AMUSEMENTS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17536, 13 May 1925, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS

THE THEATRES. ATTRACTIONS FOR TIIE WEEK. QUEEN'S THEATRE “ THE MAN CAME BACH " QUEEN S THEATRE . . . . *• THE GREAT DIAMOND MYSTERY " EVERYBODY'S THEATRE . . “ 7,OVi:'S WILDERNESS " jeVEEYBOUY'S THEATRE •• ONE NIGHT IN ROME '* I.IBERTY THEATRE .. ... “ JOE ” LIBERTY THEATRE “LOYAL LTVES « GRAND THEATRE .. " THE STORT WITHOUT WITHOUT A NAME •’ GRAND THEATRE .. “THE MASK OF LOPEZ '' GREATER CRYSTAX FAJC.ACE “ OH. DOCTOR ” GREATER CRYSTAL, PAI,ACB . . “ TWENTY DOLLARS A WEEK •• STRAND THEATRE “ YOU CAN T GET AWAY WITH IT ” STRAND THEATRE . . “IN EAST COMPANY ” SYDENHAM PICTURES .. JOE “ SYDENHAM PICTURES . . •• LADIES TO BOARD ” THEATRE ROYAL . . THURSTON 3ALL COMPANY PULLER'S OPERA HOUSE REVUE AND VAUDEVILLE fe»—

There's more truth than poetry in the. old adage that half the world doesn’t know how the other half lives. Take the average movie fan and the motion picture star for instance. “ I’d give halt my life to be a movie star.” says the average fan “ What a cinch ! ’ But did you ever hear the star's side of the story? Take Agnes Ayres as an example. In making the Paramount production, " The Story Without a Name,” now showing at the Grand Theatre, and. in which she has a featured role with Antonio Moreno, she had nothing to do. absolutely nothing, save to be tossed about, and none too gently at that, by a gang of roughs on a rumrunning ship, battle them off with an car when swim after her and attempt to climb into a row-boat and capture her, crawl across a narrow plank between two ships and a hundred and other little things that amount to ‘nothing at all’! And yet they say, “ What a cinch ! ” Notable as a book and decidedlv a success on the stage, “ The Man Who

Came Back ” is greater as a motion picture. This Fox production of John Fleming Wilson's book is now showing at. the Queen’s Theatre. The story is about a young New York waster—a young prodigal with plenty of money and an indulgent father. The story of his fall, along Broadway and later on in San Francisco, and still later as a derelict in Shanghai, is one of the most dramatic ever brought to the. screen Then the story of his “comeback,” influenced by a girl, is equally as powerful and has in beauty v, hat the first part of the narrative has in emotion. George O'Brien, who has the leading role, is one of the most promising of the season’s stars. lie comes to the screen practically without former stage experience, and wins his audience by sheer force of personality and his big, friendly smile. Miss Mackaill is an English girl who began her career as a dancer, but graduated from the Follies to the screen shortly after going to America. She lias been featured opposite Richard Barthelmess recently, and lias played other important roles, but the critics agree that she has never done liner work than she docs in “ The Man Who Came Back.” Shirley Mason. William Fox star, has twice recently been cast as an author. In her newest picture, ‘‘The Great Diamond Mystery,” running at the Queen’s Theatre. Shirley is seen as a voung writer of mvsterv stoVies, or, rather, of a mystery story, in which a lost diamond and a murder are involved. Before that she played the part of a French writer in a picture entitled ” That French Lady.” in which a book advocating love without marriage got her into the proverbial peck of trouble with a typical Main Street town. “ The Great Diamond Mystery ” involves two crimes, one being the theft of a great diamond, and the other the murder of a diamond broker. Shirley Mason, playing the role of Ruth Win ton, author of a murder mystery story, is enabled to solve, an actual mystery by putting into a test the theory that a murderer always returns to the scene of his crime. Rufus Billups, jun.. had attained a little more than his majority before he took any real exercise—and then that exercise was vicarious, for it was taken while Rufus was dreaming that he was a faun and was gamboling over the greensward in company of a beauteous nymph. Then Rufus awoke and he could really feel the tingling of muscle and flesh consequent upon his extraordinary unusual physical activity; also, as his dream came back to him he realised that the beauteous nymph was his beautiful nurse. What resulted from this dream of Rufus is the beginning of the end of the hilariously humorous story told by " Oh, Doctor!” Universal-Jewel. starring Reginald Denny and being shown at Greater < rystal Palace. And the picturisation of the dream, with Denny as the faun and beautiful Mary Astor as the nymph is one of the funniest scenes in this funniest of stories. The part: played l»v Denny is that of a young man who has become a confirmed hypochondriac by reason of the coddling he received since he wa taken from the in cubator into which he was thrust a few minutes after coming into the world. Under the title “ Joe,” Beaumont Smith the Australian producer, has

