CITY THEATRES

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21308, 30 October 1934, Page 7

CITY THEATRES

TIVOLI "CHU CHIN CHOW" ' Chu Chin Chow," a Gainsborough production of Oscar Asche's famous musical comedy, began its second week ro. the i. T iv °li on Saturday. "Chu Chin , ls a fi rs t-rate musical comedy. The book and the lyrics are so good indeed, that it is almost entitled to the name of comic opera. Oscar Asche Don owed his atmosphere and his story from what is probably the most source of all, "The Arabian Wights, and both the words and the music of the songs are a good deal above the usual musical comedy level. i la luscious combination a ? ozen incidents recorded in „ «. 4 ra ' 3 ' an .Nights," of which the most famous is the transportation of i - thieves through the gates of a palace in 40 huge stone jars, supposed to contain a gift of olive oil. The miraculous "Open, Sesame;" and nose, Sesame," comes into it; there are gruesome scenes of slaughter and death, and magnificently rich scenes m the palaces and slave markets of the mighty. A brilliant cast has been assembled for the screen play. Ali Baba is played by George Robey, as grotesque and amusing as his Sancho Panza. The famous German actor. Fritz Kortner, is cast as the villainous Abu Hassan. Anna May Wong plays Zahrat, the spy, and Malcolm Mcf achern, an Australian singer, has the heavy bass part of Abdullah. J. he singing throughout is excellent, ana it has been recorded very faith- . , y- , There are also some elaborately beautiful dances, arranged bv Anton Dolin. MAJESTIC "WILD CARGO" In these days of outstanding film productions, few are more dramatic than jungle pictures, and in this respect Frank Buck, who gained prominence in "Bring 'Em Back Alive," provides even greater thrills in his latest effort, "Wild Cargo," which is now on view at the Majestic Theatre. Accompanied by an experienced serang and native guides, this intrepid hunter ventures into the great forests of Malaya, India, and Sumatra at the rean American zoo to capture and deliver alive many of the wild beasts of the jungle. A fight to_the death between a black leopard and a python is one of the •j the film. Humour is provided by a bear cub nicknamed Strangler Lewis," and a young ape whose antics cause great merriment. In support of the main picture are two excellent news gazettes and a special film showing the Duke of Gloucester arriving at Melbourne, and the official opening of the Centenary celebrations. The programme is altogether an outstanding one. and patrons are assured of a splendid evening's entertainment. "HOLLYWOOD PARTY" With a strong cast including Laurel and Hardy, Jimmy Durante, Lupe Velez, Polly Moran, Jack Pearl, Ted Healy, and Mickey Mouse, "Hollywood Party" is one of the happiest, gayest, and merriest screen entertainments to appear for some months. For the first time Mickey Mouse appears on the screen acting with human beings. Featured in this huge production are six new song hits, brilliant ballets, and new ensembles. "Hollywood Party" will be presented at the Majestic Theatre next Saturday. PLAZA "THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD" Compared with "The House of Rothschild," which is now in its third week at the Plaza, the majority of films, at the time sufficient entertainment, assume a certain insignificance. George Arliss has portrayed some notable Kstorical figures, Disraeli, Voltaire, Alexander Hamilton; he has not however, acted better throughout a film than in "The House of Rothschild, 1 " and in that film he attains at moments heights he has not before reached. As the continued centre 01. the action he takes the major credit for its success; but it is to be remembered that the conception of the picture is magnificent. The story of one of the greatest banking firms of the world, in the most dramatic period ot nineteenth century Europe, provides material unsurpassed in dramatic quality. The climax, approached with evenly graded dramatic effect, shows Nathan, when victory for Napoleon threatens, continuing to buy on a stock exchange which is intent through panic on selling. He, and the country, are saved by Wellington's defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo. CIVIC I "THE FOUR MASKED MEN" j ] | A sterling dramatic effort which secures the interest of an audience at the outset and holds it until the final scene, "The Four Masked Men," now showing at the Civic All-British Theatre is another success from that prominent British producing unit, Twickenham Film Studios, makers of "The Wandering Jew" and other successes. Elaborately staged and superbly acted this society comedy-drama offers excellent entertainment. John Stuart, already a general favourite, is seen in another splendid performance as a young barrister, and he is ably supported by Judy Kelly, the young Australian beauty contest winner, Miles Mander. Athole Stewart, and Richard Cooper. A good deal of comedy and romance are carefully mingled in a story that not only grips but also keeps an audience guessing until the final scene. A splendid supporting programme includes the latest Pathe Gazettes and "Derby Day," a feature in itself. Box plans are at the Civic Theatre. "SORRELL AND SON" British Dominions Films' talking picture triumph, "Sorrell and Son," will be shown for the first time in Christchurch at the Civic All-British Theatre on Saturday next. A classic of literature and an unforgettable silent picture Warwick Deeping's famous story now comes before the public as one of the biggest talking film successes ever produced. Sir Cedric Hardwickc, leader of the English stage, wrote of "Sorrell and Son": "I never hoped to see anything in talking pictures so fine —it's unforgettable." H. B. Warner again plays Sorrell, the part he made famous. He was selected after several others had been tried, but who had failed to satisfy the producers. Other members of an outstanding cast include Winifred Shotter, Donald Calthrop, and Hugh Williams. Box plans are now open at the Civic Theatre, where seats may be reserved j at no extra cost. '

