AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 290, 7 December 1932, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS.

ST. JAMES' THEATRE. The most recent mystery film to be given local screening, "Chandu, the Magician," featuring Edmund Lowe iu the title role, will end at the St. James' Theatre to-morrow evening. This picture tells tiie story of a great battil between supernatural forces for good and evil on the age-old, mystery-bound banks of the Nile. Roxor, prince of black magic and evil powers, struggles mightily but ineffectually against Chandu, who uses his weird talents for the benefit of mankind. The action centres round the kidnapping of a brilliant inventor and his terrible "death ray" machine, and Eoxor's attempts to use it to gain control of the whole world. It is a powerful story, and some clever acting is displayed by Bela Lugosi (of "Dracula" and "Whita Zombie") as Roxor, Henry B. Walthall as the inventor, Edmund Lowe as Chandu and Irene Ware, a new beauty, as the inventor's daughter. The new picture for release on Friday at the St. James' is another mystery epic, "The Old Dark House," on which the veteran producer, Carl Laemnile, spent a fortune. Charles Laughtou, a brilliant English character actor who has received the unbroken praise of almost every film critic in America and England, makes his debut in this film. Taking the main supporting role is another master of the eerie in film portrayais— Boris Karloff. who starred in the gruesome title role of "Frankenstein." Melvyn Douglas takes the romantic lead. He has shown us his style of acting in "To-nii?ht or Never," "As You Desire Me," "The Broken Wing," and now in "The Old Dark House." The feminine element is well looked after by two recent ingenues, Lilian. Bond and Gloria Stuart. Ernest Thesiger, Eva Moore and Raymond Massey complete a brilliant cast of talented players. CIVIC THEATRE.

The current dual programme at the Civic Theatre will be replaced by a new British picture ou Friday, entitled "LilyChristine." The two films now showing are "This Sporting Age" (Jack Holt and Evalyn Knapp) and "Night Cliib Lady" (Adolphe Menjou and comedian' Skeets Gallagher). The first shows Holt in one of his typical roles, into which every kind of screen fare is skilfully blended — romance, action, comedy and drama. "Night Club Lady" is a gripping' murder mystery in which the plot revolves round the attempts of a detective (Menjou) to unravel a particularly obscured crime. Another film of great entertainment value \yill be offered at the Civic Theatre when the programme is changed on Friday. "Lily Christine" is the somewhat glamorous vehicle chosen by the London studios of Paramount, a Hollywood firm, for the "come-back" of Corinne Griffith, whose name was a household word among picturecoers of a few years ago. With the usnal forgetfulness of the most fickle of all publics, film audiences soon ceased to remember her beautiful and sincere work, and to-day it is extremely doubtful if many people in the street could name more than one or two of her triumps. These include "Syncopation Sue," "The Lady in Ermine," "The Divine Lady," "Back Pay," "Infatuation." "Mademoiselle Modiste," "Prisoners." and others. A British cast supports Miss Griffith in "Lily Christine," a Michael Arlen story, including Colin Clive and Margaret Bannerman. Both these two are famous names on the stage, while Clive has made his name on the screen in "Journey's End" and "Frankenstein."

STRAND THEATRE. The initial programme released under the Strand's new management, in accordance with, the announced policy of continuous high, entertainment, will end its season to-inorrow evening. "Sinners in the Sun" is the leading offering on the programme, this strange and glamorous romance serving excellently as a vehicle for the popular Carole Lombard. Chester Morris (of "Corsair," "The Miracle Man," "Sky Devils" and "Cock of the Air") has the' main male lead, with Walter Byron and Adrienne Ames, two English players, as supports. _ The Strand will screen its second special picture for the first time on Friday. This is "Merrily We Go to—" featuring Fredric March and Sylvia Sidney. March scored his greatest film success in the dual title role of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," while Miss Sidney has often given ample proof of her ability, as in "An Ameriean Tragedy," "Confessions of a College Girl," "The Miracle Man," "Street Scene" and "Ladiee of the Big House." NATIONAL THEATRE. The wonderful romance of the tropics, "Bird of Paradise," concludes its eeasou at the National Theatre to-morrow evening. This talking picture, taken from Richard Walton Tully's famous stage play, tells the story of a young American millionaire who succumbed to the wiles of a voluptuous native princess, who, however, was tabu to all but a native prince. The wrath of Pele, the fire mountain goddess, was called down on them when they violated her age-old customs, and they paid the price of their temerity. Dolores Del Rio plays the central role of the film, with Joel McCrea in a kind of "Tarzan" role, as the youthful American hero. The new picture for the National on Friday is announced as "The Bride of the Regiment," which is being revived. The glorious technicolour system of filmmaking, which Hollywood dropped so suddenly in 1930, just about reaches its height in this lavish and spectacular production, which is done in colour from start to finish. Vivienne Segal takes the name part of the film. "ROPE." The Little Theatre Society will present its fourth and final play this season on next Friday and Saturday in the form of Patrick Hamilton's drama, "Rope." This is the society's 28th. production. The doors will be closed to late-comers promptly at 8 'p.m., for fifteen minutes. Roberts Tole plays the main role of Rupert.

PENWOMEN'S LEAGUE. An "evening of original work" will be held by the League of New Zealand Penwomen in Short's Buildings this evening and again to-morrow, when original plays, poems and compositions will be presented by members. "TWIN BEDS." By special arrangement with J. C. Williamson, Ltd., Mr. C. M. McCallum will present Frank Vosper's hilarious comedy of mistaken identity, "Twin Beds," in His Majesty's Theatre for three nights commencing December 14, proceeds being in aid of the. Returned Soldiers' Association (Auckland branch). Box plans will be open at Lewis Eady's to-morrow. SONG RECiTAL. Assisted by her pupils, Madame Irene Ainsley will present a song recital in the Lewis Eady Hall on Wednesday, December 14. Mme. Ainsley will sing works by Handel, Rossini, Meyerbeer, Gluck, Vaccaj, Sir Landon Ronald, Leoni, Chaminade, Harty and Sir Edward Elgar.