MOTION PICTURE PAGE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19268, 3 January 1931, Page 22 (Supplement)

MOTION PICTURE PAGE

News of Plays and The Players

THE “CHRISTCHURCH STAR” IS NEW ZEALAND’S OFFICIAL FILM NEWSPAPER.

GENERAL FILM GOSSIP. "AFRICA SPEAKS." “Africa Speaks!” That is the title of the film which is now showing at the Theatre Royal. Not alone is “ Africa Speaks! ” the title of the film, a sound picture, but it is also a phrase which is said admirably to project the eloquence of this mysterious continent, loved and explored by Livingston and Stanley and recently subjected to the penetration of the camera and the movie sound apparatus. “ Africa Speaks! ” is said to differ from the ordinary film of exploration in that it is not entirely composed of hunting crusades. It is, on the other % and, according to report, a record of jungle adventure and a continual romance of the lives, loves and hates—jealousies and triumphs of the people of the trackless forests. Exploit after exploit is shown between man and man —man and beast —man and woman in a simple, primitive land, where might is the rule of life, where force takes by brute strength its food and pleasure. From Mombassa on the Indian Ocean to Lagos on the Atlantic, the path of the story stretches—across the black heart of the untouched Congo. Weird customs, wild dances — age-old rituals of worship to the gods of fertility, of love —flame in the background, accentuating the panorama of cruelty, sensuality and feats of heroism. “ Animal Crackers.” The crowded midnight matinee audience at the Regent Theatre will have many happy memories of Animal Crackers”, which commences a week’s season at the Regent to-day. The four Marx brothers are remarkably funny. Repeated bursts of laughter greet these brotherly comedians over every silly, but vastly amusing, stunt they try. This picture is all nonsense and very silly, but it is funny, and scores definitely as an entertaining comedy. Remarkable Production. “ Common Clay ”, the remarkable dramatic production now drawing crowded houses at the Crystal Palace, is the talk of Christchurch. Everybody who has it is loud in its praises. The film makes a tremendous appeal to the women-folk, and is certainly one of the most daring and outspoken pictures to be seen on the audible screen. “ Common Clay ” commenced its second week at the Crystal Palace to-day. Western Romance. “ The Californian Mail ”, starring Ken Maynard, heads the new programme at the Grand The- j atre to-day. It is a thrilling Westernj romance of the early stage-coach days and is full of excitement and adventure. “ Saturday’s Children ”, starring Corinne Griffith, the second feature is a sparkling comedy drama of matrimonial misadventure in which the heroine describes marriage as “exchanging the attention of many men for the inattention of one”. “ Her Unborn Child.’* The latest all-talking photoplay emanating from the studios of Windsor Picture Plays, and bearing the unusual title of “Her Unborn Child,” is now showing at the Civic Theatre. This picture has caused a furore in film Circles, especially in New York, where some of the most prominent film experts predict that it will surpass the tremendous vogue it achieved as a stage play. Apart from its astonishing stage history in the United States and Canada, where at one time no less than seven companies were presenting it, the play was translated irito nine foreign languages and, at one time, aside from the seven touring companies in the United States and Canada, there were two companies in England, four in Germany, two in Russia, two in France, two in Italy and one in Spain. The cast of players whp portray the principal roles in the all-talking version of this extremely popolar play includes several who participated in the long engagement the piece enjoyed in 1927 at the Eltinge and Forty-eighth Theatres in New .York City. Principal among the actors are Adele Ronson, Paul Clare, Frances Underwood, Harry Davenport, Doris Rankin, Pauline Drake and many others. The touchingly human story of a boy and girl in love, forgetting everything else, presents one of the most unusual subjects yet selected for the talking screen. HB OS S 3 s m EH M @ EE3II iU (H ® ® ® EEI IS @ (H ®

Amazing Film. Hailed as the “strangest picture ever filmed’', “’Simba.”, the amazing record of four years’ exploration in the jungles of Africa, heads the doublefeature programme at the Liberty Theatre to-day. Here a't last is the supreme story of the African wilderness, where adventure stalks the traveller on every side. It is told in motion pictures which are so strange and startling as to be well-nigh incredible. It took Martin and Osa Johnson four years to gather all the material which makes up “ Simba ”, as their pictorial story is entitled, after the Swahili name for the king of beasts. Almost every hundred feet of “ Simba ” reveals a tense tragedy or amusing comedy, an escape from death or an amazing adventure. It is said to be an unforgettable picture. Human. Interest Story. One of the most human as well as intensely interesting all-talking pictures has been produced by Fox Movietone in “Man Trouble”, which opens at the Majestic Theatre on Monday. It has been described as a romantic drama, but it is more than that; it is, in many

respects, a thriller, abounding in powerful dramatic situations. Dorothy Mackaill plays the leading feminine role to perfection, while Milton Sills, ever a popular screen favourite, gives one of the best performances of his career. “Man Trouble” should prove a popular attraction at the Majestic. Season Extended. The season for “ Grumpy,” the Paramount picture now showing at the St James’ Theatre, has been extended. So great an appeal has this all-talking picture made to the theatre-going public that the management have decided on this course. “ Grumpy,” quite rightly, has been called the successor to “ Disraeli ” and that opinion has been given unanimous approval by all those who have seen the production. Cyril Maude, one of the greatest actors of the English stage, plays the part of the irascible old gentleman known as Grumpy, and particular care has been taken to reproduce the English atmosphere upon which much of the success of the story depends. The scenes are laid in an old English country house where Grumpy, who in his day was a famous criminal lawyer, lives in retirement with his beautiful granddaughter. The old gentleman is really a lovable character with a rare sense of humour, but he keeps up a pretence of being fussy and bad-tempered and of making an annoyance to all around him excepting his granddaughter, who alone seems to be able to humour him. With this background the play develops and through it all Grumpy dominates the story. The supporting cast includes Frances Dade (as the granddaughter), Phillips Holmes, Paul Cavanagh, Halliwell Hobbs and Doris Luray.