AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 227, 25 September 1935, Page 10

AMUSEMENTS.

PLAZA THEATRE. There can be no extemporaneous work iu "Becky Sharp," the spectacular fulllength adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's immortal tale of "Vanity Fair,'' which, after sensational simultaneous releases in Hollywood, Los Angeles, New York, London and Paris, is now screening with no small degree of success at the Civic and Plaza Theatres jointly. The special technicolour medium, invented by Dr. Kalmus and used only in the short dancing film "La Cucaracha" previously, demanded preparations and rehearsals as careful as for a play. Strangely enough, tho director, Rouben Mamoulian, found this method most popular with his company. Only two of them—Frances Dee and Colin Tapley—were without legitimate stage experience. The others, Miriam Hopkins, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce, Wi'liam Stack and G. P. Huntley, juu., confessed that their best performances came from familiar theatre routine. What fascinated the stars was tho sensation of being "orchestrated" by Robert Edmond Jones, the colour designer. When they had donned their gorgeous period clothes they were studied against backgrounds of every shade, marched from light into shadow, turned round like clay figures, while the designer worked them into the composition of a scene as a whole. The smallest spangle of Miriam Hopkins' frock was not adjusted permanently until Edmond Jones was satisfied with its hue. And Sir Cedric Hardwicke remarked that he felt as if he were being stitched into a giant tapestry. It has been confidently predicted both in and out o£ the film industry that "Becky Sharp" will precipitate a screen revolution, slower, perhaps, but none the less as decided, similar to that caused by the advent of talk to the cinema in 1928-20. REGENT THEATRE.

In "Go Into Your Djince," which will commence on Friday at the Regent Theatre Hollywood has given the picture-going public not only a musical-comedy but also an entertainment that is replete with dramatic situations as well as hilarity, romance and spectacular dance numbers. The cast of "Go Into Your Dance" is headed by A 1 Jolson, world-famous stage and screen star, who introduced talking pictures, and his wife, Ruby Keeler, lormer star of the musical-comedy stage who has risen to fame on the screen in

the past few years. Miss Keeler (or Mrs. Jolson, if you prefer it) is now a film star in her own right, and she has no need to capitalise on her husband's name. Never before have she and her husband played together, each fearing to take the spotlight from the other, but in "Go Into Your Dance" the screen combination of A 1 Jolson and Ruby Keeler proves to be quite as happy as it is in private life. They make the perfect romantic team for a picture of this kind. Jolson is seen as a Broadway entertainer who is barred from the stage because popularity has turned his head, with the consequence that he is not to be relied upon. Eventually, thanks to the help of a little dancing girl in a small town, he makes a "come-back" on Broadway that sets the theatrical world aflame. Ruby Keeler is as sweet and winsome as ever as his dancing partner, who is unable to hide her love for the

great entertainer, though he continually snubs her, having succumbed to the wiles of a singer whose husband is a leader of the underworld. As the "other woman" and rival of Ruby Keeler, Helen Morgan sings and acts well. Glenda Farrell is the same "wise-cracking" and rather hardboiled character sne usually portrays, although in this picture she is not the gold-digging type. Her work always adds to the rollicking humour of the production. One of the most important features of "Go Into Your Dance" is ite strong story—much stronger than is usually encountered in musical films. Written by the author of "42nd Street," it is full alike of amusing and dramatic moments, and contains a most fascinating romance. MAJESTIC THEATRE. Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland are teamed as the hilarious married couple of the screen for the ninth time in "People Will Talk," which comes to the Majestic Theatre on Friday. The pair who have impersonated the meek husband and domineering wife in such films as "Six of a Kind," "Papa Loves Mama," "The Pursuit of Happiness" and "Ruggles of Red Gap" are reunited in a picture reported to give them even better opportunity to display their particular talent for squeezing the last possible drop of laughter out of every situation. Leila Hyams and Dean Jagger head the supporting cast of the picture. Miss Hyams is cast as Ruggles' and Miss Boland's newlywed daughter. After a scrap with her husband, played by Jagger, she comes back to her mother in tears, vowing she'll have a divorce. To show her her mistake, Miss Boland has the brilliant idea of staging a fake fight with Ruggles, just so the girl can see how silly it looks when married folks battle. It is here, however, that complications arise. Miss Boland forgets that her fight with Ruggles is all in fun and becomes indignant over the way he abuses her. Soon it's she who is hurrying off to an attorney to arrange for a trivovce. It all comes to a climax at a charity wrestling match where Ruggles, the re/feree, is caught between two huge giants, and Miss Boland is forced to come to his rescue. Pop-Eye the Sailor heads the supporting bill in "The Hyp-nut-tist."

