WANDERLUST

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 619, 22 March 1929, Page 15

WANDERLUST

“BEGGARS OF LIFE” AT PLAZA WALLACE BEERY SCORES AGAIN Outcasts tramping the highways looking for food and work —beggars of life—move across the screen at the Plaza and Tivoli Theatres this week. That dirty, lazy, and withal romantic figure, the tramp, is the chief figure, and his haunts and experiences are the background of the story. A fortnight ago the Plaza presented a film in which the common ship’s stoker was the central figure. Now they are screening “Beggars of Life,” dealing with another little known and disreputable character in modern life, the tramp. That such unusual yet powerful dramas from everyday life are appreciated by Auckland theatregoers was evidenced by the excellent audience last evening. “Beggars of Life” is a first class film production, enacted by a capable cast, with fine direction and photography. From this standpoint alone it should be popular, but the real appeal of the picture comes from the striking nature of the story. A young tramp calls in at a lonely farmhouse with the idea of asking for some breakfast. He finds the farmer dead—shot by the little orphan girl who cooked his meals. She had every cause to shoot, and was just on the point of running away dressed in man’s clothes. Partly out of pity, partly because he could not help it, the boy takes the girl along with him, and together they tramp the highways, sleeping in hayricks, thrown off goods trains, tramping, always tramping—beggars of life. They fall in with a number of other tramps at a camping place—rough characters, ruled somewhat brutally by the toughest tramp of all, “Oklahoma Bed,” a role played by Wallace Beery. It was here that the girl’s disguise was discovered, and things looked pretty black when a posse of detectives arrived, looking for the girl murderer. True to the rough goodfellowship of the road, they try to protect her, and a free fight ensues. The tramps escape on a train, but the detectives are now hot on their trail. Then follows thrill after thrill. Part of the train is disconnected, and the carriages rush round dangerous precipices In the high mountains—-the detectives get nearer and nearer—the tramps fight among themselves over the girl. flow all ends is a point too interesting to spoil by telling, but at least one disreputable tramp proves he has a heart of gold, though perhaps tinged with peculiar ideas about theft. Richard Arlen and Louise Brooks are admirable in their roles as the boy and girl, but the chief acting honours go to Wallace Beery, no longer the priceless fool of his comedies. The second big picture on the programme is another of those stories of Russia in revolution, made really outstanding by the beauty and acting of Billie l)o ve. She is Princess Elene Orloff, once the idol of Petrograd’s social life, now a mannequin in Paris, looking for her husband, Antonio Moreno has the chief supporting role in this interesting and colourful story. The supporting programme includes a short film of the St. Patrick’s Lay carnival at the Domain last Saturday; an Inkwell cartoon; and a gazette.

YE OLDE PIRATE SHIPPE To-morrow evening at Te Okie Pirate Shippc Cabaret, Milford, the Sydney School of Dancing will give demonstrations of “The Tile Trot,” the dance craze of 1929. which is danced to the melody of “Chalita,” featured by Ye Versatile Pirates Band. ,