AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 126, 30 May 1934, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS.

ST. JAMES' THEATRE

A new, romantic musical co-starring team makes its bow to the public at the Si. James' Theatre, starting next Friday, when "The Cat and the Fiddle' will open a promising season. Ramon Novarro and Jeanette Mac Donald are the' co-stars, and already they have been hailed as a sensational "find" wherever the picture has been shown. Both arc widely known for their concert work, in addition to their fame as screen stars. Both recently returned from extended concert tours of Europe, where they are popular both on the screen and the musical stage. Novarro, in fact, was literally mobbed by admirers when he appeared in public, and Miss MaeDonald is generally conceded to be a reigning favourite among the French people. "The Cat and the Fiddle." which concerns an idyllic and thoroughly modern love affair between two ambitious young music students in romantic Brussels, was adapted from the stage success by Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach. It embodies such song hits as "The Night Was Made for Love," "One Moment Alone." "Try to Forget," "She Didn't Say Yes," "The Love Parade," and "A New Love is Old." There are several brilliant scenes and sequences done in teclinicolour. Appearing in support of the stars is a notable cast including Frank Morgan, Charles Butterworth. Jean Hersholt, and Vivien no Segal. William K. Howard directed. CIVIC THEATRE. Said to set a new standard for musical film production, George White's "Seandais" will replace the current British drama-romance "The Constant Nymph" at the Civic Theatre next Friday. The picture is said to be embellished with the spectacle, grandeur, and beauty that only the camera can encompass. White himself enacts a part in the film, and he lias recruited a galaxy of radio, stage, and screen stars. Among the many notables in the film are Rudy Vallee, Jimmy Durante, Alice Faye, Cliff Edwards, Gregory liatoff, Adrienne Ames, Dixie Dunbar, and Ge.-trude Michael. Vallee and Faye make a fine romantic team, slnd do splendidly with their roles. Miss Faye, who has never been in films before, does an exceptionally fine piece of acting that stamps her as a coming star. The fun-making of Durante, Edwards, and Dnnbur is decribed as being hilariously funny. The film fairly brims over . with spectacular revues, dazzling dances, songs, and comedy scenes. It is a colourful show, with 150 show gills wearing stunning costumes, dancing the intricate and fastmoving steps created by Georgie Hale and singing the ten song "hits" written by three of America's foremost song writers, -Tack Yellen, Irving Caesar, and Kay Henderson. Interwoven'with the comedy, songs, revues, and dances, is a tender romance that concerns two of the principals of the show. The prodnction was conceived, created, and staged by George White, famous Broadway producer. PLAZA THEATRE. Katharine Hepburn, Joan Bennett, Frances Doc, and Jean Parker are all given what might be described as the parts of their careers in the film version of "Little Women," Louisa May Alcott's undying sentimental romance, which is said to have been based on the story, of her own tempestuous life as a girl of an ultra-Victorian home who took to the writing of short stories and popular

