DRAMA ON THE SEAS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 352, 12 May 1928, Page 15

DRAMA ON THE SEAS

MAJESTIC’S BIG BILL Balance, the careful weighing up of thrills and the humour, the drama and sentiment, the love interest and hate interest so that they gave a pleasing equilibrium, has been sought afte® not unsuccessfully by the Majestic management, this week. The gamut of emotion from yells of laughter to the involuntary “oolis” of horror, will be achieved nightly by the crowded houses. The bill is particularly rich in straight-out backbonetickling drama and in riotous pieflinging comedy. In lesser proportions are all the other elements. Red-blooded has lost most of its red corpuscles as an adjective. Innumerable are the films which have masqueraded under its publicity virtue, and innumerable are the people who have registered a vow never to be deceived again. Taking into consideration all of this, one may yet say'that “The Blood Ship” once more brings out the full meaning of the epithet. Masefield’s “Cape Horn Gospel” might prepare one for some of the times aboard the Yankee hell ship “The Golden Bough.” You may remember: “Jake was a dirty Dago lad and he gave the skipper chin, And the skipper up an’ took him a crack with an iron belayin’ pin.” In this instance the two-handed captain had a little provocation, but the man who ran “The Golden Bough” did not need provocation; he adopted the economical way of so abusing his crew that they always ran off at the first port without pay. Then the skipper shanghaied a new draft and started the old game again. But Xemesis was waiting for this bloody master in the por*t of San Francisco, where at the down-town resort of “Knitting Swede’s” (the Swede is a delectable old villain, admirably played) he picked up two sailormen who were to be more than a handful before the trick was over. “The Blood Ship” goes dipping through adventurous seas. Violence and mutiny, romance and tragedy tread

her decks and right prevails, though it looks as though the murder of the mate and the skipper is going to take some explaining at the first nautical inquiry. The climax is rather “out of the box.” Hobart Bosvorth is back as a great old sea dog, and

Jacqueline Logan Richard Arlen uses his fists on behalf of the delightful Jacqueline Logan. Under Mr. J. Whiteford Waugh, the Majestic Orchestra plays a special score for the picture, including Wagner's spirited “The Flying Dutchman” as the overture. In a pleasing prologue the Majestic Quartet sings a batch of sea shanties to put the audience in the proper atmosphere. Brightly satirical of “Is That So,” the boxing play, and ( of the recent Tunney-Dempsey fight." a comedy of a

would-be champion of the ring makes first-class viewing. Though he knew little of the craft of the squared circle, the hero was a tryer. His manager soon discovered that the only possibility of a big purse was to collect on the coming champion’s insurance policy. Everything was going splendidly

until a pie maker took umbrage and soon the whole of the town was involved in the most glorious pie fight yet filmed. Among the lesser attractions are a fable cartoon, and a picture of Christ-

church, “The Cathedral City.” The excellent news gazette lias one outstanding item, that of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales winning the Welsh Guards* steeplechase and taking all the fences with hardly a shift from his saddle. He romps home amid the cheers of the crowd.