ENTERTAINMENTS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 295, 26 September 1935, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS

ST. JAMES THEATRE. Something fascinating attaches to the life story of a man, whom history has labelled Abdul the Damned. Something fascinating in phychological studies for his cruelty arose, as the picture will convince you, from 1 sheer fear and utter loneliness. Just as there is fascination about such a character study, so there is an element of pathos, and Fritz Kortner brings out all these facets in a truly brilliant piece» of acting in the title role of Karl Grune’s first British picture, “Abdul the Damned,” showing at the St. James Theatre to-night and to-morrow night. It is a picture of contrasts, combining historical accuracy, painstaking characterisation and political interests with an appealing love story.

MAJESTIC THEATRE. The production of the screen version of Victor Herbert’s immortal operetta, “Babes in Toyland,” which comes to the Majestic Theatre to-night- and tomorrow night, with Laurel and Hardy in the stellar roles, taxed all of the physical resources of the Hal Roach studios aud in addition swamped several motion picture supply concerns with a deluge of orders for extra electrical equipment, stage properties and other accessories essential to the filming of such a mammoth spectacle. Despite the fact that the Culver City plant of the Roach studios is conceded to be one of the best equipped in all filmland, it was found necessary to rent and purchase hundreds of extra sun arcs and other electrical lamps and to lease additional generator trucks in order to supply the vast amount of illumination required to light up the mammoth sets used in this feature picture. CHURCH OF CHRIST SOCIAL. The annual'tea meeting foi* members of the Ashburton Church of Christ was held in the social hall last evening, when there was a fairly good attendance. The annual reports of church activities oyer the past year were presented by the leaders of the several departments, and disclosed a veery satisfactory state of affairs. The financial report, which showed all accounts to be in credit, was adopted. Items on the programme were given as follow :—-Pianoforte duet, Miss M. White and Mr F. Williams ; vocal solo, Miss L. Long; songs, Miss Margaret Sinclair, Mr E. Williams, and Mrs G. Holmes ; dancing dolls,' Mr Breakwell; instrumental duet, Messrs G- and R. Holmes (steel guitar and mandoline).