ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 182, 30 April 1931, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. “Let’s Go Native,” a great I’aramount picture, has been maxing laugh history at the Regent Theatre since its opening on Friday last. Jeannette MacDonald, the star, is an ultra-modern girl who gains a pearl crown as the queen of a tropical island, upon which she and her companions, Jack Oakie, James Hall, William Austin, end Kay France are stranded. “The Right to Love.” ..Miss Ruth Chatterton is the star of the new Paramount drama, “The Right to Love,” which begins its season at the Regent Theatre to-morrow. It is a stirring and poignant love story, told in a straightforward, inspiring manner.. It ’ reveals three generations of women (all played by Ruth Chatterton), In her desperate fight to win the love that is every woman’s, rightful heritage. Acted with the restraint that makes for intensified, absorbing drama, “The Right to Love” emerges as a picture to command the attention of every man and woman who is interested in first-class entertainment. The direction, keen, emotionally alive and alert to every dramatic possibility, is a tribute to the sympathy and understanding with which Richard Wallace has endowed every moment of this picture. DE LUXE THEATRE. The most important event in the local picture world for some time is the coming of the greatest actor of the screen, eminent George Arli’ss, in John Galsworthy’s finest play, “Old English.” By special arrangement George Arliss will have the distinction of playing his great part of “Sylvanus Hey thorp,” known among . his cronies as "Old English,” in two Wellington Theatres—the St., James and the De Luxe, commencing to-morrow —at the same time, a feat made possible only by the advent of “talkies.” George Arliss Is the English actor who has done for the screen what the late Sir Henry Irving and Sir Charles Wyndham did for the stage in England—lifted it on to an altogether higher plane. His impersonation of the lovable rascal. “Old English,” is conceded to be a performance far in advance of his successful portrait of “Disraeli.” The play, “Old English,” like all Galsworthy’s efforts, is criticised as “a beautifully written contribution in which abound drama at its best, supreme subtlety, sparkling comedy, and biting satire.” Box plans are available at both the Bristol and the theatres. Early reservation is essential. ST. JAMES THEATRE. To-day’s sessions furnish three last chances of seeing, at. the St. James Theatre, that strikingly line production. “The Great Meadow,” regarded as the very best pioneer, picture made tor the screen. Eleanor Boardman and John Mack Brown are splendid in tlie leading roles, and the supporting players show to real advantage. The season finishes to-night. George Arliss in “Old English.” When George Arliss first appeared on the stage in the part of “Old English” in John Galsworthy’s illustrious play of the same title, so great was the impression made both by the actor and the piece that “Old English” ran in New York for over three years with unrivalled success. Arliss then transferred it to London, where it achieved similar success over a period of one year. John Galsworthy has in the past looked askance at the "talkies,” and it took s.ome time and much persua.sion by Arliss before permission was given to act and present it on the screen. As a picture its success is said to have exceeded its stage record, and Galsworthy has expressed himself as a mightily pleased man, and more of his plays will be seen anon on the silver sheet. In the picture, which will begin its Wellington season at St. James Theatre to-morrow, are included many members of the cast who were associated with Arliss in the New York and London runs o£ the original productions.. Among them are Doris Lloyd, Betty Lawford, Ivan Simpson, Harrington Reynolds. Joan McLain, Reginald Sheffield, and the clover Leon Janney is also seen to advantage in the screen vefsion. Box plans are at the Bristol and also at the theatre. MAJESTIC THEATRE. Ruth Roland, who has made a great impression in her first talking “Reno,” and has won new admirers at the Majestic Theatre, cannot be seen after this evening, for the season closes to-night. “A Bachelor Father.” David Beiasco, the doyen of American stage producers, scored such a pronounced success in New York and London with his brilliant comedy "A Bachelor bather, with C. Aubrey Smith starring in the title role, that Metro-Goldwyn, before starting to produce it for the screen with Marion Davies as star, determined to get together as many members of the original stage cast as possible, and this was done, with tlie result that appearing in support of Miss Davies in the picture to be screened tomorrow at the Majestic Theatre are C. Aubrey Smith in his original role, Ralph Forbes, Ray Milland. Guinn C. Williams, David Torrance, Doris Lloyd, Edgar Norton, Nena Quartaro, Halliwell Hobbes, Elizabeth Murray, an,d Janies Gordon, so that ninety per cent, of the cast are Britishers with English voices and accents. The whole of the short subjects to precede tho big attraction will be productions from the Metro studios, which are noted for the excellence of the featurettes produced. The usual late shoppers’ session will begin tomorrow at 5 o’clock and finish at 7 p.m. Box plans are at the Bristol and also at the theatre.

