ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Issue 19, 23 July 1934, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE

The lives, loves;' and hates of circus people are depicted graphically in "The Ked Wagon", at the Kegent Theatre. Ihe cast includes Charles Bickford, Kaquel Torres, and Greta Nissen. Left an orphan at an early age, Joe Prince, who has the circus, blood-in his veins, joins a travelling show- in England. By perseverance and hard work he rises to thestar act, and on the death of the "boss" he becomes proprietor of the circus. Falling in love with the pretty star of a tiger-taming act, he is betrayed by his best friend, and marries a beautiful gipsy girl on the rebound.- Then the] trouble starts. Being a gipsy his wife is not accepted by the circus 1 oik, and when she starts interfering tiie performers and hands leave one by oue. On top of. this another circus forestalls him at ■ every town, « and the climax comes when after a hand-to-hand tight between his men and his rival's men ma. wife clears off with her lover and her husband's'money.; Realising that he cannot carry on, he,sells the circus to his rival and bids farewell to all his friends. Finally he meets the girl whom he had loved at the height of his career. The picture. is filled ; with the romance and glamour of the sawdust ring, and is crowded with, incident. .■:'.-

GRAND OPERA HOUSE,

With Wallace Beery and George Raft as rivals < for . tire slap-stick, rough and tumble popularity which . meant leadership in. the bad old days when the Bowery was a sailor's paradise, the ' success of The Bowery" at the Grand Opera iiouse is thorough. Beery is the king of tne only saloon in this street of queer gamblers, confidence men, and worse. Beery, as Chuck Connors, is a sport, quaintly .uncouth and boorish. Raft, as bteve,' is quite a polished gentleman by comparison, but nevertheless a sport also. Ihe rivals are leaders of bitterfy opposed fare brigades,- and the finest scrap of a series is "presented when the brigadesmen clash at a fire..-Chuck rashly - wagers that he ( will hand over his saloon to bteve if Steve jumps off Brooklyn Bridge. .- Steve has everything ready to drop, a dummy" and swim out under water from below the bridge to rise at the right, time, but they steal his dummy, and he has to make the jump. Standing watch over the > saloon to stave off a raid by; Carrie Nation with an army of Prohibition women,-Chuck is told that Steve has ..survived,-and invites -. Came into Steve s saloon, where the .wreck is awful. Jackie Cooper plays s. big part. The ending js. quaint:-':, ".. ,-. ■

DELUXE THEATRE.

! '^Uncertain Lady," an unusual film of . the eternal triangle, is at the De Luxe Theatre. . The picture reveals what: happens when a modern, sophisticated business woman loses her husband to another girl. She is; quite willing to let,her husband go, but expects another in return, and places' upon her defaulting spouse the duty of finding his successor. His efforts are not very successful, and when the lady herself takes a hand in the game the house party at which/most of the action takes place assumes quite a iiew aspect. For tlus wife knows, a very . wealthy and very attractive, shipowner, and when he comes t6 .the rescue there is a change all round. The husband is not so certain that he wants 'a new wife, the new-wife is quite certain that she'prefers the millionaire,' and the present wife begins .to have doubts about the success of her little I'plan. There is quite an unexijected ending. ■; ■.-■■ ■;■■. .'■-.-".■ v.• ■■ ; - ; ■'

PARAMOUNTTHEATRE,

A. picture that is, at the same time amusing and exciting is the British Lion drama "The. Man Who Changed' His Name," at the. Paramount Theatre. The interest is cleverly maintained, and there is a surprisingly clever and totally unexpected finish. Lyn Harding is cast as the man of mystery, and his performance is most convincing. The charming Betty Stockfield, .the c.lever Australian with the beautiful speaking, voice, Leslie Perrin, and Ben Welden give capital characterisations. The .supporting pictur.es include "Arnheim Land"' (around the Giilf •of Carpentaria), "Charting our Coastal Lanes," and two Pathe British nevrereels. , Paul T: Culion contributes pleasing novelties. • British aiid Dominions talking- version of Warwick 'Deeping's widely-read book "Sorrell and Son," with H. B. Warner in the part.o£ the older Sorrell,/which he made so popular ;some years ago in-the silent picture, achieves an even greater succecss in the talking version. His excellent speaking voice is heard to the'best advantage.'^ The supporting players forma caefc that has been eulogised 'as "one of the very, best associated with a talking picture." "Sorrell and Son", will begin at the Paramount Theatre iiexf; Friday. ,

ARTCRAFT THFATRE.