now showing at. the Liberty Theatre. The leading character, which is played by Arthur Tauchert. is a station hand who marries his employer's daughter, and later becomes entangled in the affairs of certain people in the city. Both fun and drama have their places in the picture, which is based on Henry Lawson's book, ‘‘Joe Wilson and 11 is Mates.” It is one of several films which Beaumont Smith has produced from well-known Australian stories. The picture gives an extremely realistic portrayal of the life of a typical Australian settler, with its hardships and difficulties and its simple joys. The incidents all bear the stamp of genuine reality, and are shown without exaggeration or ostentation. The atmosphere is generally that of the country and the open-air. though there arc a number of scenes of typical city life. The most imposing of these show the well-known Ambassadors' U aba ret of Sydney. Corinne Griffith has had many real flirtations with peril in the course of her reel career, but none brought her

closer to the brink than an experience in “ Love's Wilderness,” her latest First National drama showing at Everybody's Theatre. Miss Griffith was supposed to be rescued from a crocodile after a tall inot a swamp in a South Sea Island sequence of the film. The monster ‘ was released too soon and started underwater for the star, who discovered her peril barely in time to tall for help. A long iron prod staved orl the attack long enough for lan Keith, one of the leading members of the cast, to effect a rescue. ” -Hie Phantom of the Opera.” Un,rorsal’s great production, is made from tne celebrated norel by Gaston Leroux, a "d Lon Chancy stars in the role ll "‘ . mysterious “ phantom.” .Mary Pliilbiu ami Norman Kerry are the lovers, and the cost of five ’thousand includes Arthur Edmund Carewe, s ! ,Jtz Edwards, Gibson Gowland, Yirgnua, Pearson and many other faviurites. One of the features of the picture is the reproduction of the Paris Opera House, which was built almost complete, in full size and accurate detail.. for the picture. A company at Auckland is at present, occupied in filming jjhe first of a scries of pictures dealing with the early history ol New Zealand. ‘‘.Rcwi’s Last Stand” is the subject of the picture and the story by Mr .fames Cowan, the well-known Maori writer, embraces the battle of Orakau--the last stand of the Natives. (Veil Do Mille has bought the hire studio and will make his pictures there as an independent producer, releasing through the Associated Distributors? No one. as yet. knows jvhat his plans will be. but it is thought that he will endeavour to sign up several of the Famous Pla vers-Laskv stars when their present contracts expire. Mr A. S M. Hutchinson‘s remarkable novel “This Freedom’’ has been pictiirised. and comes to the screen shortly under its original title, as n .Master Picture. The- principal narts m the picture are. allotted to two English artists. Miss F’av Compton and Mr Clive Brook. Mauds ITawlev. whose fragile beauty has been enhancing English productions of late, returns to the American screen in “Reckless Romance. ’ While across the seas, tln.dainiy star appeared in the Master Pictures, “Fires of Fate” and “Lights of London.” Miss Hawley has one ol the two principal roles in “Reckless Romance.’ which gives her a tine opportunity to prove that she is as good at farce us she is in emotional roles. “ The Speed Spook,” a Master Picture. is a screen novelty and will be shown shortly in the Dominion. The ' spook” is an apparently driverless car, which causes much consternation and a great deal of hilaritv before it is finally “laid.” “ The Bridge nf Sighs,” r. Master Picture. is from the song by Charles K Harris, written around the famous ‘‘bridge.” in New York Cib . crossing between the Tombs prison and the criminal courts building. Dorothy Mackail plays the featured role. In tli© supporting cast are: Creighton Hale, Richard Tinker Alex IT Francis and Ralph

