DOUBLE PROGRAMME AT EVERYBODY’S THEATRE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18992, 11 February 1930, Page 7

DOUBLE PROGRAMME AT EVERYBODY’S THEATRE.

Heading the new programme at Everybody’s Theatre is a British film, “ The Runaway Princess,” with Mady Christians taking the leading part. Stories of the type suggested by the title are not altogether new, but although this production certainly does treat of a princess who demurred at marrying a prince whom she had never seen, it treats it from a different angle. The story was written for the screen by Anthony Asquith, and the new note he strikes makes it an interesting tale. The lady is a woman with ideas of her own, and decides against marrying the prince whom her royal parents have selected for her. The outcome is that she betakes herself to new fields, leaving regretful parents behind to spread a fictitious tale of illness. She meets a man in unusual circumstances, and such is his interest that he adopts the guise of detective. Later he encounters a real detective and the results are rather amusing. The erstwhile princess falls m with an enterprising gang of forgers and events quickly work up to the denouement where the princess learns that the first of the detectives is none other than the prince whom her parents wished her to marry. By this time the pair have succeeded in failing in love with one another, and the only thing left for them to do is to return to their little duchy and resume their proper' stations in life. The story is well produced, but

a f< r w of the scenes are rather over acted. This, however, detracts little from the success of the film.

The second picture, “ Masked Emotions,” is of a totally different type. It features George O’Brien, supported by Nora Lane and Farrell Macdonald. It is a , . t .*] r U^ ng ’ anc * interesting melodrama, skilfully done by all concerned. O’Brien gives a masterful and an intensely human interpretation of an athletic college man who sets out to revenge the attempted murder of his brother. The pair had been out cruising and met up with a gang of Chinese smugglers. The brother is the first to investigate and he receives very rough treatment at the hands of the smugglers. P'isticuffs, pistol duels and a battle in the heights of the ship’s rigging occur during the action of this picture, sufficient to thrill the most hardened picture-goer. The “ shorts ” are very brief, but none the less interesting, showing motor boat speed tests and a variety of functions of world-wide interest. The Select Orchestra, under Mr Albert Bidgood, plays the following musical programme:— Overture, “ Polonaise Militaire ” (Chopin); suites, “Carnival” (Guirand), “ Feramors ” (Rubenstein), “ Othello ” (Taylor); selections, “Madame Pompadour” (Morgan), “ Chopiniana ” (Finck), “The Bat” (Strauss), “ Ariane ” (Massenet), “In the Lotus Pool” (Wright), “ Poeme Erotic ” Waves” (Rosey), “Admirals All” (Bath); fox-trots, “Goblin Blues” (Carlo), “Mean to Me” (Turk); entr’acte. “ Culloden ” (arr. Bidgood).