Round The Shows

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 408, 17 July 1928, Page 15

Round The Shows

MAJESTIC “SADIE THOMPSON” “Sadie,” the notorious character from W. Somerset Maugham’s sensational play, “Rain,” which has been adapted to the screen as “Sadie Thompson,” is attracting unprecedented crowds to the Majestic Theatre, where a most attractive pictorial, and musical programme, is being presented. Taking its title from the name or the heroine, “Sadie Thompson” was adapted from W. Somerset JMaugham s widely read South Seas story, “Miss Thompson”—the story of an amazing conflict between an outcast of San Francisco’s underworld and a reformer who seeks to remould her life more nearly in keeping with his own ideas. It is a tale of simple desires and selfish ambitions. breath-taking in its emotional intensity and startling in its climax. Its characters are flesh-and blood personalities whose joys and sorrows and weaknesses and ideals come within the understanding of everyday folk everywhere. Miss Swanson plays “Sadie Thompson,” the pathetic outcast who is plunged to the depths of misery through the influence of the despotic reformer, “Alfred Atkinson.” During the production of “Sadie Thompson,” the producer-star repeatedly remarked that she had never played a character which held her interest so closely, nor one the spirit and “feeling” of which she could enter into with such complete abandon. The supporting programme is bright and varied, and is composed of the popular Majestic Magazine, with latest world news, a very beautiful Irish scenic, “By Killarney’s Lakes and Fells,” an Eve’s Review and glimpses into the famous Kit Kat night club in London, and a very laughable comedy “Leave ’Em Laughing,” with those merry fun-makers, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. The Harris Sisters Mildred and Connie,” present a delightful musical programme, and add greatly to the success of the entertainment. Between them, they play the piano, harp, violin, trombone and concertina, while Connie is also a vivacious soubrette. A most beautiful musical programme is rendered by Mr. Whiteford-Waugh’s popular Majestic Orchestra. This talented combintaion includes among the many musical gems rendered “Angelus” (Matt), “Andante from Symphony No. 1” (Schuman), “The Lady of the Rose Waltz.” the ballet music from “William Tell,” and “Scherzando” from “Symphony in F Major” (Beethoven). Then comes “Sadie Thompson.” LYRIC “SALLY IN OUR ALLEY” A delightfully whimsical tale, with an added flavour of humour and pathos, called “Sally in Our Alley,” is now showing at the Lyric Theatre. its beautiful situations make one believe he is witnessing a fantasy, but then conies the realisation that the characters are real and decidedly human. It is sentimental, but then again its sentiment rings true. From the tenements to a luxurious home the sympathetic heroine battles against the problem of wealth and social position versus kindness and unselfishness. Every movement in the picture wall bring another thought to mind, of Cinderella, Peter Pan, Pollyanna, and just as you are disappointed in the fact that like all others she will after all marry her wealthy Prince Charming, the story takes a decided twist and we find the heroine returning to her real love.

PRINCESS AND TIVOLI

“BURNING DAYLIGHT” “Burning Daylight,” starring Milton Sills, will be shown again at the Princess and Tivoli Theatre this evening. In the story Milton Sills portrays “Daylight,” a fighting and hard working miner in the Alaskan goldfields. Playing one of his famous hunches. Daylight, with his friend Louie, starts for site which later becomes the boom city of Dawson to stake out a claim. Virginia, a dancing girl, persuades them to take her along, and after a desperate fight with a wolf pack, they reach their destination. A year later Daylight’s hunch has proven right. The city of Dawson has sprung up overnight, and immense fortunes are made, the largest of which is Daylight’s. He sells out his tremendous holdings for several million dollars, and, true to his promise, leaved Alaska. Louie goes along and Virginia persuades them to take her as secretary. “Burning Daylight” is the picturisation of Jack London’s famous story, and provides an ideal vehicle for Milton Sills. The charming Doris Kenyon is seen opposite the star, and a big cast, including Arthur Stone, “Big Boy” Williams, Lawford Davidson and many other favourites, was provided. “Won in the Clouds,” the second feature on the programme, stars A 1 Wilson in a story of air thrills, one of which is the rescue of explorers captured by natives in the heart of Africa. PRINCE EDWARD ADOLPHE MENJOU TO-NIGHT “Serenade,” Adolphe Menjou’s latest and most charming picture, will be shown this evening at the Prince Edward Theatre. “Serenade’ ’is a story of Vienna, and of young Franz Rossi (played by Menjou), a musical composer, who loves deeply beautiful Gretchen Lenz. Under the girl’s inspiration, Frank writes his first big success, “Gretchen,” a love song dedicated to her. The supporting cast includes Kathryn Carver, Lawrence Grant, and Lina Basquette. “Square Crooks,” a comedy-drama of burglars who wanted to reform, but could not, will also be shown, featuring John Mack Brown and Robert Armstrong.