: EVERYBODY’S THEATRE. Uniform excellence is the outstanding characteristic of all the programmes at Everybody's Theatre. For iitty-two weeks in the year folk may go there in the confident assurance that they are going to see a good programme. Sometimes there is a. variation when the management is able to otter something of more than usual attractiveness, This week is one such week. with “Love’s Wilderness” as the principal reason for it. The picture is full of action, full of adventure, full of romance, and is presented amid colourful and alluring scenes Jhat cannot fail to make it win tire verdict of specfa tors as one- of the best offerings that, have been screened at. Everybody’s Theatre for a very long while. T he story toid is of tb,e type that is I able to mako a strong appeal to all. It is a. simple but vivid narrative that carries with, it a lot of heart aches before the last, scene fades out with affairs in that satisfactory state that 1 he'onlooker loves them to be in. ‘‘One Night in Rome” is the title of the chief . supporting picture. It is a drama of j society life, misunderstanding, a falso accusation and a wronged wife. Here are all the ingredients for an excel lent # movie story, and the producers have made the best of the material at their disposal. The result is an arresting picture that fills every moment of its screening with breathless interest and quickly stirring incident. As usual Mr \\ . J. Bellingham’s orchestra is an important factor in contributing to. the enjoyment that a well selected and well presented programme gives. GRAND THEATRE. The latest Paramount picture for Christchurch discards the stereotyped society drama and goes right into one of the most marvellous inventions of an age noted for marvellous inventions. It is a story of a stolen invention in the radio world, of a. young inventor, and of his sweetheart. There is sufficient romance in radio lor any story based on it t<> stand on its own. In this case, the Paramount studios, with tho thoroughness for which they are famed, have set themselves the task of adding romance to romance, with results that ail who know anything about ’these studios might, expect. The second feature, ‘‘The Mask ol Lopez.” is remarkable qn account of the reappearance in Christchurch of Mr Fieri Thomson, whose daring “stunts” cause the heart to beat faster. His name always will he associated with the name of the famous white horse Silver King. The pair are not separated in ‘‘The Mask of Lopez.” The work of the orchestra, is delightful. LIBERTY THEATRE. He wasn't much to look at a roughhewn son of toil, he was scarcely of the type that the twentieth century girl would be likely to lose much sleep over, but he had a heart through which there coursed the blood of a. gentleman. He toiled out-back, where men are real men, and there was never any need lor the polished manners that in the eves of convention mark the perfect gentleman. • 100 is the central character in the Australian photoplay of the same name, the principal current attraction at the Liberty Theatre. Admirably played by Arthur Tauchert. he. is a good, kindly fellow, the type that a man would be proud to call a ”pa!,” and that every woman admires for "" hat lie is. ' * Loyal Lives” is a good story, illustrating the ups and downs of Daniel O’Brien, friend ol" all men, lover of all children, and faithful servant. The Liberty Quality Orchestra, under Air Howard Moody, plays a magnificent programme of music. “ QUEEN’S THEATRE. Patrons of picture theatres are. making positive demands for realism on ihe screen. All tlieir desires in this respect should be satisfied by the William Fox special production, ‘‘The I Man AY ho Came Back,” an artistic adaptation of a popular novel and play with the same title. The story is a human one. It centres around a reckless, high spirited son of a wealthy resident of New York. The young fellow makes New York too hot for him, and is sent to San Francisco. io work in a shipyard. Shanghaied by “ roughs.” he finds himself in the romantic and very dirty Orient, where lie meets with amusing adventures. “ The Great Diamond Mystery,” another "William Fox production, is notable for the fact that dainty little Aliss Shirley Mason takes the leading part. In this story she is the author of a murder mystery novel, in which she puts forth an original theory in regard to detecting crime. She finds that a tragic situation, not unlike one she describes in her novel, comes into her own life. She is forced to play the part of a detective in order to free her sweetheart from prison, where he awaits execution for the murder of a diamond merchant. Comedies, educational items and topical subjects complete the picture programme, which is matched by pleasant incidental music. GREATER CRYSTAL PALACE “ Oh. Doctor,” which heads the programme at Greater Crystal Palace, may ho described as an amusing satire on a certain type of man who is obsessed with the idea that, he must . live in an endless round of medicines j and thermometers. Rufus BiUop suffered from this mental malady sadly. I “Oh, Doctor!” is a good anti- ; dote for the blues and the dumps; • it chases away dull cave, and creates j an atmosphere of good humour. Chief • amongst Mr Denny’s supports in this ! Universal-Jewel production is Miss * Alary Astor, a bright young actress, ! who comes from Illinois, and who has ! put good work into “Beau Brumrael.’ “Puritan Passions.” and “The Fighting American.” In “ Twenty Dollars a Week” George Arliss is a millionaire who cuts off his son with that sum, and tries himself to live on it, taking a job as book-keeper. Starting there, the story goes forward rapidiv through a series of comedies and sterner conspiracies. humour being intermingled with drama. Another of the “.Fight and Win" .pictures, with Mr Jack Dempsey in the ring, swinging the gloves merrily, is screened. Finally, there arc a Century comedy and an International News item of outstanding merit. The Symphony Orchestra

