Round The Shows

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 322, 5 April 1928, Page 17

Round The Shows

MAJESTIC LAST NIGHT OF “QUALITY STREET” The popular programme at the Majestic Theatre, which has been attracting record houses all the week, will have its final screening this evening. “Quality Street,” from the famous stage play of Sir James Barrie, is the chief attraction. Against a background of old l'ural England, Marion Davies brings to life again the “Phoebe Throssel,” that millions love. Her young womanhood, the loss of her lover" her 10 years’ teaching school to the village youngsters, with its pity, scandal and unconscious humour, and the return of her love.r when Phoebe battles with her appearance and manners—all are told with great artistry, engrossing interest and Marion Davies’s delicate personal charm. As Dr. Valentine Brown, Phoebe’s lover, Conrad Nagel gives an inspired performance. “Quality Street” has been directed with superb effect by Sydney Franklin. The "Barrie touch” he lias achieved must be seen to be believed. The beautiful musical programme which has delighted all will also have its last presentation. “Hajre Kati,” a very beautiful composition, is specially featured as the overture. A hilarious Max Davidson comedy, “The Call of the Cuckoo,” a very interesting New Zealand spenic. “Farm Days,” showing the sheepfarming industry as it is carried on in Hawke’s Bay, and the popular Majestic Magazine, concludes a very notable programme, and one which no one should miss. Beginning on Saturday is a unique Easter attraction, “Buttons/’ a spectacular modern romance of the sea, with Lars Hanson, Gertrude Olmsted. Roy D’Arcy, Polly Moran, Paul Hursf and Jackie Coogan as "Buttons.” It is a sensational and heart-grip-ping adventure that Jackie undergoes in the story—a vivid tale of loyalty, danger and thrills, woven about with a great deal of comedy. It is something entirely new both to the screen and to Jackie, and one of the really interesting big novelties of the screen this season. A hilarious comedy, “Putting Pants on Phillip,” the ever-popular Majestic Magazine, and a New Zealand scenic, “Wheatgrowing,” conclude the programme. The usual high-class musical programme will be played by Mr. White - ford-Waugh’s Majestic Orchestra, which will give a descriptive orchestral novelty, “In a Bird Store.”

NEW REGENT LAST HEAT OF DIVING CONTEST Til© last lieat of the women’s diving contest will take place .at the New Regent to-night. The contest has drawn crowded houses throughout the week, and extraordinary interest and enthusiasm have been aroused by the high standard of diving discovered, and the closeness of points won by many of the competitors. The judges, appointed by the Auckland Centre of the New Zealand Swimming Association, have been surprised at the excellent diving. There is no question that the inauguration of this unique stage competition has given a remarkaoie impetus to diving in Auckland, and the award of*gold medals to the three champions will be awaited with much interest. The winners of the heats conducted throughout the past week will meet on the stage on Saturday night to compete in the semi-finals. Twenty semi-finalists will dive off each night for four nights, and the aggregate points will decide the finalists who will dive on Thursday next. The final screening will be given tonight of “Get Your Man,” starring Clara Bow. "The Spotlight." starring Esther Ralston and Xeil Hamilton, will be the chief pictorial attraction on Saturday. "The Spotlight" is more than a story o£ the stage. It is the story of real life, real love, and the problems that life and love bring; only the problems confronted by Esther Ralston as Lizzie Stokes are a little more involved than those that are encountered by the average person. A wistful little girl. whose true beauty is hidden behind a sensitive mask of plainness, suddenly finds herself changed into a glittering butterfly, the toast of Broadway. She has to pay a price for reaching the pinnacle of stage success, however—a price that seriously menaces her chances for the love and happiness she has always craved. A strong supporting programme will include a Regent Review, an Australian Gazette, a cartoon and screen comedy, while a first-class musical programme will be given by Maurice Guttridge and the Regent Operatic Orchestra. Leslie Harvey playing R.ubenstein’s "Melody in F” and ‘•'Charmaine.”

