CITY THEATRES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25299, 26 September 1947, Page 9

CITY THEATRES

ST. JAMES’ “STRANGE CONQUEST” Jane Wyatt takes the part of a woman biologist (Dr. Mary Palmer), in the new Universal film, ‘"Strange Conquest,” which will open its Christchurch season at the St. James’ Theatre to-day. In this picture, Dr. Mary Palmer travels to a remote jungle station in Sumatra where she falls in love with a male colleague. The supporting cast includes Lowell Gilmore, Julie Bishop, Peter Cookson, Abner Biberman, and Milburn Stone. John Rawlins directed this drama-romance from a screen-play by Roy Chanslor. The writers. Lester Cole and Carl Dreher, supplied the original story.’ Marshall Grant was the producer. The supporting film is a musical production. “Trocadero,” and is the film biography of the famous night club of that name in America. Featured in this film are Erskine Johnson, the American columnist who appears as a newspaper reporter, Ralph Morgan, one of the screen’s best character actors, who appears as the manager of the Trocadero, and gives Johnson the history of the night-club. There is plenty of music in this film, which features some “hit” tunes, Bob Chester’s orchestra, and Gus Arnheim. LIBERTY “A SCANDAL?" IN PARIS” A gay and mischievous comedy drama, “A Scandal in Paris,” will open at the Liberty Theatre to-day, with the popular George Sanders playing the title role as Vidocq, a nineteenth century French master criminal. He is ably supported by Signe Hasso and Carole Landis in this part. Akim Tamiroff and Gene Lockhart complicate Vidocq’s professional life, in this film, as, respectively, they play the parts of his undisciplined cut-throat assistant and the implacable chief of police, Richet. George Sanders performs one of the most thrilling and difficult roles in his career in “A Scandal in Paris,” and Signe Hasso, who comes from Sweden, plays the first sympathetic role in her American film life, in the film. She gives an enchanting and provocative portrayal of the part of Therese. the daughter of the Minister of Police. Vidocq falls in love with her in the story. An especially deft and unusual piece of comedy is a daring shadow dance performed by Carole Landis. Cleverly staged and amusingly pointed up by a naughty song, it is one of the highlights of the film. The film was directed by Douglas Sirk, the screen play by Ellis St. Joseph, and the production by Arnolf Pressburger. “A Scandal in Paris” was released through United Artists. The supporting feature is “Jacare,” a Frank Buck production dealing with the little-known upper reaches of the Amazon river. Frank Buck narrates during the running of this film, which stars James M. Dannaldson.

CRYSTAL PALACE “HEARTBEAT” With modern Paris as the background, Arlette (played by Ginger Rogers), an orphan girl, is saving sufficient money to buy a husband, in “Heartbeat,” the new film which will be seen at the Crystal Palace Theatre to-day. Before Arlette can reach the sum necessary for this unusual purchase, she becomes . involved with Parisian pickpockets, an ambassador, a diplomat and lastly, a young man-about-town whom she is almost forced to marry. One amusing complication follows another but to Arlette, they are all tantalising since she is set on marrying the diplomat. The supporting cast is headed by such famous figures as Basil Rathbone, Adolphe Menjou, and Jean Pierre Aumont. Ginger Rogers does her customary expert job in the role of the little French girl. Others in the production are Melville Cooper, Mikhail Rasumny, Mona Maris, Eduardo Cianelli, and Henry Stephenson. Jean Pierre Aumont, who was a popular screen player before the war, served with the Free French forces during the war, and this is his first film since 1943.

MAJESTIC “THE SECRET HEART” The memory of a girl’s father is the strange “rival” in the story of “The Secret Heart,” which will continue at the Majestic Theatre to day. June Allyson plays the part of Penny. neurotic stepdaughter of Lee Addams (Claudette Colbert). Penny, unaware that her father committed suicide, believes that Lee killed him, and she works herself up to the pitch of attempting suicide. Chris Matthews (Walter Pidgeon) finally banishes Penny’s illusions and restores her health of mind. As the woman involved in the struggle to win her stepdaughter’s confidence and love, Claudette Colbert again proves herself one of Hollywood’s best actresses. June Allyson carries off well the most difficult role she has yet attempted The part of the man they both love is handled with force and understanding .by Walter Pldgeon. Lionel Barrymore heads a strong supporting cast. This Metro-Goldwyn-production is directed by Robert Z. Leonard. AVON “NIGHT AND DAY” The story of the famous American song-writer and composer. Cole Porter, in film form, will be shown today, and for the coming week, at the /.von Theatre. The film of Porter’s life, a Warner Brothers’ special production, is called “Night and Day,” after one of the more famous of Cole Porter’s melodies, and perhaps one of the most popular. The role of Cole Porter in this film biography is taken by Cary Grant, and the production is in technicolour. Alexis Smith holds the principal female place in “Night and Day.” and is supported by Monty Woolley, the short, amusing, bearded actor, who will be remembered as the eccentric, ill-tempered star in “The Man Who Came to Dinner.” Others included ir the large cast are Ginny Sims, Jane Wyman, Mary Martin, and Eve Arden. Many of Cole Porter’s songs are featured in this film, and the story is one that will appeal to all cinemagoers. Warner Brothers’ studios have established a world-wide reputation for the meri* of its productions, and this film lives up to the reputation.

