TALKING FILM

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21121, 23 March 1934, Page 21

TALKING FILM

* jiEW PROGRAMMES tivoli theatre cE ORGE AIU.ISS IN "VOI.TAIRK" ; ■■Voltaire,'' the Warner Bros." pro- ' I Action, starring George Arliss, is the • I gjjn. which has been selected as the ' opening attractkn for the new Tivoli : Theatre This is the great- i L contribution _ i w tr.c screen Mr '• 4,jic= has r.;:ne since "Disraeli. ' i hirh i f most resemble?, not cxceut- ! "The Millionaire' or "The Work- : f £2 Man." and is the most skilful per- .. "crmance this actor has yet contri--5 butei to either «ta2e or screen. Tnei e :> jj a fine cast and the picture, in short. . 3 ,j an enthralling drama. spectacularly • '■ n-.ac:::ticeni!y staged, unci | oramaticaily s- unit. | j* is .said A::. ha.- | 20 years to nr.c; the_ Mittablo cnima--1 *isation of the me f>l \ olta:re. called | jtjg father c-f ti.e French Rc-voluliori. i ii~so it has been time well spent, for ;re intervening years have ripeneu :;' s artistry tcwara tit'. ■ i' '-' \v l a.'- he pttt "Voltaire'' on the -orcein A. single incident m the ioul. career cf the great French roet-pmle-. ;jher is used as a f.rarr.atic nackground ior ,he nlm. In tin.- Mi Ail-- has toliowed the me:'a a he it nnd so ,-uecessi'ul in "Disraeli.About irus one incident has men n vt ,l tne go, - ' jcous panoply r.:'£yxti\»\ usance m the I court oi imaus ...... A.i the intrigue | which centred in tne boudoir ot | Madame Purmadour. It is reckless. J beautifully mannered melodrama, the f like of winch has probably seldom I come cut <•; Hollywood before. | The incident used by the dramatists ! •:? an adaptation of trie famous Calas case in which Voltaire interested bbm- ( self for eight years, braving threats of imprisonment and death in his efforts • to clear a man's name and to savt his ! estates from intriguing advisers t.. the 1 king. Voltaire's well-know;-, fr:.-mi-shit) and influence with Madam- IV:t:padour. a role playeo. charmingly by Deris Kenyun. plays a vital part in the Eton--. • Tlie excellence oi the supporting cast matches the production values. Margaret Lindsay, who v.-as seen first in "Cavalcade," plays the role of Nanette Calas. Theodore Newton, another newcomer who won his spurs in "The ! Working Man." plays the part of Nan- ; ctte's lover. David Torren.ee. Alan Mowbray. Doris Lloyd. Helena Phillids. and Murray Kiimeil are others in" the cast. The story moves from Voltaire's Paris apartments to the palace of the French kins into the boudoir of Madame Pompadour, and then to the unrivalled extravagance of Versailles. AH these settings have been reproduced with a lax ish and spectacular hand. It is not just costume drama — it is the panorama of one of the most dramatic periods of the worlds historv unfolded realistically. The box plans are at the D.I.C. MAJESTIC THEATRE •'THE FIRE RAISEUS" Recent fire scandals m London, mvolving conspiracy and other charges aeainst brigade oliicials and business il men operating in are .nsurar.ee, lend i topical interest to one of the Fox 1 i.m .- | newest releases of Gaumont-Britisn j pictures, a lilm cntileci "The Fue- • Jsisers." which will start on Monday : £t 'he Majestic Theatre Commercial villainy i> not a new i::sp ration for screen writers. Briti.-n or Otherwise, out the story of "The tne Raisers" fives the film an unusua' while 'tie st-cng'h ot tiie picn lie's in its simplicity and the fertiirightnc.'s of the swift action wih which it is packed. Plunged into a financial morass by his oto gambling proclivities and the extravagance of his wife. Brcnton, a successful fire insurance assessor, ambitious and unscrupulous, is ;mpted to join Stedding, a cold-blooded scoun- ; irel. in shady insurance operations, which resu.i in a su '.-ession of serious I fires. Finally a great liner 1 . lost at I tea with all hand-;. Bror.ton had not : Bargained for inurder —indeed he had Stood out until assured that every provision had been made to avoia lose life. In the meantime the activities of Btedding ana his gang had been ciisi fliosed to the honest )v ers who had I Suffered heavy lo=res as ;• of 'mem. A trap v-r- !?id, but the mmg cattght the informer nnd 'eft Undying. Finally Brontcn, with y, vat I personal braver. I .', countered Stc-dd ng j in an attempt to stage another fire I tragedy. . ultimately lest his life in | saving that cf a friend who had got \ into Steddir :'s clutches. | Leslie Banks is the star, and the cu.-t | includes Anne Grey. Carol Goodlier, I Francis Sullivan. Laurance Anderson I and Frank Cellicr. ! A special feature included in the j programme will be a stage parade ot j mannequins showing the latest fashions from London and Pa: is for tin coming season. Many beautiful gowmand many of the newest fashions for j women will be shown on the stage for | the benefit of women patrons of the I theatre. Box plans are at the D.I.C. ! | CRYSTAL PALACE "LOVE'S OLD SWEET S»ONG*' f An irresistible appeal to the roman- | to side of human nature is made in S 'Love's Old Sweet Song," which will ! start to-morrow at the Crystal Paluco j Theatre. ; Aided by the magic of music, charmi «ng personalities in the artists, and 1 beautiful scenes from the English coun«ja»de, the producer has demonstrated ; the possibilities of modern films in j bringing an audience face to face with ! a . story that rings true from beg'in- ! »Wg to end. There is nothing strained j w artificiar about "Love's Old Sweet j i' 01 ?®-" is a simple tale of the oldj -ashioned type in which the inevitable j Villain is a real villain and the hero ls cast in thoroughly heroic mould. In ? satisfying finale villainy reaps it-; just desserts and tlie hero the reward all lovers court. .Jnere are no false notes, r.u artihcialities. no straining after impossible £nects, but wholesome love .story that na s the usual problems and which e nds as happily as all such stories end. The film provides Joan I * , .*ndham with the opportunity of disPlaying her talent as a vocalist. Her r ?le is that of a young professional : mger who, while on holiday in the country, captivates a young farmer. ~'mmy Croft, with her singing of Old Sweet Song." The scound-half-brother <>f her friend and manager, Paul Kingslake, however, in-,-i-ates himself into her affect ion. and marrie.-. her. leaving Iris Sinwith whom lie has been having : n affair. j„ th.e lurch. But that is -- 'he enti ot the -turv. plans an. at the D I.C. I GRAM) THEATRE Warner Baxter, star of "Daddy Long will again be seen in the role Y con fi rn 'ied. but human bachelor, bis new Fox romantic drama amateur Daddy." opens at the Grand ' b, tu , to-morrow. Opposite Baxter. 1 -Vi- leading fominine' role is Marian 1 Rita Li Hoy. William Pawley. | •DO David are also leatured

