother’s Boy in “What Price Glory”) and Louise Dresser. The story of a mother who, embittered by her own marital failure, determines to rule marriage out of her daughter’s life, and who, in building up for her a most successful stage career, manages to keep every suitor at bay. And when Bert Terris (Barry Norton), tries to force his way past her barriage, she (Louise Dresser) puts it to her daughter (Sally) that she must choose between her mother and the boy, winding up with a terrifying heart attack. So Sally, with her mother, goes to Paris, and the next thing is the war. Bert enlists and later is missing. This is not the type of picture which kills its heroes, so he eventually turns up again but not until broken-hearted Sally, losing all interest in life, is brought nigh unto death, recovering only when the boy returns from a foreign prison. The mother has learnt her lesson, and tries no more to thwart nature. Charles Chase causes a gale of laughter in the Hal Roche Comedy entitled "Isn’t Life Terrible.’ The exciting chapter play “Tarzan the Mighty” is getting more thrilling each week. The supports are also excellent and the whole programme can be heartily recommended.

VAUDEVILLE AND PICTURES.

MAJESTIC TO-NIGHT.

ON THE STAGE, BABY JUNE; ON THE SCREEN- "A MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE,” "NAUGHTY BABY” AND ‘THE COLLEGIANS.”

Saturday night’s packed to overflowing audience at the Majestic Theatre accorded Baby June, the world’s wonder child performer, a tremendous ovation. And small wonder, as this celebrated baby entertainer puts such pep and finish into her acting that one would associate with performers of more mature years. It seems incredible that Baby June should be only four and a half years old, yet such is the fact. Although young in years, she is undoubtedly experienced in the art of entertaining, and every item of her “turn” was greeted with prolonged applause on Saturday night. It is good to know that this vivacious and charming child will be in Invercargill for at least two more days. Mystery dramas are having their vogue at present, and we have seen any number, but none that is in the class with “A Midnight Adventure,” which played to a delighted audience at this theatre on Saturday night, with Edna Murphy, Cullen Landis, Fred Kelsey, Virginia Kirkley and Jack Richardson heading an aggregation of splendid players. A regular cocktail of laughter is “Naughty Baby,” which also opened at this theatre on Saturday. With Alice White as the principal ingredient in the cocktail, the lively story moves along with a laugh a minute, due to the able direction of Mervyn Leßoy, who was responsible for “Oh! Kay,” the sensational success in which Miss Colleen Moore also appeared. Jack Mulhall is featured with Miss White, who has the role of a check girl at the Ritzy Hotel, and who is herself more ritzy than the establishment. Another of the sporting films, “The Collegians,” a news reel and some excellent music completed a programme that is voted the best seen in Invercargill for a long time. THE REGENT. ANOTHER ALL-TALKIE TRIUMPH. GEORGE BANCROFT AND BACLANOVA IN “THE WOLF OF WALL STREET.” There will be surprise—and satisfaction—when George Bancroft is seen and heard in his first all-talking production “The Wolf of Wall Street,’ which is to open at The Regent to-night. It is such pictures as this that will eventually decide the ■ fate of the Talkies, for whether the vacillating Talkie fan swings from sound to silent films, he finds for good and all that silence and subtitling has more than met its Waterloo in “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Masterfully directed by Rowland V. Lee, with some weird camera effects in the opening and close, we are held fast in the thrall of one of the greatest dramas ever thrown on the sheet from the start until Bancroft’s great laugh, with the hint of heartbreak in it, dies away with his last fadeout, and can say, from our hearts, that we could not afford to miss an inch of it. No more finished and forceful acting has ever been seen than that from every move of the four principals, Bancroft, Baclanova, Lukas and little Nancy Carroll, and there can be no shadow of doubt but that much of the gripping interest is due to the sound of thv voices, which ring in our ears as they move, living and breathing, before us. Bancroft himself, a “wolf among jackals,” as he himself says, gives us great “hunting” with his splendid voice and clear diction lifting him above all others, once again proving himself a man among men, and brutal though he may have seemed to be, showing that he can have sentiment without sentimentality. Baclanova puts through a magnificent performance, cozening the auditor as well as her rough wolf of "Jeem” with her soft enticing foreign accent. Paul Lukas, who makes the third in the old, old triangle, and is a thoroughly egoistic scoundrel of the polished type, gives also a brilliant interpretation of the part, while Nancy Carroll as the young maid-servant rises to a fine height of passionate declamation in her denunciation of Jim when, too, her tears bring ours. The supporting subjects to-night will be found more than usually interesting. For instance there will be another of those popular song cartoons (like “Daisy Bell”). This time "Old Black Joe” is featured and our friend the cat is as humorous as ever. There is an Audio Review and Pathe Sound News in addition to a comedy, “The Framing of the Shrew,” and a musical picture featuring Eddie Peabody and “His College Chums.” This programme is sure to prove very popular. J