AMUSEMENTS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 82, 12 August 1929, Page 8

AMUSEMENTS

KING'S THEATRE TO-MGIH. A COMEDY DRAMA. “That there is no fool like an old fool” is the theme of the picture, “Dry Martini,” produced by Fox Films and directed by Harry D’Arrast, showing at the King’s Theatre to-night. Albert Gran, -who won many admirers by his splendid character portrayals in “7th Heaven” and “Four Sons,” plays the role of an American who lias lived as he wished for eight years in Paris and evading all domestic responsibilities. He has his feminine playmates, i s the best customer of the cocktail bar at the Ritz, and is enjoying lifeto the full, though his Paris nights make terrible inroads on his days.

With the coming to Paris of his daughter, Mary Astor, sent to him hy his ex-wife, complications begin to pile up, especially when he fee’s the romance of youth and falls in love with his daughter’s girl companion. The daughter, in her search for thrills, comes perilously near the brink, but all is Maightened out with the appearance of Matt Moore and so her father goes back to his bar, his women and his dry martin 4 .. It’s not alone a mighty entertaining picture, but a sort of personally conducted tour through Paris. Sally Eilers, Jocelyn Lee and Albert Conti are prominent in the cast.

There will bo a good supporting programme. AMATEURS AND HEUCIHAM, Amateur acting has reached, a very high .standard during recent years. Gone are the days when amateur actors and actresses were content to “go on” for a particular part, forgetting the fact that technique and a certain finesse were as necessary to them as to their professional brothers and sisters. Throughout the English speaking world there are hundreds of excellent amateur dramatic clubs, and New Zealand has many doing good work. What is the reason for this decided improvement 1 ? Simply because amateur producer s and players alike have been willing to acquire more knowledge and to learn the technique of the art of acting. And how have they managed to obtain this knowledge? The answer to this question is simple; they have taken the trouble t 0 watch very closely the methods adopted by professionals who know business. If there is one cryingfault that must be rectified in amateur acting it is in the use of the hands. To have to watch a player who’s hand movements are ungainly and grotesque is sufficient to bore the most ardent supporter of the local A.D.C.j to distraction. Presumably local amateurs are still anxious to carry out that excellent maxim “live and learn t ”; they will require to acquire mohe practical knowledge to enable them to play those “fat” parts they sincerely hope will he given them in the future. No better advice can he given these enthusiastic Thespians than to beg of them t 0 take the opportunity of seeing Heughan .when he makes his appearance here at the Town Mall next Thursday. They will learn more during a Heughan programme than they would from a library of I handbooks on acting. To see Hell- ] ghan use his hands is a revelation. I