ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1930, Page 10 (Supplement)

ACROSS THE FOOTLIGHTS

coming events. ./EVERYBODY’S.: I '" -’-‘ -New Plymouth. ' ' To-night; Monday and Tuesday.—“ Wei-? ‘ come Danger” (Harold Lloyd) Para- ' . mount all-talking production. December 10- to 12. —‘‘Hearts in Exile (Dolores .Costello), First National *ll-talking production. : > (December 13 to 16—“ Journey’s End (all-star) British all-talking attraction extraordinary. December 17. to 10.—“ Return of Sherlock Holmes” (Clive’Brook), Paramount all-talking special produc‘tion.' v 5 ;.’/ 7“’ THE REGENT. New - '/ ■ To-night, Monday and. Tuesday.—“ Half Marriage” (Olive Borden), R.K.O. /.■ production; ■ and “Roaring Ranch” V• 5 - e (Hoot ‘ Gibson), Universal: .produce tion. ■•. 7 „ ■ December-ld <to 12.—“ The Virginian” .- y / (Gary Copper), Paramount all-talk- - ing production. ' ; . ’ • December 13 'to 16.—“ Clancy in fall . '? Street” (Charlie Murray and Lucien . . !■‘ Littlefield), Universal all-talking ■ production. ' 7 ■ .Detetober 17 to 23.—“ Song of the West” (John Boles), Warner Bros, alldialogue, singing, technicolour, outdoor,. special production. . . -Y ' ? /". :■ ' ; . . OPERA HOUSE. ./ Now Plymouth. December 10.—■Commercial Travellers’ '■’.‘m . 'Christmas Cheer Concert. ; • , December 17.—“ New Moon” (J. C. Wil-; ■Y.?’■•- -liamsoh’s, Ltd.) . ‘ ■ ■ December 181—“ Belle of New York” (J. C. Williamson’s, Ltd.) ' ' , “WtEDCOM®, DANGER.” b ;/• ‘ . i ’ ' 1 ' ' . ' •' Harold Lloyd has made such » phenomenal success because his comedies ,;/■ always havs'been clean fun that children, as well'.as grown folks can >under-. • ’>- stand and enjoy. Now he has produced his first all-talking comedy, “Welcome (which 'comes to Everybody’s .' Theatre to-day at. 2 and 8 p.m. Casting ■■■’■ all the traditions of the. talking, screen aside, Lloyd has brought to the screen a real feature length.; laugh comedy with ■ ' ’ just as much action in it-as he-ever put in his silent comedies, and that was : plenty.,Harold Lloyd is the meek young botanist,, whose chief ambition in life is 1 to perfect a new flower. Fate intervenes,. . ' stnd. hb is whisked off Francisco . ' Ap-,take the place his father occupied m .. fife community years before—-that ?of the demon police officer whose very '■ name was law.' -Here’ he has to match. - wits- with, the underground Chipatown, and in., a'' series of hair-breadth escapes he produces someof the most laughable ~ comedy ever (brought to. the; screen, - sound, or silent. ; ; “HALF MARRIAGE.” ’ ' Youth 'runs'rampant through Radio ? (Pictures’‘all-talkie, “Half Marriage;” in ’ . which Olive Borden •• is featured . and : , which comes to the Regent to-day.at-.2 ; . and 8 p.m. This film version of George Kibbe Turner’s ihagazine story, ‘Conipanionate,” concerns a .>young art student who marries. a’budding architect in /(. her father’s employ, then tries to keep •?/. tne nuptials secret until the hubby’s ’/ genius l is recognised. The secret;wife,; ? - besieged'by l the menace of a young and ■ wealthy man about town, in a struggle .' to free herself , from unwelcome advan- . secft the' menace fall'.’six; floors to his death, which fastens suspicion, bn the newly-weds and bares the secret of . their marriage. , ’ ' 1 ' ?'??’?// .. ? : ■ ■ " - " “HEART’S M EXILE.”'’ ■

