ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 147, 18 March 1931, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS

■REGENT THEATRE. “Plunder,” a British and Dominions’ production, is attracting large and laughter-hungry crowds to the Regent Theatre. It is mainly round Ralph Lynn as D’Arcy Tuck—an “Algy” type of character—that the fun is built. Mary Brough in the role of Mrs. Hewlett, who really commits bigamy In marrying old man Hewlett for his money, also shows herself to be a clever comedienne, while Winifred Shotter does justice to the part of the heiress and grand-daughter of Hewlett. D’Arcy Tuck falls in love with her on the way home from New Zealand, but on arrival they find the housekeeper has married the old man, whose death allowed her to succeed to his property. D'Arcy plots with his pal Freddie Malone, played by Tom Walls,- to get tin; woman’s jewels as some recompense for the loss his fiancee had sustained. How this was achieved, how Scotland Yard was called in, and how the experts were beaten by the coolness of Freddie, and the simple innocence of D’Arcy enable the production of a storv that is enjoyable from start to finish. The supports are excellent. DE LUXE THEATRE. Entertainment on a big scale is provided this week at the De Luxe .theatre, which is running a great double feature bill consisting -of A Notorious Affair,” with Billie Dove and Basil Rathbone, and a breezy American comedy, "Top Spited,” "Billy the Kid. . Those who crave action in tlieir pictures will find plenty of It in King Vidor s new M.-G.-M. talkie, "Billy the Kid,” Wh ch opens on Friday next at the De Luxe Theatre. It is a spectacular, historicallycorrect story of the "Good Old Days, and provides splendid entertainment. With John Mack Brown as the historic Billy, twenty-one-year-old terror of New Mex co in the ’Bo’s, and the inimitable M dilate Beerv as Sheriff Garrett, Mdor has recreated what Is probably the most exciting tale of the Old West. Aud he has done the lob faithfully, with the only unauthorised addition being the love interest in the person of Kay Johnson, who as usual contributes a distinctive charm to her role. AU the fervour and adventure of the old irontier dav,s have been included in this picture, which depicts the famous three-day siege which ends in the burning of the MeSween home with “The Kid" making a run I’or his life. Karl Dane is funnier than ever as a Swedish cowboy, and historic characterisations are admirably portrayed l>v Wyndham Standing, Russell Simpson, Blanche Frederic!, Roscoe Ates, Warner B. Richmond, and James Marcus. ST. JAMES THEATRE. William Powell’s striking performance of “Philo Vance,” Van Line's fictional criminologist, in the engrossing mystery play, “The Benson Murder Case,” continues to attract and win the approval of large audiences dally at St. James Theatre. It and the pleasing short subjects will finish to-morrow evening. "Just Imagine.” Sir Benjamin and John Fuller particularly' stress the importance and merit of "Just Imagine,” the huge Fox comedy super-production which will be shown for tile first time in New Zealand at St. James Theatre on Friday morning. It is claimed thia this "funniest and quaintest of all comic conceits” cost 2,0tX),00D dollars, and according to the American trade journal "Variety,” it attracted "over two millions of people during its long season on Broadway and made them laugh in a manner that was calculated to make the tears rol idowu tlieir backs.” It deals with the world as the authors of that previous success. “Sunny Side Up,” think, that it may’ be in HISO-kjO years hence. 'The settings and backgrounds are truly amazing. Skyscrapers tower to 200 stories, fleets of aeroplanes with hellocopters fiy straight up and down and coming to a complete stop in the air cruise the air lines. Aerial traffic policemen, in anchored balloons, direct traffic. Great air-liners bring all the capitals of the world within a few hours’ travelling time of each other. Nine traffic levels are provided, ranging from subways, service trams, elevated railways and live automobile levels, in a canal system that permits great ocean liners to traverse the main thoroughfares, discharge freight and passengers much as do the huge buses of our day. "Just Imagine" quite obviously marks an advance in talking production. Box plans are at the Bristol. KING’S THEATRE. Gilbert Roland and Barbara Leonard are starred in Metro-Gbldwyn-Mayer’s adventure romance, “Men of the North,” which beads tile bill at the King's Theatre. “The Lady of Scandal.” “The Lady of Scandal”’ will be screened at the King’s Theatre on Friday. It is die story of a London actress who becomes engaged to the son of a peer, and is taken into high society to be “educated.” Instead, she “educates” high society, in a series of hilarious comedy incidents, and then suddenly faces an intensely dramatic problem, when torn between love and duty. Light comedy and tremendous drama are woven together skilfully, and. as on the stage, the film drama is a powerful vehicle for an actress.

' PARAMOUNT THEATRE. Owing, no doubt, to their sound construction, the seats at the Paramount Theatre are still standing up well under the strain of human frames that quake with laughter for an hour and a half during “The Cohens and Kellys in Africa, which is now showing at the theatre. “Officer O’Brien.” Previews of the I'athe dialogue picture, “Officer O’Brien,” starring William Boyd, and featuring Ernest Torrence and Dorothy Sebastian, delighted not only Press reviewers, but the motion picture public generally. The picture opens at the I aramount Theatre on Friday, together with a supporting programme of special lathe short subjects. Box plans at and theatre. The opinion was generally voiced that "Officer O’Brien” is one of the classiest pictures produced this season, me storv was acclaimed as appealing and convincing. while tiie settings and scenes were hailed as beautiful and gripping. For tense drama, the trial scene, when a witness is mysteriously murdered, and the climax, when the hero of tiie stor.v laces one of the strongest situations eyeer conceived, are sure to impress theatre audiences as being exquisitely fine. MAJESTIC THEATRE. “A Part-Time Wife,” which has pleased large attendances throughout the week at the Majestic Theatre, will terminate tomorrow evening. "A Young Man of Manhattan.” On Friday next the Paramount Studios will submit for the first time in Wellington, at the Majestic Theatre, an altogether different class of talking plcure, “A Young Man of Manhattan,” the star role of which is in t-lie accomplished hands of Claudette Colbert, the leading lady who made herself so popular with Maurice Chevalier m T )ie Big Pond.” The well-known players, Norman Foster, as leading man, Charles Ruggles. Ginger Rogers, Leslie Austin, Dudley Hawley and the Four Aalbu Sisters are prominent members of the big cast. A Young Man of Manhattan" is described as “One of the most heart-throbbing of dramas, with glorious comedy relief, which unfolds a refreshingly novel story oi sport, studio parties, youth’s wild heartsearing love and quick marriage—a tingling drama In which a vibrant man and a thrilling woman rush through gaieties aud temptations, threatening rocks and lunnff traps to a grand climax culminating in sublimo happiness. Box plans are at the Bristol and also at the theatre. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. “Hell’s Angels,” according to world war authorities, is undeniably the most authentic and realistic air spectacle which has been produced to date. Major C. C. Moseley, formerly of the First Pursuit Group, A?E.F., now vice-president of the Curtis Flying Service, is one of many ex-war-aces who has voluntarily gone on record in high praise of the authenticity of the Howard Hughes aviation Him, now ( at the Kilbirnie theatre. “Hell’s Angels actually : shows things as they were at the during the war,” declared Major Moseley. A Universal talking news will support the feature. Reserve at theatre and Bristol.