“THE IRON HORSE,” A RAILROAD DRAMA, IS AT THE QUEEN’S.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18063, 25 January 1927, Page 7

“THE IRON HORSE,” A RAILROAD DRAMA, IS AT THE QUEEN’S.

“ SHOOTING STRAIGHT ” IS GOOD SECOND FEATURE. The most hazardous engineering enterprises met with in the opening up of new country are those which confront the builders of the railroads, the stouthearted men who blaze the trail for civilisation. Xo railway engineering enterprises of modern times was so fraught with danger as that which resulted in the linking up of east and west in the United States. Jt was an epic struggle in which doggedness triumphed, in spite of terrific natural difficulties and the opposition of enraged Indians. The story of this great triumph of man has been told in “ The Iron Horse,” a Fox production which was screened at the Queen's Theatre yesterday. This picture has been acclaimed by critics in all parts of the world, and there Is no doubt that it has enduring qualities. In every day’s work during the construction of the railway was material for a great drama, but a subtle fusing of many vivid incidents gives a panoramic view of the drama and romance in the work. The story opens in Springfield, Illinois, where lives Brandon, a surveyor, who has dreams of the great railroad. Most of the other inhabitants of the town are sceptical, but there Is one who thinks with Brandon, and that, one is Abraham Lincoln. Brandon gives demonstration of his belief in the feasibility of the work by setting out with his son to do some preliminary surveying:. For a time he perseveres with the work, hut one night he is murdered in an Indian raid and the boy is left alone. Then comes the Civil War. and Lincoln, now President, has foresight enough to make commitments to enable the railway work to go ahead. A start is made with the track, and the workers are called upon to endure hardships manifold. The rigours of the climate in winter, the immense natural obstacles to be overcome: the lack of proper food; and the lack of proper sleeping accommodation. In addition to this the Indians, relenting the intrusion of the whites, make raids upon working gangs as often as possible. However, the perseverance of the workers and the men who visioned the great enterprise triumphs in the end, and the great task is accomplished. Through the picture runs a delicate romantic theme showing that man, even when engaged in struggle, has time to think tender thoughts. The principal roles in this memorable picture are played by George O’Brien and Madge Bellamy. The second feature, ” Shooting Straight,” is a virile Western drama. Bill Cody, who plays the. part, of a young ranch owner, finds himself confronted with many difficulties. He has an argument with his manager when he finds that h© lias been cruel to a horse. The evil in > the manager’s heart is roused by this, and he enters into an agreement with the secretary of the young man’s father to cheat him out of his fortune, or a portion of it at least. Under the father’s will the young man inherits the parental fortune only on condition that he marries his father’s ward within thirty days of the father's death. The secretary, stealing the will, leaves the young jnan in ignorance of the provisions of the will, which state that if the marriage does not take place a quarter of the fortune goes to the secretary. The young man notices that his cattle herds are shrinking, and one day, setting a watch on the men, he notices them changing the brand on the cattle. Seeing this, he decides to wait his time. He proposes marriage to the ward, and the wedding is fixed lor Hallowe’en, the last of the thirty days stipulated in the will. The secretary and manager decide to make a last desperate stand, and on the night of the wedding the bride is decoyed to a lonely hut. The young man, who has been out fighting the cattle rustlers, returns, and, finding what has happened, he is about to leave the hall, but he is stopped by the manager, and he is only allowed to leave after the manager has been thoroughly beaten in a fight. The bride is rescued and the marriage is solemnised with a few minutes of the last day to spare. The Queen’s Orchestra played an excellent programme of incidental music.