"The Mystery of Mr. X." concludes tonight at the Artcraft Theatre.

"Say It With Music," commencing tomorrow night at the: Artcraft Theatre, presents Jack Payne and his band. Not only is this famous band • brilliantly presented, but there is a]s,o a human story. Percy Marmont plays-the part of Jack. Payne's warrtime friend and ■■ composer.' Oriental music is provided by Ray Noble. Particularly outstanding is "Love is the Sweetest Thing," by Jack Payne. The supporting programnie will, comprise: an "Ideal Magazine," a musical gem, "The Moonlight Sonata," a. Nature study, "Sea Birds," a scenic film, "Lynmouth," a travelogue,. "Pioneering. New Guinea with Aircraft," a New Zealand scenic, "Tongariro," and'a riewsreel.; -'. ."

KING'S THEATRE,

An unusual theme, involving the adventures of a handsome and magnetic rogue' masquerading as .a famous surgeon, was hit. upon for. the. production of "Bedside, at the King's Theatre.. The uiasquerader, played by Warren Williani, has a way with women which wins him tremendous successiinthe profession. Ih fact, it is this way Ayith women, together with his passion for hard liquor and the gaming table, that is responsible for his dismissal from a medical school.

QUEEN*S THEATRE

Clark Gable ■ and Jean Harlow appeac together at the Queen's Theatre in "Red Dnst/* a romantic adventure story, laid' amid the' rubber; plantations' of Indo^China. The screen version was filmed on a pretentious scale The plantation settine alone occupied an entire sound stage. Porches, niat roofs, and floorings of rough-hewn timber construction were duplicated from photographs. The second attraction :is the intriguins romance, "Shipmates," starring Robert Montgomery. ■ ■ ■.

OUR THEATiRE, NEWTOWN;

Will Rpgers's latest starring film is "Mr. Skitch," in which Zasu Pitts has the principal. feninine role. It will be Ecreened at Our Theatre tonight. Rogers is cast'as the head of a family of six. Through a bank failure he arid his family are left penniless and put out of their home. He takes his family, in a dilapidated • car and speeds westward,, hoping to secure a job. Extraordinary adventures and the trials and tribulations of migration constitute the coiriedy-with-pnthos elements 'of the story. ■■■'.■....•. ■'.-■• .

RIVOLI THEATRE.

"The. Gold Diggers of 1933" : will; be screened again, at the Rivoli .Theatre tonight. It is said to be the most lavish and ornate musical ever produced as a talking picture Two hundred girls in silken hellical skirts dance. on a, hellical stairway in'-the exquisite "Shadow Waltz" number. During the dance the girla play on illuminated violins winding around the gigantic stairway. The. "Pettin' in the Park" number is. a triumph in motion picture achievement. "We're in the Money", is another masterpiece.of artistry. There is a strong dramatic story interwoven, with the music. . . ■•'.."■.

SHORTT'S THEATRE,

1 "Onco Every. Woman," at' Shortt's Theatre, is based on A. J. Cronin's magazine novelette, "Kaleidoscope in *X.' " Fay Wray is featured opposite Ralph Bellamy. The story concerns the dramatic entanglement of the lives of a number of people in the love affair of Miss Wray and a brilliant young surgeon. A supporting picture is "The Eine-Up," which depicts what happens when a young detective1 is forced to put his sweetheart through a grilling- police line-up. - :

_; Evidence of the pride that New ZeaJanders take in the beauties and glories of their country is the fact that "Romantic Aew Zealand" is now in its second week of screening at the State Theatre. The picture is an entertaining combination of travelogue, historical picture, and variety show. Commencing with the discovery of Aew Zealand by the Dutch voyagers and with Cook's visit at a later date, the film goes on to depict with a wealth of detail tho hves and' customs of the Maoris and the scenic wonders of the Dominion ■ To the accompanimcnt,of a pleasant explanatory voice the camera takes one on a tour of the thermal wonders of the North Island, of big game and trout fishing places in sea and river, of the Tongariro .National Park and Mount Cook winter sports grounds, of Otago and West Coast .cold-mining areas, and of the glaciers and forests, and agricultural and pastoral country of the whole Dominion. Topical views arc presented, of .the four main centres. An outstanding feature o£ the fum is the use in many parts of the Trucolour process, a New Zealand invention which reproduces every colour with the fidelity of Nature itself. On the same programme is "Red EnsigD," a gripping story of the British mercantile marine.

