CITY THEATRES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21290, 9 October 1934, Page 3

CITY THEATRES

PLAZA "THE SONG OF THE PLOUGH" The quiet beauty of the English countryside, and what remains of the old tradition of village life, have rarely been better shown than in "The Song of the Plough." The story is really unimportant in the film, which is chiefly interesting as an admirable English example of the documentary films in which the Russians have held the lead. The sweep of downs, the moving sky, the lowlands patterned with hedges, the sheep, cattle, and horses, these are the actors in the film as much as the men and women of the village. This use of scenery is not new, but it has not often been done so well in English films, and to those who have found many scenics merely boring, "The Song of the Plough" will be a revelation. The unity of effsct achieved is the outcome of unusually skilful photography and very careful selection. "THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD" The screen genius of Mr George Arliss has never had a finer setting than that provided in "The House of Rothschild." Mr Arliss has yet to make a poor picture. His first appearance on the talking screen was in a sidelight of history—an episode from the life of Disraeli—and now, with historical films in vogue, he has gone back a few years further to recreate another famous Jewish figure. Nathan Rothschild, the third of a family of five brothers, was the acknowledged leader of the great banking house which had its being in the five capitals in Europe. He operated from London and fought with all the power of his huge wealth to destroy the power of Napoleon. This is the character in which Mr Arliss scores his greatest scfteen triumph to date. Never has Mr Arliss proved so completely his mastery of changing moods. The scheming of the brilliant financier, the courage of the patriot, the devotion of the father and husband are portrayed with superb economy of effort and occasional kindly flashes of delightful humour. But the picture is not Arliss alone. Mr C. Aubrey Smith gives a magnificent performance as the Duke of Wellington and Mr Boris Karloffs vindictive Ledrantz is a sound piece of acting. Mrs Florance Arliss appears opposite her husband as his wife and gives a performance which approaches perfection. Miss Loretta Young, as Rothschild's daughter, and Mr Robert Young, as Wellington's aide-de-camp, provide romantic interest in a carefully subdued love interlude. The whole film is magnificently produced. The cameracraft matches the casting in its brilliance and the final scene, in which history is anticipated and Rothschild receives a peerage, is magnificently photographed in colour. Altogether it is a superb film which deserved success.

REGENT "TARZAN AND HIS MATE" Children, of course, will love "Tarzan and His Mate," and there is a great deal in it to compel the admiration of adults. For if it sometimes falls into bathos, just as often it reaches quite lofty emotional heights. The featured players are again Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan, but the real stars of the picture are the apes, elephants, lions, and rhinoceroses which abound in great numbers, and which play their parts with quite amazing skill. Scenes almost lyrical in character are alternated with passages of combat and bloody slaughter One of the finest things in the picture is the mourning of the apes over the body of the wounded Tarzan, and their unbounded delight when he recovers and once more goes to the rescue of his mate, swinging rhythmically from tree to tree. The story describes the adventures of two Englishmen and their safari, when they try to reach a centuries-old burial ground of elephants to loot their ivory tusks. This burial ground is an immense rocky chasm, to which entrance can be made only through a waterfall. It lends itself to pictorial treatment, and the producers' have excelled themselves in setting out the scene. The Englishmen get tha ivory and plan to take Tarzan's mate back to civilisation; but in the end they are defeated and the exploit costs them their lives. Tarzan makes a magnificent figure as he goes flying through the trees at a pace which puts the apes to shame, or when he is engaged in terrific combat with crocodiles or lions. There are plenty of scenes like this, some of them very exuberant. There are also very beautiful under-water scenes when Tarzan and his mate go for an early morning swim. A vast number of elephants, apes, lions, and rhinoceroses rush over the screen in a complicated series of hostilities which culminate in a quadrilateral battle among the elephants and apes, the lions, cannibals, and the Englishmen. One of the best sequences shows Tarzan mobilising the apes and elephants for this fray, and adults as well as children will catch some of the excitement as the animals come rushing to the battlefield. But the scene which most adults will remember is that showing the rescue and nursing of Tarzan by the apes. The only sound in this long passage is their agitated chattering. Little glimpses of apes clambering through the trees, with anxious expressions on their faces, have been assembled with great skill and humour. 'Tarzan" is a long picture, and the supporting programme at the Regent is necessarily brief. It comprises a cartoon, interesting news-reels, and one of the "Strange as it Seems" series.

