ENTERTAINMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, 9 October 1928, Page 11

ENTERTAINMENTS

EVERYBODY’S. “WINNING OF BARBARA WORTH.” Adapted from the etory of Harold Bell Wright, one of the world's best-known novelists, and starring Ronald Colman and Vihna Banky, "The Winning of Barbara Worth,” opened a three-night season at Everybody’s last night. Ronald Colman is seen in a “western” role for the first time and this alone should be an inducement for his many admirers to see the picture. An easterner and a westerner fight for the heart of a girl against the menace of a beautiful, desolate desert. William Holmes, the eastern engineer, goes west to assist his unscrupulous stepfather in the execution of a vast irrigation project. He meets Barbara Worth, adopted daughter of Jefferson Worth, a desert banker who originated the reclamation plan. Greenfield, the stepfather, builds a cheap intake at the river for the purpose of depriving settlers of their savings. Worth, at his own village, offers the settlers free lands and water and they fioek to his city. Greenfield cuts off Worth's finances and it is only after Holmes, now in love with Barbara and the desert, comes to Worth's rescue, saves the life of Abe Lee, the westerner, in a thrilling fight with bandits, and makes a daring ride across the burning sands, that Worth is able to complete his project. Gary Cooper as the westerner, Paul McAllister as “The Seer” and Charles Lane as Jefferson Worth do unusually good work. Clyde Cook and Erwin Connelly handle the comedy capably. E. J. Ratcliffe as the eastern financier, and Sam Blub, his 220 pound “shadow,” are excellent; THE PEOPLE’S. “RIDING FOR FAME.” “Riding for Fame,” Universal’s thrilling outdoor picture featuring the popular Western star, Hoot Gibson, is showing at the People’s to-night and again to-morrow night. As “Scratehetn Hank” Hoot Gibson is the intrepid crack rider of Peaceful Valley Ranch, and later endears himself to a bevy of schoolgirls who are spending a week’s holiday there. While at camp the ranch is raid*ed, the owner shot and the safe rifled. Kitty, daughter of the wounded owner, finds evidence pointing to the criminal, and after much excitement, thrills and action the real thief is arrested. “Riding for Fame” is said to be one of Hoot Gibson’s best pictures, which is saying something. The picture is crammed full of thrills, laughs and romance, and an outstanding feature is the splendid photography. An excellent programme showing in support includes “Newly weds’ Success,” starring the world's wonder child, “Snookums,” an Empire News and International News reels, which show the remarkable projectile with which an attempt is to be made Jo reach the planet Venus.