Warner ’ Bros, did Tw.ell in selecting : “Hearts hi Exile” for the fair polores Costello. It is the-, first tirne ehe has appeared in the role, of sa Russianpeas- > ant .girl, and. her’ performance-proves. ■ that she is one of tihe : most versatile of screen actresses. The picture is an exciting • story of love' and, heart-break, laid in the midst of ‘.the peasantry ,of: Moscow and the great icy wastes of the Siberian prison camps. “Hearts in Exile” shows what great strides the Screen, has made. You sense; the howling;of the ' wind in the desolate, icy country, the babble - of., the fish' .’ pedlars . along; the waterfront of Moscow, and the gay,.irresponsibility of the poverty stricken peasants. ' Miss Costello gives a truly . as the ' little Russian . girl who is torn between marrying her peasant lover or the'grand nobleman, Baron Palma. She marries the Baron, and, naturally, a triangle forms that reaches a dramatic climax in the dreary setting of Siberia. The glory of sacrifice i« shown in. a way which makes this rare quality seem absolutely, plausible, and the only tiling to do under the circumstances. Grant Withers gives splendid support as the star’s leading man. Other ' members of the cast. include James Kirkwood, George Fawcett, David Torrence,- Olive Tell, Tom Dugan, William Irving and Rose Dipne. Michael Curtiz directed. “Hearts in Exile” comes' to' Everybody’s, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday next. . - “ROARING RANCH.” ; ' Hoot Gibson’s latest all-talking picture, “Roaring Ranch,” will commence a season/at the Regent to-day' at 2 and 8 p.m. in conjunction with the R.K.O. ,attraction," “Half Marriage.” “Roaring Ranch” is, one of. the most thrilling and interesting pictures Gibson has ever made. It is a story of the at its liveliest, with a clean romance running right through the, picture. There is also an abundance of sparkling comedy. Sally .Eiliers and Wheeler Oakman head the supporting cast.' - - “ULANOV :IN WAUL STREET.” “Clancy in Wall Street,’’. which comes to the Regent Theatre shortly, offers an unusually fine cast of comedians. Charles Murray, a papular favourite since the early days of motion pictures,- plays ■ the title role, a better part, he thinks, than he. essayed in- ‘‘McFadden’s Flats,” “The Cbhfen's and the Kellys,” or any of his other comedy successes. Lucien Littlefield will be seen as. Murray’s Scotch partner. /Aggie-/Herring is cast as the star’s wife, and beautiful Miriam Seegar and Edward Nugent, as the children of the partners, provide the romance. Reed Howes plays the villain., Fed Wilde, director of several Harold Lloyd comedies, directed “Clancy in Wall Street. ■ ?THE/VIRGfNIAN > .” Gary Cooper, Mary Brian, Richard Arlen and Walter Huston play the leadino, roles in the Paramount all-talking production, “The Virginian,” coming to the Regent Theatre on Wednesday next. Based oh- Owen Wister’s well-known novel of the same name, this picture,appropriately enough, has been called •‘the ‘Covered Waggon’ of the talking screen.”’ As directed by Victor Fleming

