ENTERTAINMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, 3 September 1929, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

EVERYBODY’S.

CLOSED FOR “TALKIE” INSTALLATION. Everybody’s Theatre, which is now closed for the installation of the latest “talkie” apparatus will reopen next Saturday with Universal’s big taking and singing production, “Show Boat.” Laura La Plante and Joseph Schildkraut have the leading roles, with such favourites as Otis Harlan, Emily Fitzroy and Alma Rubens heading a strong supporting cast. By special arrangement with Florenz Ziegfeld, producer of the stage musical extravaganza, “Show Boat,” from the same story, the Universal picture includes movie-toned highlights from the show, with such popular Ziegfeld stars as Helen Morgan, Jules Bledsoe and Aunt Jemima singing their popular song hits from the Ziegfeld musical comedy. The screen production is rich in music, from the strident steam calliope tunes of long' ago down to th© negro spirituals so popular to-day. The glittering show boat band, the groups of darkies on the wharves,, the coon-shouters of the Chicago music halls, all contribute to make this picture an epic of the development of America’s popular music. Much of the action and gripping drama of this production takes place on a real Mississippi River Show Boat, constructed especially for the picture. The romance, and young love amid these bizarre surroundings makes one of the most touching sweetheart stories ever filmed. The box plans for Saturday and Monday, September 7 and 9, will open at Collier’s this morning (Tuesday), at 9 a.m.

THE PEOPLE’S.

“WICKEDNESS PREFERRED.” Where should a cave-man feel at home if not in a cave ? Why don’t all the folk who advocate the cave-man love theory actually try it out? You can light a fire with two sticks if you know how, you can thrive on edible roots, garfish, jewdish and flying fish —you can cut a pillow of stone the shape of your neck and head —and the soles of your feet harden like shells after the first five years—if you know how! People do dream about that sort of life and “Wickedness Preferred” showing at the People’s, New Plymouth, to-night and to-morrow night, is based on the experience of a couple of romanticists who try it out—until his wife and her husband seemed oracles of commonsense, fairness and endearment in comparison with the hateful numbskull who had proposed the “back to nature” life. “Wickedness Preferred” is one long laugh. It’s sparkling, spicy, modern and brilliant. Lew Cody, as Anthony Dare, the popular novelist who writes caveman stories—from information gathered from his encyclopaedia—and who has a highly developed romance complex, falls in love with ,an old friend’s young wife —and it’s the funniest love-making the popular Cody has ever appeared in. Aileen Pringle, Geo. K. Arthur, Mary McAllister and Bert Roach head an excellent supporting cast. A special added attraction with “Wickedness Preferred” is “Warden of the West” (the New Zealand Government’s Publicity Taranaki Scenic). The supports include “Their Purple Women” (Laurie Hardy comedy), “Gypsy Courage” (sporting series, and M.G.M. News.

THE OPERA HOUSE.

FINE DETECTIVE DRAMA.

A romance told amid the crash of machine-guns and the uncanny mysteries of the underworld, is the unique drama in which Lon Chaney is starred in “While the City .Sleeps,” Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer’s vivid cross section of the underworld, which commenced a threenight season at the Opera House last night. Thrills, sensations, adventures and mystery mark the swift movement of the story, but a delicate love story runs through it and delicately human touches add to its startling realism. Chaney plays a detective, a mixture of the hard-boiled police officer and the human soul starved for love and sentiment, giving a masterly portrayal. Among the dramatic scenes are the vivid machine-gun battle between gangsters and the police, and the sensational chase of a bandit gang over the rooftops of a city. The grim adventure in the undertaker’s cellar, where the gangsters take refuge, the sinister “shadow box” at police headquarters, and the fingerprint room, where the prisoners are given the Bertillon measurements, are other striking details in the spectacular mystery drama. Pretty Anita Page plays the heroine. Others in the cast are Carroll Nye, Wheeler Oakman, Richard Carle, Lydia Yeamans Titus, Clinton Lyle, Polly Moran, William Orlamond, and others of note. The supports include “Chicken Feed” (Our Gang comedy), New Zealand Scenic, Australian Scenic and M.G.M. News. “Songs of Northern States” (a musical novelty), is a special added attraction. The incidental music is supplied by the Opera House orchestra.