AMUSEMENTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18537, 7 April 1930, Page 12

AMUSEMENTS.

POWERFUL CHARACTERISATION. JOAN CRAWFORD IN "UNTAMED.” The present programme at the Grand Theatre is one of the best the management has secured in recent weeks. The main feature is “Untamed,” and the star is Joan Crawford. The film is melodrama in the jungles, love on board ship, and near tragedy in a New York drawing room. Bingo Dowling (Joan Crawford) has been brought up in the Central American jungles by her father. When he is killed by Bennock, a jungle rat who coveted the young woman, she becomes the ward of her father’s friend, Ben Murchison. Armed with the wealth of the elder Dowling's oil leases, they start for the north, and Binge falls in love with Andy McAllister. (Robert Montgomery), the first young white man she sees. Back in New York, her love for Andy continues, but the young man fights marrying a girl with money, and Murchison, mistaking McAlister's motives, schemes against him. After they had tried being apart for a year. McAllister finally tells Bingo he loves her. This precipitates a fight with Gregg, who had been interested in the girl. The fight is staged in the drawing room of the Murchison home. Murchison starts men around the country club talking about McAllister as a men who would marry a wealthy girl and goads him to the point where he offers a cheque for 50,000 dollars in the hope that the youngster would be insulted and clear out. Instead. McAllister grabs the cheque, proposes to Marge (Gwen Lee>—and tells the whole crowd, in the presence of Bingo, that he would not marry Bingo Dowling. There is a flash from under Bingo's coat and later, Presley. Murchison’s friend, explains that the wound in McAllisters shoulder had been caused by a gun that he didn’t know was loaded. Old Murchison is died with remorse, but the two lovers crc blissfuly happy, for the misunderstanding is rnaed at last. In a supporting comedy. “Great Gobs.” Charlie Chase provided unending mirth, whiie humour and interest was also maintained by the local numbers of Ukelele Ike.

THE TWO BLACK CROWS. IN “WHY BRING THAT UP?” Attempts to build up talking pictures around popular celebrities are not always successful, but the comedy drama “Why Bring That Up?” written for George Moran and Charles Mack, and at present showing at the Majestic Theatre deserves to rank high in its class, for it has emotional moments of real grip and pathos. "Why Bring That Up?" is a story of stage life with the "Two Black Crows” putting over many turns introducing their famous dialogue. Evelyn Brent and Harry Green have featured roles in the production. George Moran is searching for his partner, and finds him in a speakeasy busy getting drunk, and nothing will make him realise that there is an act due to go on that night in a theatre of the town. Moran is down to his last few dollars, and in the pool room bets with one of the players on the result of a freak shot. They go to a nearby luncheon where Moran's rew friend introduces himself as Charles Mack, a vaudeville actor working as a waiter for the want of a good partner. They start to rehearse, to be interrupted by the singing of Betty. Moran decides to tell her off, but ends by sympathising with her. Irving, a vaudeville artist, listens to Charlie Mack’s plans ar.d finds that his life ambition to be a theatrical can be attained by falling in with them and getting the new team a tryout. He pleads with his manager that he is too sick to go, and tells of a new team m their place. Moran and Mask make good from the start, and some five years after they are preparing to launch a real show on Broadway. To the stage door comes Betty, who has heard of their good fortune, and by making a plav with Moran, gets a start in the play. Trouble starts the day she arrives, and Irving who has become the team’s manager, sees danger ahead. However, the show goes on. and three months after is running to big business. But the friendship of Moran and Mack of five years standing has been estranged, and now they seldom speak. Mack has been seriously injured, and is in hospital, and no ore is allowed to see him. That night the show is going on without him. when a 'phone message sends Irving to the stage in a hasty search for Moran. The two leave the theatre to run itself while they make all haste to the hospital where a faint hope is held out for the life of Mack. Moran is led to the bedside, and tries to break fjirough the stage oi coma with some ’familiar talk in order that Mack might pull out of unconsciousness. The scheme is successful, and the pair are reunited as a team. Of special interest in the supporting programme is another of the famous “Mickey the Mouse” comedies, from which the audience derived continued amusement. There is also a Fox Movietone News, while considerable enjoyment is given by the Beaumont Sisters, with their songs. AT THE ROYAL. "THE LONG, LONG TRAIL.” “The Long, Long Trail,” featuring Hoot Gibson heads the bill in an attractive programme now showing at the Royal. The picture is somewhat different from the usual "talkies.” in that the majority of the scenes are cas, out of doors. Gibson appears in a devil-may-care role that engaged the attention and interest of the audience He plays the part of a cowboy who gets simultaneously entangled in the nets of love and the snares of villainy. The picture gives Gibson a chance to display his remarkable riding ability to the fullest extent. In brief, the story concerns itself with the adventure of a young cowboy who gets an unjustified reputation for hard drinking through his playful habit of shooting up the town. Despite himself he falls in love with a beautiful Eastern girl. His employer counts on him to win the big rodeo sweepstakes race for his ranch. With his romance and the race both depending on his efforts, the start of the contest finds him apparently a victim of drink. How Hoot fights his way through makes a picture that fairly sizzles -.with action. Gibson ha* an exceptionally strong supporting cast in "The Long, Long Trail.” Beautiful Sally Eilors, his leading lady, goes through her role with ability that matches her charm. Others playing important parts in a highly commendable fashion are Kathryn MacGuire. James Mason, Archie Ricks, Walter Brennan and Howard Truesdoll. Some of the most colourful action of the picture is composed of scenes taken at a big western rodeo. Of no less interest are the supports which include a Universal sound gazette, an all-talking comedy, "Watch Your Friends,” a Fox Movietone News, June Etting in some charming songs, an Oswald the Rabbit, Cartoon and a British silent gazette.