AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 203, 28 August 1935, Page 10

AMUSEMENTS.

! MAJESTIC THEATRE. From the prolific pen of Damon Runyon, talented short story writer and sports expert, author of those two former boxollico winners of the screen, ".Little Miss Marker" and "Lady For a Day," comes a brand-new film comedy, entitled "She Loves a Uniform," which is to be the feature production on the Majestic Theatre's bill of fare next Friday. The picture, which shows what happens when a group of Kunyon's "very hard citizens" from Broadway get mixed up with a beautiful but determined heiress, features Patricia Ellis, Cesar Romero, and Larry Crabbe. Romero, the Casanova of this Broadway gang, manages to get himself engaged to Patricia Kllis on the strength of the beautiful aviation uniform he wears. But he changes his mind and runs off, leaving the boys with the beautiful young lady on their hands. She takes them in hand, polishes their manners and practises her cooking on the sniveling Broadwayites until they plead with her millionaire father to take her back. But he wants none of her, and tells them that their only chance is to get her married off to his friend's son, a student at Yale. The uproarious climax is devoted to showing how Mr. Runyou's citizens get the boy into the Yale-Harvard football game and bring about the desired wedding. Featured in tin? supporting cast of "She Loves a Uniform" 'are William Fiawley, Andy Devine. George Barbier, Warren Hymer and George E. Stone. REGENT THEATRE. America's last frontier is gone—but not forgotten. A vital, moving record of its two-listed heroics, its wild turmoil, _is preserved for posterity in celluloid. The' Klondike, Skagway, Dawson, the last geographical landmarks; of a vanishing frontier, live again on the screen in Dairy! F. Canuck's gripping film version of Jack London's famous novel, "The Call of the Wild," in which the principals are Clark Cable and Loretta Young—and the magnificent St. Bernard dog east in the role of Buck. Almost '•stealing" the honours of the film, if preliminary reports are correct, from the stars, this dog is appearing in films for the first time. Jle is sure to prove a sensation with filmgoers who thrive on novelty. Darryl P. /Canuck, most talked of producer in Hollywood, [lacked into this film all the vigour and picturesqeness of Jack Loudon's classic tale of the Alaskan gold rush of '97. Cable is seen as a swashbuckling prospector, who meets a young San Francisco society beauty, played by Loretta Young, on the trail. Thrown together, their codes conflict. However, with life stripped of all the artifices of civilisation, their differences vanish ami they fall in love. Jack Oakie supplies the comedy relief as Cable's wise-cracking ''buddy." while also prominently cast are Frank Conroy. Reginald Owen, Katherine do Mille and Sidney Toler. CIVIC THEATRE. ' Sparkling dialogue and a spectacular cast to speak it make up the entertainment value of "Orchids to You," a powerful and unusual romantic drama which is to be presented initially at the Civic Theatre on Friday. "Orchids to You" is said to be absorbing in its universal appeal—nothing "highbrow," nothing psychological—an honest, human document that grips every spectator in the audience; yet it is lightened with plenty of natural comedy. Tlio first film to glorify the American florist, "Orchids to You" deals with the financial and romantic troubles of a pretty florist, who, after building up a highly successful business of her own, finds herself in difficulties when her professional ethics prevent her from revealing the identity of a customer. The working out of the plot leads to a romance of a distinctive kind, as charming asr It is unidue, and certain to add vastly to the following of the principal players. John Boles, who has the leading role, is said to prove himself the most popular singing star of the screen to-day by his performance. Jean Muir, distinctly fresh and charming, turns in one of the finest performances of her career; while Charles Butterworth's inimitable comedy portrayal furnishes most of the laughs in the picture and is reported to be perfectly suited to the part he plays. ST. JAMES' THEATRE. With an all-star cast containing the names of many of the most famous actors on the screen, one of the most elaborate presentations of recent years is "David Copperfield," which is now enjoying a great season at the St. James' Theatre. The story has been faithfully followed, and although it was not possible to traverse the whole of David's life, the more interesting years have been followed carefully and painstakingly, with the result that the film is ohe of the classics of the year. The cast is one of the strongest ever assembled for the making of any film. Frank Lawton, who distinguished himself in "Cavalcade," plays the adult David Copperfield; the child role is played by Freddie Bartholomew, who has been hailed as one of the greatest juvenile "finds" in years. When the genial, kindly old Pan Pcggotty makes his entrance, when the spendthrift Micawber is seen making Ins precarious way homeward, on the lookout for creditors, or when the obsequious " 'umble" Uriah liecp is disclosed for the first time, the audience realises that the picture is something more than a mere representation of a novel. Lionel Barrymore, W. C. Fields, and Roland Young make these people live again as they were first created. Included in the great cast are Maureen O'Sullivan as Dora, Madge Evans as Agnes, Edna May Oliver as Aunt Betsey. Elizabeth Allan as Mrs. Copperfield. Basil Rathbone as Murdstone, and Violet Kemble-Cooper aa his sister ftwo pieces of splendid casting*, Hugh Williams as Steerforth. Lewis Sti'ac as Wickfield. Elsa Lanchcstcr, Herbert Mundin, and Hugh Walpole. NATIONAL AND PRINCE EDWARD. The late Edgar Wallace spent a considerable period early in his career in the British possessions of equatorial Africa, and from the experiences and observations made at that time he afterwards wrote his now famous" "Sanders" tales of adventure among the river tribes. Alexander Korda, England's premier film producer, sent his talented brother Zoltan with an expedition to the same areas to film scenes for a picture on the first and greatest of the tales. The film, entitled "Sanders of the River," and starring Leslie Banks as Sanders, the district commissioner, and Paul Robeson, famous negro operatic star, as Bosambo, is showing for an extended season jointly at the National and Prince Edward Theatres. Nina Mae McKinney, also a negro operatic celebrity, is cast as Bosambo's lady friend Lilongo. The two theatres are screening a brilliant supporting bill headed bv Walt Disney's two "Silly Symphonies," "The Three Little Pigs" and "The Pied Piper," with Mickey Mouse bringing up •the rear. STRAND THEATRE. The Egyptian telepathic magicians Aleko and Panthea are the principal attractions of the present varied entertainment at the Strand Theatre. Their many tricks and illusions have Aucklanders guessing and are thoroughly enjoyable in the diversity of their programme. Screening in conjunction with the stage performance is the film "Strangers All," starring May Robson and Preston Foster. STAR CINEMA, NEWTON. A well«orted bill is to be presented at the Star Cinema,- Newton, this evening. The comedy "Sons of the Desert," starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, assisted by none other than Charley Chase, and "The Return of the Terror," a most convincing mystery "thriller," are the t\vo films listed for showing to-night, to-morrow and on Friday. "JUDY, JINX AND DAVID." One of the most suitable entertainments to be presented during the holiday period will be "Judy, Jinx and David." a fascinating locally-written play, which Mrs. Zoe Bartley-Baxter and her players will stage in His Majesty's Theatre on September 2, afternoon and evening. The play, which is by no means a pantomime, being higkly suited to adult entertainment, is being presented in*aid of. funds for the upkeep of the newly-donated AYilson Home for crippled children at Takapuna. Among the numerous cast, are Norton Hammond. Ysolinde McVeagli, .Zena Ready. Dan Flood, Geoff. Colledge. Harry Withers, Isabel Henderson, Pat. Boyle, Noel Mabee, Mrs. John Farrell, and Ron. Stevens,

