PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 20058, 26 December 1928, Page 4

PICTURE THEATRES

DECENT Variety is the keynote oi the attractive programme at the Regent Theatre this week. Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton are still gaining in popularity as a comedy team, and their latest) effort wins them many new admirers. Californian hills and canyons near Hollywood furnish tlio bacA£round for their new melodramatic ol mountaineer life, ‘ The Big Killing. In selecting .the exteriors care was taken to choose scenery similar to that ol the mountain locale portrayed. Jhe log cabin homes ol the warring lain dies were constructed with great attention to detail, and are said to be perfect reproductions of homes in the section 01, the ' mountainous _ United Suites in which the picture is hud. Ihe story deals with an inicriamily lead in this backwoods section, a love affair which is its cause, and a pair ol circus performers, posing as sharpshooters, who are its cure. The second attraction is an oldfashioned Christmas pantomime which contains a sufficient proportion ol modern entertainment to make it palatable to the more modern critic. The story of Dick Whittington and his eat is told in a charming fashion Ivy a company of some forty -performers. 1 he brilliant costuming and the excellent dancing make for a spectacular production. Miss, Connie Karris takes the part of Dick Whittington, and is responsible for much oi the spontaneous humour which is a leature ol the entertainment. Mr Ed. Warrington, pro-ducer,-is the- principal comedian, and makes an excellent dame as Bridget the cook. The cast includes Mildred Karris, Gene Dort, Jack Garrard, Kitty. Kckhoff. Fred. Hodges. Frank Lillie, and Ivy Towe, The dancing is capably performed by the Sydney Regent Ballet, with the assistance of pupils ol the Otago School of Dancing. T lie supporting pictures i re of a high order, and a fine musical programme is rcndeied b\ the Regent Orchestra., STRAND That the popularity ol Mary Pickford, elotpicntly and aptly described as “the world’s lias not waned during her long absence Irom the screen lias been amply shown at the Strand Theatre this week. ‘My Best Girl 1 has attracted record houses and has scored a- remarkable success already. In her new picture Mary Pickford plays the rule ol Maggie, a little shop girl in a cheap store. Mr Merrill. the owner ol the store, decides that his son Joe should learn the business from the bottom, and starts him in a lowly position nnder_ an assumed name. In a very short time Joe and Mary fall madly in love, although Mary is not aware of Joe’s real ideality, lo please his mother Joe has become engaged to a wealthy girl ol the MerrilPs social set, a girl for whom he has plenty of affection but little real love. Joe’s'father is not in favenr of the eiimu'ement, Imt conforms to his wife s wishes i" the matter, while Joe himself begins to realise that he cares more for Maggie than for his fiancee. Mrs .Merrill plans a surprise dinner at a fashionable cale to announce 1 the engagement, hut Joe, now wholly in love with Maggie,- fails to attend, bringing Maggie to his own home for dinner instead. EMPIRE 'Chinatown Charlie,’ an hilarious comedy with Johnnie Hines m the leadin” role, is the premier attraction at Empire Theatre. In this new picture he is a guide on a sightseeing Inis conducting a lour ol New York’s China-' town, the Lower East Side, and the Bowery, stopping at the Old Boueiy Mission, the (anions Waxworks, and other places ol interest during the sequences. which are said to he filled with last and hilarious action. A splendid cast supports the stai in this film, which is an adaptation Irom the famous melocomic exi ravaganza by .Owen Davis. ‘Code of the Scarlet,' with the popular outdoor actor Ken Maynard, is the second main feature. The story is one of the Royal North-west Mounted Police. with the locale laid in the Canadian North-west. It deals with the protection offered the settlers in their, new home;'the gradual removal ot the Indians farther' north, following the invasion ol the while men; the trappers, and the law's efforts to protect them from thieves. Manuel Hyman continues to delight audiences nightly with his attractive playing and dancing. OCTAGON Lon Chancy, one oi the most (anions character actors on the screen, is the star of ‘The Big City.’ which, is now being screened at the Octagon Tin 1 airc. Chaney plays a gangster nn»r in this picture, a vivid romance ol the underworld mud New York's night HieMarecline Day is the heroine, a shop girl enmeshed in an underworld plot, and James Murray plays her sweetheart, a young gangster henchman ol 'Chancy. The story hinges on a love between die young" gangster, Ins sweetheart, and tbo gangster chief, with the hokl-np, a sensational police battle, and a gangster war as thrilling-incidentals. 'The Devil Dancer,' a fascinating story of Tibet, with Gilda Gray as the dancer, is The second feature. The delightful music'll programme played by the Octagon Orchestra adds materially lo the enjoyment of the evening. EVERYBODY’S ‘Hangman's- House,' the film version of Donu Byrne’s well-known novel, is the main pictorial attraction at Everybody’s Theatre. This is a typically Irish production, full of action and brimful of human interest. The story concerns an old Irish Chief Justice, who is known as ",Timmy- the Hangman.” The whole tale is well woven, and a pretty Irish Jove story runs through the film. June Collyer plays tlie part of Connaught O'Brien, the unwilling bride of a man whom she does not love, and whose past is concealed, with every good reason. In the second picture Miss, Dolores Costello shows her (.'bum to the position of one of the most popular of present-day stars. In ‘Heart of Maryland' she attempts an entirely different role The story is laid in the days of the American Civil War. and is taken from the book by David Belasco. The other attraction is ‘ Hangman’s House,’ in which Victor M’Laglen has the leading role. GRAND AND PLAZA ‘ Lone Hand Saunders.’ with popular Fred, Thomson in the starring role, heads the bill at-the Grand and Plaza Theatres. Fred. 'Thomson plays the part of a ranch owner, whose past life is a mystery. He befriends a crippled boy, and places him under the care of the assistant, matron at the town orphanage. Shortly after several holdups occur, and suspicion falls on him. However, with the aid of the assistant matron he traps the real bandit into a confession, and a happy ending is reached. ‘ More Pay, Less Work’ is the second picture. It is adapted from the story by Peter-B. Kyne, which tells of the famous Cappy Kicks and his daughter’s love for his greatest rival. .The principal roles are tilled by Mary Brian and Buddy Rodgers. ,

Two outstanding productions will be screened on Friday—‘ The Big Show ■ and ‘Finnegan’s Ball.’ KING EDWARD ‘Sadie Thompson.’ the daring picture version ot W. Somerset Maugham’s widely-discussed novel, Ram, will be screened at the King Edward Theatre to-night. Gloria Swanson is considered to have the finest role ol her career in this production, which is one of the most imwerlul, dramas screened here for a long time. Lionel Barrymore heads a strong supporting cast. ROSLYH Seldom is a stage play preceded by the film, but to-night, at the Roslyn Theatre, the highly successful comedy bv Barry Connors, ‘ The Patsy,’ will be screened actually before the stage version reaches Dunedin. One of the funniest, most romantic, and most entertaining comedies of this year or any other, it is crammed lull of laughs. Marion Davies who is entrusted with the name part, is superb j v/liilOs those ably " supporting arc Marie Dressier, Lawrence Gray, Hrvibe Caldwell, Juno Win ton. Del Henderson, and others. The supporting items includes a news film, scenic, comedy, etc.