Amusements Reviewed

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 3, 4 January 1941, Page 10

Amusements Reviewed

"WHEN THE DALTONS RODE." MAJESTIC. Tod Jackson Randolph Scott. Julie King Kay Francis. Grat Dalton Brian Donlevy. Caleb Winters George Bancroft. Bob Dalton Broderick Crawford. Ben Dalton Stuart. Erwin. Director: George Marshall (Universal). Also: ■'PRIVATE LIVES." with Hugh Herbert and Roland Young. Opinions were unanimous anion?: Majestic jjicatie audiences yesterday that the I nivcrsal frontier action production, "When the Daltons Rode/' readies a high standard of entertainment —running from comedy to tragedy, from action to romance, to suspense. The film is from an original screen play telling of the Dalton pang, which terrorised Kansas and surrounding territory during tiie middle of the last century. "When the Daltons Rode , ' heads the new programme at the .Majestic. There is more action and trajiedy compressed into the picture's 81 minutes than has been seen on the screen in one incline tor years. The story tells of a family q{ four sons torn from their mother by a series of incidents which places them outside of the law. It tells also of romance and a {tang of criminals, hardened by a world turned against them, plundering trains, banks and coaches. It tells of their annihilation at what was to be their last "job." Paralleling the underlying story of romance is the comedy, both of which temper the force of the action. Brian Donlevy, Broderick Crawford, Stuart Erwin and Frank Albertson portray the Dalton boys. Randolph Scott plays the attorney who attempts to aid them in their Court fights, and who falls in love with one of the youth's sweethearts, played by Kay Francis. Featured also on the new programme is '"Private Affairs." It is a comedy anil romance film, and its general outline concerns the ''black sheep' , of a Boston family, .vho on his return to Boston after some 20 years as a board boy in a New York brokerage house, brings to the fore the old family conflict in both a business and social sense. Roland Young and Xancy Kelly arc seen in the leading roles. "THE GREAT PROFILE." PLAZA. Evans Garrick John Barrymorc. Sylvia Mary Beth Hughes. Boris Meioofsky Gregory Ratofl. Richard Lansing John Payne. Mary Maxwell Anne Baxter. Dr. Bruce Lionel Atwlll. Director: Welter Lang (20th Century-Fox.) Some i hue ago John Barry more made the headlines in American newspapers. He was touring the country with a play. Then he was going to return to Hollywood. Then he was not. Finally he did, and Hollywood, in typical fashion, decided to use the free publicity and make ,a picture of the whole affair. The result is ''The Great Profile." which left audiences at the Plaza Theatre gasping for breath during the initial screenings yesterday. The original 'screen play by Milton Sperling and Hilary Lynn gives ample opportunity for demonstration of the Barrymore talent of lampooning, by word and gesture, the stage mannerisms at which he himself excels. Audience reaction last night wns in the nature of sustained laughter from the opening credit, backed by the song, "Oh, Johnny, How You Can Love." through the story as interpreted by Barrymore rye-rolling and gestures. Sharing in the comedy are Gregory Ratoff, as the actor s acent, frenzied by a gambling debt for which he is continually under threat, Mary Beth Hughes. John Payne. Anne Baxter, Lionel Atwill and Willie Fung as "Confucius," a longsuffering butler. Ratoff's performance in particular is excellent—in fact, only half a profile behind that of Barrymore. The supporting programme of news reels and short features is sufficiently varied to suit all tastes, and together "with the main feature, form a night's entertainment which would be hard to surpass. ROXY—TIVOLI. Overland. Nevada is celebrating ite annual rodeo at MeCluiie's Silver Saddle R-anch, where Gene Autry is foreman. Clyde Chase, dhnirenan of the celebration, tells Maureen McCluna and her Aunt Hattie that t'he contract for next year's rodeo will depend on how this rodeo ie handled. Pomeroy, owner of the O-Bar-O ranch, on ivhicfti he operates the Triangle CluJb, a night and gambling epot, suggest* to Cliaee that if next year's franchise were to 4>e given to the O-Bar-O lie would cut Ohaee on the deal. And that is the situation which causes all the trouible in "Rhythm of the Saddle," the latest Gene Autry production which ie showing at the Jtoxy and Tivoli Theatres. Gene, wiho is supported by Smiley Burnette and Pert Kelfon, with Peggy Moran as the lady in tflie case, eings several new numbers. A tale of the Texas Rangers, "The Man from Sundown,*' aleo screens at both itJieatree. Chairlee Starretc takes the main role. STRAND. Continuing ite successful Auckland season at the Strand Theatre, "I Take This Woman" hae proved iteelf to be jusit the type of siispenseful story in which the favourite Spencer Tracy ie most at home. The tale is a poignant love story of a love which seemed likely to die. Tracy, as a doctor in charge of a clinic in one of the poorer quarters of New York marries Hedy Lamarr, a would-be euicide case. To win her affection he leaves his- beloved clinic and commences a mord lucrative practice, but she still remains unsatisfied. Giving up the whole situation, Tracy prepares to leave on a.n expedition to China and it looks like an unhappy ending until the unexpected solution reverses matters. Tracy, ai'ter a spell in more vigorous roles, in iparticular "Nontih-west Passage." eh owe by his performance in "I Take This Woman" that it is in thie type of film that his future lies. Hedy La.marr dieplays less -'amour and more acting ability than of old. CENTURY. Shirley Temple, Spring Byington, Nigel Bruce and Gale Sondergaard head the imposing cast of "The Blue Bird," the 20th Century Fox fantasy which is drawing record crowds to the Century Theatre. This film is a fantasy of vitally different order, and, incidentally, a Shirley Temple picture of a vitally different order, a circumstance which to many will be of even greater importance. It is, further, as fair and proper a test of both fantasy and Miss Temple as anybody could reasonably ask for, a spectacularly thorough test made on such a scale as only a Darryl Zanuck commonly underwrites, and he only when the stakes —in this case the screen career of a four-season box office leader whose option comes up for renewal shortly—are high. The film has magnitude and yet fineness of detail, and the employment of technicolour and music has been superbly done. An interesting point is the preservation of an essentially simple story as such, even tHough it is filmed against a gorgeous background. OXFORD-AVON. Transferred direct to the Oxford and Avon Theatres, "I Manned a Nazi," is one of the most outspoken American pictures of ita kind yet to appear. Hitler and. Nazism are ridiculed and exposed and no punches are pulled. The etory is of a German who returns to hie mother country with his American wife and their child. He becomes fascinated with, the Nazi doctrine and, in spite of his wife's protests, joins the party. She decides to leave him but then is forced to remain when he informs her that he intends to keep fcheir son and bring him up a Nazi. Lloyd Nolan, playing the pant of an American newspaper correspondent stationed in Berlin, finally turns out to be their rescuer. The important point about the film is not so much the story as the etory behind the etory. In leading rolea Joan Bennett and Francis Lederer are excellent. The murder mystery, "The Spider," ie aOeo screening at ibobh theatres. STATE. Honour of presenting the first suburban screening of "The Mortal Storm" has fallen to the State Theatre, Symonds Street. The stars of "The Shop Around the Corner"—Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Frank Morgan and Robert Young—appear once again in leading roles "and succeed in bringing Phyllis Bottome'g sensational novel to the screen in masterly, fashion. 'I