THEATRE ROYAL J 'H Al'Tl RED" AX EXCITING j FILM j i An exciting story of the life in a German prison camp is the theme of "Captured." which will be shown for the first time at the Theatre Royal to-morrow'. It is an unusual film with ! 5 a theme full of interest, in which the stars are Leslie Howard. Douglas Fair- : banks, jum. Paul Lukas. and Margaret ! Lindsay. | Although most of the action takes ! 1 place in the prison camp, the strength j of the story lies in the unusual tri- : : angle involving Howard. Fairbanks. 1 i and Lindsay, wno is married to How- ! ard. but who discovers she loves Fair- 1 i banks. Both men are fellow-prison- ; ers in the same camp. Vivid dramas o* love, hate, jealousy, despair, and even madness among the hundreds of itien incarcerated behind the German lines lead to a sensational denouement • when Howard. as the British oilices. discovers tne untaithCultiCis of his wife and fraud. , Tne producer.-. Warner Brother.-. , "ho have already gi\en such outstanding screen tare as "1 am a Fugitive from a Cham Gang." "42nd Street." " Gola Diggers oi 1933." and "Working Man." consider "Captured" as the strongest dramatic picture of their year of great pictures. Robert Barrat is ca.-t :.s the brutal prison camp commandant. Margaret Lmcsay. tlie young actress who made such a success in "Cavalcade." has the role of the girl Monica, with whom both, Howard and Fairbanks are in love. ST. JAMES' THEATRE '•PKOSPFU'irV ler aiiCi Polly Moran a- rival mothers-in-law doing hectic battie, hilarious adventure.-, in a small town, and appealing drama—all are woven into i "Prosperity," which wdl start to-mor-row til St. Jameo's. "Prosperity" is a moving turn. From the moment the two comediennes start battling over the married lives of their grown children until tlie dra- : malic sacrifice of the redou liable • Marie in the deiiouucmeni of the plot, it moves like Imhinieg. and laugh piles on laugh. Miss Dressier and M: - - Moran arc • their blustering, bathine solve- throiign many a side-spiittnig "gag." and then a dramatic twist puts them to some very real acimg. from which they emerge more than triumphant. Sam Wooci directed the diverting drama of small-town bt'e. with a east that was well -luted to it. Anna Page ' and Norman Foster play the two married children C the battling dowagers. and little Jacquie l.yn and Jerry Tucker are in turn their children. Box plans are at the D.I.C. PLAZA THEATRE "GALLANT I.AHV In "Gallant Lady." he.- sirs: p. dure for Twentieth Century production.-. ■ which begins its second week at the Plaza mi Saturday. Ami Harding give- ; : a line performance. This picture deals ' with tile experience of a young uwncd mother who is farced to assiru her its birth. Later. na\ ;:m become a successful business woman, she accidentally meets m l\-r:s the child whom . :;e has never cea. eii to !>>vc. Faced w>!h the pi'.ssib.ht }• of being reunited w:'.. iicr boy, she is compelled to <ie- J , cicie between keeymg .-.lent regarding: I her real identity as tiv chiltlV nwtluT , in order to be with him and revealing the facts in order to play fair wit it th" ' man : he loves, wnii the p>--sibility of wrecking th" child's lu'ure. Tiie mle gi\'es Miss Harding ample i scope for the exercise of her talent . for the portrayal of deep and sincere ! emotion, and the scene in which she . ; makes the decision which affects not ■ only her future but that of her son is tilled with pathos and tender dignity. A tine ea.-t has been cho.-eu by Joseph M. Scherci- and Darrvi F. /Canuck. producer; «•;' "GaUan*. Lady." to support Mi-'s Harding and includes ■ such n'iines a- C..ve 8r..0k. Otto Kruger. and Tu'ii.. Cam inati. Facii of these characters niv id* s an ..*• t,, V e mnn'e.-t m the "eallant I' civ's" '"V. t'rooh as a derelict ; w't ■> - in a crisis; | r'a-r-t n... rh n ad->rr>V- 1 Diclue ; Moore. LIBERTY THEATRE , "KING roit A NIGHT" AND "I NKNOWN \h\I.LKV" tears m the life of an overnight popular idol are to be found in "Kn.u for ; a Night," Universai's unu>ual stoi'y. : starring Chester Morris, winch wiil i open its season at the Liberty Theatre to-morrow. Morris is supported by , Helen Twelvetrees, Alice White, John : Miljan. and Grant Mitchell. ' The storv is of a small town boy, son of a clergvman, unci of his sister and I the girl he loves, both of whom cheat ; at love and bring only sorrow and : traged'* to him. At the height of his ! successful career, when he holds wealth • and adulation in the palm of his hand, : he is overwhelmed by the wrong-doing' | of his loved ones. The climax is vivid in its logic. « Buck Jones is provided wan an I interesting plot full of strange situa- ; Hons m his newest Columbia picture, j "Unknown Vallev," which is the supI porting film. He has beautiful Cecilia '! Parker to fill the romantic angle wiln ' sincerity and charm. He has a line supporting cast, including Wade Boj tel'er Frank McGivnn. Charles Thurs- ! ton, and Ward Bond, and the capable ! direction of Lambert Hill.ver, who has i made all his recent film successes. Box | . plans are at the D.I.C. REIiKNT THEATRE "I WAS A SI'V" In "I Was a Spy." the Gaum.ont- • i British film a', tlve Kegent Theatre, • v.'huc'n will be e.. I"eene.i lor ;i second | week, the producer. Victor Saville, ! had a basis of fait to work on: but :! it is his (inc. penetrating, constructive I imagination that is to be credited 1 with" the success ( f the drama built '1 upon it- The story is iuli ol thrills, I! but is aiway.- more than a thriller. Madeleine Carroll plays very sciisi- . mem the pari of a Belgian girl. ; iMart'he Cn.oci:;.t it. whose pity lead.h«r to aci opt service 111 'hi German military hospital a' Roulci's Mr iie-uert Marshall, wiio b.kes siippie. bi'isK pails, best, perhaps. ha; ..ppear. vl to bc'ttci* advantage titan- i.i - Steiam Ib.e Alsatian hospital orderly, Marthe s ■ confederate and her lover, who gives r | his own life to save her from the lir- ' ing squad; but Conrad Veidt, as tlie ' ! town commandant, and Sir Gerald du . i Maimer, as the hospital donor, achieve i "the highest possible success. Mr I i Edmund Gwer.n as the Belgian burgo- . I master gives one of those minor per--1 : formanees in which every word and j cverv loiik iia\e exactly th.*.. light j empiiasis.

