ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 21580, 18 December 1931, Page 12

ENTERTAINMENTS

ZANE GREY'S “FIGHTING CARAVANS.”

THE REGENT TO-NIGHT.

GARY COOPER, LILY DAMITA, ERNEST TORRENCE.

Thrilling entertainment is promised to patrons of the Regent Theatre to-night when Zane Grey’s ‘Fighting Caravans” is to be screened for the first time. This picture can be best described as the story of those hardy old frontiersmen of “The Covered Wagon,” beating out new trails, making new history, conquering the old west, says Thompson. It is a continuation of the exploits of the two beloved characters, Bill Jackson and Jim Bridger, portrayed by Ernest Torrence and Tully Marshall in “The Covered Wagon.” They are still two old scouts, but, whereas in “The Covered Wagon” they fought off Indians for small pioneer wagons, in ‘Fighting Caravans’’ they are performing the much harder job of protecting a caravan of huge freight wagons. “The pioneers” of “The Covered Wagon” were purely settlers. They had heard of the wonderful new country of California with its gold and free land, and so they put “hoop skirts” on their little farm wagons, loaded them with bare necessities, and set off across country. All these pioneers cared about was getting across to California safely and with enough implements with which to provide a living. Once in California their wagons became farm and industrial vehicles. Many of them struck gold and became extremely wealthy. They had money with which to buy such luxuries as real cook stoves. They began to settle and wanted saw mills and fire implements. They were too busy taking gold from the ground to go after those things themselves. It remained for freighters to carry those wants to California, where prices were ‘high, and furniture and other conveniences could be sold at prices that would make a freighter rich on only one shipment. So daring men collected huge wagons, and into these packed great cargoes. Each wagon carried tons of material and was drawn by from eight to forty-eight mules and horses. Imagine the hardships undergone in getting such wagons across rivers, plains and mountains for 1500 miles. When such a wagon struck sloppy ground and bogged down, hours were required to get it out, with as many as forty-eight mules. The cargoes were so valuable that freighters always banded together for protection from Indian raids. Scouts were hired to guide the caravans and fight the Redskins When Indians attacked such caravans, as they do in “Fighting Caravans,’’ they did so in bands of five hundred upward. The story of “Fighting Caravans” relates the journey of the first freight caravan out in the spring of 1863. In “Fighting Caravans,” Jackson and Bridger have taken under their wings a young scout, Gary Cooper, who makes the third guide for the caravans. In the train is a young girl, stranded with cargo, due to the death of her father, and forced to get the freight to California, and get a return for it. Lily Damita plays this role. The freighters are mostly hard-working business men, born to keep moving, preferring to get their fortunes by this means rather than tie themselves down to a mine in California. The scouts are carefree and fight-loving, in the business solely for this reason. The supporting programme includes a British News reel, comedy, song cartoon, etc. Plans are at the Bristol. ' THE MAJESTIC. CHARLIE CHAN AGAIN. FINE MYSTERY DRAMA.

There are very few people who do not like a good detective story, whether it be as a picture or a novel; and “The Black Camel” which will receive its final local screening at the Majestic Theatre this evening, is an excellent example in both respects. “We should learn from hen—never boast about egg until egg’s birthday,” says Charlie Chan, and for that reason this genial Chinese detective and philosopher in “The Black Camel” refuses to accept any congratulations on his investigations. In spite of circumstantial evidence he will not arrest a certain man for murder. He must find the person who carries part of a broken pin in the heel of his shoe, and who is responsible for certain scratches on the floor, and until he finds this person he can not be sure who killed Shelah Fane, the film actress. Earl Derr Biggers has evolved a distinctive type of detective to figure in many of his books, and in his way Charlie Chan is as delightful as he is inimitable, with his bland and unhurried manner, his seemingly inexhaustible fund of witty and searching Chinese aphorisms, which never fail to iqake the audience laugh, his unruffled courtesy, and his comical way of saying “Thank you so much.” The part of this Oriental Sherlock Holmes is filled by Warner Oland, who is not a Chinese by birth or upbringing, but anyone not knowing this would immediately infer from his characterizations, first as Dr Fu Manchu in former pictures, and now as the much more amiable Charlie Chan, that he is, so naturally and completely does he fit into his role. The settings are authentic, for the whole film was made in Honolulu, and audiences can watch the plot being unfolded in the playground of the Pacific—watch the native surf riders in action, walk through the luxurious hoteLs, hear the Hawaiian guitars, and see the moonlight on Waikiki Beach. A beachcomber, a mysterious shooting, a lost ring, a broken brooch, the disappearance of all photographs of the murdered man, and an innocent man’s confession to the murder are only a few of the knots in the tangles. But Charlie Chan has a theory. “It is full of holes,” his chief protests. “Sponge is full of holes, but sponge holds water,” replies Charlie, and in a most exciting climax he goes on to prove that his theory is right. The supporting cast includes a number of notable actors and the remainder of the programme is of the usual high standard.

