ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 225, 19 June 1931, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. Old world romance and adventure that begins in Budapest's gayest cabaret and then weaves its tempestuous excitement through the richest colour of Hungarian forest countryside, serves to introduce Evelyn Laye.one of England’s best loved and foremost enchantresses, to the screen, in “One Heavenly Night,” coming today to the Regent . Theatre. Its story is from the pen of Louis Bromfield, distinguished novelist, and is his first original screen play. Not since'the days of Jenny Lind had the New York stage witnessed such a tumultuous ovation as that which greeted the debut of Evelyn Layc at the Ziegfeld Theatre last year in Noel Coward’s “Bittersweet.” Despite her great London popularity, she had come to America pretty much a stranger. Evelyn had refused to allow the producers to star her. But the day after the opening, her name was on everyone’s lips, everyone knew of her, everyone had his conflcting views whether he had seen her or not. For her screen debut. Goldwyn not only acquired the original story .of one of America’s first men of letters, prize-winner. Louis Bromfield, but also gathered together a cast of Hollywood's most popular players. John Boles is the first. America's bold and handsome singing star was engaged as Count Mirko, the daring hunter, the fearless horseman, the chivalrous lover. Leon Errol. one of Broadway’s grandest clowns, headed the comedy battalion, with the lovable Hugh Cameron a close second. Then there is Lilyau Tashman. more luxuriously seductive than ever, and many other leading players. There are no choruses, no ballets, no ensembles—nothing but tlie starkest kind of realism in the picture’s reproduction of the cafe life of Budapest, where laws are made for lovers, where sentimental dilly-dallying has all the dignity of a national sport, where cafe brawls are as readily accepted as an April shower, and of Hungarian country life, with people living and fighting and drinking and hunting as they did in the days of the Third Crusade. Rounding off the evening’s entertainment are well chosen supports, which will certainly be up to the usual high standard of the Regent Theatre. MAJESTIC THEATRE. Warner Gland, the actor who won fame first in “The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu.” and added to his laurels bj’ his fine work in “The Return of Fu Manchu.” is sure of a warm welcome to-day. when he will appear at the Majestic Theatre for the first time In his latest screen success. “Charlie Chan Carries On.” Charlie Chan is a creation of the successful writer of mystery plays, Earl Biggers. Charlie is a Chinese detective who. after three ingeniously constructed crimes have baffled the expert men of Scotland Yard, undertakes to untangle the mysterious skein and bring the malefactors to justice. This leads him into a thrilling man-hunt round the world, “with the wings of death always hovering above.” and his adventures form a mystery romance that is altogether different to anything that has gone before. The extraordinary cast of artists participating in the enactment of the play includes Marguerite Churchill, John Garrick. Warren Hymer, Marjorie White. C. Henry Gordon. William Holden. George Brent, Peter Gawthorne. John T. Murray. Goodie Montgomery, and Jason Robards. Special short subjects will precede the main picture. The usual late shoppers’ session will commence to-day at 5 o'clock, and finish at 7 p.m. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. "Du Barry” is the attraction at the Kilblrnle Klnema to-night. All the colourful surroundings of the French Court appear as the background of this great film. The cast is headed by Norina Talmadge, supported by Conrad Nagel and William Farnum.

DE LUXE THEATRE. Another outstanding programme is announced by the De Luxe Theatre management, headed by the highly successful drama, “The Office Wife. Faith Baldwin, the well-known writer, who will be remembered for her novel, Three Women,” caught the modern spirit in a forceful yet' charming manner In her novel, "The Office Wife." This story, which, ns one of the most popular serial novels, appeared in the Cosmopolitan magazine, and later was published in book form was made into a motion picture at the Warner Bros. Studio. This will be presented at the De Luxe Theatre to-morrow. Of all the present-day pictures, "The Office Wife” Is most frank in presenting a situation that occurs constantly in our modern society. It deals with the secretary who takes care of the husband s needs during the day—who works for him —who gives him advice—and takes care of some personal matters that he would otherwise have neglected, who eventually falls in love with him. Dorothy Mackalll makes a most attractive “Office Wife,” and Lewis Stone is splendid as the busy executive. Others in the cast are Hobart Bosworth, Walter Merrill, Brooks Benedict, Natalie Moorhead, Blanche Fridericl, Dale Fuller, and Joan Blondell. The supporting programme is reported to be exceptional. That great favourite with Wellington audiences, Paul T. Cullen, will preside at the console of the Wurlitzer orchestral unit in popular and artistic numbers. “Viennese Nights.” The Indefinable charm and joyousness of Vienna, the ancient and glamorous capital, is caught and preserved in “Viennese Nights,” the Warner Brothers’ screen romance, which eomes to Wellington shortly, “Viennese Nights” is famous alike for its glorious musical settings, the colour photography that adds so greatly to its beauty, and the featured cast. ST. JAMES THEATRE. The Metropolitan Opefa Company of New York is the foremost organisation of its kind in America, and its star leads are Grace Moore and Lawrence Tlbbe'tt, who have both won fame in Europe as well as in the United States. These worldfamous artists were secured at enormous expense for the screen version of the legitimate theatre success “New Moon,” an operatic drama which has won applause in all English-speaking countries, and which will be screened at the St. James Theatre to-day. The remarkably fine voice of Miss Moore and Lawrence Tibbett are said to be eminently suited to the superior music of the “New Moon,” and the reproduction Is stated to be “so natural that all mechanical aid is lost sight of and the great singers seem to be standing before the audience singing in the flesh.” The play is one of dramatic power, with many exciting moments, but through it all there runs a big vein of unctuous ' comedy, the unloosing of which is in the capable hands of those very clever comedians Roland Young and Gus Shy, with the dependable actress Emily Fitzroy assisting. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. The glamorous and fascinating Greta Garbo comes back with more lure than that of the silent days in “Inspiration,” her new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer talking picture, which opens to-day at the Paramount Theatre. If there are and adjectives left unsaid for this dynamic star, the dictionary must yield now,' for she merits all the extravagances the English language permits for her superb performance. “Anna Christie" may have plumbed life deeper; “Romance" may have out-charmed In charm, but this striking new vehicle for the exotic star eclipses tu dramatic appeal anything she has done, silent or sound. As Yvonne, the love-hungry favourite of the modern Paris art colony, Miss Garbo rises to heights she has never before known There is more fire In her characterisation. Her grasp is stronger in the dramatic Incidents. Her touch of pathos in that last, desperate moment is brilliant. Hers is a performance without flaws. Clarence Brown, who did so well with Garbo’s vocal debut, as well as with some of her most successful silent films, again was responsible for the dlrec tion of her new picture. Robert Montgomery plays opposite the star as her provincial lover, and his captivating negotiation of the romantic role should send bis screen stock on skyrocketing boom—if lie can go any higher than his amazing versatility has already carried him. Montgomery makes an ideal leading man for Garbo. That reliable trouper who always seems so perfectly at ease and quite at nome in Garbo's pictures, Lewis Stone, contributes another fine performance as Delval, the suave boulevardler, to whom Yvonne turns in need. A notable addition to the supporting programme Is the Laurel-Hardy comedy, entitled "Laughing Gravy." QUEEN’S THEATRE. "TliO Big Trail” commences a return season at the Queen's to-night, and the story of the pioneers' invasion of the West is retold on the talking screen. One of the most spectacular incidents is the Indian massacre, a reproduction of a Historical Incident at Fort Hall. Idaho, where nearly a hundred years ago marauding Indians wiped out a wagon train. A Fox Movietone News and Leather Pushers are the completing Items.