CITY THEATRES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22466, 29 July 1938, Page 3

CITY THEATRES

PLAZA "YOUNG FUGITIVES" AND "AREN'T MEN BEASTS" "Young Fugitives," starring Robert Wilcox, Larry Blake, and Dorothea Kent, begins at the Plaza to-day with "Aren't Men Beasts." Among the successful stage farces of recent times which have been made into comedies, "Aren't Men Beasts," with Robertson Hare ( and Alfred Drayton in their original stage roles heading the screen cast, is outstanding. Robertson Hare is seen in his funniest role to date, as a little dentist, who, through no fault of his own, finds himself involved in a scandal with a beautiful and mysterious foreign woman. Alfred Drayton, the celebrated stage actor, is starred with Hare, and, together they prove to be the funniest comedy team since Stan Laurel met Oliver Hardy. Although Alfred Drayton has appeared in numerous films, this is the first time he has proved himself a screen comedian of the first rank. His mannerisms and his bullying the pathetically down-trodden Hare are comedy of the most brilliant kind. Hare, too, long-recognised as one of the screen's leading comedians, has found in Drayton his ideal screen partner. '• • Supporting the new comedy team, in addition to Billy Milton, are June Clyde, the vivacious stage and screen player, Judy Kelly, Ruth Maitland, Amy Veness, Ellen Pollock, and othfer well-known players. AVON "HER JUNGLE LOVE" All the elements of romantic adventure are combined in "Her Jungle Love," with Ray Milland and Dorothy Lamour heading its cast, which begins to-day at the Avon. The story deals with a romance between a handsome young aviator, whose aeroplane is wrecked on a lonely South Sea island, and a native girl, who has never before laid eyes on a white man. Probably no two stars in Hollywood are more often associated with tropical romance than Milland and Dorothy Lamour, he having recently appeared in "Ebb Tide" and she in "Hurricane." In "Her Jungle Love" they are assisted by a cast of popular players, including Lynne Overman, who wise-cracked his way through "Night Club Scandal." "Her Jungle Love" maks a continuation of the experiment which brought such success in "Ebb Tide," of using technicolour to bring out all the exotic charm and beauty of a tropical background. But where "Ebb Tide" took place mostly in a ship, the setting of "Her Jungle Love" is exclusively a South Sea island which affords perfectly adapted material for colour photography. Three new songs, written by one of Hollywood's best known teams, will be heard for the first time in "Her Jungle Love." They are "Jungle Love," "Coffee and Kisses," and "Lovelight in the Starlight." MAYFAIR "THE ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO" History is not always dull. The film "Marco Polo," which is now at the Mayfair, makes excellent use of the romance and adventure of the legendary journey to China of a Venetian traveller in the thirteenth century. It does not pretend to be a literal chronicle historically correct in detail, but it is abundantly entertaining and spectacular, and many times creates novel effects that give vitality to the story. In Gary Cooper the film has a star who as Marco Polo, takes his part with the laughing and romantic manner which made Douglas Fairbanks so popular in his prime. Sigrid Gurie, a new star, makes an attractive heroine. CHRISTCHURCH CINEMAS, LIMITED

At the Regent, beginning to-day, Jeanette Macdonald, Allan Jones, and Warren William will be seen in "The Firefly." The film is notable for many catchy songs. "Sinners in Paradise," starring Madge Evans and John Boles, a story of people stranded on a Pacific island, begins at the Majestic to-day. In addition, the Louis-Schmelling fight will be shown in slow motion. "Anthony Adverse," the film version of Hervey Allen's famous novel, begins at the Tivoli to-day. Its stars are Frederic March, Anita Louise, and Olivia de Havilland. The film version of Edna Ferber's famous novel, "Come and Get It," begins at the Liberty to-day. Its stars are Frances Farmer and Joel McCrea. The associate feature is "The Lady in the Morgue." "Moonlight Murder," starring Chester Morris and Madge Evans, begins to-day at the Grand. The associate feature is "The Three Wise Guys."

CRYSTAL PALACE "FIGHT FOR YOUR LADY" AND "FOR THE SERVICE" ] John Boles, Jack Oakie, Ida Lupino, Margot Grahame, Erik Rhodes, and Gordon Jones head the large cast of favourites who have a mirth field day in "Fight For Your Lady," a new romantic comecy, with songs, which begins at the Crystal Palace to-day with "For The Service." The story, an amusing collection of implausible but highly delightful incidents, is laid in Europe, with the action starting in London and progressing rapidly to Budapest. Boles depicts a love-sick wealthy concert singer, Oakie is his wisecracking pal and physical trainer, who undertakes to manage his love affairs as well, and both Ida Lupino and Margot Grahame are ladies of the stage—the one of Budapest and the other of London. The associate feature will be "For The Service," starring Buck Jones. It is a story of the courageous scouts who gave their lives that the United States might extend from coast to coast. Savage Indians and white villains are confronted in Jones' relentless fight to save his captain's son, and serve his government. Clifford] Jones, Beth Marion, Frank McGlynn, sen., Edward Keene, and Fred Koh-| ler are in the supporting cast. Magnificent outdoor scenes were filmed on historic ground for the film. An actual fort of the pioneer days, discovered by the star when he went scouting for location sites, was rebuilt so that it might be used for many of the colourful sequences in the story. \ ~~~~~~ CIVIC "THE BARONESS AND THE BUTLER" There is bound to be a certain spirit of unity in two motion picture stars who agree on the fundamentals of the dramatic art. Take, for instance, William Powell, one of America's foremost exponents of the sauve gentleman of the cinema, and Annabella, Europe's most vivacious exponent of feminine charm. They are starred in 20th Century-Fox's "The Baroness and the Butler," which is now at the Civic. They both prefer the film to the stage. Annabella has a sound reason for her preference. "When I played Shakespearean repertoire," she says, "I was thrilled by the footlights and the 'touch' with the audience beyond them. But after a few weeks I found myself reading the same lines over and over and getting the same laughter at the same moment; the same tears; the same tense moments. "In Hollywood," Annabella continued, "perhaps one does the same scene over and over several times — but only for one day. To-morrow, is always a fresh adventure." William Powell sees eye to eye with Annabella in her preference for the screen, but in another line of reasoning. "The stage," he says, "particularly stock company work, is a great school, and I spent nine years there. It is true that there is the so-called personal contact. This enables one to gauge audience reaction to the actor's mood or manner of presenting a part. But we get our applause in pictures, I too. Fan mail tells us both in quantity j and quality whether we are satisfy- ! ing the audiences."