ENTERTAINMENTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 138, 23 March 1935, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS.

MAJESTIC THEATRE. In preparation for the spectacular Paramount picture, “ Cleopatra,” screening at the Majestic Theatre tonight and on Monday night, Cecil B. De Mi He conducted research on the life and times of the ancient Egyptian queen for almost a year before starting actual work on the film. A modern screen treatment of one of the world’s greatest love stories, it has Claudette Colbert, Wairen William and Henry Wilcoxon. in the principal parts. Wilcoxon is in the role of Marc Antony, the noble Roman who gave up his life for love of the Egyptian queen while empires tottered about him. Rome and Egypt live again in all their monumental splendour in the film, serving here as a background for the deathless love story that destroyed mighty empires and wrote the most exciting pages of history.

•‘THE WIND AND THE RAIN.” New Zealanders are proud of the fact that “The Wind and the Rain,” the brilliant London comedy triumph, which is to be staged here by, the J. C, Williamson premier comedy and dramatic company at His Majesty’s Theatre on Tuesday night, was written by Dr. Merton Hodge, who was born in this Dominion, and who studied medicine at the Otago University and afterwards practised his profession in different parts of New Zealand. His comedy created a profound sensation in London, where it has been running successfully for over 15 months, and its author has been acclaimed by wellknown critics as the best playwright the English-speaking people have known during the past 20 years. Deriving its title from one of the sonnets of Shakespeare set to music, “The Wind and the Rain” is brilliantly clever comedy-drama, pleasantly human and humorous, with a love motif that is delicious. The atmosphere in the students’ study is said to be very definite. “Mrs McFie, the Landlady,” wrote a critic, “is ever shuffling in to tidy up and keep an eye on ‘the ‘boys.” Sections of a skeleton are hidden in a. bookcase. Above the doorway hang crossed foils, and who but Gilbert (Tommy Jay) could have hung on the wall a policeman’s helmet rampant with and upturned beer bottle? The contrast between the students is indicated by the monotonous beerdrinking of Gilbert and John Williams (R. L. Atholwood), the while Charles Tritton (George Thirlwell) waits for telephone rings from Ann Hargreaves (Jocelyn Howarth).