THE STRAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 18, 12 April 1927, Page 12

THE STRAND

“THE ROAD TO MANDALAY” Drama, elemental and primitive, in a picturesque Eastern setting - , sweeps you along “ The Road to Mandalay,” in the picture screened at the Strand Theatre this week. Was Kipling right when he said, “ Never the twain shall meet?*' This dramatic thunderbolt depicts the meeting of East and West, shows you life through Oriental eyes, takes you through the mysterious haunts of Singapore and Mandalay, guides you through the picturesque maze of life in the Far East, and just think of the cast: Lon

Chaney, the man of a thousand faces, in a make-up that defies nature, as “ Singapore Joe,” the blind outcast whose name was feared from China to Malay. Owen Moore as “ the Admiral,” a renegade naval officer who won redemption through a pure girl. Lois Moran as Rosemary, a flower cherished by' everyone in Mandalay, and most of all by her unknown father. H. B. Walthall as Father James, the saintly priest, and brother of Singapore Joe. S jin, noted Japanese actor, as Chinee Charlie Wing, the sinister knifethrower of the Orient. It was directed by Tod Browning, who made “ The Unholy Three ” and “ The Blackbird,” and it’s a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer special I

Double encores and rapturous applause were the order of the evening at the Strand Theatre on Saturday night, for the huge audience simply would not let the Harris Family leave the* stage. They took curtain upon curtain, for every number seemed cleverer than the ° n A P rece ded it. The audience whistled and cheered and clapped, even though the number of items given had exceeded a dozen. These talented folks seem to grow on the public, and their versatility has never been equalled in any other musical family. They glide from one instrument to another, and make them look all so simple to play, that only those who have tried these many and varied instruments realise the master musicians these people are without a doubt. Connie is a cute comedienne, who will do great things some day, for she is only a child at present, and a winsome, winning child at that. Her duet with her sister, Mildred fairly brought down the house, and her dancing of the charleston while she played her violin is as clever as it is amusing. Mildred Harris’s'' harp solos are an artistic treat, for it is rarely one hears this beautiful and difficult instrument these days. Lez Harris delighted Saturday’s audience with his saxophone and Strolicello items. The daddy of the lot retains a sweetness in his fine baritone voice that captured every heart, for the old songs seem ever new when sung by those who love them and know how to sing them.