CIVIC THEATRE TWO BIG IMCrniKS ! To-morrow, at the Civic All-British | Theatre. British Dominions Films will | offer to the Christchurch public a proamine that should appeal to all pictui i-goers. Two specially .' elected feature productions will be screened, each of different appeal. The firs!. "That's my Wife," features the popular star Claude Allister. whose performance as Spoofv in "Three Live Ghosts" will be remembered. Another wll\nown s'a'" is Frank PottmreH. the Viir'. ill''' e. n-e lien »hr. a ! ■>"' V. 1111 ■ ha' Ia" ! ';.' As>» 11, in '' an,: mg Ola' o" the 1 i giit., c.ucM'he., i '"ei; fot ,v m," 'inie. '! i" sloi'v concerns a weaitiiy manufacturer who indulges a hectic tlirtation with a young mar- ; lied woman, with the result that he in- ; volves himself in a tangle which pro-' mises more trouble than he is prepared : to meet. In his anxiety he appeals to | hi.- nephew, whom lie imagines is a: partner m a firm of solicitors but wine aeiuallv is lite proprietor of a beauty! parlour. ! Tiie complications that ensue lead j to a chain of amusing incidents, in , winch Fi auk Pettingell as the manu- j iaeturer and Claude Allister as the nephew are seen at their b<-st. j The second feature. "Should a Doctor Tel;'.'" is a dramatic story of a conflict between parental love ami professional principle. The story concerns a doctor who, to uphold the sanctity of con-sulting-room confidences, defies the law, but is later called upon to face the same problem as a parent. The stars, in this drama are Anna Neagle, star of "The Flag Lieutenant," Norali Baring, and Basil Gill. Box plans are now open at the theatre, where seats may be reserved at no extra cost.