ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 196, 16 May 1930, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS

THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE. ' "The Homo Towners,” a great screen revival of George M. Cohan’s great stage euccess. is-coming to the Paramount Theatre, commencing to-day. The cast has many famous recruits from the stage, including Richard Bennett. Doris Kenyon, Robert McWade, Robert Edeson, Gladys Brockwell, John Mlljan, Vera Lewis, Stanley Taylor, James T. Mack and Patricia Caron. And what is equally important, there is something to say. No playwright of our day is more deft in comedy than George M. Cohan, and Warner Bros ’ adapters, Addison Burkhart and Murray Roth, have kept all the charm of the original. The Home Towners’’ is a genial, heart-warming, chuckling play—recounting the adventures of two middleaged chums, the young lady to whom one is engaged, and her family. Robert McWade plays P. H. Bancroft, the smalltown pal who hears that . his millionaire crony is engaged to marry a big town young woman. Bancroft at once assumes that she and her family are hoodwinking , his friend, and comes post-haste to Manz' hattan to set things right. Instead, he sets things decidedly wrong, and it is only after much uproarious manoeuvring that he straightens out the mix-up he himself has made. Robert McWade Is outstanding in the na.rt he played in the original stage presentation. There are some enter ; sound featurettes accompanying ‘The Home Towners.” Box Plans are available at Bristol and Theatre. "THE LOVE PARADE." "In ‘The Love Parade we have sophistication so artistically handled that you immediately perceive the directorial work or Lubitsch. So well does Maurice singla the picture, that you could hear hundreds of hearts miss a beat whenever Chevalier took a close-up. Methinks ‘The Love Parade’ will go marching over the Prince Edward’s screen for several months. . 11 s a fine show.” Such is the opinion of Gayno Dexter, the noted writer of the Sydney Evening News,” In reference to The Love Parade,” which has just completed a record four months’ season at the Prince Edward Theatre in Sydney. Tiie Love Parade,” that sumptuous and exceptional picture starring Maurice Chevalier Is the story of a young man attached to the embassy of a mythical kingdom whose exploits in Paris get him in bad. He is sent back to his kingdom to report to the Queen, and takes ids personal servant with him. Just as the master finds favour in the grace of the Queen, so the servant becomes friendly with the Queen’s maid. It is these two who provide the comedy for the picture . They are Lupino Lane and Lillian Roth’. The eccentricity of Lane will also br I tithe house down. The lavish production of love in a mythical kingdom In a modern setting Is the first operetta to reach the screen, and stars Maurice Chevalier. His leading lady is Jeanette MacDonald, a newcomer whose beauty will appeal and charm The Paramount production of “The Love Parade,” directed by Ernst Lubitsch, will be seen nt the Paramount Theatre next Friday. Box plans open to-dav at Bristol ' and the theatre (’phone 21—842).

REGENT THEATRE. Two of the world’s most widely-known musical comedy stars, hitherto limited to London and New York audiences, make their screen bow to local movie-goers in “It's a Great Life,” which opens at the Regent Theatre to-day. The stars are the famous team of Duncan Sisters, who have made more than a name for themselves in such productions as “Hltchy Koo.” “Tip Top,” aud Winter Garden shows in New York and in “Pins and Needles” and "Clowns in Clover” in London, The Duncan talent may be attributed to something, more than beauty, good voices, and fastmoving legs. Opportunity for a display of this gift is given them in “It’s a Great Life.” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s all-talking, singing drama of musical comedy. Though a “back-stage picture.” it. is refreshingly original in its treatment. The picture contains both humour and pathos. One of the most effective things about "It’s a' Great Life” is the amazing technicolour sequences. Casey (Rosetta Duucan) and Babe (Vivian Duncan) are clerks in a department store. Jimmy' (Lawrence Gray) is the try-out pianist. At this show Casey saves it from flopping by ad lib. comedy, but is flred Wheu the store partners hear her burlesque, the "pep’ ’song of the place, "Smile, Smile, Smile, with Mandelbaum and Weil.” Parker (Jed Prouty), an executive of the store, takes the disconsolate Casey home, and is about to propose when Babe and Jimmy eome up with a vaudeville agent who "caught the act.” The three are a hit. Jimmy and Casey quarrel violently In Brooklyn. Casey tells Jimmy he is flred, when Babe fires a bombshell by telling that they are married. Casey is finishing her act one night when Jimmy comes for her. Babe is very sick and delirious. Torn between love for a man, and love for her sister, Casey goes to her sister’s bedside. AU ends happily. DE LUXE THEATRE. Managerial announcement to the effect that the season of First National and Vitaphone’s big colour extravaganza, “Paris,” is to be extended for a week at the De Luxe Theatre, comes as no surprise. This gorgeous production, hailed as the outstanding “talkie" picture of the current year will continue for a further week at the De Luxe Theatre, being presented twice daily, at 2.30 and 8 p.m. The most beautiful, expressive, naughty eyes on the stage have Anally come to the screen. They are Irene Bordoni’s, and the thousands who have seen her in her sensationally successful premiere in "Paris,” will never forget them. Miss Bordoni is famous for her French characterisations, for her quaint Parisian accent and her catchy songs. The talking screen has "caught” all these details, and the French star will both talk and sing in .“Paris,” which was adapted for the screen from her latest and greatest stage sucees’s. “Paris” is a story of the “city of light,” and concerns a French stage star and an English musical comedy favourite. The latter is portrayed by Jack Buchanan, idol of the London stage. There are, in addition, huge ballets and singing ensembles, while the exquisite colouring by the new five-colour process, makes “Paris” a remarkably outstanding production. Box plans are at both Bristol and Aitken’s.

