1931-12-16 — Page 3

Page

CENTRAL

IODE ANTRIE

SHOWING TO-DAY

At 2.30 6.10; 7.16 and 6.20 p.m.

TO-DAY AT THE

Queen's

CINEMA.

HONG KONG

The Great Lover."

(Adophe "Menjou and Irene

Dunna

Tennis Technique "Big "Bil

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16,

Tiidon.

Xing's.

SEE AND HEAR LIVING

Bast Lyuno."

With Ann Harding,

AFRICA!

Contral.

**Manslaughter."

FINAL

Claudette Colbert and

Froderio Marsh.

Iron Hero."

Chinese Picturo.

THE BLACK HEART OF World,

EQUATORIAL AFRICA-

THE BELGIAN AND

11

FRENCH CONGO — THE DUCK-BILLED WOMEN

Star.

KOWLOON.

Rough, Romance,"

COMING.

FOX

M. TURE.

With

Clive

Brook

THE PYOMIES — THE

MOST AMAZING LION

FIGHTS EVER SCREEN-

Conrad

Nagel

Queen's,

Tiger Rose."

!:

(Monte Bine

and ups

Váloz). "

ED!

Dantral..

Thrilling!

Sensational!

Different!

Mika Speaks

THE STRANGEST

·ROMANCE EVER FILMED!

COLUMBIA PICTURE

NEXT CHANGE

TEXAN

Gary Cooper

Fay Wray

a

Picture

Coming, Attraction !

* MOTHER'S

MILLIONS

with

MAY ROBSON

A Universal Picture

++

The Ghost Train."

With Jack Hulbert and

"Cecily Courtneidge.

The Toxan

・い亘er Man T with Falen Twelvetrees, Philip Holmes.

King's.

Daddy Long Loga.”

Janet Gaynor and Warner

Baxter.

“Bad Girl."

World.

Star.

Love's Identity"

(Part 2)

(Chinese picture). -

Do Yourself."

On Your Buck."

Be Yourself"

** Trespasser,"

Call of the Flosh.""

THEATRE

"HONGKONG'S FINEST CNEMA

SHOWINGS "TO-DAY år 2.30, 5.10; 7.15 AND 9.30 P.M.

Harding EAST

LYNNE

A Love lesion

of Timeless Truth-

COMMENCING TO-MORROW

Daddy Long Legi

JANET

GAYNOR

WARNER BAXTER

9. XA

MEREKA

MOVIE NEWS

f

ON THE SCREEN, IN HONG KONG.

"THE GHOST TRAIN.".

A REALLY GOOD ENGLISH FILM.

COMING TO QUEEN'S ON

bres.

SUNDAY.

ORPHANS FOR "DADDY LONG LEGS.”

Fox

SEARCH FOR "PATHETIC LITTLE OBJECTS.”

Finding orphans who really look- A fair number of English flased like orphans proved very aim have been shown recently at one cult job for Director Alfred Santell o another of the looul gema thes-when he started the filing of

ube Most of them have been Daddy Long Legs,' quod, a few of them exceptionally ronne, starring Janet Gaynor and good, though one or two were hot Warner Baxter, which opens shortly up to the average of the better at the King's Theatre. Amerieur picture. To a large num be of British people however the fact that the scenes they see and the voices that they hear in an English picture are familiar, is a pleasing that they are prepared to forgive weaknesses of production or ever a thin story. No such partiality is, arvessary in the case of The Chost Train."

The Ghost Train" which opens at the Queen's on Sunday should be "real success, and not only from the point of view of the English- Forn part of the audience. To the latter the name of Jack, Hulbert. j Cicely Courtneidee, Donald Cal thorpe and Angela Baddeley will hold promise of excellent entertain. ment, but the picture does not det pend on the actors alone. It is n really exciting story with moments which make you grip your chair, bile on your pipe, or chatch your georis arm as your particular tem.

berament dictates. It is a comedy, i as everything must be when Cicely Courtleidgs has a hand in it, it is love story with two pairs of romantic young people, one-couple on their honeymoon. It becomes very nearly a tragedy when Angela i Baddeley in a marvellous piece of; acting as the half mnd Julia Price entreats the others not to yield to the dangerous impulse to look on the ghost train as it passes. And i

it becomes at moments a rollicking | farce in the skilful hands of Jack Hulbert. What more could you ask of any picture?

GAYNOR'S GREATEST TEAKS, ĻAUGHS!

and dreams come true,

a rainbow of romance comes to ' the screen,

"AFRICA SPEAKS."

AND HOW THE NATIVE 'WOMEN DANCED!

BOOKING AT THE THEATRE. TEL. 25913:

RED INDIANS" IN "TIGER

ROSE?