"thrillers." "Little Women" was stated by Miss Alcott's biographers to have been written when her publishers asked for a serious drama to prove that her style was not suitable for full-length story writing. Instead it has for all these years so overshadowed all her other works that the general public does not realise that she wrote over eighty works. With the background of the Navy, Jack Hulbert gives a fine performance in "Jack Ahoy, the picture to be shown for the first time at the Plaza Theatre on Friday. This popular comedian has appeared with success in many films, but in this latest production he has a role admirably suited to his distinctive type of acting. The supporting cast has been chosen with care, and includes Nancy O'Neill, Alfred Drayton, and Henry Peterson. Jack has proved exceedingly popular in a series of pictures recently, including "The Ghost Train," ".Tack's the Boy," "Happy Ever After." "Love on Wheels," etc., and his latest effort should be no less successful with Auckland audiences. MAJESTIC THEATRE. Introduced to Auckland film-goers in the recent "Going Gay," Arthur Riscoc and Naunton Wayne, the two popular English comedians, give delightful portrayals in "For the Love of You," the film on the current programme at tiie Majestic Theatre. Clever comedy and j beautiful music have been blended with i striking success. With the romantic setting of Venice, the comedy introduces the I newly discovered tenor Franco Foresta. | Acclaimed as a second Kiepura, this I artist gives several perfect renderings of operatic songs. There is a particularly fine selection of supporting films. Friday's new offering at the Majestic is a power- I ful newspaper drama entitled "The House! of Trent.'.' It is a new British production which gives a definite promise ot being ail example of the claim that English studios can turn out something quite as actionful and interesting as the many American action films released on the local screen. John Stuart, the brilliant young Englishman, has retained a prominent place in the fans' hearts over a period of years, beaten only by Owen Xares and Stewart Rome. Stuart's most recent films were "In a Monastery Garden," and "This Week of Grace" with Graeie Fields. Anne Grey, who was so captivating in Tom Walls' "Leap Year," plays the feminine lead in "The House of Trent." POUISHNOFF-STEVENS SEASON. There has been excellent booking for the first of the concerts in the Auckland Town Hall to-morrow night by Left Pouishnoff, the famous Russian pianist, and Horace Stevens, the celebrated Australian bass-baritone, from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. For this concert, at which the Governor-General and Lady Bledisloe will be present, over 1000 seats have already been booked. The opening_ programme, which should show some of tlie best artistic characteristics of both artists, contains the Appa6sionata Sonata by Beethoven, the arrangement by Liszt of Bach's Organ Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, Pouishnolf's own arrangement of the ballet music from Schubert's "Rosamunde," Mendelssohn's "Andante and Rondo Capriccioso." Scriabin's lovely Nocturne for the left haud. and "Policliinelli," by Rachmaninoff, Liszt's "Liebestraume" and "La Campanella." The Prologue to "Pagliacci" will be the opening number by Horace Stevens, who is also singing an interesting group of Purcell's songs and the "Song for Christmas" by King Charles I. of England, besides several modern songs.

REGENT THEATRE. A surprisingly warm reception is being given Anna Seen, the brand new Soviet cinema star, whom Samuel Goldwyn banked so much on in "Xana," the lavish show which is due to close at the Regent on Friday next, giving pride of place to a hilarious English entertainment, entitled "Meet My Sister." "Nana" marks the film debut of the blonde young actress from Soviet Russia. Samuel Goldwyn took her to Hollywood just two years ago, and spent a fortune preparing her for her first picture. Lionel Atwill, Richard Bennett, Mae Clarke, Phillip Holmes and Muriel Kirkland appear in, support of Miss Sten in the story of the rise and fall of a lady of the boulevards and the music hulls of the gaslit Palis of 1870, suggested by Zola'e famous novel, and freely adapted to the screen by Willard Mack and Harry Wagstaff Gribble. Dorothy Arzner directed the picture, and Richard Rodger.? and Lorens! Hart wrote the song "That's Love," which Miss Sten sings in her title role. Anna Sten is now busy in Hollywood making Tolstoy's "Resurrection," and also "The Barbary Coast." Friday's new film, "Meet My Sister," stars Clifford Mollison, the brilliant young leading man. who did so well lately opposite Bebe Daniels in her first British effort on the screen, "A Southern Maid." He is supported by the inimitable Jimmy Godden, whom Aucklanders saw here on the stage not so many years ago, and on the screen in such films as "My Wife's Family," etc. Constance Shotter. winsome younger sister of the popular Winifred Shotter, of Aldwych fame, takes the leading feminine role. A big feature of this coming week's programme at the Regent will be tlio reintroduction to Auckland of Tom Kate and his band, who have just enjoyed a highly 6ucciesful tour of New Zealand. "A GAIETY GIRL." Tuneful music, smart dressing and gay carnival scenes are features of "A Gaiety Girl," the musical comedy to be presented in the Town Hall Concert Chamber to-night. The proceeds are in aid of the funds of the Y.W.C.A. Booking arrangements arc advertised.