AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 58, 9 March 1932, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS.

ST. JAMES , THEATRE,

Warner Oland, in his Oriental roles of Fu Manchu and Charlie Chan, is an undying favourite with a blase public who cares to eee eomething new and turns to the inscrutable East for it. "Charlie Chan's Chance," now showing at the St. James , Theatre, gives this aspect and more. Even though most of the scenes are in England, it is nevertheless most definitely Eastern in effect. On Friday the St. James , will screen a welcome return of "My Wife's Family," a screamingly funny British comedy, in which Jimmy Godden and Gene Gerrard play the chief comic voles. There is no doubt that, although the film was

screened here for a three-weeks , season immediately before Christmas, many local filmgoers have not yet seen this. and even those who have done so will want to see it again. This copy is a new one, with such impi'ovements as are discernible only after being released. "My Wife's Family" should have as successful a season next week as any first-release picture. Some of the hilarious situations are a little risque, but when one follows the theme of the story closely the aspect of fun and humour stands above any other consideration. Many scenes of laughter take place in a certain sumra/r----house, an eagle-eyed and etrait-laccd mother-in-law continually misunderstanding references to a baby and a baby piano—both perfectly natural, but so constructed as to seem the ultimate in wickedness and unfaithfulness. Mothers-in-law are always funny, but in "My Wife's Family" she is a ecreain.

CIVIC THEATRE. The present double programme showing at the Civic Theatre will be seen for the last time on '.Thursday night. The two pictures concerned are Walter Huston's "A House Divided" and "The Secrets of a Secretary," with Claudette Colbert, in the main feminine part. Friday's change of programme will be headed by "My Sin," the second ecreen vehicle of Taliulah Bankhead, in which that distinguished English actress fully bears out the high hopes that were cherished of her when her star first began to rise on Hollywood's crowded horizon. "Tarnished Lady" was that other effort, and many Aucklanders will remember her very finished performance in that film. Now, in "My Sin," Taliulah once more enthralls her audience with a sense of deep sympathy for her plight in the story, and this ability is one that is by no means usual in Hollywood. She plays opposite Fredric March, whose work ill a dozen lesser character parts is familiar. These two are cast as civilisation's outlaws in Panama, where the scum of the earth foregathers. From this cesspit of humanity they struggle to redeem their birthright of decency, and their own society is the hardest obstacle in their path. However, thfiy win but in the end —only to find their ways grown apart. The girl, who owed her rise, her very life, to the man, had given her heart to a wealthy son of an exclusive family, but at the last minute she realises that her sin is too great—she could never be happy with him. She turns in bitterness to her one ally, and there finds her greatest happiness.

REGENT THEATRE. Comedy will be replaced by comedy at the Regent on Friday, when Gloria Swaiwon's "Indiscreet" will give way to "Love Lies," a British picture of most hilarious aspect. Funny is hardly the word for the entertainment promised "by "Love Lies," in which Stanley Lupino is the leading figure. He makes his film debut in "Love Lies," which is directed by his cousin, Lupino Lane. Dorothy Boyd, who was given her first real try-out before Auckland audiences 1 in "The House of Unrest" recently, hae the leading feminine role, and her predicament of finding herself with two husbands on her wedding day is said to create many genuine laughs. Among Dorothy's several charms, one that is outstanding is her voice, which is cultured and soft and pronounces perfect English. Jack Hobbs also plays a big part as a comedian. This actor, who, of course, is not the Jack Hobbs of the cricket crease, has had a long career on the English stage and screen in funmaking roles and consequently knows his art to perfection. The remaining actors of note are Sebastian Smith, Binnie Barnee, Dennis Hoay, Charles Courtnoitlge (brother to the famous Cicely), and Lupino Lane, the director, who, being also an experienced actor, takes a role in his own film. The story tells of two uncles, two nephe'ws, a wife and a vamp, and develops along farcical lines, each character becoming the object of dark suspicion and leproach from the next.

NATIONAL THEATRE. Not since "Little Caesar" has Douglas Fairbanks, jun.,, been seen on the films in his typical personality roles. In "I Like Your Nerve," playing opposite the decidedly attractive Loretta Young, he reappears at the National Theatre next Friday. He is seen as a devil-may-care American lad in a Central American town, where he falls desperately in love at first sight with the step-daughter of the Minister of Finance of a small republic. However, she is engaged to marry, in return for a large dowry from tho prospective husband, Clive Lattimer, a rich and aged- man whom she loathes. With this age-old yet ever-new theme ne its basis, a most enthralling story is built up, being of the pleasing type that creates laughter and hisses in turn for hero and villain. It is really an enjoyable picture, and well worth seeing. LYRIC THEATRE.

Bam on Novarro made his most recent appearance in Auckland in the dramatic romance, "Son cf India," in which, he plays a typical role. He is charmer of women and leader of men combined, and plays such with his natural verve. His leading lady is Madge Evans. This film will be screened at the Lyric Theatre this evening.

STRAND THEATRE. Ina Claire will be seen in the feminine lead of "Rebound" next Friday at the Strand Theo-tre, which will replace the present main attraction, "The Big Gamble," a fine gangster film with Warner OJand in the new and refreshing role of a portly and ruthless racketeer chief. Bill Boyd and Dorothy Sebastian are hero and heroine. In "Rebound," Ina Claire plays heroine to Robert Ames—now dead—in a thrilling picture that deals with a most complicated love tangle. When husbands loved other men's wives and those wives loved still other women's husbands, things seemed impossible of rectifying, but somehow it is effected, to everyone's ultimate satisfaction, although a few hearts are nearly broken and a wealth of comedy is brought out in the process. Robert Williams—also departed— and Myrna Loy have prominent roles, and Hedda Hopper, Hale Hamilton and Louise Cloeser Hale (an adept at stealing the honours of a picture), are given important parts in a film that has plenty of scope for every artist. RIALTO THEATRE.

One leaves after a screening of the English , comedy-drama, "Tilly .of Bloomsbury," with a sense of peculiar satisfaction and an enjoyable feeling of familiarity, realising that one's own life is not so different from that portrayed on the screen. This picture will be presented at the Rialto Theatre to-night.