EVERYBODY'S THEATRE.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18415, 23 June 1925, Page 13

EVERYBODY'S THEATRE.

"AS MAX DESIRES" AND "CIRCE." Action, in romantic settings, gives ike in:cr;st- in the F:r=t Xaiiona! picture. "As M>.r. Desires,'' shown fit Everybody's Theatre las:- night. The- picture is £ui! c: drainage incidents 'and the grad.ua! devclci-tncnt. cf the plot to in '.nifspecied and hr.pr-.v- climax holds the

f-tter.ticn ;; 1 through. The play is adapted iron Gene V,'right's norc!, '"'Pandora Je Croir," p. .-tary which, aa!i!:c meet novels, i* ao.ivi-.-jKv suited for production on iht s(.:cen. The chief onm-scters, M:lt:n Sills t:\,{ Vic-hi Daau, give realist:;.' and attractive ii.tei-pra'.atior.o of their puts. Sills, as a British r.rmy suigeon in the Indian service, i-i c-mb:-ci'cd in a murder ir.icedy by an sr.-try --;min. To save his life -■•» escapes act! previdene? allows hira to become the captain ti" a. in-ar] fishing fxh=or.e i\ »• i°lo in- which lie is much suite;!. Embittered by [..is pa-.t e::~ierience, his character becomes Cja.'-se.ncd under the new oirc.triistanccs._AVe firvi him stnijciingvk-;«nt-!y and siiccc.s3tiiuy in a res-ion which knows only the law that, might i; light. He dtspises ail wo-n:«n ■znd u-avrie.s n. na.iive dancintj prirl of Tahiti in a ccmt«ni-jtuous reaction against his former 0.v.At heme, however, hi* honcur is vii/(i:ia!f-;l and the ffid wh~m ho had Icvrd, and - tn find him. He sr.vc3 tho life of a, man who he thinks has ccnie la arrest him, but who has really come io tell him ho is free. His r.sfive wife, save; his life at the coat of her own, ~,nd tho lovers arc reunited. Milton Si'ls. 3.;. the swashbuckling captain, liives fiirlhe- p •-.■;.:£ of his undoubted aoility. Ho r.-.erli in the p'rlrsvai cf the strong, wiif-.i! chtrrc<er whf.so lite is sweetened by the jov3 '.f r,;rhtinß-. A'iola, Lhr.a.. as tho ep.uohii.' d.i:-.ci.ng gjtf, is vcrsaiilo ar.d clever iv. pk.vir-.g the part cf a. woman governed hv cn-iti<-ns. A strong cast includes Riitii ] Clifford. Hescnta".- Th?bv, Tom Kennedy, ) Paul Xicholaon, Lou Payne, llecto-.' Larno. j Anna Ma<- VtV.thall, Edr.eh Alt-emus and Fi-.-nk Ltiph.

"Gh-re. tho Enchantress," the p-ceond feaI lure fir. {he programme, vas specially written hv Ibancz fcr Mao Murray. Both_ Ihaness 1 and M.-ss Murr-i-v do each other justice, the I author in creatine: t'<f pait for the .acirosa, end the actress, in plaving in the part for the. I s-ulhor. Tho plnv ia "allegorical. Just as j'-ih.o Circe of p.ncient mythology turned all men except- Uivwen into beasts by her magic 'p.ivws, so' Miss Muitov as the modem Circe fni's to allure iho modern Ulysses. With ail oilier men a-s cloy in her hands, she, after the manner Of her sex, seeks ti capture tho solitary male who remains .aloof. Heir flho wins him gives. fl> proof of high qualities underneath her cloak of modern r«ckle»Bne.«s. Evon as the poddess herself, Miss Muirav would satisfy nl! requirements. Shi i r . -v-sidedlv enchanting and one loots with some wonder at the «.allcns man who can resist l;er aitractkn. All her feminine wiles, however, ave lost up-'i James. Kirk-v.-ood as the sober Dr. van iTf.rtyn, a.nd only when she humbles herself or rather ennobles herself by her simplicity and genuino 'feeling does eh'o succeed. A st'vonar supporting cast, includes William Haines, Charles Gerard, Thomas EicheUa and Lillian Langdtvn. Everybody's- "Select" Orchestra, under Ihe cond-iiotcrsh'ip of Mr W. J. Bellingham, F.S.M.. presented a- fine musical programme. The items included the following::—Overture, "La Fontaine de Jouvence - ' (Laul enscbla-ger); entr'acte, a. delightful interpretation of Kreisle.r'fl beautiful mekdy, "Caprice Vionnrise"; throe classical dances by Chaminade, fa) Passo Pied, (b) Pairane, (c) Courante; ball waltz from Bor'ioa, "Symphonic Fantastiquo"; selection from "Samson ana Dflila." including the- effeol.ivo se-prono eolo, "Hytuno f'-- St. Cecile" (Gounod-Fletcbor), in which Miss Norma Middleton obtained a cr'.isrlifcful tone; Slavic Dancn in E Minor (Dvorak); Peer Gynt 2nd suite (Grieg); an ambitious nnniter. "Bobesoien« Overture (IJHolo-fi); an arrangement of incidental music. "Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (Wakefield Cadman); "Dance <f Sun least ; (Henr" Waller); suite from the musical ; dram*. "Thais and Talmaao" (Colin Maclecd | Camnbell). consisting of: (») Prelude, (b) Ee-lieious Themes, (c) Lore, Motif, (d) Deatn of Tliais. the whole piece being played with outstanding effect.

LIBERTY THEATRE. The headlitier on this week's bill is ft Paramount masterpiece, entitled "Wanderer of the Wastelands," which has been adapted to tho screen from the widely-read book of the same name by Zane Grey. It is a picture of the desert and tho West.. Kothins like it has been seen in Christchurch since the screening of "The Riders of the Purple Sazo," and the "Rainbow Trail," which were adapted to the Hereon from novels written by the 6amo author. The whole of the "Wanderer of tho Wastelands" has been screened itt natural colours, which aid considerably in making the picture realistic. In popular parlance, Betty Balfour's latest "oil-British picture," entitled "Squibs's Honeymoon," a Master picture which is the second attraction, is a scream. Squibs, the mercurial exflower girl, after resigning her seat in Parliament, decidos to marry hor policeman lover. In this domestic "shriek" Betty Balfour is undoubtedly at her best. In the same bill there is a Pathe Gazette and "The Mystery Man," featuring Snub Tollard.

GRAND THEATRE. In "The Garden of Weeds," Betty Corny)sou is an ambitious chorus girl, and the role suits her admirably. "The Garden of 'Weeds" is a screen version of Loon Gordon and Doris Marquette's big Broadway hit. Warner Baxter, Rockliffe Fellowes, Charles Ogle, and Al St. John appear in featured roles. As Dorothy, a showgirl, Miss Oompson is confronted with- accepting the attentions of two men. Ono promisos a beautiful homo and love, the other a career. The oeusational Master picture, "Three "Women," is the second attraction. May McAvoy, Marie Provost, and Pauline Frederick share tho stellar honours, supported by Dew Cody, Mary Carr, Willard Lewis, and Pierre Gcndron.