SCREEN and STAGE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17189, 5 November 1923, Page 5

SCREEN and STAGE

NOTES ON CURRENT AND COMING SHOWS

The Campbell Bros . John and Colin, concertina players, are having n most successful run throughout Australia “ Poverty of Riches,” showing at the Liberty, is an interesting storv o. everyday family life. The picture is admirably acted by an exceptionally fine cast which includes Beatrice Joy, Irene Rich, Louise Lovely, Richard Dix, John Bowers and others. The mystery drama. ‘ The Cat and the Canary,” which was such a success in America, England and Australia, was very successfully presented at the Theatre Royal on Saturday night. There is a. big contrast between this piece and “If Winter Comes.” “The Cat and the Clanary ” is full of episodes relieved by good comedy. The Doddy HurLHarry Evans Revue Company, who played here with much success early in the present year, will return to the Opera House to-night. Their first production will Up “ Special Mixtures," in which the principals will be heard in catchy songs, assisted by the Sunbeam Sextet. The responsibility for the fun-making will he in tlfce capable hands of Doddy Hurl. Drama and comedy are expertly mixed in “ A Daughter of Luxury,” Agnes Ayres’s latest "Paramount starring feature, which will he shown at Everybody’s to-night- Primarily dramatic. the situations might he handled as straight drama, hut the story has been treated in a lighter and more inspiring vein. so that the humour made possible by this treatment provides relishable entertainment- The supporting players, headed by Tom Gallery. are quite artistic. (

“ Prodigal Daughters,” a Paramount offering with Gloria. Swanson in the lead, will b? screened here soon. The story deals with the modern flapper, and is adapted from the novel by •Joseph Hocking. The story is typical! v twentieth century and it views-the n*.ocitri. girl irom a most interesting stand point. An attractive all-round programme hase been drawn up for presentation at Greater Crystal Palace to-night. " Women who Wait,” starring Marguerite Clayton, and " Shootin’ for Love,” featuring Hoot Gibson and Laura La Plante, are the leading pictures., In addition to these films Madame \ yner’s pupils will give an attractive dance programme. An excellent array of musical numbers lias been selected by Mr A. Buna for the orchestra „ Tn ” Nancy from Nowhere.” which is to he shown at Everybody's to night, and which is confidently expected to be one of Miss Daniels’s biggest successes. Realart has surrounded "her with a cast selected with the single purpose of getting exactly the “ right, ’’people. In Edward Sutherland, she has a leading man particularly suited to be a foil to her dark beauty, and one who has demonstrated high ability in roles of this kind. Myrtle Stedman. Vera. Lewis, Edward Martindel. James Gordon. Helen Holley and Dorothy Hagen are all capable artists. Iu the cast supporting Alary Pickford in her new production of ” i'ess of'the Storm Country,” a United Artists release now showing at the Liberty, are four actors who have been actively on screen or stage for twenty or more years and two of these four have been donning the grease-paint for nearly a half a century. David Torrance and Danny Hov are the two who have rounded out twenty years in the entertaining service. Forrest Robinson has been an actor for forty-seven consecutive years, while Gus Saville made his debut forty-five years ago. All four of these veterans play important character parts in " Teas of the Storm Country.” Hoy, the youngest of the group, started his career at, the age : of six years, and. at the age of twentysix he is considered one of the really | finished character actors of the, silver-

m When the last mail left Sydney Bert La Blanc and Jake Mack were doing a double turn at the Lyceum » lcturo Theatre. Odiva’s seals will appear at the Opera. House again this week. after which they will tour the smaller towns of the Dominion. Carlton Max. ventriloquist, and Ray Kemble, female, impersonator, will present new vaudeville turns at the Opera House this evening. Les. Warton. the well-known coon comedian and Aston and Marshall, operatic duettists, will appear at the Opera House for the first tune tonight. “Stepping Fast,” a. Fox production starring Tom Mix, will be one of the leading attractions on the new programme at the Queen’s to-night. Another feature will lie “ Fair and Warmer” in which May Allison plays the lead. A comedy, the Fox news and a. good programme of music should make up a fine holiday entertainment. The fact that Harold Lloyd was appearing in his most- successful comedy to date was responsible for very large attendances at the Grand on Saturday. This great mirth producer should prove a. big draw during the present ’ week. •On the same programme there is also a very interesting drama- entitled “ Slander the Woman.” starring Dorothy Phillips, a Christie Comedy and j the latest Gazette.

Babies or Wealth? This is tjie hold theme of “Poverty of Riches,’’ demonstrated by Richard Dix. Leatr’-ve Joy. John Rowers. Louise Lovely jyid Trene Rich. The development of two families are watched side bv'side, and the joys of the less financially'successful family are contrasted with the satisfactions which follow upon the business success of their . friends. It is noteworthy that in this picture the tragic note was not sides-tepped to make a conventional happy ending. The Boston “Post" has the following regarding “ The Covered Waggon.” which will be shown in. Christchurch soon : —“ When a. motion .picture is all the advertisements say it is—and more then it is a great picture. . . * The Covered Waggon is a big picture, probably the biggest picture we have yet- seen. It is_ education, yes, hut. entertainingly so; it is thrilling, realistic; it is unforgettable. Whether nine or ninety. do not fail to see it.”

A Paramount picture with most artistic players in the cast is “Children of Jazz.” reputed to he thrilling and dramatic. The story deals with jazz-loving. young folk, of the present day. compared with the sedate men and women of the period of the early fifties. It is as jazzy as its title, yet striking a note of real novelty. It is produced on a big scale with a choice cast such as Theodore. Kosloff, Robert Cain. Eileen Percy, Rocardo Cortez, Alec B. Francis and others.

America’s . least civilised inhabitants it is said are to become motion picture players. They live in the Tonto Basin. Arizona, and will play in the mob scenes in the filming of Zane Grey’s novel, “To the Last Man.” Mr Grey will supervise the production of the picture. Tho cast journeyed 100 miles by horseback into this rugged valley from Pay son, the nearest railway station. The story is that of a. feud between sheepmen and cattlemen in which both factions were wiped out; literally to the “ last man.” The tale is„based on fact-, and the actors "will include descendants of this last man. The •country where the picture will be filmed abounds in big game, and is heax'ily timbered on the ridges, which in some places rise sheer above the valley for several thousand feet Mr wrote the story at his ranqji in the Tonto Basin, and will provide two tame hears, ! horses and sheep for use m the making lof the picture. This will he the firstof Air Grey's novels to he produced' by Paramount, under his contract, which arranges' for production of photopTavs from all his current and future works. TO-NIGHT’S SHOWS. Theatre Royal. “The Cat and the Canary.” Opera House.- Hurl.' Evans Revue Company and Vaudeville. Queen’s. “ Stepping East.” and • Fair and Warmer.” Grand. “Dr Jack." and “ Slander the .Woman!" Greater Crystal Palace. Women who Wait.” “Shootin’ for Love,” and dance recital. Liberty. “ Tess of the Storm ( lMmt i*v ." . and “Poverty and Rich ' Kveryhoiiy’s - A Daughter ->f ■in." and “ Nancy from Wot here.” King’s Sydenham Slander the Woman." and • Tim Buster ’ Slander the Woman" (Dorothy Phillips) and “The Buster" (Dustin Earn uni) will be the two chief attractions at. the King’s. Sydenham, tonight.