EMPIRE “NIGHT BOAT TO DUBLIN” . The film at the Empire Theatre is “Night Boat to Dublin.” It deals with the activities of the British Secret Service in London and in Ireland in search of a Swedish scientist who was kidnapped when he was brought over to England to engage in atomic bomb research. The main nlayers in this nroduction are Robert Newton, Guy Middleton, and Muriel Pavlow. and th: plot, while exciting and tense, has nlent: of British comedy and humour ac light relief. The supnorting film is “Too Young To Know.” a bright romance. which stars Joan Leslie. Robert Hutton, and Dolores Moran. CENTURY “ADVENTURE” Clark Gable and Greer Garson are cast together in the film “Adventure, ’ which opens at the Century Theatre to-day Others in this production are Joan Plnndell. Thomas Mitchell, and T’om Tully. Gable appears in this film as fl- - rough bosun of an American freighter and the part gives him nlentv of scope for his usual fisticuffs and virility. Greer Garsnn takes the role nf the strait-laced, librarian who d’srnve.rc that <she has a famner?ment which matches her red hair. Altogether. there are five academy award winners featured in this film.

MAYFAIR “CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA” For more than two years, and since its memorable premiere at the Odeon Theatre, Marble Arch, London, in the presence of Queen Mary, the Gabriel Pascal production, “Caesar and Cleopatra” has continued as the record box-office attraction in Britain. Today the New Zealand premiere of the film will continue at the Mayfair Theatre. Everything about this picture is on a tremendous scale, from the awesome sets in technicolour to the many thousands of extras who make up the mob scenes. More than 100 well-known artists appear in the named roles, and the cast is headed by Claude Rains, Vivien Leigh, and Stewart Granger. The story is based on a minor military expedition which Caesar made into Egypt and which eventually led to the meeting of Caesar and Cleopatra. The story is taken from the Bernard Shaw play of the same name. Settings of unusual magnificence, such as the Pharos lighthouse set, the thronged grandeur of the Memphis market place, and the Egyptian court scenes, are features of the film. Among the supporting actors and actresses are _ lora Robson, Francis L. Sullivan, Michael Rennie, James McKechnie, Stanley Holloway, Leo Genn, Felix Aylmer. Valentine Dyall, and Charles Deane. During the film, Vivien Leigh has no less than nine changes of costume, and each is a faithful reproduction of the rich and highly elaborate raiment which history shows was the habit of ancient Egypt. Many New Zealand servicemen who were on leave in London at the time of the production of “Caesar and Cleopatra” donned the. garb of Roman or Egyptian soldiery and took part in some of the group scenes in this film.

PLAZA “EARL CARROLL VANITIES’” With Earl Carroll watching on the sidelines of a glittering replica of his famous theatre, the picture, ‘Earl Carroll Vanities,* 1 will open at the Plaza Theatre to-day. The principal players in this film are Dennis O’Keefe and Constance Moore. Woody Herman’s orchestra provides an elaborate musical score supervised by Walter Scarf, the studio musical director for Republic Pictures. Featured in the cast are Otto Kruger, who i .npersonates Earl Carroll, Eve Arden, Pinky Lee, Alan Mowbray, Parkyakarkus, Jimmy Alexander, Stephanie Bachelor, Robert Craig, and many other familiar screen names. Albert J. Cohen produced “Earl Carroll Vanities,” with Joseph Santley as director, and James Lee in charge of the dance sequences—of which the film is largely composed. A glamour chorus of 42 girls, most of them from the original Carroll stage production, together with two contract stage starlets of the Republic studios, perform a number of particularly striking dance numbers. The opening scenes in Carroll’s theatre present the entire cast and 100 dress extras. Songs written by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent sparkle through this bright production, the story for which was written by Frank Gill. In this film, Constance Moore appears as a foreign princess. . STATE “ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER” “Angel On My Shoulder,” a Charles R. Rogers production, and released through United Artists, will appear at the State Theatre to-day. This film is a comedy with dramatic overtones. H. Segall, author of several novels in America, and writer of an Academy Award film, wrote the original story for “Angel On My -Shoulder, and Paul Muni, an Academy Award winner himself. stars in this picture with Anne Baxter and Claude Rains. The etory takes the audience to Hades where Rains, who plays the Devil himself, is somewhat annoyed at the lack of new recruits for his infernal world. To cheer his despond, Muni, a former gangster who has been disposed of by a frien.d, arrives in the underworld. Muni, on arriving in hell, is only perturbed because he can no longer•get even with his murderer but the Devil, a wily character, formulates a plot whereby Muni can pay back his killer and he. the Devil, can get the required recruits. The Devil is nothing if not thorough and reincarnates Muni as a respectable High Court judge, and the two of them set to work with the Devil holding the reins. In spite of the obvious hilarity of the film there are plenty of tense sequences, and Rains does nothing to damage his reputation as a serious actor. Others in the cast are Onslpw Stevens, George Cleveland, Erskine Sanford, and Marion Martin. Dimitri Tiomkin composed the rather suggestive musical score, and Archie Mayo directed the film.