ARCADIA PICTURES.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIV, 6 April 1929, Page 5

ARCADIA PICTURES.

TO-HIGHT SATURDAY. “THE RIVER PIRATE.” Anything is likely to happen in pictures and proof of this lies in the career of Nick Stuart youthful Fox featured player. When Raoul Walsh was making his great screen epic, “What Price Glory” With Victor llcLaglen in the stellar role of Captain Flagg, a young boy was employed on the set, whose principle duty was to call McLaglen on the set when wanted, run on errands and generally act as a messenger between the director on the set and the star in his dressing room. The boy was Nick

Stuart. Now, a brief three years since that time and the two, star and former call boy, are again in the same pietujre. But what a difference in their relationship towards each oth. er. True, McLaglen is still the star, but Stuart is no longer in the humble capacity as messenger, but a fully Hedged player east in a featured role and McLaglen’s buddy in crime in the picture, for both are appearing in “The River Pirate”. This is Fox Films version of the sensational Saturday Evening Post serial by Charles Francis Coe. Those who have read the story will recall that Frink, the river pirate, is a huge two-fisted sailor, a part for which no man is more fit to play than the sturdy McLaglen, while the part of Sandy, the boy and his partner in piracy, was picked for Stuart by Mr Coe, the author of the story.

Incidentally, William K. Howard, who directed the picture, had the assistance of Coe in the making of the picture. Lois Moran has the part of Marjorie, who is in love with Sandy, while Donald Crisp plays Detective Caxton, the nemises of the river pirates and father to Marjorie. Local theatre audiences are promised a treat by the management of the Arcadia Theatre when this picture shows here commencing on Friday.

MONDAY AND TUESDAY. “DIAMOND HANDCUFFS.” Outside an African diamond compound, Musa, a half-caste Kaffir girl, persuades Niambo, her native sweetheart, to steal a diamond for her. Blinded by his devotion, he does so, and conceals the gem in a gash in his leg, which he inflicts with a pick. Coming to the surface, at the first opportunity he"gives the jewel to the girl—then sags at her feet through loss of blood —and dies. Musa turns up in London in the second episode. She is a maid. And by some freak of destiny the diamond follows her. —John’s wife admires the diamond in a big jeweller’s window, but John refuses to buy it for her. Later he repents, but finds out that his best friend has, in the meantime, bought it for his wife. —

Cecile tells him that the stone, given to her by the friend, was not real, that it was just an innocent joks. To test the truth of this bluff, John takes the gem from his wife and gives it to the maid, Musa. Later John overhears Cecile quarrelling with Musa over it —and John and Cecile part. In the third episode, Musa is a New York cabaret dancer, with Jasper as a half-caste partner. They dance in Spike’s underworld cafe. Tillie, a cabaret girl, sees the diamond after it has been stolen, and mightily desires it. Spike, however, refuses to buy it for her. Larry who keeps a tobacco stall at the cafe, would like to buy it for Tillie, but provides her with a loan of £250 instead to enter a sanatorium for consumptives. It is his life’s savings, and he gives it tj her through a loc-

al doctor. However, Tillie reckons that the diamond is more precious even than life, and buys it. When she shows it to Larry, he is dismayed. Spike is furious . . . . how did Tillie come by that stone? He traces the money to Larry, and is about to kill him when the police raid Spike’s cafe. During the raid, Musa urges Jasper to get the diamond from Tillie at any cost. Ja.per grabs it, but is mortally wounded. So is Spike. Finally, the fateful gem is smashed to atoms under the wheel of a dray—and thus it passes, leaving Tillie and Larry together. They eventually find happiness in marriage.