Round the Shows

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 601, 1 March 1929, Page 14

Round the Shows

LYRIC “THE PASSING OF MR. QUINN’ An unusual society drama entitled “The Passing of Mr. Quinn,” will be shown at tlie Lyric Theatre this evening. It is an outstanding British production, secured by tlie United Artists for release throughout tlie world through their organisation. The story revolves round three people—typical English types. The first is Professor Appleby. The dividing line between genius and insanity is a very thin one, and Appleby wgjs on the border. Although a brilliant scientist, be had a cruel and sinister side to his character. The second character is Mrs. Appleby, tlie chief object of the professor’s cruelty, whose unhappy married life, combined with her trial for murder, has reduced her to a state of nervous exhaustion. She obviously has had the motive and opportunity to poison her husband. This difficult role is ably played by Trilby Clark. The third character is the family doctor and friend, Dr. Alec Portal. He was powerless to help Mrs. Appleby; but after her husband’s death, although his patient left the country after facing trial fur murder, he could not forget her and eventually made her his wife. But shadows of past events gradually brought the canker of doubt into their happiness, and this was not removed until after a most exciting climax. Stewart Rome heads the large cast in the role of Dr. Portal. The other characters are all well portrayed by actors who mostly have had experience on the London stage. The production is notable for the clear photography and the authenticity of the English settings and backgrounds. Enjoyable supporting pictures will also be shown, including a Shirley Mason comedy, “The "Wife’s Relations.

PRINCE EDWARD “THE CRIMSON CITY” "'The Crimson City,” the glamorous romance of “The House With a Thou- j sand Daggers,” is now at the Prince j Edward Theatre, with Myrna Loy in j the role of Nan Toy, Chinese slave girl. I The action of the play takes place in a dive on the Chinese coast, and the story is built on the adventures of Gregory Kent, who, wrongfully accused of embezzlement, has fled from England, leaving Nadine Howells, who, w'ith her father, is also in the teeming Oriental town. Kent, in an attempt to protect Nan Toy from her tormentor, Dagger Foo, is thrown from the place. Later he attempts to end his life, but Nan Toy rescues him and nurses him until apprehended by her master. How Nan Toy fights to keep Kent, even after his honesty has been proved, and the w'hite girl claims him, and how she finally renounces him, are but incidents in one of the most exciting of melodramas. ‘‘Oh, Kay,” the second feature, is Colleen Moore's latest comedy-drama. GRAND SHOWS “TAKE ME HOME” {Stage life provides the background of ‘‘Take Me Home,” the romantic comedy which will be the new attraction at the Grand Theatre this evening. In this production, the vivacious Bebe Daniels has a role of a type she has not previously essayed—that of a chorus girl in a New York show. She appears at Peggy Lane, who befriends David North, a country boy who is stage-struck, and comes to the city to become a juggler. Peggy lives with Alice Moore, the sweetheart of the stage manager of the show, and the latter gives David a small part in the production. David attracts the attention of the star of the show, and this arouses Peggy’s envy. A series of laughable complications follows, and the principals are involved in a number of escapades before a satisfactory conclusion is reached. The picture contains many striking scenes of theatrical life both before and behind the curtain, while the comedy element is always to the fore. Opposite Bebe Daniels J s Neil Hamilton. “DRAG NET” AT BRITANNIA “Shoot first and ask questions afterwards! ” That’s the advice George Bancroft gives to his men in “The Drag Net,” now at the Britannia Theatre. Bancroft takes the part of a fearless detective lieutenant in this melodrama of the eternal W'arfare between police and the organised crooks of a great city. The gangsters get so flagrant with their law violations in a certain district that Bancroft is transferred to that section with orders to clean them up. Staking his life on a bold move he walks into the social headquarters of the gangsters and gives them notice that they must clear out of the district in ten days. They make their answers with bullets. The story of this thrilling action picture starts out with a murder trial in progress, and it keeps moving into one tense situation after another until the final smashing climax when Bancrfot, singlehanded, meets seven gangsters in a fight for his manhood, his love and revenge. A thrilling mystery picture, “A Thief in the Dark,” and the exclusive views of the Aussie-Limerick race at Dunedin, will also be shown.

Universal has just announced that “The Charlatan,” which as a Broadway play was produced by Adolph Klauber at the Times Square Theatre, will be made as a talking picture.