PLAZA THEATRE. "The Monster" is at huge again. Karloir, the grotesque creature of the original "Frankenstein," a murderous giant constructed from parte of dead bodies and brought to life at the height of a crashing electrical storm, comos to the Plaza Theatre on Friday next in "The Bride of Frankenstein," a sequel to the first picture. In this strange drama, produced by Carl Laemmle, jun., the Mdnster is seen in further adventures of a hair-raising nature. At the conclusion of "Krankstein," it will be remembered, the Monster was apparently destroyed in a burning mill, but the opening scenes of "The Bride of Frankenstein" show how he escaped death and returned to throw the entire countryside into a state of terror, Henry Frankenstein, the crazy scientist who created the Monster, finds himself forced to continue his experiments with the evil Dr. Pretorious, already successful in the creation of tiny living human beings who lack onlv size to make them even more perfect figures than the Monster himself. Meanwhile, the terrifying creature continues his murderous career, until he is befriended by a hermit, who teaches him to talk, but again lapses into savagery and takes to the hills. From this point the excitement increases, culminating when the mad scientists collaborate on the creation of a mate for the lumbering giant. Then follows an amazing climax, "THE SILVER BOX." One of the late John Galsworthy's earliest play successes, "The Silver Box," is to be staged by Miss Rae Robinson in the Garrick Repertory Theatre in the Lewis Ead.v Hall, September 2, 3 and 4. An interesting aspect of the production is the style of court procedure then in vogue, dealing with the right of counsel to put leading questions to witnesses.