MAJESTIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 737, 9 August 1929, Page 15

MAJESTIC

“WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS”

Lon Chaney, whose roles usually are those of menace, has a new angle on sinister portrayals in his latest and one of his most sensational screen plays, “While the City Sleeps,” coming to the Majestic Theatre this evening. .Never was he as deadly menacing as in some of its scenes—in these more than any other his audience is with him. For he is menacing this time to those who lurk in sinister silence and themselves menace others. Chaney plays a plain-clotlies detective in a vivid story of the “inside” of the police, and a deadly gang war is the background of the stirring story. A pretty love tale is woven through it. Chaney rounds up desperate crooks in thrilling machine-gun battles, a sensational street chase, a battle on the roofs of a city, and intimate details of secrets of the Tombs—the “shadow box,” dreaded by criminals, and other close-ups of police practice, are shown. Anita Page lias the leading feminine role, with Mae Busch, William Orlamond, Carroll Nye, Clinton Lyle, Polly Moran, and others of note are in the cas t. Jack Conway, director of “Twelve Miles Out,” “Brown of Harvard,” and otiier recent hits, directed the picture. The supporting progi’amme this evening will be of the usual high standard one associates with the Majestic Theatre. Opening with a New Zealand scenic and a .Majestic Magazine with news of the old world, it includes one of those delightful “Our Gang” comedies. This one is entitled “Chicken Feed.” Chief among the musical features of the new programme is a scena by Melledic Ciare, the celebrated English harpist, whose appearance should prove very interesting. The interlude is called “In a Music Box.” Finally there will be a number of new and bright selections by Mr. Whiteford -Waugh’s Majestic Orchestra.