CITY THEATRES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22344, 7 March 1938, Page 14

CITY THEATRES

AVON

“THE PRISONER OF ZENDA” Realistic swordplay, fast action, a line series of beautiful scenes, and one of the most romantic love stories ever screened are shown in “The Prisoner of Zenda,” which is in its third week at the Avon Theatre. The story by Anthony Hope is well known, and should in itself mark the picture as good, but a first-class cast and equally talented direction have taken it into the realms of the truly great and brilliant class of entertainment. The acting leaves nothing to be desired. The inclusion in the cast of such names as Ronald Cofman, Douglas Fairbanks, jun., C. Aubrey Smith. Madeleine Carroll, Raymond Massey, David Niven, and Mary Astor should be a sufficient guarantee of talented performances. PLAZA DOUBLE-FEATURE PROGRAMME “Murder in Greenwich Village” and “Fly Away Baby” form the doublefeature programme showing at the Plaza Theatre this week. Breath-taking action and side-split-ting comedy combine to make excellent entertainment out of "Murder in Greenwich Village.” The story concerns the exciting events following an odd meeting of Richard Arlen, portraying a commercial photographer, and Fay Wray, in the role of a wealthy debutante adventuress. “Fly Away Baby” deals with a race round the world. A rich jeweller is found murdered in his office and Glenda Farrell gets into the building to get the news for her newspaper. Through an exciting and clever series of deductions, Glenda and Barton MacLane solve the mystery. An excellent supporting cast is provided. . MAYFAIR “BREAKFAST FOR TWO”

“Breakfast for Two,” which is showing at the Mayfair Theatre this week, is a brilliant comedy romance. The film is successful from every point of view. Barbara Stanwyck, Herbert Marshall, Eric Blore, and Glenda Farrell are the leading players, and all of them show that they appreciate their roles by the lively manner in which they take them. The story is carried along from one amusing episode to another by fast action and vivacious dialogue. Characterised by realism that makes it one of the most interesting spy stories yet screened. "Lancer Spy,” a Twentieth-Century-Fox picture, will begin on Friday at the Mayfair Theatre. Dolores Del Rio, George Sanders. and Peter Lorre are featured. The most extraordinary venture a courageous man ever faced, with one chance in a thousand that he would ever return, this untold spy story of the great war is brought to vivid life by the performance of George Sanders. Outstanding in the cast are Virginia Field, Sig Rumann. Joseph Schildkraut. Maurice Moscovitch, Lionel Atwill, and Luther Adler, in supporting roles typical of their talent. In a new romantic role, the tall, husky Sanders finds a traitorous woman in love with him, finds himself depending upon this love of a woman whose business is betrayal. STATE “ACTION FOR SLANDER” The three essentials of a first-class entertainment —suspense, action, and humour —are combined in “Action for Slander,” the United Artists’ picture which is showing at the State Theatre this week. The picture is chiefly notable for the return of that polished actor, Clive B«ook, who has been absent from films sufficiently long to be sorely missed. The story unfolds with an absorbing development of detail which makes it important not to miss one move in the plot. Everything revolves about an unfortunate game of poker at an English country house. Clive Brook, as Major Daviot, is accused of cheating. Clive Brook’s performance is a masterly one. His acting throughout the many tense episodes of the story possesses a convincing quality of restraint and directness. CHRISTCHURCH CINEMAS, LIMITED Excellent music is a feature of “Artists and Models,” the musicalcomedy attraction now at the Regent Theatre. Jack Benny, Ida Lupino, Gail Patrick, and Richard Arlcn are in the cast. George Forraby’s latest comedy, “Keep Fit,” has had such a successful season at the Majestic Theatre that it is now showing in an extended season. “The Emperor’s Candlesticks,” a film which has already shown to large audiences for a week in Christchurch, has been transferred to the Tivoli Theatre, where it will be shown in the coming week. William Powell and Luise Rainer are the principal actors. “Spy Ring,” a secret service story starring William Hall and James Wyman, and “The Game that Kills,” dealing with murder on the ice hoqkey rink, and starring Charles Quigley and Rita Hayworth, are now at the Liberty Theatre. A double-feature programme is showing at the Grand Theatre this week. The films are “High Tension,” starring Brian Donlevy and Glenda Farrell, and “She Shall Have Music,” starring Jack Hylton and June Lang.

CRYSTAL PALACE

DOUBLE-FEATURE PROGRAMME

An entertaining mixture of burlesque, crisp wit, and romance is shown this week at the Crystal Palace Theatre. where Joe E. Brown, the largemouthed comedian, is at his merriest in “Fit for a King.” “Fit for a King” is among the most amusing of the comedies in which Brown has appeared. It has a shade more of romance than the pictures in which he is usually starred. Plot development is a feature of “Dangerously Yours,” a picture on the same programme, in which Cesar Romero, a suave actor, and Phyllis Brooks, a polished and charming actress. are the leading players The story Is exceptionally well told

CIVIC

“OH, MR PORTER”

The role of stationmaster at the remote station of Buggleskelly in Ireland is taken by Will Hay in “Oh, Mr Porter,” which is showing at the Civic Theatre this week. Hay is assisted by Albert and Old Harbottle, played by Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott. Will Hay, as Mr Porter, is introduced as a wheel-tapper to an assembly of a railway company’s directors and contrives to drench the whole dignified gathering, including his sister, who insists that a better position be found for him. Conspiring to send him where he will do the least harm, the directors decide on Buggleskelly, which is the centre of gun-running activities and superstition. The associate feature, “Non Stop New York,” is a story of an Atlantic flight, during which the innocence of a condemned man is established.