LIBERTY | "THE BLACK CAT" AND "LET'S BE RITZY" Few of those who saw the, thriller "The Black Cat," shown at the Liberty Theatre on Saturday, would fail to compare it favourably with "Frankenstein" and "Dracula," two pictures of the same type which achieved great fame. In "The Black Cat," the stars of these two pictures, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, appear together for the first time, and the result is a picture which of its kind has not yet been equalled. Lew Ayres as Jimmy, and Patricia Ellis as Ruth, are the stars of "Let's be Ritzy," the attractive comedy which completes the programme and provides a great contrast in type to the thriller. REGENT "ONE MORE RIVER" John Galsworthy has been well served by R. C. Sherriff, the adapter, James Whale, the producer, and the cast of ' "One More River," which opened at the Regent Theatre on Sati urday. It elaborates an episode from the novel, but so skilfully that the original seems to be unfolded rather than added to. The dramatic point, characteristic of Galsworthy's sense of justice, is that in the existing state of the divorce laws a disillusioned and much injured wife may quite easily be precluded from obtaining a divorce; more than that, she may easily be trapped, by chance and by design, and made to figure as the guilty one. Clare Corven, brutally ill-treated by her husband, Sir Gerald Corven, left him in Ceylon and returned to England. In an action for divorce she would have had no evidence but her own to oppose to his denials, and she shrank, besides, from publishing so painful a story. Selfishly careful of his career, Sir Gerald refused to facilitate her release at any cost to his own reputation. But when he realised that she would on no account return to him, he determined to sue for a divorce himself, and for this purpose employed private detectives to spy upon Clare's relations with Tony Croom, whom she had met on the voyage from Ceylon, liked but not loved, and continued to meet. He loved her, but she steadily resisted him; yet their entire innocence did not prevent the spies from filling their note-books with a damaging circumstantial record, upon which Sir Gerald's counsel, in an admirable court scene, had little trouble in building a successful case. The bitterness of this wrong is of course sweetened by a happy ending, when Clare finds that after all she loves Tony. . j CRYSTAL PALACE j "MAN OF TWO WORLDS" There is sufficient novelty of story and quality of acting in "Man of Two Worlds," which was shown at the Crystal Palace Theatre on Saturday, for it to be commended as fine entertainment. Briefly the story is of an Eskimo, a great hunter and so a leader among his own people, who in return for his services to some English explorers is taken with them to England. Aigo, the Eskimo, is the centre of the picture, which in consequence depends for its success very largely on his acting; and the picture has considerable success because of Francis Lederer, the handsome foreigner who achieved great fame on the London stage before departing to Hollywood. There is a fascination in his English, a most attractive quality in his portrayal of the foreigner's naive mimicry of the actions and speech of .the English who surround him, and an intensity in all his acting which is almost too great. It leaves one expecting more dramatic things than do actually happen. The supports, including a news reel, j a Silly Symphony, and an amusing! farce entitled "No More West," are above the ordinary standard. i GRAND "PADDY THE NEXT REST THING" Janet Gaynor, the favourite of millions of picturegoers, gives one of the best performances of her career in "Paddy, the Next Best Thing," which began a return season at the Grand Theatre on Saturday. Warner Baxter has the leading male role. In "Paddy, the Next Best Thing," Janet Gaynor's whimsical brand of humour stands out against the stalwart, romantic qualities of Warner Baxter, who, increasingly popular in this type of role, is the rich man so enamoured with the hoyden in Janet that he wins her in spite of it.