AMUSEMENTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18610, 4 July 1930, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS.

“ SIDE STREET." AT THE ROYAL. “Side Street,” a drama of big city life, in which three brothers never forget that blood ties are the strongest, is the attraction on the current programme at the Royal. The film has been heralded as one of the outstanding of the year, and it certainly reaches a very high standard. Unusual interest centres in the fact that the three Moore Brothers. Tom, Matt and Owen, appear co-starred for the first time in their long screen careers. In a modest little flat on New York's Forty-Ninth Street lived Father and Mother O’Farrell. Their interest in life centred in their sons, Jimmy, a traffic officer; John, an ambuiance surgeon; and Dennis, a racketeer. Dennis, whose visits home were infrequent, never talked about his profession, and the remainder of the family had no knowledge of his activities. Jimmy is in love with Kathleen Doyle, and is looking forward to a promotion which will enable them to marry. During ope of Dennis’ visits home, gangsters shoot down a police officer almost in front of the O’Farrell home. Jimmy, who has been transferred to the plain-clothes squad, sees the killing as the work of the Muller gang, and vows he will bring the slayers to justice. Dennis gives a | party in his luxurious apartment. "Bunny” is an invited guest, and she j brings along Kathleen, who does not know the host. “Silk” Ruffo, in the course of the evening, centres his attention upon Kathleen, and tells her he is the killer for Muller. Jimmy and Kathleen meet in a Chinese cafe, and she tips him off to what she has learned from “Silk.” Some of Muller's men sitting in the next booth, overhear the conversation. They report to Muller, and he lays a trap for the officer, not knowing it is his own brother. The next day is Thanksgiving, and the O’Farrell family gathers for dinner. John keeps Dennis' secret, but when Jimmy announces he is going out on a trip concerning the Muller gang, John and Dennis try to stop him. They are afraid to reveal thenreasons. Dennis tries vainly to reach “Silk” and tell him to lay off the frame-up. In desperation Dennis rushes to the rendezvous, arrives there ahead of Jimmy, and is mowed down by his own men. He dies in the arms of his brothers, who have followed. John tells Simmy the truth about Dennis' real activity. They go back to the family telling the father and mother that Dennis has gone on another of his mysterious trips, to be gone a long time. An excellent comedy and sound news complete the bill. “ SALLY,” AT MAJESTIC. PUBLIC APPRECIATION CONTINUES. The wonderful success of “Sally” is a fitting tribute to this remarkable picture, which is thrilling audiences at the Majestic. "Sally'' has everything. First and foremost it has Marilyn Miller, who was the original “Sally" on the stage, and now appears once

more in her most triumphant role, set 1 like a jewel in the midst of an allstar cast. There are scores and scores of ballet dancers, chorus girls, show girls, and young gentlemen of the ensemble who sing and dance with wonderful effect. And the picture is entirely in colour. The new. colour process has been used to bring out the full richness and beauty of such scenery and costumes as neither stage or screen has ever known before. Those who recall “Sally” on the boards of i the old-fashioned theatre, have always thought of it as a very elaborate production, but it becomes tiny as compared with the film presentation. All the charm of the old “Sally” has been preserved, but everything is on a vaster scale —vaster, but not so vast as to lose the human values of the charming story. It is quite impossible to describe the picture adequately, within reasonable limits of space, but there are a few outstanding impressions which must be recorded, without prejudice to many others just as delightful. Marilyn Miller appears born for musical comedy. Her singing, her dancing, as evidenced by the scenes, in which she reveals her delightful gifts as a comedienne. And one recalls Alexander Gray, the handsome young leading man, who once played in the original stage “Sally” with Miss Miller, and has made a sensation in Hollywood since he became associated with the studios. Joe E. Brown, famous on stage and screen, has the principal comedy role, while T. Roy Barnes, Ford Sterling and Jack Duffy are also prominent. At times it seems that there must be hundreds of people in the big scenes, dazzling girls, tall I young men, all singing and dancing in a successful effort to mark “Sally” as I an epoch in the history of the screen. ' The beautiful singing is a feature* of the production, Marilyn Miller and Alexander Gray combining wonderfully well in the songs that have made “Sally” all the more famous. ; There will be a matinee at 1.30 this afternoon.