CIVIC THEATRE. What Mark Twain did for the MiasisI sippi, Walter D. Edmonds has done for ; the Erie Canal. Edmonds, youthful author , of the novel "Rome Haul," has written several novels about the inland waterways of central New York State. At 25, 1 he is the first autho/ to put between the ■ covers of a book a genuine, compre- ■ hensive record of the old canals, the people who lived on the boats and those who inhabited the adjacent countryside. Attention was attracted to Edmonds beyond literary circles when his first novel was made into a successful stage play, "The Farmer Takes a Wife," from which the film of the same name, which is to replace "Becky Sharp" at the Civic Theatre on Friday was adapted. The charm of Edmonds' work lies in the fact that he has developed a new picture of folk life. He has brought forth a period of America practically overlooked by previous writers, and in so doing has enriched our literature. "The Farmer Takes a Wife" is a saga of the last hectic days on the grand old Erie, with its lure for the adventurous, its turbulent life for those who plied its boats and the romantic conflict between those who lived by it and on it and those for whom it was only a means to an end. The film stars Janet Gaynor and Henry Fonda. In the supporting cast are such stellar performers as Charles Bickford, Slim Summerville, Andy Devine and Jane Withers. NATIONAL AND PRINCE EDWARD. George Raft and the. popular band leader Ben Bernie are co-starred in the bright little film "Stolen Harmony," vvluch is now screening together with the absorbing human drama "Housewife"' (Bette Davis, Ann Dvorak and George Brent) at the National and Prince Edward Theatres jointly. Friday's new dual bill for both theatres will consist of two new first-release productions — "The Dragon Murder Case," a thrilling new detective film of the Philo Vance variety, with Warren William replacing William Powell as the famous film sleuth, and "Over the Garden Wall," a pleasing English musical picture starring Hollywood's lovely Marian Marsh (her Elstree debut) with the popular Bobby Howes, seen previously : in such pictures as "For the Love of i Mike," etc. i STRAND THEATRE. When Irene Dunne has sung "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," when Fred Astaire "Ginger" Rogers, Randolph Scott and Helen Westley all have done ' their romantic and comedy work in the pretentious musical film "Roberta" at the Strand Theatre for the last time tomorrow night, patrons of that house will be presented with a revival of the costly and entertaining English musical comedy "Brewster's Millions," starring the popular Jack Buchanan in a famous stage play which might have been written specially for his peculiar style of film fun The production cost its studio some £150,000 and incorporates many spectacular dances and song numbers. Lili Damitfl, has the principal feminine role.

| - ST. JAMES' THEATRE. | Of "Reckless," the varied-entertainment picture now screening with great success at the St. James' Theatre, a leading English reviewer wrote: "In this gener-ously-crowded film, Jean Harlow and William Powell figure as the bright particular stars. The production must be praised for its success in achieving so much in the way of variety; it enjoys incidental brilliance. There is music, dancing, melodrama, comedy, a spice of sentiment, a dash of heroism, a touch of pathos, a soupcon of sacrifice. Here is an energetic, vivacious picture, one which suggests an unstinting desire to please. Jean Harlow is a thing of grace. Her attractive face and perfect figure, her competent acting, her accompJished dancing, ller crooning, and above all—to go American for the moment —pep and personality, make her irresistible. William Powell knows all the tricks. He never sounds a false note or moves an eyelid when lie should not. He is a study in technique, a master of his job. The 'allstar cast' headline is so much over-worked in the film world that it has almost lost its significance. But here is an instance of perfect all-round casting and such direction that there is positive excuse for reckoning it an all-star combination. We expect Franchot Tone, as the wealthy waster, to play well, but he goes far beyond expectations. His drunken scene is splendidly handled. May Robson, once more the sharp-tongued, heart-of-gold, motherly or grandmotherly soul, the delightful Rosalind Russell in a sympathetic, friendly part, and many others, are all worthy of 12-inch letters on the bill." SECONDARY SCHOOLS' CONCERT. Judging from the successful results achieved at the final rehearsal held yesterday afternoon, the concert to be Riven in the Town Hall to-night by choirs drawn from the principal secondary schools will be one of the finest of its kind held here for some years past. The singing of the massed choirs—over 500 voices—under the direction of Professor Hollinrake is most impressive. Two popular presentations will bo poi dances and hakas by girls and boys from the Maori colleges. Individual school choirs also are to give separate numbers under their on r n conductors, and the whole concert, it is anticipated, will be one of the most enjoyablo ever given by the combined schools.