ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 21595, 6 January 1932, Page 4

ENTERTAINMENTS

THE REGENT. s WALTER HUSTON AS “ABRAHAM s LINCOLN.’’ ’ A FINE PICTURE OF A GREAT MAN! It is more than sublime entertainment, D. W. Griffith’s spectacular United Artists . production, “Abraham Lincoln,” which ’ opened at the Regent Theatre last evening. ’ It is more than the mere marshalling of 1 interesting facts into a patternwork of sympathetic romance and vivid drama; it is the life of Lincoln, not merely the apothe- \ osized saint of the copy books, nor yet the Lincoln of the lusty jokes and tragic . moods, but the man of destiny, the mystic and the prophet. Sheer lyrical poetry creeps into those rich passages of romance which allow Lincoln and the unfortunate Ann Rutledge tasting the first fruits of their soon-to-be-ended love. If it is true that there is a growing literature of the screen, tlris scene will easily find its place of tragic beauty. It is impossible to point the finger of admiration at any one particular scene of this picture, without slighting the whole. Griffith has managed perhaps the most difficult directorial job ever undertaken . with a touch of genius that harks back to the time of his “Birth of a Nation.” He , has taken the full life of a man —from birth to death—and assembled his moments of broad humour, romance, suspense, drama s and tragedy into a documentary film that much touch the heartstrings of the most ascetic man and woman. The picture opens simply with a symbolic passage showing the evils of the traffic in negroes and then 3 takes up the Lincoln saga at the birth. This scene is reproduced with remarkable fidelity and feeling. Lincoln is next seen during the time of his clerkship in a counj try store and from there on moves rapidly to his courtship of Ann Rutledge until she . dies; to his jilting of Mary Todd and their subsequent marriage with its many amusing domestic bickerings. The Lincoln of ’ the story books appears after his election 3 as President. From there on Lincoln is seen as a changed man; t-he lines of worry 3 crease his rugged face and set it in a sub--5 lime misery of conflicting emotions. Linr coin’s struggle to preserve the Union against , the intrigues of state and war is graphically told in a series of dramatic incidents. ‘ The death of Lincoln by the hands of an assassin must rank as one of the greatest scenes of a tragic nature ever filmed. Here Griffith toys with suspense and makes the spectator a living part of that real audir ence which heard John Booth’s cruel shot at Ford’s Theatre. The remarkable per- ‘ formance by Walter Huston, as Lincoln, is easily one of the best things done on the talking screen. Huston's characterization, so full of moods and whimsicalities, penetrates the inner complexities of Lincoln’s moments of broodiness and ribald 1 good nature. His trained voice has caught the kindness, the deft subtleties in inflection and the sterner qualities of Lincoln’s highly ' pitched tenor. The picture is studded throughout its length with gems of in- ’ dividual performance, notably by lan ' Keith, as “John Wilkes Booth”; Jason Robards, as “Herndon”; Hobart Bosworth, as “Robert E. Lee”; Frank Campeau, as “Sheridan,” and Lucille La Verne. The supporting programme includes a Paramount British News, “Strange As It Seems,” a British Nature Study and Universal Newsreels, all of exceptional interest. “MOTHERS’ MILLIONS.” COMES TO THE REGENT—FRIDAY. Another treat is promised to patrons of the Regent next Friday when “Mothers’ Millions” opens a four-night season. Here ’ is a picture which has been quite a sensation wherever shown —in fact visitors to Invercargill during the holiday season were quite emphatic in stating that it is the best talkie they have yet seen. This is the first picture made by May Robson, who has been on the stage for 47 years and now gives screen-lovers the benefit of her great experience as an actress. As Harriet Breen she is quite evidently a representation of her prototype in actuality, the late Hetty Green, but shows more humanity than that remarkable millionairess. Harriet Breen is a “She Wolf” ol Wall Street, and the main points of the story are concerned with her running fight with Remington (Breese), a cold-blooded trickster opponent on the Street, and her scries of triumphs over him, culminating in an exciting encounter which puts him completely out. The characterization is a splen did impressionist portrait in which Miss Robson never once weakens or fails to score her effect, and the picture is practically hers in its entirety, well though the minor roles are filled. Lillian Harmer strikes a new note in maids and creates gusts of laughter. Lawrence Gray, Frances Dade and James Hall are all well cast, and form a good support, for the central interest. It’s a particularly human story, and as entertainment—a special. THE MAJESTIC. “DON’T BET ON WOMEN.” BIG COMEDY SUCCESS. Patrons of the Majestic Theatre are in for a real treat this week, where the Fox Movietone “Don’t Bet on Women” commences its Invercargill season to-day. This is the smart and sophisticated comedy of love on a yacht and in a drawing room, which has been winning the praise and plaudits of critics and audiences alike, wherever it has been shown. Edmund Lowe enacts the leading male role, that of the debonair man-about-town, who thought that all women were bad, and found himself in no end of trouble when he attempted to prove it. Opposite him plays lovely Jeanette MacDonald as the fascinating lady who cured him of betting on the fairer sex. The supporting cast is one of comedy notables, including such eminent favourites as J. M. Kerrigan, Roland Young, Una Merkel and Helene Mil- : lard. In this Fox Movietone, which was adapted from the original story, “AU Wo- . men are Bad,” Lowe makes a wager with ■ his attorney that within forty-eight hours . he will kiss the first woman who crosses his , path. Miss MacDonald is that women, and , when he endeavours to call off the bet to , save his attorney embarrassment the man , refuses his offer, and later after the wife has learned of the bet, both men want to , call it off but she will not listen to it. She < insists that the wager is on and that it will ) give her the opportunity of studying Lowe’s . technique. This she does but teaches both , men more about the ways of a woman than < either of them dreamed it was possible to ( know. Roland Young gives an excellent < performance as the attorney while Una ] Merkel and J. M. Kerrigan are simply ( superb in the other important roles. Splen- < did Fox Featurettes will be shown in sup- j port of the feature picture, and include the E latest Fox Movietone News (double issue) ( “Imperial City” an excellent travelogue j film, and a most amusing comedy entitled j “Honeymoon Zcpplin.” Box plans are at ; the Bristol. i — f THEATRE ROYAL, WINTON, TO-NIGHT s c “Loose Ends” which opens at Winton to- c night, is a portrayal of modern life and r

morals as they are seen by an educated, sensitive man who for fifteen years has been buried away in prison for a justifiable murder. The plot is original and arresting, and the suspense withheld until the end. But it is the general quality of acting that chiefly calls for praise. “Not so Quiet on the Western Front,” stars Leslie Fuller. Though it might, be supposed to contain some of the griinness of “All Quiet,” it does in fact contain the opposite. It is a British burlesque on war, made something after the style of that very successful film “Splinters.” The story opens in the kitchen of a fashionable London restaurant. The chefs are all ex-soldiers of a certain company who fought together at the front. A flashback takes the audience to a little cafe at the front, and the scenes that follow are one long, roaring riot of fun. The members of the company contribute items and, of course, this is where the humour comes in.