STRAND THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES* D. W. Griffith, who directed “The I Battle of the Sexes,” now showing i.t_ the Strand Theatre, believes that there* is nothing so appealing as the human quality in pictures. The reason fori this, Griffith contends, is that the aver-* age person is more sympathetically! affected by something that he has gone through—a minor suffering or | perhaps a small success—than by a spectacular display of emotions on the screen. In “The Battle of the Sexes,” Griffith has attempted to present a picturisation of home life, as it is lived in the average home apartment or flat throughout the United States. “The Battle of the Sexes” was selected as the story because it parallels a picture produced in 1913, which was one of Griffith’s most successful screen stories. 1 followed the simple rules of drama which affected rriost J of the people; it had all the elements of suspense and a happy ending after a disturbing period of alarm. Jean Hersholt has the leading role, that of Judson, a quiet business man, whose head is suddenly turned by a flapper. Belle Bennett is cast as the mother and wife who becomes temporarily crazed by Judson’s marital deficiencies. It "is her best performance since her memorable “Stella Dallas.” Don Alvarado, who appears on the screen as Marie’s sweetheart, makes the best of his unsympathetic role. This is the first time Alvarado has been in an unromantic part. Sally O’Neil, who used to play flappers, is Judson’s daughter in “The Battle of the Sexes.” It is through her that the once happy family is reunited. William Bakewell as her brother and John Batten as a friend of the Judsons complete the cast. “The Battle of the Sexes” was made at the United Artists studio. The supporting programme is headed bw a stage prologue featuring Miss Gwen McNaughton and Mr. Walter Brough. Music is supplied throughout by Eve Bentley s Strand Symphony Orchestra. EVERYBODY’S “THE WIFE’S RELATIONS” Laugh followed laugh so rapich” tlie Everybody’s Theatre last evening during the showing of “The Wife’s Relations” that the audience was kept in one continuous uproar from the first flash to the final fade-out. Shirley Mason is ideal as the petulant little heiress, who, in order to escape a marriage which is distasteful to her, runs away from home and becomes a lift operator in a New York office building. Gaston Glass gives a fine portrayal as the penniless inventor, who, to keep a roof over his head, pockets his uride and becomes caretaker of a New Jersey estate. Ben Turpin is a riot as the crosseyed cook, who likes to dabble in things he should keep out of and as a result causes an explosion. Arthur Rankin joins the company of female impersonators in the role of a starving actor, who lives on the bounty of the inventor along with the cook, an author a writer. To Flora Finch and Lionel Belmore fall the task of delineating the _ wealthy mother and father of the heroine, who are hoodwinked into believing their daughter has married a man of note, when she casts her lot with the inventor. Armand Kaliz is good as the overbearing suitor, upon whose estate the girl he was to have married is living with her husband. His wrath knows no bounds when he finds that the inventor has not only usurped his place as master of the house, but has also shown the ingratitude to marry his sweetheart. F* m this point the fun becomes hilarious. There are chases, queer complications and swift moving action, interspersed with a number of comedy thrills wffiich kepp the audience in good humour. A good rousing Western story completed the programme. This is “Clearing the Trail,” starring Dorothy Gulliver and the popular Hoot Gibson. ROYAL SHOWS “SPEEDY” Harold Lloyd’s comedy “Speedy” is now amusing Aucklanders at the Royal Theatre, Kingsland. Harold Lloyd has long been recognised as one of the screen’s great comedians, and his fresh, clever comedy is as amusing to children as to adults. In an age of speed. Speedy, as Harold is known in this picture, finds difficulty in living up to his name. An obsession lor baseball and an accompanying suffering of his work bring Speedy into continual conflict with his employers. He eventually falls in love with a girl whose father owns the last horse-tram in New York, and through a series of fortunate circumstances hears of a plan to defraud him of the ownership of his obsolete tram system. After many exciting adventures following this discovery, matters end in happiness and prosperity for Speedy.

The supporting films include “Eagle of the Sea,” starring Ricardo Cortez and Florence Vidor, also new episodes in both the “Collegians” and “Tarzan” series.

Tim McCoy, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Western star, had to ride 18 hours without rest to finish his riding scenes in “The Bushranger,” liis new romance of Australia soon to be seen here. He had to finish the picture in time to report with the Eleventh Cavalry for his annual training period as a lieuten-ant-colonel in the United States army reserves. Tim McCoy held this rank during the war and still serves as an officer in the Reserve Corps. The new picture is a graphic romance of Australia, with Marion Douglas and Dale Austen (Miss New Zealand) playing opposite the star