"THE THIN MAN" The new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer-Cos-mopolitan picture, "The Thin Man," will open at the Regent Theatre on Saturday. Alexander Woollcott declared "The Thin Man" to be the best detective story ever written, and Sinclair Lewis described it as the most breathless of all of Dashiell Hammett's stories. "The Thin Man" is the story of Nick Charles, a former detective who is Sherlock Holmes. S. S. Van Dine, and all other crack detectives rolled into one. It tells of three murders which involves Charles, against his will with the unusual Wynant family. His method of solving the crimes provides one of the most exciting and unusual climaxes of all detective picWiiliam Powell plays Nick Charles, ana surpasses all his earlier detective roles in this :-ole. Myrr.a Loy appears as his happy-go-lucky wife, Nora, and Maureen O'Sullivan carries off honours with her successful handling of the part of Dorothy Wynant. Minna Gombell, more often seen in comedy parts, appears in a tense emotional role in this picture, and Nat Pendleton, always a gangster heretofore, becomes a bewildered detective lieutenant. Other roles are ably handled by Porter Hall, Henry Wadsworth, William Henry, and Edward Ellis. Box plans will open at the D.I.C. to-morrow.

TIVOLI

"PRINCESS CHARMING" There is an exceptionally well seI lected programme at the Tivoli Thej atre this week consisting entirely of British films. The feature is "Princess Charming," a delightful musical romance in which Evelyn Laye has the leading part, and in which some of the foremost actors of the British stage appear. The comedy is one of those dealing with mythical kingdoms, presumably Balkan, but in this case very cleverly disguised, in which occur all the many surts of trouble that the writer of musical comedy is able to turn to such good use. The music is excellent, the acting is very good, and the plot is much more efficient than the plots usually associated with entertainments of this type. Evelyn Laye, in the character of the princess, is a most charming person, and brings to her part all the great ability that has made her an outstanding figure on the musical comedy stage of this generation. She is very ably supported by George Grossmith, whose smooth acting as the king is all that is required. Henry Wilcoxon has the unenviable part of the hero, but carries it off with distinction, and Max Miller is his usual humorous self as an insurance canvasser who is not to be denied. The story tells of a bankrupt kingdom, whose king, to save the state from complete financial disaster, arranges to marry the princess of a neighbouring state. When she meets him and finds that he is middle-aged, and not at all her idea of what a hero should be, she becomes determined not to go through with the ceremony. In the meantime, to straighten out a number of happy complications with the revolutionaries and with the pressing insurance man, she has gone through the form of marriage with one of the emissaries of the king. She falls in love with him, but with his strong sense of duty he is rather a backward swain, and requires a great deal of coaxing before he can be brought to the realisation that he is in Jove with the princess. ".MORNING GLORY" Regarded as one of the greatest of contemporary screen actresses, Katharine Hepburn gives a magnificent performance in "Morning Glory," which will be shown at the Tivoli Theatre next Saturday.

THEATRE ROYAL "THE WARREN CASE" AND "CONVENTION CITY" The two principal features at the Theatre Royal offer sharp contrasts in entertainment. One is pure farce, and the other a thrilling drama of the highest order; but the whole programme satisfies as few doublefeature programmes are able to. "The Warren Case" justifies the high praise which has been bestowed on this English production. It can boast of a perfect court scene—a real film rarity—and the ability to maintain suspense in a complicated mystery. A demented journalist, harbouring an imaginary grudge against his employer and a woman, contrives a cunningly staged murder. He commits the murder and audaciously writes the story for his newspaper. Purposely he implicates an entirely innocent man and sees this man tried and sentenced to death. With the traditional blundering of the police—traditional as usually portrayed on the screen—his cunning almost succeeds, but the story retrieves the honour and dignity of Scotland Yard by allowing a junior detective to discover that the journalist is the murderer. This story reads as being original enough to succeed in a film on its own merit alone, but with the additional virtue of extremely sound acting "The Warren Case" becomes an enthralling, gripping mystery drama which holds one in suspense until the last line. With customary English subtlety the film seems also to have been used in a propagandist way to throw light on the evils of a sensa-tion-mongering press. Richard Bird, Diana Napier, and Nancy Burne are three of the really brilliant young people who make up the fine cast. "Convention City" is thoroughly amusing. Some hundreds of commercial travellers (salesmen in the film) get more or less "loose" in an American city while attending a conference. They behave with a boisterousness almost as uncontrolled as their keenness for business. The story deals with the experiences of a few of their number, who are in the apparently unfortunate position of having their wives with them. Joan Blondell, Adolphe Menjou, Dick Powell, Mary Astor, and Guy Kibbee are the principal members of a cast which manages this typical American farce with excellent spirit. CIVIC "LILY OF KILLARNEY" Now in its second week at the Civic All-British Theatre, the delightful Irish romance, "Lily of Killarney," continues to attract large audiences. The enthusiastic reception this picture is receiving is well deserved, as a more pleasing entertainment would be hard to find. The irresistible Irish national airs and the beautiful incidental music interwoven into the story make a real appeal to all who hear them. John Garrick, who as Reginald Dandy toured New Zealand with the "Rose Marie" Company, heads a strong cast, as Sir Patrick Creegan, and Gina Malo, as "Eily O'Connor," makes a charming colleen. An outstanding performance is that of Father O'Flynn, by Stanley Holloway. Four splendid supports complete an excellent programme. Box plans are at the theatre from 10 a.m. daily.

