THE SHOW'S THE THING

NZ Truth, Issue 1216, 21 March 1929, Page 11

THE SHOW'S THE THING

W__EN George M.- Cohan- used a ."■ Pekingese pup to poke fun at, society he evolved the plot of one of the funniest screen comedies of the year, m "The . Baby Cyclone," one of the Metrd-Gbldwyh-Mayer pictures featuring Lew Cody and Aileen pringle, which comes to the Regent on Friday. The other big production pf the evening features Greta- Garbo, who plays the exotic role' of a beautiful Russian spy m "Tho Mysterious Lady." It is a gripping drama of European military intrigue, firing hate and love; m quick succession. ■ • # * ■:"•'■ A FEW weeks ago, Audrey Lewis, the clever and versatile soubrette with Frank O'Brien's. "Revellers," no\v playing m Invercargill, joined the <'League of Notions" revue company m ton.This young artiste is a popular acquisition to the "League of Notions" company, and her reception m Wellington seems to "point to the fact that she is the right type "of favorite for the Fuller circuit.. '•''.''■ • - -■" •■'■'.. * '' PAVLOVA, the world's most 'famous dancer, is bringing ': to Australia (and we hope, New Zealand) .a company .of sixty performers, some of whom are classed as the world's best. Several new ballets will.be included m. the programmes. One of the most striking is "Giselle," m which Pavlova and her assistants created such.a sensation at Covent " Garden m London, The ballet is m two acts- with special music and scenery. It portrays the ' passionate,: but illstarred'love of Giselle, ,'tlie.; beautiful peasant, girl for the handsome Prince who,. travelling m disguise, attends the vintage harvest of the Rhine Valley. This Jlfeautiful dancing, .story, is a manifesTation • of; varying human emotion; innocent joyfulness, hope, fear, admiral ion and love, with ,, tragedy stalking m the background.; Pavlova lives her ever-varying part. . -.-...' * - * * ' . J7RANK O'BRIEN, the red-headed V comedian, who has been ';cau sing an epidemic of hysterics m Christc^urch and Invercargill, will' open with his clever company at His My jesty's Theatre, Wellington. „ near the end of theju-esent month. Hailing from England, Frank O'Brien has succeeded m introducing something .quite out of ' the ordinary m revue com-' panics. ' He never doubles -on a show, nor a joke, and each production comes with a freshness Ihat is, m itself,, refreshing. Frank O'Brien has an -inimitable style that cannot be aped, and his nightly confidential chat which concerns- the history of Adam and Eve is one oC the big treats that never fails to evoke, shrieks of laughter.. The "Revellers" are a clever band of artists who will be certain to please Wellington audiences. The "League of Notions" revue will depart from AVellington about tiie same time to spread the cheer gernis,. among the populace of Dunedin. ' • .

"THE WRECKER," . Arnold Ridley's 1 companion play to "The Ghost Train," which is coming to New Zealand shortly, . is produced by J. C. Williamson, Ltd., m conjunction with E. J. Carroll. In this gripping, drama, the author has again mg.de use of the railway atmosphere, which .he .so cleverly introduced into "The Ghost Train," and which was one' of the principal factors m its success. .., ■ .. „ Mr. Ridjey did not just happen on this atmosphere. He. knows the world of .the theatre inside and r qut, having worked for two years at the. famous Birmingham Repertory ' -Theatre with Sir Barry Jackson and Mr. John Drink - water. ..,.-' "' . * -''■ # - .;■#; .- PERHAPS feW. men, know more of me . romance of the footlights iri .the ;,Sotfthern Hemisphere than George Sheffield, recently appointed as house manager ;at ..His Majesty's Theatre, Wellington.

