PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 19805, 2 March 1928, Page 5

PICTURE THEATRES

EMPIRE Louis B, Mayer, vice-president of the Metro-Goidwyu-Mayer Film Studios, attended the annual convention of the international Association of Fire Engineers in Louisville, Kentucky, m order that plans could be completed for the co-operation of the association with the studios in the production of ‘ The Fire Brigade,’ which opened at the Empire Theatre to-day. This great picture fully reflects the careful plans that were laid to give it world-wide appeal. In players, theme, spectacle, and breath-taking thrills it makes enthralling entertainment. William Nigh, who directed the picture with the co-operation of the tiro chief's of Canada and the United States, has made a super attraction. ‘ The Fire .Brigade ’ derives its powerful drama from the public wrong done by the jerry-building Wainwright Company, which a millionaire “philanthropist.” Corwin, secretly finances. He has an agreement with Wainwright by which shoddy buildings, always in danger of catching lire, are built and passed by a crooked building inspector. Helen Corwin and Fireman Terry O’Neil develop a loudness lor each other from the day Helen presents her father’s loving cup to the smartest recruit. It is Terry who discovers the existence of the sinister agreement between Corwin and Wainwright, and in bringing justice to Corwin he is lorccd to bring sorrow and disgrace to the girl he loves, Beautiful and touching love scenes abound in this dramatic story. The biggest tiro scenes ever shown m the history of tlio screen, swift action, pulsating drama, nobfe sacrifice, and romance combine to place ‘ The Fire Brigade’ in a distinctive category. A local gazette comprising snaps of Australia and Otago at cricket, Otago ladies’ croquet championship, demolition of Post Office, baby show, and other local news also had its first screening to-dav. The delightful programme of music by the Empire Orchestra will include the overture, ‘Pique Dame’ (Suppe). OCTAGON ‘ Cradle Snatchers,’ the Modern flMitehcll comedy-drama which made a name for itself as a stage play, has been given a screen version by Fox Films, with Louise Fazenda in the principal role, and a cast of screen favorites in the important parts. It is being shown at the Octagon Theatre to-night. ‘ Cradle Snatchers ’ is the story of throe wives, whose husbands ■say they are going on a fishing trip, but instead they take three other ladies on an excurison. The wives discover the deception, and hire three college boys to play the parts of swains lo arouse their husbands’ jealousies. The boys are rather reluctant lovers, who make love to the wives for purely monetary considerations, each having a sweetheart of his own. The husbands return to their wives and discover what has occurred during their absence, believing it to ho real unfaithfulness on their wives’ parts. And while they are at the height of their denunciations and the wives and their hired lovers frightened out of their wits, the husbands’' blondes turn up. The resulting situations are, hilariously funny. The Octagon Orchestra, under the baton of Moms Do Bose, renders a lino programme, including ‘ No, No, Nanette.’

QUEEN'S Tho film of ‘The Wan They Could Not Hang,’ which had its first screening at the Queen’s Theatre to-day, expected to repeat the phenomenal run which it had when shown in Auckland recently. Mr Tano Faina, who is lecturing throughout the Dunedin season with the film, ‘The Alan They Could Not Hang,’ had some interesting Facts to tell about the origin of the story itself and the him itself. The film was produced for the second time in Australia with New Zealand capital. It was a phenomenal success, and is still one of the biggest money makers in the film world, hi England it has netted £.‘37,000 for the New Zealand syndicate, and is still running. It had also been a success throughout the United States of America, where it is being exploited by a Dunedin man, Air Hugh Wilson. The secret of its success says Ah' Tama, lies in the fact that its theme involves a tremendous dramatic .situation—namely, the placing on the. scaffold of an innocent man, who was three times snatched from the very jaws of ghastly death by what looks like an intervention of Providence. The story happens to be true, and there are many living in New Zealand to-day who have seen John Lee, the man in question. The story of the happenings which lead up to the denouement are told on the film in a simple and convincing manner which grips the onlooker. In Auckland recently the Rev. Air Dolby, Methodist minister, who was chaplain at the gaol where John Lee, “the man they could not hang,” was incarcerated, has many interesting things to say about the whole affair, and during the screening in Auckland there was in attendance an old man who had been a warder at the prison during the time of the three attempts to hang John Lee. The ease caused a tremendous sensation at the time, and,the ‘Daily Express ’ took up the cudgels on his behalf. There have been many ingenious suggestions put forward as to why the trap failed to act at the time of the attempted execution, but the mystery still remains unsolved. John Lee lived until last year, and remained ‘a useful member of society until ho died. He maintained that he could have cleared himself laid ho been allowed to give evidence on his own behalf. The remainder of the programme is a good one, containing, as it docs, a second feature picture, ‘The Tender Hour,’ starring Lillie Dove and Pen Lyon. Charlie Chaplin in a two-reel comedy, and the eighth episode of ‘The Silent Flyer.’ EVERYBODY'S ‘ Behind tlie Front,’ a comedy of the war, with Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton in the leading voles, commences at Everybody’s Theatre to-night. ‘ Behind the Front’ is a riot of laughter, yet it is sympathetic mirth, for it is laughter witli the soldiers during their trials and tribulations, and not at them. It appeals to another tenderness, to the romance of a sweetheart, as exemplified by beautiful Alary Bain, as well as to ex-soldiers themselves, in whom it will arouse reminiscent chuckles, as Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton, a couple of simple ■soldiers who are mates, appear in scenes and situations familiar to every man in the army. Chester Conklin, Richard Arlen, Louise Lorraine, ami Gertrude Astor are also in the east. Also showing is ‘ Wild Beauty,’ which tolls of the life of the king of a herd of wild horses. PLAZA AND GRAND It is difficult to convey by means of print the wondrous beauty and power of 1). W. Griffith’s latest motion picture, ‘ Orphans of the Storm,’ which will commence a season at the Plaza and Grand Theatres to-night. Here is told the greatest love story of all time —the story of two lovely girls in the great French Revolution. Vividly has the producer depicted the glory of the old French Courts, with tiie immaculate manners, customs, and dressings of that time. Then there is the revolution shown with all its grim horrors—the guillotine is seen at its deadly work—there arc the frenzied mobs fighting madly against the aristocrats in the hope of freedom—all have'been depicted with the hand of the master producer. The basis of the story is the old play, ‘ The Two Orphans,’ and Mr Griffith has woven into this historical romance the thrills of some of

the maddest days in the history of an empire. Vividly has ho depicted tho days of the “Rod Terror,” when frenzied crowds of blood-drunk men and women hounded the French aristocracy to the guillotine, and trampled the lilies of France into the mire. The cast includes Lillian and Dorothy Gish as the two orphans, Joseph Schildkrant, said to ho the handsomest man on the screen, ns tho Chevalier de Vaudery, Alontc Blue, as Danton, and many others of considerable note.

The second picture is ‘ The Man in the Shadow/ which is based upon the injustice done to a boy who is convicted and sentenced to death on circumstantial evidence, and the way in which his sweetheart clears his name. KING EDWARD Another excellent programme of pictures is to .be presented at the King Edward Theatre _ to-night ‘ Behind the Front ’ starring the two famous comedians Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton, is the chief feature while the ‘Tender Hour/ with Billie Dove and Ben Lyon in the title roles is tho second feature. The eighth episode of ‘The Silent Flyer ’ will also M screened.