MAJESTIC THEATRE.

It is noticeable that songs and music features are being interspersed regularly with cinema "shorts." The Majestic Theatre has enlisted the aid .of Silver's band of musicians, known as the Majestic Sta^e Presentation Band. The main picture, ' Sitting Pretty," is a production concerned with songs, and leads:from New York to Hollywood, where Jack Oakie, song writer, and Jack Haley, with.Ginger Rogers, both singers, after varying experiences at last succeed and "sit pretty" the star performers. "Sitting Pretty" is a spectacular and tuneful production in which mirth and love are part of the composite pattern. - . ..•'•■.'■

ST. JAMES THEATRE,

A. A. Milne's exceptionally clever comedy Iho Dover Eoad" (alias "Whore Sinners Meet") is at the St. James-Theatre, lhis picturised version of "The Dover Road" specialises in three of the Milne characters—Anne, Latimer, and Eustasia. iiilhe Burkes Eustasia is very fine. The fussy woman who plagues men to death ivith her minute and persistent attentions proves to be well within, Miss Burkes range, and there is not a dull moment so long as; Eustasia is tormentmg her male victims. From artists of the standing of Diana Wynyard and Clive Brook a finished performance of the leading roles is to be expected, and they give it.V - :.

PPINCESS THEATRE,

"Queen Christina," at the Princess Theatre, is the story of Sweden's glamorous regent, who sacrificed her country and her throne ■ for love and religioua motives. Christina (Greta Garbo), besieged on all sides by wars,' obtains peace for her. country against the wishes of Sweden's triumphant armies. During,an incognito flight from the w'orriea of statecraft 6he meets Gilbert, tho handsome Spanish envoy, and falls in love with him. The love affair ends tragically, and Christina- sails away from; her. homeland. - • '■'.■■

REGAL THEATRE, KARORI

, Tonight a double-feature British programme will be screened at the Regal Theatre. The leading picture," "I Lived With You," starring Ivor Novello and Ida Lupino, is a sparkling comedy-drama that is brilliant and,daring. The . supporting feature is "Way of the Wild." On Wednesday and' Thursday! "Moi-ning Glory," with Katlierine Hepburn, will be screened.

BRITANNIA THEATRE,

_'-Take a Chance," at the Britannia Theatre, is a gay bit of. nonsense concerning the careers of four.carnival side-show' entertainers who .become tired of smalltown life and decide to snatch fame and fortune on Broadway. The picture follows the careers of ; the four irrepressible youngsters through the villainies of • a crooked gambler and a jealous actress. "The King's Cup,"'from a story by Sir Alan Cobham, is also being shown.

EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY.

"The Houso of Kent," starring Anne Grey and .John Stuart, heads, the .programme, at the. Empire Theatre "this evening. The story concernsia young girl who loved the son of. a man who sacrificed his life for her, and who wasth<& persecuted by her father.. Wendy Barrie and Peter Gawthorne play the main roles. Oh .Wednesday and Thursday Ivor Novello will be seen in"l Lived With You.'' :

KILBIRNIE ICINEMA,

; When a. husband tries to deceive his, wife, he is almost certain to become involved in a series of difficulties; TEis is especially true if he is assisted in his fabrications by one as dumb aa Stan Laurel, who, with his side-splitting, eye-brow-raising partner, ;Oliyer Hardy, is seen in their comedy, "Sons of the' Desert," which will be shown at the Kilbirnie Kinenia tonight. . , ;' ■.'■•■.

CAPITOL THEATRE, Ml RAM Aa

An' outstanding double ! feature :. programme is being screened at the Capitol Theatre tonight. "Women in His Life" is a new kind of drama featuring Otto Kruger; Benn Lyon, iand Una Merkel. The picture is a vivid unfolding of eensationaj events in the. life of a great metropolitan lawyer, who, though disgraced, saves the life of. an innocent man. "Ace of Aces," with Richard Dix, Elizabeth Allan, and Ralph Bellamy, is a thrilling air story, giving- an account, tinged wi£h tragedy and romance, of the spectacular career of Lieutenant Res Thorne (played by Richard Dix). ■-..•■■•' -:. . - ■■■■.-.

STATE THEATRE,