and played by a talented cast, “The Virginian’? emerges as' a refreshing and vigorously entertaining, picture; a picture in which romance and adventure are gloriously transcribed to. the audible screen. In addition, there is a continuous flow of pleasant humour that is sure .to delight the audiences of all ages and tastes. Gary Cooper plays the title role of the Virginian, Mary Brian is thoroughly charming as the little Eastern school teacher with whom the Virginian falls .in love. Richard Arlen as the Virginian’s friend, who becomes a cattle rustler, and Walter Huston as a notorious gambler and outlaw, are both excellently cast. Others whose performances are well above the average are Eugene Pallette, Helen Ware, E. 11. Cal.vert and Chester Conklin. V 7 .■ “JOURNEY’S END.” The queues of patrons who are lining up in almost every country to see , “Journey’s End” are living testimony to the fact that “Journey’s End” is probably the most-popular piece of entertainment ever offered. The reasons are not hard to find. “Journey’s End” is a war film, but it dogs not harrow one. It is really a' story of love—that love which softens men even in the damp confines of a dugout on the Western front —comradely ■ love, which makes men sacrifice their (lives for their friehds. Leavened into the story is priceless humour even in the hour of death.. Thrills, there are aplenty, but the “essence.of. the drama ib in the fact that there ■is no apparent seeking for heroics. ; It: is al 1:so • sincere and con-vincing-that the audience lives with the soldiers .during the unfolding of the play. ' The. glory of our /brave . British trobps is’ extolled 'in such a way that we feel proud of.belonging to the race—yet there is not the; semblance of a preachment in it. It is alh so unconsciously -elevating, yet for downright entertainment there has never been a better, talkie made. England and America have become one in their praise of this glorious British talkie master-piece, which comes to Everybody’s on Decem'ber 13. y ■ - ■ . r ', * CENSORS BAN FILMS. HARROWING AIND BRUTAL. . .. ‘Lilliom” and “The Sea Wolf,” two costly ‘talkie spectacles from the Fox Corporation, havd beeri Rejected by the British Board . of Film ' Censors,' says the London Daily , Mail. ,< . All trade' show and booking arrangements for the’ two filmfi have been cancelled, and the potential loss to the Fox agency in Britain is estimated to be at least £200,000. There is a probability that severe cutting-of “The Sea Wolf” may enable it to survive a second examination by the censors, but ;“Lilliom,” it is said, is hopeless ’unless the producers are prepared to practically remake the film. “Lilliorh,” based, on the play by Fer-. enc Molnais has been condemned on the' ground that its treatment of sacred subjects, is irreverent, if not actually blasphemous. ' There are scenes of an idealised Pullman car ascending to heaven, and of a futuristic Underground Railway carriage descending. elsewhere. \. . H. B. Warner, who played the Christ role in “King of Kings,” is 'seen in morning dress on the Pullman observation car,-, passing,' sentence with a nightshirted and elderly archangel at, his. side. ■ .■•: .'a; '• ' i?--This ‘vein of crude symbolism provides the background* to a story concerned with the return of a human soul from the infernal regions. ■ . “Lilliom” was directed by Frank Borzage, who was responsible for “Seventh Heaven,” and was intended to repeat the success enjoyed by Janet. Gaynor and Charles Farrell, the most popular couple on the screen, but Miss Gaynor, one of the most highly paid stars in the world, had a disagreement over her salary, with' the, result ..that her part-in “Lilliom” is,.played, by a newcomer in Rose Hobart.' .■ •The reception given by censors’ to “Lilliom” .is riot likely, to heal the breach between Miss Gaynor and the , Fox): .Corporation.’: ?■,. ' . “The Sea Wolf.” based on Jack London’s story, features the late Miltori Sills and. Mitchell Harris in a drama concerned with a vendetta between two seafaring.brqthers? '... . '•■ - A Hollywood correspondent described this, filin as “a .'graphic portrayal of .sickening-cruelty-,' so harrriwing, so bru-. tai, feo filled with; hatred, that it is a physical strain for an adult to see it.” A TRUE BOHEMIAN. ■’ - ‘ ' DOROTHY SEACOMBE. ' ”

It is a fair far cry from the days when Dot Seacombe played small- parts with old John O’Hara, during his season in A-Ustralia, .to the present, when she'iß one of Britain’s leading screen actresses. English writers enthuse about the diversity of her talents and one scribe in particular says:— ’ r ■ ’ ■ Dorothy Seacombe is .probably the most athletic film aertess in British studios, she writes. She has more energy than the whole band of income tax collectors, autograph hunters, poor relations, and tarffic “cops,” who are almost always hot on her heels. •• (She has been arrested forty-nine times and a half, I think, for upsetting the gentle meditation of London drivers.)

She spends this energy right and left; by 'swimming in the Serpentine( and bathing afterwards, please note); by skating at Grosvenor House; and by riding that distinguished horse which boarded a taxi, according to certain reporters, artd killed the unfortunate girl .who wasn’t used to his light-heari-ed’ways, 1 : ' Dorothy learned to ride’in, Australia, of- course. Out there she was .used to Cow ponies and stock saddles like the ones you seen on the screen. The first time she got on to an English saddle ’’ a horse got tired of her and bolted for home. She landed on a rock or something and broke her collarbone. Dorothy speaks a piece on behalf of herself. “I am a true Bohemian,” she says. “I do what I like and I don’t care a damn what anyone thinks! When I’m not working I dress in the oldest clothes I can' find. I’m always in debt. I run out of dye and my hair grows dark where it’s ,meant to be light. I live like a tramp. “Nothing matters so. long as I have a good time. Maybe the gas doesn’t work, maybe the furniture breaks in pieces, maybe the wallpaper peels in great long strips, but I don’t care! “I’m always happy. I haven’t got time to think of my debts, or 'mope, or brood, or break my heart when my love affairs go. .wrong! Life is such fun bn the whole. I’m not what is known as ‘immoral.’' It doesn t amuse me, that’s why. “My friends can do what they* like, commit any crime for all'l care, but they’re still my friends so long as they’re kind and generous. I never criticise them. 'So why should they criticise me?”