FULLER’S OPERA HOUSE. The programme which is being presented at .Fuller’s Opera. House this week is one which makes a, very wide appeal, and which is sure to delight crowded audiences during 1 he period in which it is being submitted. Linn Smith’s new Jazz Band is the notable feature of the show, and from the manner in which its contributions were received last, evening it is evident that t-Uo Christchurch season of this talented band of performers is going to be among the best, sueesses of the orchestra. Their work is an education in illustrating the medley of sound which can be produced from the instruments used. Fuller’s Eleven AVotiders. a remarkable juvenile troupe, are earning warm plaudits for the excellence of J their work. They offer an all-round entertainment that cannot but please the most, exacting patrons. Jimmy Norton is a, clover comedian whoso merits the audiences are recognising and whose, contributions are received • with every evidence of satisfaction. Mr i Georg© Storey and his talented revue j company are still saddled with the responsibility of seeing that time does not hang heavily on the hands of the audience during the second half. This they, do with their accustomed slices?.. Indeed, the audience would like to see a great deal more of them than is possible in the time at tlieir disposal. “Listen In” is the title of this week’s offering, and its merits can be sufficiently indicated by saying that ifc ceded it. THEATRE ROYAL. "SO THIS TS LONDON.” "So This is London.” a bright and breezy comedy in three acts, now being presented at the Theatre Roval by Thurston Hall and his talented company of players, is permeated bv good, wholesome fun. There is a very clever love story interwoven, and j the production is one that must commend itself to every theatregoer. “So This is London will be repeated tonight. 'THE BROKEN WJNG.” Great interest centres in the representations here of the spectacular comedy-.drama sensation. ‘‘The Broken W ing. which is to be staged to-morrow evening and on Fridav and Saturday nights. The fact that “The Broken ,n g r an tor two whole seasons at the Duke of York’s Theatre. London, is an indication that it. is a play out of the ordinary. “The Broken Wing” was produced for the first time in Australia and New Zealand at Wellington recently. where is was received with the greatest of enthusiasm, and so great was the demand for seats that hundreds were nightly unable to obtain admission. Air Thurston Hall, who has already popularised himself with local playgoers by his magnificent comedy acting in “So This is London,” will l»c seen in an entirclv different role from that he placed in’ the opening piece. Air Hall was selected bv

the author of “The Broken Wing” to create the character of Captain Inno- 1 ccncio, and his brilliant representation of the part greatly assisted in making the play an outstanding London success during its run of two years. Aliss Gladys Webster is said to give a charming character study of the part of Inez. In it she displays all the yicacity and fire of the southerner, and in the big scene in the last act she exhibits dramatic powers of a verv high order. Air Monty Wolf, -who appears as Sylvester Cross, supported Air 1 hurts ton II all in the original London production, and the other characters will be portrayed by the full strength of the company. "The Broken Wing” is a play distinctly out of the ordinary, both in construction and presentation, with a remarkably fine balance between comedy and drama, and is a feast of merriment by no means void of sensation. The aeroplane smash is said to be a truly surprising triumph of stage realism, taking place in full view of the audience, and the plane used is one of the actual machines in which American aviators were trained in France for the Great War. Owing to the brevity of the season. only three performances can be staged of “The Broken W ing," and the company will leave for Wellington on Monday night. The box plans are at the Bristol. SIR HARRY LAUDER’S COMPANY. A FINE COMBINATION. Although S'r Harry Lauder is a whole show in himself he is not egotistical enough to think that he aloue can draw crowded houses without some assistance, hence it comes that | lie secs to it that a first-class combination ol artistes accompany hint wherever he goes. On this occasion the supporting company is one of the finest the great entertainer has ever had and, as he says, they are worth the money charged for admission without him. Heading the list is \Y. V. Robinson, Canadian mimic, mouth organ expert and raconteur. Air Robinson is no stranger iu the Dominion. He is an expert oil the mouth organ, an excellent story teller and a. wonderful mimic. Lydia Came and Jack j Kelleway are recognised as dancers of great excellence. Their Coster comedy dance is a special feature. Eddie Grey, “the boy with the diamond hoops,” does some remarkable juggling. Jhe Hilo Duo of Hawaiian in- : struinentalists are players of excepj tional ability. They mo good singers also, and native dancers of great beauty. Last, but not least, comes Harry Moore, whose turn is one of the most extraordinary ever seen on any stage. He produces from ordinary bits of paper a gate, palm tree, table cloths, ladders, underwear, in fact anything. 'Plie company is very versatile and as there is a full orchestra. conducted by Mr Charles Ares the quality of the fare provided by Sir Harry's Company may l>e judged. Add to the company Sir Harry Lauder, who is at his best. and giving of his best, one does not need to wonder at the crowded houses that have assembled. The company will appear here for four nights and one matinee at the Theatre Royal, commencing on Wednesday, May 20. The booking is now open at the Bristol