ENTERTAINMENTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 205, 12 June 1936, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS.

ST. JAMES THEATRE. “The Calling of Dan .Matthew's,” the exciting picture inspired by Harold Bell \Vright’s famous story, will be shown finally at the St. James Theatre to-night. Shirley Temple is the star in “Our Little Girl,” to be shown to-morrow and on Monday. When those she loves grope in the shadows of misunderstand—ing, Shirley meets the crisis with a grave smile. She plays at being happy to rebuild a shattered dream. “Our Little Girl” is a. poignant story, tenderly conceived, freighted with heart-tugs yet leaving the audiences, from all reports, strangely happy. Hundreds of novels and short stories in print and typescript were read before this particular story was selected for lShirley. When the. list thinned down to thirty, the producer discovered that “Our Little Girl” was really—made for the adorable star. It tells the story of a happy family disunited by suspicions, threatened with wm'ckage, and of a little girl who runs away from her home when she linds all the joy and safeguards gone. Alone Shirley Temple suffices to make any picture popular. But Producer Edward Butch-er has loaded “Our Little Girl” with talent. Rosemary Amos plays Shirley’s moth~ er; Joel McCrea, who needs no introduction, plays her father. MAJESTIC THEATRE. The fast moving comedy drama, “Carnival,” showing Lee Tracy and Sally I‘lilers, will be shown finally at the. Majestic Theatre to-night. “Lucky in cards,‘unlucky in love.” This adage is subjected to a conclusive test by Ronald Colman, as the suave, debonair prince who gambles at cards and love, in 20th Oentnry’s romantic comedy, “The Man Who Broke the Bank: of Monte Carlo,” to be shown at the Majestic to-mo-rrow and on Monday. Set in the gay capitols of Europe and teeming with the brilliancy and colour of the continental smart set, the picture has Joan Bennett in the female lead. Colman enacts the role of a pennilcss Russian prince who uses the. savings of a number of expatriate friends to run. a. handful of francs into ten million in the Sporting Club at Monte Carlo. Miss Bennett has the role of the girl hired by the gambling syndicate to lure Colman back to Monte; Carlo for another session at the tables. She falls in love with the man she is paid to receive. A series or surprising episodes brings a happy ending to the difliculties in which the young lovers find themselves. “THE ROUNDABOUT.” When J. B. Priestley wrote his threeact comedy, “The. Roundabout,” he apparently set out to amuse his prospective audiences in a greater degree than most comedies of the stage achieve and he succeeded, as will be demonstrated at the Majestic Theatre next lVednesday and Thursday evenings when this play will be produced by the Ashburton Repertory Society. The play was selected by the [Society be-‘ cause of its great entertaining value and it has assembled a strong and capable cast which has been working, on the script for some time under the guidance of Miss Elizabeth. Lee, of the British ‘Drama League. This is Miss Lee’s first big production since she returned l'rom two years’ study in Eng—land and she has introduced a new technique. Miss Lee’s work in England drew _rery favourable comment from people who are in a position to know. 'Ashburton playgoers may look forward ,to an amusing evening with “The l Roundabout.” 7 _ ‘

It is :1 story Slight in plot but abounding in humour. The number of corn])lic:ltions pieced together by the author to cover the lives of eleven people on one (lay is :1. tribute to his authorship, and the comedy is sustained at a. regu—lar pitch throughout. The cast which will interpret the play comprises several of the Society’s best-known players, and advance reports of the work they are doing in—dicate that the play should. lift the Society another niche 111)-ward in popularity with: its patrons.