“UNEASY VIRTUE” AND V‘HOW HE LIED TO HER HUSBAND.” TWO SPLENDID BRITISH FILMS.

British entertainment at its best will be presented at the Majestic Theatre to-mor-row (Saturday) when Sir Benjamin and John Fuller wdll present two all-British productions from the famous British International Picture studios at Elstree, London. “Uneasy Virtue” adapted from the story by Harrison Owen and Bernard Shaw’s brilliant satire “How He Lied to Her Husband.” Wives who have husbands who take them too much for granted will find an object lesson in how to jerk their husbands out of apparent indifference in “Uneasy Virtue.’’ The story relates how Dot Rendell, annoyed by the complacency of her husband, engages in a flirtation with a philanderer, and is revealed as having been with him in an unoccupied bedroom by a burglar who is caught there. Much to her indignation, however, nobody—her husband included—will take the story seriously, declaring her above suspicion. She thereupon announces her intention of running away with the philanderer, much to his embarrassment. So the unwilling lover approaches the complacent husband and persuades him to imitate the husband of anothe? lady at the house-party and turn extremely jealous. This he does, to his wife’s delight and the philanderer’s great relief. This delightful domestic comedy, which is brimful of witty dialogue and piquant situations, is brilliantly acted by such famous artistes as Fay Compton, Edmund Breon, Francis Lister, Margot Grahame, Garry Marsh, Adele Dixon, Donald Calthrop and Dodo Watts. The other feature picture “How He Lied to Her Husband,” is full of ail the usual Shaw wit and surprise situations and the dialogue is most daring and clever. It concerns a middle-aged husband and wife and a young poet who is passionately in love with the wife. The end is so surprising as to take one’s breath away. The production itself was superintended by Bernard Shaw and the cast includes such popular English players as Vera Lennox, Edmund Gwenn and Robert Harris. The latest Pathe

London Gazette will be screened in support to the two feature pictures, which makes an excellent all-British entertainment. The box plans are now open at the Bristol where big booking is proceeding. REGENT THEATRE GORE TWO FEATURE PROGRAMME The programme to be screened at ilia Regent Theatre on Saturday and Monday should be a particularly popular one as it features two very interesting pictures in ‘The Black Camel” and “The Right to Love.” “Charlie Chan Carries On” vindicated every claim made for it and created a demand for more. “The Black Camel” is the answer to that demand and unlike many sequels it is not a hastily written attempt to cash in on the popularity of the previous offering. As a matter of fact it was written before “Charlie Chan” was produced. The other big feature ‘The Right to Love” is a romantic drama with RuthChatterton in the principal role. EMPIRE PICTURES, REERTON. “A SONG OF KENTUCKY.” Stupendous and colourful in the sweep of its scenes and dramatic in its more intimate moments, “A Song of Kentucky,” will be sown at the Empire Pictures, Riverton, on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and also at 2.30 p.m. Saturday. There are many thrilling moments in the picture, which has a race track background and shows the actual running of the 1929 Kentucky Derby in one big scene. One of the most fascinating sequences in “A Song of Kentucky” is the house party and costume ball held at the Kentucky mansion of the Coleman family the night before the Derby. Twenty or more exquisitively handsome belles dance the minuet with as many good looking men and all are dressed in costumes of the slave day period. Dont’ forget the matinee at 2.30 p.m. Saturday.