PLAZA AND TIVOLI

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 534, 11 December 1928, Page 17

PLAZA AND TIVOLI

“HOT HEELS” Glenn Tryon ploughs his. way through a maze of circumstances, both comic and dramatic, extracting every possible laugh from the story of “Hot Heels,” the Universal comedy which is now being shown at the Plaza and Tivoli Theatres. Although the entire picture' fs permeated with humour, there .are two incidents which stand out as being among the comedy gems of film history. The first is a small-town troupe putting on a race-track melodrama for an unappreciative and tiny audience. This is pure burlesque, but it touches the funny-bone and incidentally gives a rare picture of the real life of one of these “ham” troupes. The other gem is the Apache dance put on by Tryon and Patsy Ruth Miller, in which Tryon takes the place of her regular partner. They mean every one of the blows in this strenuous dance, for they have been fighting just previous to the dance. And the audience applauds their efforts soundly. “Hot Heels” is also featured by what is probably the most thrilling steeplechase race ever run for the screen, full of spills, tremendous leaps, and dangerous, narrow escapes. Gretel Yoltz is good as the snappy chorus girl, as are Lloyd Whitlock, as the villain, Tod Sloan as the elderly jockey, and James Bradbury, sen., as Mr. Finch. Another bright comedy is the second picture, “The Head Man,” a skit on the small American politician. Charlie Murray is the. star and enlivens every scene in which lie appears.