HOW MONTE BLUE LEARNED THEIR LANGUAGE AND WAYS.

Several Indians were employed for scenes of "Tiger Rose," the Warner Bros. and Vitaphone pro- duction which is coming to the Queen's Theatre to horrow, and although they were generally silent, except before the interophone, they held animated, conversations with Monte Blue.

never

An amusing and fascinating illus- The reason for this is that Blue,. stration of the old adage that there during his early adventures, wis once an Indian agent on a reserva- is hothing new, under the sun, especially, under the African sun, isticn, and fame to know the ways shown in Africa Speaks," the of the Indian thoroughly, "

Indian conversation vis Columbia African romance which is

voluble. A good part of it is con- now at the. Central Theatre.

During the filming of one of the ducted in sign language, and many The opening scenes show Janet Gaynor as a waif in the John daring exploits in the film the small movements, unnoticed by the ministering to the Director, Paul L. Hoefler, wanted a average individual, have very de- Gror" Home," needs of forty and, one small child-background of real native dancing finite meanings.

It was in this ren ranging from the age of Bix months to ten years. The part assuming that the curious posturing manner that Blue held his conversa- mount requisite for these kiddies of the naked savage would be ions with Chief Yowluche, Georgia were that should appear ananasmic comic and interesting side-light. So Mayette, and other Indians in the and undernourished, but most of theit wasbut the laugh was on

picture. Blue himself has Cherokee children available

the fler and the Columbia people. through

The film company supplied "the Blood in his veins. phonograph and the native women the dancing. And what dancing! They started slowly, hardly moving their hands or feet. Just the body a large cast, including H. B. War- in the best manner of one of the ner, Ball Montana, Guston Glass, Ziegfeld Follies-dances that it and Rin-TinTin. George Fitzmau- taken a trained chorus and brilliant

official casting offices were far too healthy dooking and well led to be realistic.

But there is more. There are the A pinch of humour, seasoned with a scenes of a typically English branch radiant smile is Janet Gaynor's line station, of English trains, and recipe, for happiness in her new Fox Donald Calthorpe as one of these romance, "Daddy Long Legn.". grumpy old porters who are 60 familiar to those of us who have In this dilemma, Santell sent out had to make cross country journeys a general call, and for more than at Home-how these things take a week he and his two assistants one brek There, is the thrilling interviewed all possible candidates" congh and tumble fight which is before the necessary aumber of equally exciting, I suppose, to orphan-like youngsters could be neonde of every nation, and there secured.

No one who likes a really good picture should miks "The Ghost Train,"

is the parrot with his deliciously Daddy Long Loga ibaing pertinent remarks:

hailed by arities and public alike, as one of the finest productions in the talking screen. Many say it is the best performanco of Miss Gaynor's career, not excepting her 'Diane in 7th Heaven" the silent film title, róle, Warner Baxter who was which lifted her overnight from com- last seen in the For production, parative obscurity to the heights of **Dictors' Wives."

Etardom, Although her screen The cast which supports. Miss sweetheart. Charles Farrell is misa- Gaynor and Mr. Baxter, is one ofing from the picture, the producers unusual talent. and includes auch have placed one of the screen's most

·luminaries as Una Merkel and John | popular and capable actors in the Arledge.

(Continued on Previous Column.)

Hoe-

He is co-starred in "Tiger Ruse," with Lupe Velez. The picture has

dance directors weeks to get the rige directed. rudiments of

And

Then they started moving. these really wild" women have everything in the way of interpreta tion of the Thythm of the jungle. They performed steps that were not only off broadway but away ahead of it. They made the show numbers look tame. On a Broadway stage, their dancing would bring the morality societies down with shout. And yes thene women belong- to a very moral tribe, pf Nuvages.

At any rate, the theatre geer enn judge for himself. The. Columbia company consider it one of the most surprising and absorbing things they found in the screening of a picture where shock followed shock in the weird heart of the jungle.

African Prince in " Africa Speaks."

B

THE TECHNIQUE OF LOVE

MAKING

ADOLPHE MENJOU GIVES A LESS IN "THE GREAT LOVER."

An excellent lesson in the techni- que of making love is given in "The Great Lover,"

Metro-Goldwyn-

Mayer's new picture which is now showing at the Queen's' Theatre.

The story, adapted from a success. ful stage comedy, presents the suave Adolphe Menjou as a famous French operatic baritone whom, we- men cannot resist. Among his love affairs are those with Irene Dunno of "Cimarron," and the volcanic, Russian Baclanova.

Comedy elements enter the tale through such capable impersona tions as those of Eruost Terrence, valet to Menjou; Cliff "Ukulele Iko." Edwards as a grand opera press agent; and Rosco Ates as a stuttering reporter.