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has acquired the motion picture rights to the play, "Four Walls.” which recently completed a long run on Broadway, New York. No announcement is yet made as to director and cast.

' EVERYBODY’S “THE KING OF KINGS” “The King of Kings” began its fourth week at Everybody’s Theatre last night, where it continues to attract large audiences. The Way of Sorrows travelled by Jesus from the palace of Herod to the execution ground. Contrary to popular belief, this was not one road, but a succession of streets, with a number of turnings, and now and again broken by flights of steps. Tho so-called Street of David, in the modern Jerusalem, is a part of it. In order to properly present the scenes along the Via Dolorosa, the producer was obliged to reconstruct the crowded city quarter of Jerusalem, showing the marts, the flanking alleyways, the long side passages, the curious overhead niches or balconies, and the different levels or terraces of the building construction. The stations of the Cross, immemorially dramatised by the Christian Church, along this tragic way, have been presented by Mr. De Mille with due reverence and artistry. “CHANG” MARVELLOUS MELODRAMA In “Chang,” Merian C. Cooper and Ernest Sehoedsack have given the world a picture that is nothing short of marvellous. The whole drama of the picture is played in the jungle It is the soul of the wild. Here is a little, family—father, mother, children, and an almost human gibbon monkey. They carve from the jungle a tiny clearing, build a house on stilts, to be protected from the wild animals. It is all marvellous melodrama, a human story, set against the pitiless jungle background, with intimate glimpses of wild animals that baffle description. “Chang” will be shown at the New Regent Theatre on Friday, April 13. Abandoning the opportunity of playing the role of “Loreli” in the London stage production of “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” in favour of a motion picture career, Sylvia Beecher, a beautiful 19-years-old blonde has signed a contract with Metro-Gold- | wyn-Mayer.

“THE RINGER” AT HIS MAJESTY’S ON SATURDAY The box plans for the Maui-ice Mos'covitcli season, which begins at Mis Majesty’s Theatre on Saturday night next, are now open at Lewis R. Eady’s, and judging by the booking the initial New Zealand production of Edgar Wallace’s great mystifying drama, “The Ringer,” will be greeted by a full house. The plans during the holidays will, be on view- at Mis Majesty's Theatre office, and day-sale tickets may be purchased at M.M. Theatre confectionery shop. A full lighting and scenery rehearsal will take place this afternoon, so there will be no ‘ possibility of a hitch occurring on j Saturday night. There has never been j a more popular actor than Mr. Mos- j coviteh in New Zealand, and this j popularity he has won in a number of ] brilliant characterisations. His excellent performance in “The Outsider” and his brilliant conception of the role of Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice,” will always live in the memory of playgoers. Xow, however, we are told that his best and most successful portrayal is that of Maurice Meister in “The Ringer.” “The Ringer” has been described :as one of the most gripping plays I ever presented to a London audience. | and that it will be equally acceptable to Xew Zealand theatre-goers would appear almost a certainty. The quality of the acting is on a par with that of the play, for the various characters have been most carefully allotted, and in some cases—notably that of Dr. Lomond, the weird divisional surgeon of Scotland Yard, played so convincingly by Mr. Patric Curwen —the artists have been specially engaged from London. Moscovitch as Maurice Meister. the “crook” solicitor who makes friends with the denizens of the underworld, and robs and betrays them in the most callous manner. has never been seen or heard to better advantage. His acting throughout is of the highest order, and in some of the more dramatic scenes he rises to flights rarely reached by the world’s greatest actors. Moscovitch is by a particularly strong company, including Mr. Patric Curwen, Mr. Xat Madison, Mr. Reginald Xewson. Mr. Ashton Jarry, Mr. Mai Percy, Miss Mary MacGregor. Miss Bertha Riccardo. Miss Kiore King (a Xew Zealand girl). Mr. George Blunt. Mr. John Dunne, Mr. Leslie Donaghey and others.