Having an-ived at an age when the accumulated w.i s - dom of his yea of -stagecraft . h given him . a tho ough knowledge his business, . he m a position car fully to ; attend' . his new duties. ( As j a mah of th st age he lr "shown" m pra tic. al l y cv c r city, town and vi lage 'in-Yjew Zei jand and has; ai. given; his turn ..-. ■ across the foot- George Sheffield. , lights m .-every Fuller theatre m the Commonwealth of Australia.-.- .','-... ;•' Like an old traveller coming home to rost, George • Sheffield, m taking over the management of Fullers' in -Well - mgtun, .is r settling down m his own home town. . Here's a welcome, George'

"pHALITA" is • the title of the first . record of the Tile Trot. This item was a special recording made to coincide with New Zealand's introduction to the latest, dance' craze. The serial number 'of "Chalita," by the way, is- Columbia 01428. , « * * # THE intimation given by Mr. E. J. 'Tait (managing director -of the noted J. C. Williamson firm) that "The Patsy" will come to New Zealand after i its record-breaking run m Australia, has given general, satisfaction throughout -New Zealand. , '.'",-■ This is proved by the fact that Mr. Bert Royle.^the New Zealand representative of -the firm, has been simply inundated .with applications from various districts "for dates. There is no question that dainty Irene/ Homer has proved a wonderful success m Australia. Thousands Yire still flocking to see this clever' little artiste m her inimitable role. . ' '■-/ ' • The other members of the company have, splendid roles. Eileen 'Sparkes, a most capable actress, is the Patsy's eldest sister; A'. S. Byron (first appearance) is- The Patsy's father 'j Sam Wren (first 'appearance), ■ is ■ a young' man very much 'm love; Brandon Peters (Jim, m "The Trial of Mary. Dugan") lis Patsy's boy friend and talented Vera-. Gerald-.is another. Y -.'■".. Y .-

VWHAT is claimed to be the biggest ** and most unique vaudeville show ever brought to Wellington will open at the Regent on Friday, March 29. "The World's Entertainers" combination consists of four outstanding acts. "Harmstbn's Comedy Cockatoos" are almost human m their intelligence/ Manelli is a juggler who manipulates eight and ten hoops at once. Jean McDonald, a charming little individual, introduces a novel and driginal marion-ette-show, while the fourth item m this combination is Evelyn May, a pretty danse'use, m an artistic exhibition of national dancing. , ' * *' V '?''■ AFTER having Hats, neckties, ch.ew- . ing gum and what-not named after them, 'prominent- film. 'stars will be pleased to learn somebody has now named a flower after one of their number. ■ "' .' •' Walter Tauer, supervisor of the nursery at Universal vCity,' has developed a new shade of violet- colored chrysanthemum which he 'lias named after Laura La Flante. The flower will be registered as a Laura La Plante chrysos' anthemos, the last part being the. botanical name for the pjant which tipsy persons can't pronounce. — DICHARD ARLEN, who will be remembered for his magnificent performance m "Wings," Paramount's epic of the air, has one. of the leading roles m another Paramount production, "Beggars of Life," which centres round hobo life. This production will be released m New Zealand this year. 'Other 'featured players m the cast are Wallace Beery and Louise Brooks. v .. ■'■-.-.■ # *'.■■'■' #. THE' application of sound to motion pictures is a new art and one m which daring experimenters (have a wide and- virgin, field." ln .which- to. display their genius. That which is at first thought to /be impossible often turns out to be practical, if the problem is attacked with energy, patience and brains. In the second issue of P.D.C. sound news, a new technology m sound picture recording has been achieved with the presentation' of a double-exposed sound track . as .- well as ' a doubleexposed picture.. " ; LIUNDREDS, of mountain and sea- ** coast "hide-aways" ' now exist to which a much-harassed star can retire into obscurity for a short while. • Wallace Beery, the Paramount plsyer, immediately following- the completion of his .latest' picture, "Chinatown Nights," went to a small cabin m the Sierras. Clara. Bow,, who will soon b.e- seen m "The Fleets-.. 1n", and "Three Week Ends," has sa cottage on an isolated stretch of Mailbu Beach, an hour's ride from Hollywood.' >. '■-. ' Tjie distant vacation resorts are made necessary because of- the lack ■of seclusion even -'.in the star's own home.