"PUBLIC DEB. NO. I." CIVIC. Alan Blake George Murphy. Penny Cooper Brenda Joyce. Elsa Maxwell Elsa Maxwell G/£ha Mischa Auer! Milburn Charlie Ruggles. Bruce Falrchild Ralph Bellamy. Director: Gregory RatofT (20th Century-Fox.) The holiday season is the time for laughter and fun. They are in profusion ;it the Civic Theatre, where ''Public Deb. •No. 1 commenced a season yesterday to crowded audiences. This riotous fun story concerns a beautiful heiress, Penny Cooper, (Brenda Joyce), spoiled daughter of •rich parents, who turns "'Leftist' , under the influence of her ••phoney" Russian butler. She is soundly spanked for her pains oy an impecunious young man. Brenda seizes the opportunity in this film to prove that she not only has more glamour than the screen has shown in recent times, but also she is a lijiht comedienne of considerable merit. Her father has made his dollars by the sale of soup, and the girl causes a sensation when she is arrested during a Union Square demonstration. When the "pink" tendencies of this wilful young woman are blazoned in the newspapers the public boycotts Cooper's soup and Bruce Fairchild (Ralph Bellamy), who is engaged to the girl, is troubled because his campaign for Congress is failing like the soup manufactured by his prospective father-in-law. When the opinion of a waiter in a Russian cafe is asked by the girl on social questions she flares up when he announces his firm belief in the good old American way. Calling him stupid she has him discharged. He then knocks her fiancee down and gives Penny a public spanking, becoming f a public hero for his action. Penny in completely disillusioned in the end when she learns that her Russian butler has feet of clay. George Murphy, Brenda Joyce, Klsa Maxwell, Mischa Auer, Charles Kiigglc*. Ralph Bellamy and u host of others contribute to a splendid entertainment. The supporting i'cattirettes are well chosen and add to the general merit of the fare. ST. JAMES'.

The second screen version of the operetta, "Xew Moon," with music by Sigmund Romberg, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, Frank Mandel and Laurence Schwab, and Jcanette MacDonald and Kelson Eddy taking the place of Grace Moore and Lawrence Tibbett, still continues its moat successful season at the St. James' Theatre. The story is unchanged in basic outline from that of the original operetta ot the young French aristocrat who renounces his claims to nobility in order to further the cause of the French Revolution in Xew Orleans, where he goes as a bond servant. He helps other bond servants escape by capturing a vessel with which they embark on a career as privateers. They capture a boat on which is the young landowner, portrayed by Miss MaeDonald, arc wrecked, and then commence to build a new society on the island on which they are wrecked. Not the leust attractive feature of the film is the rendition by the stars of the familiar inelodiee associated with the operetta. EMBASSY. Screen version of Rat-hel Fields' famous novel. ''All This and Heaven Too," at the Kmbutysy Theatre, offers sound entertainment to those who can onjoy a wellhandled tragedy. Miss Fieldn' story, vouched for as an authentic account ol incidents in the life of her great-aunt, concerns the experiences of a trench governess who entered the home of a member of King Louiis Philippe's peci-age (Paris, 18471 and took chance of his four children left motherless because of an emotional barri-er between their parents. Both tihe children .iikl their father becunin strongly attracted, but the lives of all were made intole.aible bv pereecufion and eepionnge by the fnwtrnled mother, a persecution w'hich ended in the tormented husband killing her in a rape. How he was offered a way out 'by compromising the governces and how he reject* this in favour of a more dramatic solution forms a powerful ciimix to a powerful film. Bette Davis and Barbara O'Xoil are bofh faultless. wQiile ihe characterisation of Charles Boycr ie .ilso eound.