The main romance of the piece concerns the struggle for the affee. tions of Irene Dunne between Men- jou and Neil Hamilton.

"The Gront Lover" was directed by Harry Beaumont, director of Our Blushing Brides and Dance, Fools," Dance. It was adapted by Gene Markey and El- gar Allan Woolf from the play by Leo Ditrichstein and Frederick and. Fanny Hatton.

1931

THE GANGSTER FILM.

POPULAR STILLA CAPONE.

AS HERO!

"Apr"Anteptror film director!my becn, saying theft gangster ölms tra dead 'doubt very much if they are writes Ernest Boths in the Evening Standard-Will anyona... for example, who តបង Walter Haston "The Star Witnoes " place his hand on his heart and swear that there is no further in- test in gangster pictures?

I do not believe it. To say that: this or that type of film is dond is enly another way of saying that. Ana go in cycles. We have had cjeles of erook Alms, sex films, society films, sob-stuff fibus, war films, flying flins, back-stage Alma' and so on There are fashions in lms as in hats but fashion is not

·dead..

The talkig wave came in on a cyclé of back-stage filing. And to- day we are still getting war filioS- as, for example, in Douglas Fair- banks jun.'s Brst starring picture. "Chances." That was a fashion

which started six years ago with

The Big Parade?·

"Scarface."

THEATRE

FINAL SHOWINGS TO-DAY AT 2.50, 5.10, 7.15 & 9.20:

The Great

Habiphe

LOVER

Mr. Howard Hughes, who made MENJOU DUNNE

Hell's Angels," is about to launch

a super-gangster picture, "Sear- fae," which is so realistic that Al Capone, before his flide-out into the Bangster's Big House, sent his sebuts on reconnaissance to learn all about it.

"Lost Men," another. gangster m from the Universal studios, ia being shown privately and will be

shown publicly very HOOL Who A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer-Picture said that gangster films were dead ↑

When all the gangsters are dead the films dealing with them will be dead, and not until then.

ADDED ATTRACTIONS - 'BIG' BILL TILDEN

STAN LAUREL

OLIVER HARDY

Pictures, in short, are not made in "TENNIS TECHNIQUE" by their subject but by their treat- alent." There are only about half-a- dozen subjects, elementally speck- ing, which films can deal wilk-love,. marriage, birth, death, work, hun- Ker, conflict,

That is the lot. Everything else comes under these categories; and condict, which is the essence of drama, is supremely the essence of gangster films,

The Star Witness."

The Star Witness," which I greatly liked, both for its acting and its drama, is the old story given n fresh treatment. It shows you the "tough egga," the " bruisers," the for flushers of the grock world impinging with hçrrible effect upon the domestic bearth.

It shows you the child, Ned Leeds, kidnapped by the gangster bass Maxey Campo, and held, aa Paso ngainst the evidence of the Leeds family when the State inquiry" Lakes place against the gang.

Old Mr. Leeds, the accountage, has already had a narrow escnpe. He is offüred 5,000 dol. not to give evidence, and when he refuses he is savagely attacked and nearly beat in to death.

It is the old war veteran, Grand-

In OUR WIFE”.

·TO-MORROW-

WARNER BROS. LE

Present

MONTE

BLUE

LUPE

VELEZ

Tiger Rose

pa Summari, Mr. Leeds's father-in, A drama of human emotions I

law, who brings the gang to heel, and it is a fine study that Mr. Charles Sale gives us.

But the interest of this film is not simply in its indictment of gang- Alor rulet trains the machine- gun on to the family as well as the State. It shows you the suffering

women, the anxious "fathers, the helpless daughters, put on the rack for crimes of which they are guilt- leas

Underworld War,

The ordeal of the Leeds family, I confess, has a somewhat manufae, tured air. I feel sure that old man Summerill would have been bumped off long before he had' a"chance to expose the Campo gang. But na an exciting piece of gangster warfare, with sentimental interludes from the innocents, I have nothing but praise for thin film.

STAR

FINAL SHOWINGS TO-DAY AT 2.30, 5.20, 7.20 & 9:20;

ROUCH

It has the extreme competence of the well-made American picture, Money and time have been well. spent upon it. Walter Huston, whom I remember most vividly in Griffith's unsuccessful. "Abraham Lincoln," is. excellent, and so, too, re Grant: Mitchell, Sally, Blane, Russell Hopton and Ralph Ince,

All I say about this film is 'chat. it manages to hold the interest. If it can do that it is no more dead than any other kind of film. 'It is' no more deed that the sunset, which, although you sos it every day, is still a surprising and mar drama vellous spectacle, But it is extra- ordinarily well presented.

GEORGE

O'BRIEN

ROMANCE

Ous North

A robust