GRAND OPERA HOUSE. "The Flying Fool,” which comes to the Grand Opera House to-day (beginning with a matinee at 2.30 p.m.), is the story of a stunt flyer whose weakness is women. Hp believes in finding them, fooling them, and forgetting them. Then he meets a cabaret singer who “crabs his style.” Boyd plays the aerial dare-devil, and it is a role in -which he scores a tremendous hit. Marie is the cabaret girl, rising to tremendous climax. “The Flying Fool,” Patbe’s all-talking air drama, starring William Boyd, is said to be one of the most thrilling and entertaining pictures produced this season. Although the story has an aviation background, and although it reaches a great dramatic crescendo with a scene in the air, it is not entirely an air story. It Is a human drama, which combines pathos and comedy, played by a cast of capable actors, and moulded into fine entertainment. The cast Includes William Boyd, Marie Prevost, Russell Gleason, and Tom O'Brien. “Navy Blues” has In the cast William Haines, Anita Page, Karl Dane, J. C. Nugent, Edythe Chapman, and Wade Boteler. The story is of Kelly, a tough man aboard a destroyer, who is oft With others on shore leave. A. petty officer orders the group to attend a local y.M.C.A. social, much to their disgust. Kelly is comforted, however, when ho meets Alice, a pretty girl. A courtship starts. Alice’s mother hates sailors, and when Kelly takes Alice home, she orders him from the house. Alice leaves also. In the morning Kelly reports to his ship, to find that a long cruise has been ordered. He rushes back to find Alice, but she, thinking he has deserted her, has disappeared. The cruise follows, Kelly disconsolate. Then they return to port, and Kelly locates Alice working in a tough cabaret. He calls on “Sven” to aid him, and. after a vivid battle they rescue the girl from the place. The dramatic denouement of the story sees them happy again and forgiven. MAJESTIC THEATRE. Beautiful Billie Dove will be seen and heard at the Majestic Theatre - to-day in “Her Private Life,” an all-talking drama, which is said to eclipse all previous talking pictures of its type. “Her Private Life” is a First National production. Billie Dove lias always appealed to both men and women, and when one realises that she possesses a perfectly trained and excellently modulated speaking voice, then one can rest assured that the film will not only come up to expectations, but will surpass them. Miss Dove has the support of a specially selected cast. It includes Montagu Love, who needs no introduction to WelUngtotn audiences; Thelma Todd, another celebrity, Walter Pigeon, and Tasa Pitts—the girl with the sorrowful eyes. Miss Pitts has been seen in many productions. In the days of the silent drama she was always a great favourite. Now that she has decided to grace the talkies with her presence, she is more popular than ever. In “Her Private Life” Miss Dove is seen as Lady Heleri Hadden, the last descendant of an English ducal family, who has marired a retired pork butcher in order to save her home from passing under the auctioneer’s hammer. Unfortunately, she has fallen in love with a young American who is visiting her home in company with his sister. Their exposure as card cheats and blackmailers, their defence by Lady Hadden, and her subsequent discovery that she was wrong in placing her faith in their honest}’ are all incidents which lead up to her husband divorcing her. The scene Is then moved to Amrica, where Lady Hadden holds out against a temptation to make money easily, and is finally restored to the arms of her lover. There will also be a first-rate programme of supporting films, all of which will be quite up to the standard of the star attraction. QUEEN’S THEATRE. .“Women they Talk About’’ is a modern commentary on the effect of woman In politics. If heart dominates head, the lady candidate for mayor is all the more charming for that fact. Miss Rich plays the part of a wealthy young widow whose daughter is in love with the eon of her , opponent for the mayoralty. The mayor, ■ when younger and in poorer circumstances, had been a suitor for the hand of Miss Rich. Affairs become complicated when a confederate of the mayor steals the daughter, In order to hurt the chance of the lady candidate. Pursuit of the pair, rescue of the girl, a light between the thug and the young lover, In which the mayor is accidentally shot, though not fatally, makes "Wo'men They Talk About” a play of breath-taking action. It opens at the Queen's Theatre to-morrow night, with matinee on Saturday at 2.30. The cast of this Warner Bros.’ production Includes Irene Rich, Audrey Ferris, William Collier, jun., Claude Gtlllngwater, Anders Randolf, Jack Santoro, and John Mlljan. The story is by Anthony Coldeway. The supporting programme Includes some diverting dialogue, singing and sound featurettes. Box plans are available at the j Bristol, popular prices being V- and Z<S

