AMUSEMENTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 December 1927, Page 1

AMUSEMENTS.

EVERYBQDYS’ PICTURES “ SYNCOPATING SUE TO-XIGH'I The natural assumption would bo that the last place in the world to find a sense of humour would be an undertaker’s parlour. Yet it was from the funereal atmosphere that the motion picture business obtained one of its foremost directors of comedy, Richard Wallace, who handled the megaphone on •• Syncopating Sue,” Corinne Griffith s latest comedy starring vehicle tube shown this (Eriday) evening at the Princess Theatre. Wallace had too keen a sense of humour to he an undertaker, and so decided to resign from the undertaking business and became a vaudeville actor. As an actor Wallace who was born in Sacramento California, played in vaudeville skits in the West and the Middle Western States, and then tried his hand at the picture game, doing to Hollywood, he aligned himself with Mack Sennett, the acknowledged “ father ” of screen comedy, and got his first insight into pic-ture-making as a film cutter. A few months in the cutting room and Wallace was entrusted with more important duties. He co-dirocted one comedy with the late William Desmond Taylor and followed this up with this direction of several series of short comedies., To launch into the style of the title writer: Then came the war. His share in the fracas was the cutting and editing of the official war films in tin Signal Corps’ photographic laboratories in Washington. After the war Wallace returned to the picture field, first as a film distributor, and then, after having edited “ The Connecticut Yankee,” he again picked up the megaphone. He directed Ruck Jones and Eileen Percy in a number of pictures, going back to Sennett to direct Ren Turpin in a series.

A first-class supporting series will also be presented to-night, including the first episodes of the new serial, “ Fighting with Ruffalo Hill.” and a good comedy. The topical film extraordinary: “The. Eucharistic” Congress will also be shown, and the prices are ns usual.