AMUSEMENTS

Wairarapa Age, 19 December 1919, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS

"MICKEY."

At the Opera House to-morrow afternoon and night, picture patrons will bo called upon to pass judgment on Mack Bennett's first big superfeature "Mickey," with Mabel Normand specially engaged in the title role. The play of "Mickey" has been written with the element of surprise ever, in view; aftor one crisis in the production is completed attention is immediately commanded by another. The comedy is built upon reality. Beneath every hilarious laugh there is the feeling that it is natural. And therefore the laughs are sincere. And this is the case with each of. the picture's elemenvs. For, of course, there are other ingredients besides comedy. Sennett is far too wise a producer to offer such an abundance of footage offering a single type of entertainment. There is pathos, just a little of it, romance in a pleasing quantity, and thrills enough in a wonderful horse race and a quick and realistic 1 fight, followed by a sensational rescue of Mickey, to institute a powerful lma of suspense at tho finale. In producing these episodes, tho race and tho fight, the director has shown his appreciation of the technique or building up the suspense. In both there is thrill upon thrill, each, one just a little bit better than the last, until at their climares the two episodes fairly bring the spectator to his feet out of sheer excitement and enthusiasm. The race with Mickey "up" is constituted of various flashes of the girl urging her horse forward intermingled with long and fairly close shots of the actual race. It fs played to its fullest worth. And it ends with a breathless taking fall. The horse stumbles and Mickey is hurled headlong over the track. The fight which puts an ideal melodra» '.

mntic climax on the etory is handled with equal skill. The scene of the action is an old country place with winding stairs. The villain has pursued Mickey to the roof, a elanting peck. Here sho barely manages to' hang. Below the hero and the villain wago one of those exciting smashing combats which in its handling, and irl the manner in which suspense has been built up calls to mind some of Fairbank's best scraps. But this fight has not tho conventional finish. As tho men combat, Mickey slowly looses her grip on the top edge of tho roof and begins to slide down There is a sheer drop of a dangerous height which sho seems unable to avoid. And when tho villain apparently triumphs and sends the hero falling downstirs tho cause of virtue seems about to bo dragged about in the dust. But instead the hero dashes to the window and grabs Mickey inside to safety just as she is about to fall from tho caves to tho ground, so far below. These fight scenes, alternating with flashes of Mickey in her hazardous predicament on the roof, afford some of the finest thrills imaginable. Miss >Billio Green, Wellington's popular soprano, will render vocal items. Tho box plan is at Henderson'B.

POPULAR TOM MOORE. Quito a largo audience was present at tho Paramount Theatre last night, when the popular actor Tom Mooro was starred in the Goldwyn production, "Just for To-night," which is a most entertaining story. Theodore Whitney, junr., is tho only son of a wealthy brokor. Theodore Whitney, senr., is worried—extremely worried —as a certain block of stock he once held is how worth many timeß the amount paid for it. This stock certificate is hanging on the wall of an inn, appropriately framed in mourning. Whitney has employed a detective to locate it, and when'it is at last found ho sends Theodore, junr., to buy it at the lowest possible figure. But stock certificates are far from Theodore junr's mind. He is quite madly in love with a young girl whose real name is Betty Blake, but who poses before him as Mary Smiths Theodore's acquaintance is limited to fow passing glimpses in an auto* mobile and a joint session with a spee dcop. But Whitney's detective opens a way for tho gallant lover. This fellow scheduled to enter the home of Major- #lackburn, Betty's uncle, as an English . nobleman, the reason being that thieves have worried the Major's friends, and they believe a detective must bo present. So Theodore, being a man of infinite resourcefulness, pays, the detective to drop the caße while he proceeds to pose as the nobleman—Lord Roxenham. And here are complications. Though Theodore is delighted basking in the presence of Betty, he is quite thoroughly astonished when a Lady Roxenham puts in an appearance. Then, havoc I Betty will have nothing to do with him. All his words of lovo make him out a vUe hypocrite. But then Theodore proves himself a good detective after all. Ho discovers that the supposed Lady Roxenham is none other than one of the gang of crooks who had planned to rob the Major. And it appears that Betty had bought the stock certificate so dear to Whitney's heartso what could be better than this happy climax of affairs. Other interesting and amusing pictures complete a good all round nich+.'n fun

The present programme Bhowing at the Cosy must be withdrawn to--1 night, and those who have not yet seen this big evening's entertainment 1 will be pleased to know it is one of ! the best programmes seen for a 1 long time. The star item on tho programme is the pretty feature ■ "Infatuation," staring Gaby Deslys. ; Simple in structure, yet progressing to a scale of magnificence rarely seen in this country is the story of • "Infatuation," tho undeniable super- ► feature in which Gaby Deslys is for the first time in New Zealand seen in the theatrical world. She starts humbly as a Parisian flower girl, poor as to purse, but incomparably wealthy as to beauty, and is through a playwright who is interested in her afforded an opportunity to seek fame and fortune. By hard work and wonderful talent she achieves fame as a dancer, and becomes tho idol of Paris. The story is an interesting phase of stage life in France, and to giv« it tho proper atmosphere' scenes from a musical comedy on a great scale of lavishness were performed. You see Gaby in many phases of her own life, and associated with her in the caste are many famous names which have also been associated with her success on the stage. Her dancing partner, Harry Pilcer, is one of the principals, others being M. Signoret and Maxudian, both famous on tho French stage to-day. The support, ing pictures include another most amusing Sunshine comedy "A Tight SqueeHe," which creates roars of laughter. Earle Williams is very popular in the aerial "The Scarlet Runner,"