AMUSEMENTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18354, 27 August 1929, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS.

FINE DOUBLE PROGRAMME. SHOWING AT GRAND THEATRE. The fine double programme—“Mumsie.” featuring Pauline Frederick; and "Power," with William Boyd, which opened at the Grand for a season of three nights on Saturday delighted another audience last evening. "Mumsie” is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture, and is perhaps the most dramatic and touching mother-love story brought to the screen. The Symonds family in a small French town are betrayed by the eldest son, Noel, who when war breaks out pleads * a bad heart, and then becomes an I enemy agent to recoup his gambling losses. Later, Noel reveals to the enemy the position of a poison gas factory, where a formula is hidden for making a new deadly gas The factory is shelled, and Noel’s father killed. Colonel Armytage, who is in charge pi the factory, and billeted on Mrs Symonds, informs her of her son’s perfidy. She then compels Noel to return to the factory under fire and rescue the formula to retrieve his honour. Noel does so, at the price of his own life. Pauline Frederick has left hex name in the memory of thousands of Australians and New Zealanders by 1 her stage appearances in both coun- [ tries, and she has added to her stage laurels by her appearnce on the screen { in some of its finest productions. Her | stage-trained dramatic talent is ably i demonstrated in "Mumsie,” where she I plays a role demanding dramatic intensity, artistic expression and an outj standing personality. Miss Frederick is I supported by a brilliant cast of stars. The second attraction. William | Boyd's newest and most delightful pic* ture “Power,” scored a decided hit. Folk laughed till their sides ached over the misadventures of Husky, played by the star, and Handsome, enacted by Alan Hale. Aside from the men’s aerial feats high above the summit of the world’s tallest power dam. honours of the evening went equally to Jacqueline Logan as to the comedy duo. She played a “little girl trying to get along,” and was ever the demure and artful minx, fooling both the boys to the top of their bent. The scene of the night parking in the woods is a classic, including the interpolated “gag” of the girl who “walked back” on roller skates. A dame, another d.me and a third dame as cleverly played by Joan Bennett, Pauline Curley* and Carol Lombard. “Power” is excellent entertainment because of its breakaway from tradition and its mirthsome originality. Bill Boyd was never more delightful nor Alan Hale and “Jackie” Logan more aptly fitted. Ralph Block, producer, conceived and executed this up-to-the-minute idea of funny doings against nature’s background. Tay Garnett wrote it. and Howard Higgin, the wizard of "Skyscraper,” directed. There was an excellent supporting programme. NEW PROGRAMME AT THE MAJESTIC. will treat Majestic patrons to a complete change of pro- j gramme for this evening only. The ■ main feature is "Fugitives,” in which a new Madge Bellamy is revealed. She is charming and dramatic by turns in this thrilling drama of love with underworld background. Miss Bell fits perfectly the character assign: l to her in "Fugitives,” which is from a Richard Harding Davis story, and she ,

makes the mo3t of her opportunities. ■ The story has to do with an Innocent ; and beautiful girl, Alice Oarroll, caught in a web of circumstances, and brought to trial for murder. A young and ambitious district attorney prosecutes her without mercy, and she is convict- i ed. Later, aided by a gangster, who has been her devoted admirer, che escapes and finds her way to exile In Africa, where, embittered by her tragedy, she becomes a port of the life of a party of expatriates. Meanwhile the real murderer confesses, and the district attorney, In on eficilT to light a great wrong, finds Alice and rells her she Is free, and that he has come to take her home. He even offers her his name as protection In her fight for rehabilitation, but she scornfully refuses him. She feels that he is responsible fer the death ** her mother, who has died of a broken heart. Prom that point, the plot becomes one of still more absorbing Interest. Don Terry plays the lead to Miss Bellamy. He gives a fine portrayal of the overzealous district attorney, who finally falls in love with the girl. Arthur Stone, known in musical comedy and vaudeville, does some of the best acting of his career as Jimmy, a gangster. Earle Poxe, leading heavy of the 1 screen, is cast as the night club owner. The night club scene Is one oi the moot gorgeous ever screened. Several beauty contest winners are included in the throng of extras. Ada Williams, a Louisville, Ky., glri, winner of twelve beauty contests, is among them. Other films will include a fast-moving comedy. the Majestic News, and travelogue. Seats may be booked through ’phone 651. “WINGS.” COMMENCES WEDNESDAY. The mighty epic of the air, “Wings,” will be presented for the first time at a matinee performance on Wednes- j day afternoon, and again at 8 o’clock. Is it possible for the mother of an only t son to forgive the man responsible for her son’s death? Around this situation is woven one of the strongest incidents of screen history. It is one of the highlights of Paramount’s story of the exploits of the aviator in France. This is the situation Charles Rogers finds himself in during the telling of John Monk Saunders’s story. Rogers and Richard Arlen are from the same town. They enter the air service together, and before receiving their com- , missions, are inseparable. They live, fight and love together. They are , decorated together, and then, later. | while escaping from the enemy lines I in a German plane, Arlen is shot down in flames to his death by Rogers, a case of mistaken identity. Rogers’s return home, to face Arlen’s mother constitutes a sequence which critics has pronounced as "finished.” In presenting the Paramount epic of the soldiers of the sky. Fuller-Hayward's Theatre have gone to no little expense in bringing this great picture to your district. “Wings,” made by Paramount j at enormous cost, will be seen with sound effects, the first that heralds the j new era in pictures. Clara Bow. | Charles Rogers. Gary Cooper. and , Richard Arlen are the principal play- [ ers in a cast of forty. Box plans will open at the Bristol this morning for j this 14-reel wonder picture. HEUGHAN, THE GREAT BRITISH | BASSO. Throughout the English-speaking :orld Heughan has been acclaimed he world’s greatest actor-singer. He has been able, through his personality, j

| ore of the finest bate voices In the | world to-day, and hla sure sense of ! the dramatic, to bring to the concert I platform something quite now in sty Is and tremendously elective. “Men may ' ring better, men may act better, men | may oven thrill an audience more—l I can hardly Imagine Itr—but to find A singer who combines personality, ! charm, acting ability, and a voice to compare with Heughan, would be a s i difficult as finding the needle In the I well-known haystack/* So wrote a I hading crMc -’n America. To those ■'ho have not heard him, It may bo hard to believe that all this is true. ITo be convinced you must see and hear him. There is nothing of the “Scotch comic” about him—he is a ringer of the front rank and a true artist. Nor must you think you will be bored with a long, uninteresting programme of songs sung by merely a sonorous basso, using one kind of tone colour and singing one kind of song, all In the same way. Heughan makes you feel at home. His personality grips at once, even before he sings. He sings all that is best from I a widely varied repertoire of songs. He leads one, as it were. Into a land of romance and tragedy, historical and fanciful. You laugh with him. you may even cry, but you will enjoy every moment of It. be refreshed, and at the end be surprised the time has gone so quickly, and sorry to part from one you feel is a friend. His recitals have been called “intimate. ’ They are quite different from any other concert. 1 His greatest admirers are not only music lovers, but the ordinary layman appreciates and comes over and over ! again. Heughan and his distinguished associate artists will be at the Theatre ; Royal next Thursday and Friday. The ! box plan is at the Bristol. "