CITY THEATRES

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23800, 20 November 1942, Page 3

CITY THEATRES

■ ♦- AVON “THE FLEET’S IN” Entertainment and tunes are pro- i ■ided on a grand scale in “The Fleet’s n,” a new Paramount musical comedy ( bowing at the Avon to-day, starring , , )orothy Lamour, William Holden, and ' Iddie Bracken. j Among the many entertainment stars , eatured in the new comedy with ; nusic are Betty Hutton, America’s No. ( jitterbug; Betty Jane Rhodes, song tylist; Leif Erickson, popular screen ; avourite; Jimmy Dorsey and his rchestra, with Bob Eberly and Helen D’Connell, vocalists; Cass Daley, who i ings novelty numbers while making lorriflc faces; Gil Lamb, lunatic with , harmonica, and the comedy dance earn of Lorraine and Rognan. Dorothy Lamour, minus her famed arong, appears in “The Fleet’s In’ 1 is a star ballroom singer who is noted i or the fact that no sailor has ever teen able to kiss her. William Holden, vith his shipmates betting on him, narries her. Seven brand-new hit tunes are • iffered in "The Fleet’s In.” v i STATE “MY GAL SAL” One of the most lavishly-produced ;echnicolour films ever presented to he Christchurch public, “My Gal Sal,” s the new attraction at the State Thea;re. Starring lovely Rita Hayworth, ;he story tells of the career of Paul Dresser, the popular American comaoser of such familiar tunes as “My 3al Sal,” “On the Banks of the Waaash,” and “Mr Volunteer." A rising star, Victor Mature, takes the hero’s :ole in the film. Director Irving Cummings has woven laughter, song, and dance into an incresting yet always merry theme a. I imong the favourite comedians chosen [or supporting parts are James F. Gleason, Phil Silvers, and Walter Catlett, lohn Sutton and Carole Landis being featured players. While the story is essentially one of the "Gay Nineties,” an up-to-date note has been introduced in the new nummers, “Here You Are” and “The Great White Way.” The colourful costumes of the period give plenty of scope for affect in the use of technicolour, and the 20th Century-Fox directors have left no avenue unexplored to make ‘My Gal Sal” a musical extravaganza in the fullest sense of the word. MAYFAIR “TO THE SHORES OF TRIPOLI” The stirring story of life in the United States Marines is told in “To the Shores of Tripoli," the new attraction at the Mayfair Theatre. Striking technicolour gives life to activities of this colourful corps of American fighters. The romantic interest is supplied by John Payne and Maureen O’Hara, who are supported by Randolph Scott, but throughout the film may be seen excerpts as nearly as possible portraying the actual training and methods of operations of this famous band of fighters. The film will have added attraction for ;he part played by the Marines in the recent fighting in the Solomons. “To the Shores of Tripoli” had long seasons in Wellington and Auckland. CRYSTAL PALACE “JUNGLE CAVALCADE” AND “LI’L ABNER” The name of Frank Buck is synonymous with the excitement and interest of stories and films about wild animals. The very title of his latest picture, “Jungle Cavalcade,” opening at the Crystal Palace, indicates that this is the most comprehensive saga of wild life which he has yet filmed. High adventure in the jungles of Malaya and Sumatra comprises thej main fare in this new film. More than 36 miles of film were carried on the trek made by the Van Beuren-'Biidk' expedition to obtain the astounding action pictures of all types of wild animals in their natural haunts. One of the outstanding sections of the film shows a tiger stalking a baby elephant. Another is a fight between a black panther and a crocodile. Capturing deadly snakes, penetrating steaming jungles, and the famous Buck technique of “Bring ’em back alive” are also vividly depicted in this epic film. The familiar newspaper comedy strip "Li’l Abner” is animated in the supporting film of that name and hilarity of the cartoon features is faithfully portrayed.