ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 189, 8 May 1931, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. Harold Lloyd in his newest Paramount release, “Feet First,” with a brand new bag of tricks that will make your sides ache, with laughter, comes to the Regent Theatre to-day There is action to every second, topping the thrills of "Safety Last. This time, the Monarch of Mirth conies as a smiling shoe clerk, pursuing a beautiful •rirl, charming Barbara Kent, who appeared with Harold Lloyd in “Welcome Danger ” “Feet First” is the comedy king s second big all-talking picture. It is a high and dizzy romance, that will send the chills up and down one’s spine, and Is an event that the whole family will look forward to with keen anticipation. It has a supporting cast, which Includes Robert Me Wade, Lilianne Leighton, Alec. I rands and Noah Young. “Feet First” reveals Harold as a clerk in a big shoe store. He accidentally makes the acquaintance of Barbara Kent, Secretary to Robert McWade, who is president of the shoe stores Harold works for. Inspired by the glamour of this girl’s apparent wealth (tor Hayold does not yet know that she is merely a social secretary), the ambitious youth takes a correspondence course in salesmanship. A subsequent incident in his rise to fame is the visit of McWade's wife to the store where Harold works. Unaware of her dignity, Harold starts to fit her with shoes, when Barbara enters the store on other business. Harold Is so distracted that he forgets all about his salesmanship, puts Over-size gumboots on the petite tootsies of his dignified customer, and generally makes a botch of it. However, Barbara does not see him, and is still in the dark as to his humble mode of livelihood. Undaunted, Harold saves enough to buy a dress suit and crashes a swell society affair.

ST. JAMES THEATRE.

The celebrated actress Ann Harding, whom Sir Benjamin and John Fuller will present to-day, for the first time, to a St. James Theatre audience, is an international actress who has starred with real success in both England and America. She is an American by birth and is regarded as the leader of the stage in the United States. A couple of seasons back she scored a triumph in the brilliant comedy “Holiday,” and in that piece she will make her bow to-day, in the role she created for the stage. Seldom has a leading player been seen hero with such strong support as is accorded Miss Harding in “Holiday.” Mary Astor has a splendid role in which she has every chance to display her great gifts as an actress of high standing, and an excellent comedy part Is in the hands of the clean, clever, and favourite comedian Edward Everett Horton, while Hedda Hopper, who played so well in “Let Us Be Gay,” and Robert Ames, the well-known leading man, are also prominent.

PARAMOUNT THEATRE.

That splendid Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer dramatic success, “Min and Bill,” which presents Marie Dressier and Wallace Beery in two of tho best talking picture roles of the season, commences a second week at the Paramount Theatre to-day. Judging by the tremendous attendances during the opening week, which concluded yesterday, and the universally eulogistic comment, .“Min and Bill” will occasion no Surprise by running longer than two weeks in Wellington. However, intending patrons for this current week are advised to secure early reservations, as the demand for accommodation is unusual. Marie Dressier lives the part of Mln, the dirty, caustic-tongued, but great-hearted proprietress of a wharfside boarding establishment. Wallace Beery is Bill, the comical skipper. Supporting items Include a Laurel and Hardy comedy, “Be ' Big,” an all-technicolour revue, “Devil’s Cabaret,” and a Metrotone newsreel.

KING’S THEATRE,

Warner Brothers' famous production “Son of the Gods,” which will open a season at the King’s Theatre, has been produced on a lavish scale, and is considered the most important Richard SBarthelmess production in years. It was adapted to the screen by Bradley King from the sensational Rex Beach novel. It is the dramatic story of a boy who is raised by a Chinese patriarch under the impression that he is himself Chinese. In It Richard Barthelmess is said to be at his greatest. A specially-selected programme of King’s sound featurettes will complete the programme.

DE LUXE THEATRE. “Packed With Thrills,” a line familiar to the old melodramas of a bygone age, might appropriately be used to describe the heroic episodes seen in “Men On Call,’ Fox movietone dramatisation of the lives and loves of Coast Guardsmen, .featuring Edmund Lowe, Mae Clarke, and William Harrigan, which heads a strong two-fea-ture programme opening to-day at the De Luxe Theatre. The story deals with the love of two men for a girl. It is played against an out-door background, in the setting of an actual coast guard station at Monterey Bay, California. Warren Hymer heads the brilliant supporting cast, which is made complete by Sharon Lynn, Joe Brown, Ruth Warren, and George Corcoran, as well as a real crew of U.S. Coast Guardsmen assembled from stations in Northern California. The second feature is “Hunting Tigers In India,” a thrilling plcturisatlon in dialogue and sound of the adventures of Commander D. N. Dyott (British naval man and famous big game hunter and explorer), in the Indian jungles and swamps. The picture abounds in spectacular scenes and interesting backgrounds. The tiger hunt is’ one of the pictures's biggest thrills, over 150 elephants and hunters being engaged. "Hunting Tigers in India” has been described as "the finest picture of its kind ever produced. Paul T. Cullen will present some excellent Wurlitzer numbers.

GRAND OPERA HOUSE.

Epochal days in development of a great industry in the virgin territory of Alaska are depicted In “The Silver Horde,” Radio Pictures' romantic drama, which opens to-day at the Grand Opera House. The terrific struggle of Rex Beach's famous characters is brought to the talking screen in a gripping manner, with Evelyn Brent, Louis Wolheim, and Joel McCrea, in the leading roles. The manner in which the story moves from the frozen wastelands, to fishing villages into an American metropolis, and back again with rapid entertaining progress, brands George Archalnbaud, the director, as an artist in his line. All the glamour and romance of the original has been retained in the talking picture version, according to advance reports, and a mighty cast of film favourites has been assembled to bring the famous Brltis hcharacters to life. Another feature on the programme is “The Sap from Syracuse,” based on the Broadway comedy of the same name which had an exceptionally successful run in NewYork last season. It is the story of a young outlander who boards a vessel for Europe and is mistaken by all the passengers for a prominent mining engineer, reported to be travelling incognito.

MAJESTIC THEATRE.

No talking picture play has ever come to the Dominion with more laudatary credentials than “The Middle Watch,” the mammoth Shaftesbury Theatre high-class farce-comedy, which, produced in II reels of unadulterated celluloid fun, will be shown for the first time in Wellington at the Majestic Theatre this morning. Being an All-Brltish production, written by those eminent playwrights lan Hay and Stephen King-Hall, and played by “the strongest and longest cast of distinguished all-Lon-don players that has been so far assembled in one picture,” its success at Home and in Canada was electrical. This was satisfactory proof of special merit, but the sepl was set upon its fame when New York received and acclaimed it with open arms. It was received with enthusiasm, and “The Middle Watch” has the distinction of being the only British picture to enjoy a long run on Broadway.

QUEEN’S THEATRE.

There are aspects of unusual and thrilling Import in “Skin Deep,” Warner Bros, special picture in which Monte Blue and a fine companj’ will be seen at the Queen's Theatre, commencing to-night—a first Wellington release attraction. This cross section of city life gives an insight into the ways of gangs and gangsters, from a most unusual angle. The second feature is “The Sap,” a Warner Vitaplione all-talking comedy hit. starring Edward Everett Horton, packed with clever situations and fast dialogue. '

KILBIRNIE KINEMA

“Outside the Law,” an outstanding feature film with Mary Nolan playing the star role, Is at the Kllbirnie Kinema. Commencing to-morrow, “Call of the Sea.,” with Henry Edwards as the star, will be shown. i