ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 62, 6 December 1930, Page 14

ENTERTAINMENTS

DE LUXE THEATRE. Brought from the stage to the screen, “Lawful Larceny,” now showing at the De Luxe Theatre, has lost none of its effect, aud remains a powerful drama with excelinnt touebes o£ sophisticated comedy, la that talkie Bebe Daniels is starred in a role differing lor her more usual vivacious characterisations, and she acquits herself more than creditably in .her passages ol tense and emotional acting. lhe story concerns a well-to-do man who is unfaitlifu to his wife in . her absence and who "eta into serious financial trouble. His confession ruins his wife's happiness, but with an unusual display of spirit, she sets out to revenue herself on the woman responsible. That other woman is :1 seductive adventuress who conducts a select gambling house, and bleeds men of both their honour and their money. She engages the wife as iier secretary, although ignorant pt her identity. The wife makes and awaits her opportunities for redress, and then steals tlie man whom the other woman loves, 100, s o uses her new-found lover as a eatspavv ti rob the safe in the house, and then she ■done departs with all her enemy s lortune as extra weight in the scales of vengeance The logic of events is somewhat impeded bv Uie complexities of the female mind bin their sequence makes up an absoibin„ story. Lowell Sherman is his usual I’oHshed ielf in his inevitable evening clothes. ■mJ contributes a great deal to the success of the production with his polished witticisms and worldiness. The supporting cast is giod. including Kenneth Thompson, Bert Roach, Purnell Pratt, and Lou Dayne. The extra features comprise a news special concerffing the> Australian cricketers, a sound a singing and dancing “short, a'sporting series novelty, and an animated cartoon. ■

paramount theatre. . If there is anything calculated to Anj’® I ziiiii onrp it is a fast action talking ho has occasion to act quicklj. In tnc course of his* career he meets with a tr am Sident and is badly injured. identified as a reformer by a wallet 'flat ideniiiiku • . . The ln | n i S tcr s Ma ”v" Lawion the new Broad-w-.v" star, nurses Him through and he finds that her brother is in the hands of a gaming gang in the township. He decides to stay, gets into tlie gaming house, beats tlie owner at his own same, and taking from him the LO.U.'s gettln„ tho other voung man in ditbculties. ine gangster then throws down the gauntlet and tries to put Larry Into the hands ol the police for a murder. Larry contrives to get' the girl away from the den. and calls the gangster to account, and there is a terrific tight between the two men before the police arrive on the scene. AU ends happily, for Larry was not the murderer. The supports Include Spills and Thrills ” a water rodeo with racin„ launches, and a comedy and variety turn “The New Waiter,” both good items. Lhe box plans are at the Bristol and the thea-

ST. JAMES THEATRE. , A musical romance of unusual type ana of outstanding merit is The Bride ol the Regiment?’ tlie First National and Vitaphone film that was presented at St. James Theatre last night. .A* 10 P.V'l'i of the Regiment” is based on tlie musical comedy, “The Lady of ‘he Rose, which ■was played with success in Wellington sonic years ago by Gladys Moncrieff and (flaude Flemiug. the latter is in the cast of the film. The dialogue is much the same in the talking version, but tlie rnusn. is new, and equally tuneful. The story deals with the Austrian invasion of Italy in 1830. Count Adrian Beltrami and h.s voting bride Mariana have their honeymoon interrupted by the entrance of a troop of Austrian soldiers into then castle. Adrian escapes, but is later caught. . Colonel Vultdn, leader of the Austrian .troops, agrees to spare the Count, the price being Mariana s honour. Vulton, while waiting for Mariana, falls into a drunken sleep, during which the spirit of Mafiana’s ancestor speaks to him and persuades hint to free Mariana from iier promise. Peace with Italy is declared next morning-, and, the film ends hanpiiy for all concerned. V ivienne begat is seen as Mariano. Walter Pidgeon sings and acts splendidly as Vulton. Allan Prior, stage star of “Student Prince” fame, plavs Count Adrian and displays his remarkable tenor voice to advantage in “Disappointed Lover.” Lupluo Lane, aided by the popular Louise Fazenda, does some really astounding aerobatic dancing. Myrna Loy is a most seductive leader of n ballet, and Ford Sterling is as funny as ever in tlie role of a silhouette-cutter who poses as Count Adrian with little success. There arc several tuneful vocal numbers and a really good chorus. One of the gems of. the production is the chorus of cavalrymen who. dressed in the picturesque uniforms of the period, are prominent throughout the film. The Bride of the Regiment” Is filmed entirely in technieolour. No detail is overlooked, and the production is as colourful and entertaining as one can wish for. There Is ■ a good supporting programme.

