Round the Shows

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 128, 20 August 1927, Page 14

Round the Shows

TIVOLI THEATRE PICTURES AND VAUDEVILLE Bits of sparkling: comedy tossed along on surging waves of dramatic action feature, “The Imposter,” the latest Evelyn Brent production for Paramount pictures is now being shown at the Tivoli Theatre. Vivid, throbbing chunks of action, raging in scope from Gotham’s underworld to fashionable society on Long Island, arc tensely bound together with a thrilling story of a girl’s desperate fight to save her brother from prison. The splendid acting of Miss Brent is given full play in this powerful human drama, from the appealing emotion of the scene in which she is ordered from the house by her stern father, to the delightful episode when, as Canada Nell, a girl of the streets, she impersonates her real self at a formal garden party, under the watchful gaze of the suave jewel crook. Director Chet Withey plays over the whole range of human emotions, from scintillating humour to the deepest pathos, with Miss Brent and her able cast as the sympathetic instruments responding to his touch. That elusive quality, universay appeal, is embodied in a high degree in the picture, which Mas adapted by Ewart Adamson from the story of Clifford Howard. Few screen stories of recent months have been so thoroughly satisfying to the discriminating spectator.

“THE ROUGH RIDERS” THOUSANDS IN SCENE B'ive hundred six-shooters popping through the foliage of trees while men, women and children scrambled over benches in a confused, frightened mob, presents one of the most exciting occasions in history. There were no casualties, however, for the scene was re-enactment of San Amtonio’s famous farewell party for “The Rough Riders,” and the human stampede was under the complete control of Victor Fleming, Paramount Director. Nearly a thousand persons were used in this historical sequence. The scene was filmed exactly as it occurred in 1898 when San Antonio tendered a great party to Roosevelt’s regiment at Riverside Park. A band concert was in progress. In attendance were hundreds of Rough Riders, Texas' belles, old men, old women and children in arms. The band played “The Cavalry Charge” and at a signal the bass drummer fired a pistol. To help him out all the Rough Riders drew their sixshooters and shot out the park lights while the crowd engaged in a mad scramble for safety. The band, including the drummer, left in a panic, buggies, bicycles, and the horses of the Rough Riders, help clutter up the landscape in a distinctly old-fashioned way. Participating in the sequence were Mary Astor, Charles Farrell, Charles Emmett Mack, Noah Beery, George Bancroft, Fred Kohler, and hundreds of extra players. Linen dusters, big hats, veils, all the paraphernalia in fashion a generation hack, were in evidence.

PRINCE EDWARD “THE RED MILL” “Comedy is the university of the screen.” So declares Louise Fazenda, pioneer Keystone comedienne, and now a famous character artist of the screen.

who holds that comedies have proved the door to her acting success. “Comedy,” she says, “teaches one to act better because one learns to compress so many fleeting emotions into sc short a. space.” Miss Fazenda plays the role of Grotchen in Marion Davies’ new Cosmopolitan starring

vehicle, “The Red Mill,” which will be shown at the Prince Edward Theatre to-night. It is a dramatic story of Holland, adapted from the famous musical comedy of the same name, with Owen Moore, Miss Fazenda, Snitz Edwards, Karl Dane and a notable supporting cast. “SPECIAL DELIVERY” CANTOR AS STAR Having established a new record for the Paramount Corporation’s stars by crashing Paramount's honour roll of tOliS with his first picture, "Kid Boots,” Eddie Cantor, has, in his second Paramount comedy, "Special Delivery,” definitely established himself in the front rank of screen comedians. With his famous eyes of saucer-like roundness and size—with his gamine-f-que features and knowing grin and his instinctive sensitiveness to druriiatic values, Cantor has leaped from screen obscurity to full stardom in his own right almost overnight. In “Special Delivery,” Cantor hits liis strides as a screen comedian. Comedy with him is a serious business and he takes it seriously. In his second production he has been at once author, star and chief gag man. MUNICIPAL CONCERT OPERATIC CONCERT 10-NIGHT The Municipal Band continues the above series of concerts in the Town Hall to-night, with an “all-operatic” programme. A noble selection from Wagner's "Die Walkure,” is the outstanding item; this will be found to be a tone picture of much beauty in which all the leading motives will be heard. In lighter vein is a selection from "Faust.” and the overture "Nabuccodonosor.” A novelty specially arranged for the band and heard for the first time at these concerts is a dainty march from Mozart’s opera “Idomeneo.” Operatic vocal excerpts will be sung by Miss Alma McGruer and Mr. Jean Dellore. and instrumental solos by Messrs. Bowes and McLennan. CLARA BOW BOXER’S MASCOT Clira Bow has been elected queen of “The Leather Pushers.” A square jawed ambassador of the professional boxing fraternity of Los Angeles and Hollywood announced the distinction to her with the explanation that the organisation is composed exclusively of young men who furnish the main events and preliminaries on the Southern California wheel of fight stadiums. A prize fight between Reed Howes, her leading man and Charles Sullivan, a . professional, is a feature of Miss 7TJ}' v K , P ew Paramount production ■Rough House Rosie.” It was Sullivan OSed I J er as mascot of the fcorambled ear clan.