NATIONAL AND LYRIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 9, 1 April 1927, Page 11

NATIONAL AND LYRIC

SOMETHING FOR SCOUTS Every small boy who does one good deed a day, solemnly shakes with the left hand, and generally faithfully observes the precepts of the Boy Scout movement, should see “A Regular Scout,” which the National and Lyric Theatres are showing to-day. Fred Thomson, who vies only with Tom Mix in the hearts of the youth of to-day, rides to a glorious and hero-inspiring finale on Silver King, his wonder horse, in this film of the great American open spaces. Scouts play no unimportant part in “A Regular Scout.” The American lad, it will be noted, is as keen on his field work as is his New Zealand cousin. And when in a predicament, as was the case with young Buddy Munroe, his nerve does not fail him. While scaling a mountain young Buddy had the misfortune to slip. Suspended in a crevasse, the boy is seen swinging. Only a frayed rope stands between Buddy and a death too horrible to even contemplate. Quite naturally, of course, it falls to the lot of Fred Thomson, his heroic qualities never more in evidence than at this extremely critical juncture, to rescue the wriggling Buddy. A feature somewhat more novel and quite as interesting is the court scene in “A Regular Scout.” The picture, please note, follows the good old melodramatic rule of never omitting a court scene. But who would possibly imagine a court controlled by barekneed Boy Scouts?

The gallant hero, fearful for his neck as a result of a little shooting episode in which the villain rather inconvenimanaged to shoot himself, approached the court with some trepidation. His fears were really ungrounded “One day a year,” the sheriff -told him, “we hand the court over to the boys. They cannot do worse than we do.”

But what boy could ever contemplate hanging Fred Thomson, especially after seeing him at a rodeo mounted on Silver King? Too absurd for words Also on the new bill is “Friendly Enemies, ’a comedy in which Weber and Fields. well-known American comedians, play the leads Virginia Brown Faire and Jack Mulhall are also in the cast. “Dirty Hands,” one of the delightful child comedies, which are becoming increasingly popular, and an interesting Empire Bulletin, complete the programme.