MAJESTIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 161, 28 September 1927, Page 15

MAJESTIC

LON CHANEY AS “MR. WU” The Majestic Theatre has been playing to capacity houses this week, “Mr. Wu” proving to be one of the best drawing films ever seen in Auckland. Lon Chaney—man of a thousand faces—has given the screen a new disguise. He has disguised a human soul instead of a human face—this is the secret of “Mr. Wu,” hiss new picture. Chaney transformed himself into a Chinaman in the stupendous drama now playing at the Majestic Theatre; he used his uncanny tricks of makeup, of course.—but the significant fact was not his face painted to portray one of another race.

His walk, his every little action—in fact, his very personality, turned Chinese for the picttire. It is said that he did it by studying Chinese customs, philosophy and literature, until he actually thought from a Chinese standpoint. It is a mighty character—this Chinese mandarin wise in the wisdom of ages of Chinese lore; wise in the newer wisdom of a European college; a grim nemesis pursuing with implacable hatred and certainty of doom, the English family from which he had suffered wrong, seems the living embodiment of the whole mysterious Orient. Renee Adore plays a Chines girl, his daughter. Her make-up is no less amazing than Chaney’s. The big scene is between Chaney and Louise Bresser, playing - the English mother, in the desperate duel of wits wherein she pits a woman’s intuition against the ancient wisdom of China to save her son’s life.

The supporting programme is of a very high standard, and consists of the ever popular and highly interesting Majestic News, an Eve’s Review, and a beautiful English scenic, “Up the River Coquet, Northumberland.” A very interesting New Zealand scenic is “The Milky Way,” which gives Aucklanders a chance to see the workings of a model New Zealand dairy farm. A highly-diverting juvenile comedy, “Grandpa’s Boy,” starring that charming little kiddie, “Big Boy,” and his inseparable pal. the dog, concludes the supporting programme. Mr. Jack Lumsdaine sings several popular and extremely numbers. “South of Shanghai,” his own composition, is rendered by the popular entertainer as a prelude to “Mr. Wu.” Under the conductorship of Mr. Whiteford-Waugh, the Majestic’s New Orchestra renders superbly Liszt’s very beautiful “Second Hungarian Rhapsody.” Other musical gems played are “Suite Orientale,” Popy; “Chanson Indoue,” Korsakoff; “Orientale,” Cui: “Chinese Festival,” Hagner; “Serenade,” Weber; and “Momento Caprici:osso,” Brigo.