PRINCESS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 133, 26 August 1927, Page 14

PRINCESS

TWO GOOD COMEDIES Two rattling good comedies and one excellent drama are featured on the bill of fare which was given its initial presentation at the Princess Theatre last night. The programme holds its interest throughout and there is no one who could not find unalloyed entertainment. First we have “Seven Days,” an A 1 Christie comedy of complications. Lillian Rich and Creighton Hale, with a picked cast, lead the audience through a maze of happy scenes. How a man called a party to celebrate the anniversary of his divorce, and started things moving in a different direction is an outline of what to expect. There are some screamingly funny scenes in the house which shelters a burglar and a sleeping policeman and laughs cannot remain hidden when viewing this production. “Babe Comes Home,” a drama of a girl and the game, is the only feature him of Babe Ruth, known as America’s greatest baseball player. He has associated with him Anna Q. Nilsson, Louise Fazenda and a host of stars. A clever story is woven round the baseball arena and here the picture patrons have a golden opportunity of witnessing Babe Ruth in action. There is a delightful love story running through the film as well as plenty of action which never fails to please. Then comes the popular Reginald Denny in what must rank as his finest comedy production yet seen. Supported by Gertrude Olmstead and an excellent cast, Reginald Denny dashes through entertaining scenes in “The Cheerful Fraud.” It is a comedy of a new type, with clever situations, fast-moving .scenes and an unexpected plot, and leaves nothing to be desired in the way of entertainment. Good supports are also provided. THE KID BROTHER NEW LLOYD PICTURE The life story of Harold Lloyd has been told and retold countless times, but there is one part of his early career that has been passed over, and which came back vividly to Harold when he was making “The Kid Brother” his next picture for Paramount. So much time was spent working outdoors in “The Kid Brother” that it brought back to his memory the days when Westlake Park and Hollenbeck, in Los Angeles, were the only studios he could have his mail addressed to. That was in the days just before he introduced his Lonesome Luke characterisation, and soon after he had become affiliated with Hal Roach. “As soon as our finances permitted we rented studio space. But I will never forget those days, with all their hard work, and the many difficulties we had to overcome to produce pictures of a standard acceptable to our distributors, and yet within our financial resources.” Now Lloyd has every possible resource at his command, and apparently he has taken advantage of them in the making of “The Kid Brother,” for again he has a picture that will keep the crowds patiently waiting a chance to get a glimpse at his new work. “In those days old Sol \«is the only electrician on our pay-roll, and he was a mighty cheap one at that. Our comedies were made in their entirety in the sunlight, for our finances were very limited and very meagre. We had to conserve every penny in production. However, as the returns from each picture came back to us, we threw our surplus right back into the next picture, and consequently it was not long before we were making comedies that ranked fairly high for those early days of picture-making.” SORRELL AND SON NEW CONTRACT SIGNED Herbert. Brenon recently announced from Los Angeles that he has signed Alice Joyce and Mickey Mcßann for roles in “Sorrell and Son.” James Wong Howe has been signed by Brenon as chief photographer for this first Herbert Brenon poduction for United Artists. Miss Joyce will play Fanny Garland, woman friend of Stephen Sorrell during the Hotel Angel sequences. Young Mcßann, who played in Mr. Brenon’s “Peter Pan,” and also the part of John in “Beau Geste,” will appear in “Sorrell and Son” at Kit, the boy. Mr. Brenon said no actor has as yet been signed for either the role of Stephen or Kit, although he is seeking the players indicated as the public’s selection for these parts.