MONTE BLUE MAKES HIT IN COMEDY ROLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18085, 19 February 1927, Page 6

MONTE BLUE MAKES HIT IN COMEDY ROLE.

“ RED HOT TYRES ” MARKS POINT IN ACTOR’S CAREER. Monte Blue, usually associated with roles of rather foolish sentimentality and hollow emotion, has mad_e his first appearance in a comedy role pure and simple, and has made a brilliant success of it. Indeed, the picture. “Red Hot Tyres,” which is to be presented at the Liberty Theatre on Monday, borders perilously near upon farce, and is made so ipuch the more amusing. After seeing "lied Hot Tyres,” which deals in motor-cars, elopements, gaols and misunderstandings in most bewildering fashion, one -is entitled to rate Monte Blue among the most promising light comedy players at present in pictures, for he lias made a most convincing and laughable piece out of a popular plot, and contributed something really worth while to the screen. Humorous quips regarding marriage in dramatic form always find favour with the public, and this is one of the brightest yet seen here. The hero, a fine manly fellow with a terror of automobiles turns bis thoughts, as is the custom of man, towards things matrimonial, as is also, in a far greater ; measure the custom of movie folk, and, again adhering well to all the canons of good fiction, comes in contact with a i young woman whose plans, strangely enough, do not coincide with his. Follows. much breaking of all the speeu and traffic laws, in the national chariot of the Americans. Theoretically, these breaches of the law are precisely the same as those committed by our painted ancestors when, brandishing a good, hefty -club, they broke all records on grass tracks in the jungle a million years or more ago. They do the same thing to-day. as “Red Hot Tyres” will show, on Broadway, in the Square, in Piccadilly Circus, along the boulevards, only nobody notices, as the brandishing of clubs has become illegal. To px-eserve the desired balance so necessary to a good photoplay, some situations of straight drama are effectively introduced into the picture, which heighten its colour and give added zest to its swift and hilarious sparkle. Patsy Ruth Miller plays in support of Monte Blue, and performs creditably. A picture based on a popular novel by Elizabeth Dejeans is the second film on the programme, a romantic melodrama entitled “The Romance of a Million Dollars.” Although tending towards the light and . humorous, this story bears, in every scene, the mellow and brilliant hand of the gifted authoress, who is as much at her case in comedy as she is in serious drama. Glenn Hunter and Alyce Mills head the cast, and are supported by experienced players The Liberty Concert Orchestra, under the direction of Mr Ernest Jamieson, will play a programme of orchestral music., including the following numbers: Overture, “Footlights” (Smetana), “Les Hugenots” (Mayerbeer), "Henry VJir.” (Saint-Saens), “Minehalia Suite" (Coleridge-Taylor). “Symphony No. 2” (Liszt), symphony, "Kroic-a” (Beethoven), "Hi Ho the Merrio” (Conrad). The box plans are now open at The Bristol Piano , Company, where seats may be reserved.

Ill!lll!!lllllllilllllllllllllllllltll!llll!llll!lllllllll!lllllllilltll1tllllllllllll!ll!lllll!ll DOMESTIC DRAMA STAGED AT QUEEN’S. ! “AFTER MARRIAGE” STARS MARGARET LIVINGSTONE. Two pictures, both of superior interTheatre next week, the titles of them ’both, in either order of utterance, giving rise to some discreet amusement. "After Marriage,” starring - the talented and beautiful Margaret Livingstone heads the bill. followed by a new and rollicking Western drama. "Where the Worst Begins." with a brilliant cast headed by Ruth Roland and Matt. Moore, with the irascible Alice B. Francis figuring prominently. "After Marriage" is a strong and interesting study of the question that, while being treated from an entirely new viewpoint. still advances some of the older and move i convincing theories. The picture is essentially dramatic, with some dynamic*thrills in it. while romance and comedy. emotional acting and the vivid and spectacular effects of New York night life, give a breezy sparkle to the story. The indispensable suggestion of pathos, to give the drama a more human atmosphere, is skilfully introduced, and the whole picture stands as one of the best contributions of its kind to motion pictures. Margaret Livingstone proves herself far more than a comedy actress in this film. She acts with a fine understanding of an exacting part, and emerges victoriously. The very excellent, cast of "Where the Worst Begins" is sufficient, guarantee for the merits of that film. Matt Moore is always a good-natured and more or less irresponsible fellow, while Ruth Roland invariably stamps herself as a young woman of considerable enterprise and verve. Tn this picture the -old order of things is reversed, and with hilarious effects. No longer does the gallant, hero lassoo the villain or villains and gallop wildly for several miles with the sobbing heroine across the pommel of his saddle. No longer does Hie heroine, by her perverse and tantalising attitude invite caveman tactics of the hero; nor are there sundry cowboys adorning the scenes in picturesque garb. r ["he slow is frankly farcical and wonderfully amusing, and it would he a merry world if all Westerns were patterned along these droll and refreshing lines. The box plans are at Wcbley’s, where seals may be reserved.