CRYSTAL PALACE

"FOOTLIGHT PARADE" AND "UNCERTAIN LADY" For sheer extravagance in a talking film it would be hard to better "Footlight Parade," one of Warner Brothers' great productions. It moves with a rapidity that is dazzling, and includes some amazing scenes, which must represent practically the extreme to which musical comedy can go. In a return season, together with a good comedy, "Uncertain Lady," it provides a good programme at the Crystal Palace this week. A beautiful waterfall scene, which has probably not been equalled for its originality and its music, is outstanding in "Footlight Parade." It is this and one or two other original and elaborate scenes that make the film an attractive one. With them, particularly with the waterfall scene, there are some interesting and good songs, most of them sung by Dick Powell. The cast is headed by James Gagney, a remarkably youthful director, who dashes about in a desperation typically American, in search of ideas for new "units." Joan Blondell plays opposite him, and with them are Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell. "Uncertain Lady" is a good comedy with a new turn to the old story about a husband and wife who have become tired of one another —the sort of comedy in which Edward Everett Horton, who heads the cast, is very much at home. Genevieve Tobin is the "Uncertain Lady." There is ample scope for a good story; and plenty of comedy when she tells him that if he wants to be relieved from the duties of husband to her he must find her another.

MAJESTIC "MURDER AT THE VANITIES" Earl Carroll's "Murder at the Vanities" is a picture of a rare kind. Each of the two widely different types of play, the spectacular stage show and the mystery tale, has a special appeal; a combination of those two types in a single picture, if carried out with any degree of success, assures a wonderful evening's entertainment. In "Murder at the Vanities" there is no room for dullness. If the audience is not being delighted by the extraordinarily brilliant stage settings and the splendid dancing of the ballet, it is being thrilled by the series of mysterious actions which are happening back-stage, and result in two murders. In the acting there are some performances which are outstanding. As Jack Ellery, stage manager at the Vanities, Jack Oakie balances well between the harassed stage manager on the opening night, and the fine comedian one knows him to be; Carl Brisson and Kitty Carlisle, as the leading man and lady of the show, are pleasing, in their acting as in their singing. A minor part deserving special commendation is that of Norma Watson, played by Dorothy Stickney. Victor McLaglen, as the not-over-clever detective, is good, and the repartee in which he engages, with Jack Oakie, is of a most pleasing character. Particular credit for a good presentation of a difficult part is due to Gertrude Michael, as Rita Ross, the villainess in the piece. .Much of the picture is devoted to the presentation of the "Vanities," which in themselves provide the amount of entertainment ef an ordinary picture. The atmosphere of fear and suspicion is early created, and the change from the feeling thus produced to that evoked by witnessing most attractive dancing and spectacular stage settings is a rare and pleasant sensation. There is a lavishness in the production, and a coherence and beauty in the dancing, which are worthy of great commendation. Of especial note are, two scenes. "The Rape of the Rhapsody," and the island scene where the illusion of waves is created by the movement of large spreading plumes. Some notable songs, among which "Cocktails for Two" stands out, complete the musical side of the picture. The supporting programme is of a high standard. MICKEY MOUSE The annual Mickey Mouse "birthday party will be held at the Majestic Theatre at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 13. Birthday cake will be distributed, and all of Mickey's friends, including Minnie and Pluto, together with many well-known children's screen favourites, will be there. Seats can be reserved at the D.I.C. at a cost of sixpence.

LIBERTY "THE NIGHT OF THE PARTY" AND "JIMMY THE GENT" "The Night of the Party" may be classed as one of the best dramas to be screened in recent months. The threads of the story are closely interwoven, and it is noteworthy than even the flashes of comedy relief have a direct bearing on the plot. The story is of a dinner party at which the guests agreed to play a parlour game of "murder." While the lights were out for the game, the host. Lord Studholme, is murdered. Eight guests were at the party. Each had cause to hate and fear the host. The servants hated and feared him also. The solving of the mystery of Lord Studholme's death, with so many persons against whom circumstantial cases could be built, taxed the ingenuity of Scotland Yard. An unexpected and thrilling climax rounds off a splendid film. The stars are Leslie Banks, Carol

Goodner, Muriel Aked, and Ernest Thesiger. James Cagney plays the part of "a hard-boiled hombre," ajias"a ten-min-ute egg" in the second film, "Jimmv the Gent." It would be hard to imagine a film more crammed with American slang and racketeering action. Cagney plays the title role, the director of a large racketeers agency in an American city, the business of which is organised heir chasing. Other leading parts are played by Bette Davis and Alice White.

GRAND "I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG" "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" is an adaptation of the sensational book of the same name by Robert E. Burns, in which the author gives ~.n account of a period in his own life. The picture is thus a very real and true representation of actual fact, and for this reason if for no other would be worthy of commendation. The revelation of the infamous American chain gang prison system in all its details is at once illuminating and amazingly well done. The acting of Paul Muni In the chief part is a fine piece of dramatic characterisation, and he is ably supported by Glenda Farrell, Helen Vinson, and Sally Blane.