PARAMOUNT THEATRE. A feud between two gangland leaders provides the drama in “Outside the Law,” Universal’s brilliant film, which heads a great double-feature bill showing for the last time to-day at the Paramount Theatre. Mary Nolan, blonde, beautiful and talented, has the leading role, and Owen Moore makes a splendid leading man. The other big feature is the comedy, "Are You There?” which is a musical show starring. Beatrice Lillie and George Grossmlth. . “Min and Bill." Marie Dressier and W’allace Beery, who have scored repeated successes in separate vehicles, are now to be seen in their first co-starring picture, "Min and Bill,” which will commence at the ’ Paramount Theatre to-morrow. The picture is based on Lorna Moon's powerful novel of the waterfront, “Dark Star.” That the two players are as equally at home in the comedy field as in pure drama was evidenced in the startlingly contrasting roles played by Miss Dressier in “Anna Christie” and the subsequent “Caught Short,” and by Beery in “The Big House" and “Way for a Sailor.” In the current production Miss Dressier is seen as Min, proprietress of a waterfront hotel, and Beery has the role of a boisterous fishing-barge captain. The cast also includes Dorothy Jordan, heroine of Ramon' Novarro’s “Devil May Care” and “Call of the Flesh,” as Min’s adopted child; Marjorie Rambeau, the New York stage star, as the real mother; Donald Dillaway, Broadway juvenile; De Witt Jennings, Russell Hopton, Frank McGlynn, and Greta Gould. There is an outstanding supporting programme, ineluding Metro-Goldwyn special short feature, Laurel and Hardy comedy, “Deyil's Cabaret,” a Colourtone Review, and a Metrotone News. Box plans now open at the Bristol and theatre, phone 21—842. - : GRAND OPERA HOUSE. “Anybody's War,!’ starring Moran and Mack, “The Two Black Crows,” will be shown for the last time to day at the Grand Opera House, and tlibse who can appreciate continuous hearty laughter would be well advised not to let slip this last opportunity of seeing a great comedy. “Her Wedding Night.” “Her Wedding Night,” a gay, farcical comedy of a marriage mix up, in which the pulchritudinous "It” girl, Clara Bow, is seen to excellent advantage, opens as one of tlie two big features on a new bill at the Grand Opera House to-morrow.l In “Her Wedding Night,” red-hfeaded Clara, slimmer and more vivacious than ever, becomes a smart, well-groomed young lady ■with time on her hands and money to spend. And it can be truthfully said that this transition in role gives Clara all of her old-time pep and appeal. As the unblushing bride who signs what she believes to be a hotel register and then discovers that she has married herself, by proxy, to a man she has never seen, Clara Bow emerges as the “It” girl of old. The second feature is a British Dominion film, “The Call of the Sea,” which is an invigorating adaptation of Captain Frank Shaw’s naval story. KING’S THEATRE. “The Green Goddess,” the first of a series of productionse which the notable star George Arliss made for Warner Bros., showing at the King’s Theatre, Is a fault-lessly-constructed melodrama. “A Devil with Women.” “A Devil with Women,” starring Victor McLaglen, opens to-morrow at the Klug’s Theatre. The story, laid In an imaginary Central American country during a bandit uprising, brings a new McLaglen to the screen—{i weatherbeaten, sardonic, jovial, practical soldier of fortune, whose sword is at the service of whatever country offers the most excitement. It is an intensely human and appealing role dnd fits McLaglen like a glove. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. While the town’s still chuckling over “The Cocoanuts,” now the Marx Brothers leap' in with a brand new, even funnier laughterpiece—“Animal Crackers,” which begins its season at the Kilbirnle Klnema this evening. Excellent sound supports will also be presented. Reserve at theatre and Bristol.