NEW REGENT LAST NIGHT OF SEA-LIONS “Sporting Goods,” the highly amus- i mg picture now being shown at the New Regent Theatre, nas been acclaimed as tne best eve. made by that popular actor, Richard Dix. In “Sporting Goods. Dix plays the role of a traveler in golf suits who is mistaken for a millionaire by a very pretty girl with whom he has fallen in love. When he arrives at Pasadena, he Is installed in the most expensive suite in the hotel. He hasn’t a dime, but. he keeps up the deception, getting into deeper and deeper complications when the girl arrives. He hopes to get out by selling a big order of golf suits to Ford Sterling, the merchant, but before he can close the deal the hotel management and Philip Strange, who also loves the girl, have begun to suspect him. Dix has a terrible time on the golf links, when the ' girl and Strange arrive just as he is demonstrating the suit to Sterling. Philip Strange tries to trap him later, and in a crooked poker game almost succeeds. The demonstration results in a big order, ar.d everything looks rosy when complications pile up again. The hotel demands payment. Sterling cancels his order because a sample suit has stretched. And the millionaire returns to find his room robbed of several suits. Captain Winston’s sea lions and Diving Nymphs, whose performances in a huge tank on the stage have been amazing everyone, will appear for the last time this evening. # Musical accompaniment is provided by Mr. Maurice Guttridge and the Regent Operatic Orchestra. FLORRIE LE VERE AT REGENT TO-MORROW One of the most artistic overseas acts yet secured by the Regent Theatre is that presented by Miss Florrie Le Vere, a brilliant American comedienne, who specialises in up-to-date songs, modern and eccentric dancing, and imitative work. Scintillating at the- top of the Orpheum bill in the big American centres. Miss Le Vere is a star artist who should score heavily when she appears at the Regent Theatre to-mor-row. Critics are unanimous in their tribute to her many-sided qualities, emphasising her personal charm, li€;r appealing delivery of songs, and her remarkable art as a dancer and impersonator. Associated with Miss Le Vere as accompanist and coadjutor is Lou Handman, a pianist and composer of no small attainments. He, too, has a keen sense of what the public like, as is evidenced in his wide range of popular jazz successes. Numbered amongst these are “Charleston Me Back to Charleston,” “My Sweetie” and other lilting melodies charmingly sung by Miss Le Vere in their unique presentation of melody hits. LECTURE AT UNIVERSITY TRENDS IN PSYCHOLOGY A free public lecture will be delivered in the University Hall to-night by the Professor of Education, Dr. Fitt, on animal and abnormal psychology, being the first in a series of three lectures dealing with the latest trend in psychology.

STRAND “ANNA KARENINA” Many hundreds of picturegoers have been attracted to the Theatre since the opening of “Anna Karenina last Friday evening. The screen’s greatest lovers, Greta Garbo and John Gilbert, are being presented in Tolstoy’s immortal tale oi love defying the world. . The new picture is a vivid tale ot Russian life in court circles before the revolution. John Gilbert and Oieta Garbo, who scored so sensationally in “Flesh and the Devil,” appear together for the first time since that production, Gilbert as Count Vronsky and Miss Garbo as the tragic Anna. Others in the cast, besides the former Russian officers, were George Fawcett as the Grand Duke, Brandon Hurst as Count Karenina, Emily Fitzroy, Philippe De Lacy, and others of note. Edmund Goulding, noted for “Women Love Diamonds,” “Paris,” and others, directed the new production. Just as Spanish music was the keynote to the orchestral programme arranged by Eve Bentley for The Gaueho,” "this week the prevailing themes are Russian, as the scenes of Tovstov’s immortal drama are set in ' Russia. Among the incidental music rendered by Eve Bentley s popular Strand Symphony Orchestra, are. “Canzonetta” (Tschaikowsky) ); Swan song-," from -Lohengrin” GY a finer) ; "Russian Scenes” (Trimel), Three Songs” (Brahms), and ‘‘Schummerlied (Schumann). "Marche Slave' (Tschaikowsky) is specially featured as the overture. . _ . A verv spectacular Russian dance introduction is “The Coppelia Ballet which is staged as a prologue to Anna Karenina.” The story of this ballet is taken from "Tales of Hoffman, by Offenbach. . “Rainy Days” is the title of the latest “Our Gang” comedy, which has an important part on the supporting piogramme at the Strand. hippodrome TOM MIX TO-MORROW “Daredevil’s Reward.” a Fox Filins production starring Tom Mix, \\hich will commence at the Hippodrome Theatre to-morrow, is a colourful story of a Texas Ranger who is compelled to hold up a stage in order- to foil the efforts of a gang of bandits. Accused and betrayed by the girl whom he has grown to love, Mix stages a smashing

comeback and proves to her j his unquestionable i honesty. In order to outwit the outlaws Mix assumes the role of a wandering quack doctor and with the help of Sim Tweedy, his assistant, stages a medicine . show in order to | get into the good graces of the gang. The lovely face

of Ena Powell throws Tom off his guard, and he unwittingly extracts the wrong tooth from one of his patients. Forced to flee for their lives, Tom and Sim wreck most of the town in trying to escape the wrath of the victim and his friends. The story is brought to a smashing climax with the disclosure of himself as one of the dreaded rangers and the capture of the outlaws. The cast includes Xatalie Joyce, Lawford Davidson, Billy Bletcher and Harry Cording. The second attraction will be “Is Zat So,” starring Edmund Lowe and George O’Brien, in an amusing story of a reformed, boxer.