AMUSEMENTS AND MEETINGS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19829, 2 May 1927, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS AND MEETINGS

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE “The Big Parade,” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s epic in twelve reels, which will commence at His Majesty’s Theatre to-night, has afforded John Gilbert, Reno Adoree, Karl Dane anti Tom O’Brien opportunities of showingdramatic work of artistic excellence. I The success of the picture in England is phenomenal; Of it The Manchester Guardian wrote: —“In the number of war pictures that the last three years have brought, ‘The Big Parade’ stands alone. The war theme has not been grafted on to the story of ‘The Big Parade’ in a pander to excitement, nor introduced for tho taking-off of an awkard husband, or lover. The war theme, the sad, glorious war theme is the whole matter of the film. There is a love affair of the billets and a humour of the trenches. And all along the action is marching left-left to that ultimate glory that the bugles promise and simple men have died to find. ‘The Big Parade’ if only for the splendid climax that rounds off the first part wth the long remorseless snake of waggons rollng along the dusty road, rolling and rolling away into the distance and still more at hand and more, and then the aeroplanes winging from over our hearts, shooting and skimming off above the waggon train, three at I first, then a dozen, then a full flight like swallows in autumn, must take its 1 place among the beautiful things that I war has suggested to many a musician I and poet and dramatist since Homer [sang.” The fame of the picture has preceded it. and spirited booking has set in at Upton’s. The presentation is preceded at 8 sharp by an atmospheric prologue entitled “A Dream of the Big Parade.” MUNICIPAL PICTURES Owing to the Opera House being otherwise engaged, the screening of pictures will not be resumed until Friday, when Florence Vidor will appear in a star attraction entitled, “The Popular Sin.”