MAJESTIC THEATRE. “In the Headlines,” which commenced its session at the Majestic Theatre yesterday morning, is a ihore intelligent newspaper story .than most of those which appear upon the screen and purport to show the inside of the journalistic world. Grant’Withers and Marlon Nixon have theleading roles, those of reporters on an evening newspaper. Two sharebrokers arc found dead, and Withers, as “Nosey” Norton, the l star reporter, is put on the job. He decided that the two men were murdered, and that, there was a blonde in the case. The police theory. If they have one, is that it was a double suicide, and gradually the story is brought out, as day after day something new is discovered about the principals in the case, until the murderer is found, eventually confirming Norton’s theory of the case. •It is claimed that the picture is a faithful reproduction of a celebrated New York mystery which baffled the detectives but which was subsequently elucidated through the power of the Press. While at work on the story, Norton is excellent, but the same cannot be said of him in the ofllce, for the average reporter, whether he be a “star” or a “cub,” is not tlic arrogant, conceited fellow that he Is portrayed. The picture . is, however; an exceptionally interesting one, which is really well worth seeing, and “Flashlight,” the press photographer, is a first-class laughter-maker. 'The box plans are at the Bristol and iu the theatre main foyer. QUEEN’S THEATRE. A double Dili of special interest Is being shown at the Queen’s Theatre. “The Awful Truth,” a talkie attraction, which is even greater on the screen than on the stage, is the first of the two big pictures. Ina Claire is the star of the production. Thrills, romance and laughter are provided by “The Sophomore,” an all-action student drama. In addition to the evening sessions, there will be a matinee this afternoon, and the box plans are at the Bristol. KING'S THEATRE. “The Loves of Robert Burns, which opened last night at tie King’s Theatre, adds to the lengthening list of British talkies that deserve world-wide recognition. The producer, Herbert. Wilcox, has increased his fame in a film which deals graphically with the tragic life of the Scottish poet. "The Loves of" Robert Burns” represents the greatest, the most classical achievement in the history of talking pictures. KILBIRNIE KINEiMA. 1 What in Temple Tower! is powerfully told in' "Temple Tower,” the Fox Movietone all-talker, the spine chill vhich introduces local film fans to something new in the wny of screen entertainment when it opens at the Kilblrnie Theatre to-higlit. Excellent sound featurettes, including the Pasha versus Coleman wrestling match at the Town Hall, will also be presented. Reserve at theatre and Bristol.

ARTCRAFT THEATRE. The star attraction at the Artcraft Theatre to-night will be “Sleeping Partners.” ' PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE. Anna May Wong is starring in the dramatic picture. “Flame of Love,” to-night, at the Prince Edward Theatre, Woburn. KING GEORGE THEATRE. Norma Shearer in “The Divorcee” is being screened to-night, and Monday night at the King George, Hutt’s popular talkie house. J V OUR THEATRE. "The Czar of Broadway” is the present attraction at Our Theatre, Newtown. PALACE THEATRE. “High Society Blues" is now on at the Palace Theatre, Petoue. GRAND THEATRE. "The Runaway Bride” and “He Knew Women” are the two starring features at the Grand Theatre, Petone. ORGAN RECITAL. The city organist, Mr. Bernard Page, will give his'weekly organ recital at the Town Hall to-morrow (Sunday) evening, and the programme, has been arranged as under:— Choral prelude. "Sleepers. Awake! A Voice is Calling.’’ by Bach: Sonnta No. 6. by Mendelssohn; Pastorale tOp. 10), Cesar Franck; Intermezzo from Suite for Orchestra (Op 43), (Tsehalkovsky); Son of Triumph (MSS). bq Hugo Anson, and Concert-. Stuck iOs, SQJI bx Lanare, .

REGENT THEATRE. English as it should be spoken, a thoroughly English cast which kept Eondon laughing for a whole year, and a story that holds the interest from start to finish, are the main characteristics oi “On Approval,” Frederick Lonsdale’s masterpiece of the stage now brought to the audible screen. This gigantic attraction commenced its second big week at the Regent Theatre last evening, in the presence of their Excellencies Lord and Lady Blcdisloe, and there was little doubt that everyone came away from the theatre feeling that he or she had been really entertained. Indeed, the production may be regarded as one of the outstanding films of the year—not in the way of spectacular settings, enormous casts, or gorgeous revues —but tlie superlative acting of a simple but unusual story, laid wholly in an English locale goes to make up n picture of extreme fascination. Tom Walls as the sophisticated and self-centred Duke of Bristol is particularly outstanding. lie finds himself in love with the beautiful Helen Wayle—moneyed. but without birth. The other two characters tire Richard Wayms, a fidgety and fussy English gentleman, who also considers himself in love with Maria Wislak, a widow who is extremely hurt on being reminded of her one apd forty years. Things appear to progress in the orthodox fashion, when Maria, the widow, suggests to Richard that they should journey to Scotland, where she has a house, and spend a month together “on approval. All is arranged, Marla to sleep at the house, and Richard at a nearby hotel, when the Duke takes it into his head to come inot tlie picture, and he follows the two to Scotland. Then follows three verv significant weeks in which four person's shut up in a little house together, and each sees and finds out tlie faults of the other. Then the Duke gets one of tlie few setbacks of his life. He proposes to Helen and is promptly refused. The other two lead almost a cat-and-dog life. But things do come to a climax when Richard and Helen stcl out one night, and taking the one motor-car. the possible way of leaving the plaec in the heavy snowstorm, leave the Duke and Marla to their own devices. The storm persists and they are left in the predicament for three whole weeks. The Duke then returns to England a new man. the scheme was successful, and Helen effects a cure. It. is a delightful ending to a first-class picture. The supports arc excellent.