WESTERN DRAMA AT CRYSTAL PALACE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18452, 1 May 1928, Page 7

WESTERN DRAMA AT CRYSTAL PALACE.

“ Gun Gospel ” is frankly Western in theme and action; it is as full of romance as an egg is full of meat; it is spectacular, dramatic, emotional and thrilling. But it is more than all this, as it has a decidedly historical value,, marking the passing of an epoch in the history of the Western States, the epoch of the gunmen. The romance of the wild and woolly West never fades. In this story at Crystal Palace last

night it was depicted in all its movie attractiveness, not melodramatically, but restrainedlv, and with a high standard of art that gave all who saw it genuine pleasure. For this, thanks are due mainly to Mr Ken Maynard. He is a daring rider, and the excellence of his acting cannot be questioned. Consequently, he fits into the character of Granger Hume, the hero of “ Gun Gospel,” like a hand fits into

a glove. He comes on to the screen first as the typical cowboy, then as a Mexican caballero, and finally as the man who smashes a gang of “ crooks.” Throughout he rides, with infinite grace and skill, magnificent Tarzan, a delight to all judges of horse-flesh. Behind the incidents in the story, there is a series of some of the most beautiful scenery' ' Nature has provided. It would hardly be fair to give a notice to this First National picture without mentioning Miss Virginia Brown Faire, the heroine, a dainty brunette, who won an American beauty contest and stepped from a Brooklyn school on to the screen and into fame and stardom. On the principle that it is a mistake to jade the mind with too much d excitement and drama, the management of Crystal Palace last evening screened, against “ Gun Gospel,” one of those charming comedies that set the house in a roar. “ The Shamrock and ; the Rose ” is not a story of Ireland and England, but of New York’s East Side, with one Tom Kelly and Rosie Cohen, a beautiful Jewess, as the chief characters. Business rivalry between the two families causes the course of true : love to run anything but smoothly', ' until a priest and a rabbi take a part in. the feud and bring the Shamrock and the Rose together, and unite the Kellys and the Cohens in a prosperous , joint business concern. This comedy is of the rollicking type, laughter rippling 1! through every foot of film. Its author] is Mr Owen Davis, who, it is stated, } has contributed more than a •hundred \ plays to the American theatre. The ] leading parts are taken by Mr Edmund , Burns and Miss Olive Hasbrouck, both , good comedians, and talented all-round j players as well. \ As usual, there were interesting minorpictures on the programme. ( The Symphony Orchestra, under Mr 1 A. J. Bunz’s able direction, had a de- j lightful musical programme, largely , suitable to the pictures. For instance, £ the overture was Myddleton’s “Sham- 1 rock,” and there were “ Danny Boy,”' < “Where is My Meyer” (Bogate), and i “ Molloy’s Songs.” Amongst other ; items were a Gounod’s “ Berceuse,” 1 Rawlinson’s “ Maid of Orleans.” Travers’s “ May Day Suite.” and Gilbert’s i “ Hustling Hinkler.”