KING’S THEATRE. Youth, romance, drama, thrills. Those four words describe "Salute,” the all-dia-logue Fox Movietone story of youth in military training college establishment, which opens to-day at the Klug’s Theatre (twice daily). “Salute” is an unusually fine screen entertainment. The story concerns two brothers —George O’Brien, an athletic hero at West Point, and Wm. Janney, a midshipman at Annapolis, who tries hard but unsuccessfully to duplicate his famous brother’s athletic triumphs. O’Brien’s dominant personality sweeps all before him, but when the handsome athlete seems about to take the heart and hand of Helen Chandler, Janney realises for the first time that he, too, loves her. The brothers meet in the annual army-navy football clash at the Polo Grounds, New York, O’Brien as an All-American half-back and Janney as a substitute end. A surprising and entirely satisfactory finish has been provided. O’Brien proves himself perfectly at home in the talking screen medium, while Miss Chandler, in her first leading Him role, registers as a distinctly new and pleasing personality. Excellent performances are given also by Janney, Stepin Fetchit, Frank Albertson, Joyce Compton, and David Butler, the noted director, who appears as the navy coach. The colourful and realistic Annapolis and West Point backgrounds are beautiful, and the football game, the first to be filmed in sound, is a knockout. Some Fox Movietone Featurettes of considerable merit constitute the supporting section of the entertainment. Box plans are available at the Bristol. ST. JAMES THEATRE. "The Gold Diggers of Broadway,” Warner Bros, and' Vltaphone 100 per cent, natural colour. Binging, talking, dancing comedy special is now attracting capacity houses in its fourth week at St. James Theatre. The modern miners in “Gold Diggers of Broadway” appear as members of a Broadway chorus. But through a hilarious series of fast-moving events they prove that many of the petty vices generally attributed to them are not too well grounded. It is the most colourful picture that has even been screened in Wellington. The scenes are marvellous. Nancy Welford, Ann Pennington, Lilyan Tashman, Helen Foster, Winnie Lightner, and Gertrude Short take the roles of the chorus girls tn “Gold Diggers of Broadway,” while other parts are played by Conway Tearle, Nick Lucas, Albert Gran, William Bakewell and mans- others. Roy Del Ruth directed from Robert Lord’s adaptation ■ of Avery Hopwood’s successful footlfght farce. The stage presentation is by Larry Ceballos. AI Dubin and Joe Burke svrote songs and melodics. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. Florenz Ziegfeld’s "Glorifying the American Girl” is coming to the Kllblrnie Klnema to-night. With most of its spectacle photographed by tho improved technicolour process, this film is one of the biggest eye and ear entertainments since talking pictures began. Mary Eaton is the leading lady. The story shows how she, as a small town nobody, gains success on the New Y'ork stage after mans’ trials and heart-breaks. There is romance, comedy and excitement in this moving tale of the great White Way. Excellent short features will also be seen and heard. Reserve at theatre confectionery, ’phone 14—202, and Bristol Piano Co. “THE HOUSE OF TROUBLE.” A very strong cast of Petone amateurs has been chosen for the initial performance of the two-act comedy “The House of Trouble.” which is being presented at the Empire Theatre, Petoue, on. Monday and Tuesday next. The comedy, which was written by Mr. H. H. Blake, of Petone, contains an original theme and should attract not only Petone people but from other parts of tho valley and the city also. The play will be produced by Mr. Blake, with the orchestra under the baton of Mr. H. Judge. Box plan is at the Grand Theatre Confectionery Shop. OLYMPIA SKATING RINK. The popularitj' of skating Is dally increasing, and the four sessions held dally are all well patronised. On Saturday afternoon a special "Monte Carlo” competition for children will be held and good prizes awarded. On Saturday evening a “Two-step” competition will be held, and useful prizes awarded. Next Wednesday week a special “Hard-up” skating night will be held and eight ’ valuable prizes awarded for the most original costumes.