ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 189, 9 May 1934, Page 4

ENTERTAINMENTS

ST. .JAMES THEATRE. “I Like It That Way,” which is showing at the St. James Theatre, is a rollicking musical comedy, plus drama. The story is of a life insurance salesman, who, with his business story patter, sells himself very successfully to a night club hostess. The songs are excellent, and include the snappy numbers, “I Like It That Way,” “Miss 1934,” and “Let’s Put Two and Two Together.” Tn the cast are Marian Marsh, Shirley Grey, Noel Madison. Lucille Gleason, Gloria Shen, and others. “Tilly and Gus.” Said to be the greatest laughter success of the year, "Tilly and Gus” will begin its season at the St. James Theatre on Friday next. A guarantee of its reputed excellence is the fact that it is headed by the inimitable W. C. Fields and Alison Skipworth, who always make the most of any picture in which they are cast “Tilly and Gus” is a wholesome and bright film, and should be worth seeing. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. The last two days of “Going Gay” are announced at the Paramount Theatre. This picture is excellent entertainment, as all tastes are catered for, in the happy combination of delightful music and singing, clever comedy and beautiful Viennese settings. Magda Schneider, of “Tell Me To-night” fame, gives an entrancing performance, her singing being particularly fine. Arthur Riscoe and Naunton Wayne provide plenty of fun. The good supporting subjects include a newsreel, a musical novelty, a scenic beauty and, in addition, Paul T. Culleu in special numbers at the Wurlitzer. “This is the Life.” Gorden Harker has the starring role in the next attraction at the Paramount Theatre, "This is the Life.” Co-starring with him is Binnie Hale (a sister of Sonnie Hale, the comedian of “Tell Me To-night”), who is a front rank English stage comedienne, and the combination of these two has resulted in the production of a picture that should prove one of the best of the year. As the cockney couple who invade high society, they are excruciatingly funny, and when they entertain their guests with a duet ot the “Miserere” scene from “11 Trovatore” _a real comedy highlight is achieved. “This is the Life” is the story of the “Singing Kettle,” which has been filmed on an elaborate scale and the adventures of the “Tuttells” are such as one would expect of a pair doomed to a champagne dietary while longing for the humble ale. The supporting artists are Daniel Burnaby, Betty Astell, Raj’ Milland and Ben Weldon. . w REGENT THEATRE. Fast-moving romance, with a wealth of gay music, humour, and colourful scenes, are to be found in '‘The Southern Maid,” at the Regent Theatre. With scenes laid In a corner of Mexico where the inhabitants spend their time alternately in fiestas and siestas, in Egyptian bazaars, and on the decks of a pleasure yacht and a luxury liner, there is no end of variety from this aspect alone. In addition, however, there is a typical musical comedy love story. The songs are of the type which win immediate popularity, and they are very well sung, chiefly by Nancy Brown and Harry Welchman. Both Bebe Daniels and the juvenile lead, Clifford Mollison, have double roles. Other members of the comedy team are Lupino Lane; Hal Gordon, and Amy Veness. There is an excellent supporting programme. Rene Rich, violinist, and Rex Desmond, saxophonist,commence a return season on the stage. “Meet My Sister.” An eminent English film critic describes “Meet My r Sister.” which comes to the Regent Theatre on Friday, as offering “a laugh in every foot.” With Britain’s gayest comedian, Clifford Mollison, playing the leading role, there is every reason to anticipate an uproariously funny interpretation of his role of Lord Victor Wilby. Lord Victor, it seems, is one of those individuals who'imagine that life, has no greater blessings than that of perpetual bachelorhood. If he must marry, then money, rather than love, must be the deciding factor. And so Lord Victor is honouring the American Sowerby family—the Sowerby of “soups, sauces, and savouries” notoriety—by allying his name with theirs. But he reckons without the little imp of mischief. Constance Shotter is the Joan of the story, the lovely employee of a perfumery salon. Jimmy Godden has the role of Pogson. the butler, and Fred Duprez, Enid Stamp-Taylor, Helen Ferrers, and Frances Dean are also prominent in an excellent cast. Laughter and thrills, too, to a syncopating “hot” saxophone variety show, will be the reaction to “Tom Katz Band,” which will be screened as the first part of a double attraction. GRAND OPERA HOUSE. The still undiminished popularity of “Catherine the Great” js indicated by the appreciative audiences which are flocking to the Grand Opera House to see this London Film production which reflects in some degree the glory of Russia under the Czars. An unusually strong cast includes Elizabeth Bergner, Douglas Fairbanks, jun.. and Gerald du Maurier. “Frontier Marshal.” A full-bloomed Wild Western romance comes to the Grand Opera House on Friday next in “Frontier Marshal.” It tells the story of an armed man’s vengeance on a town that knows no law. George O’Brien with Irene Bentley, George E. stone, and Alan Edwards supporting him, is the star. MAJESTIC THEATRE. The buffoonery or the* four Marx Brothers is seen in “Duck Soup” at the Majestic Theatre. Grotosue in the extreme, there is a light-fingered skill in the oddity of the Marx brothers that is more than clever. Groucho Marx as Rufus T. Firefly, the Minister of Finance who steers his country through a storm of plots and pranks which lands him and it very much in the soup. Chico and. Harpo are Chicolin and Brownie, two spies who do everything but spy, .and mix themselves up in a turmoil of trouble “The Narrow Corner.” In “The Narrow Corner,” which comes to the Majestic Theatre on Friday, Somei'set Maugham,, noted English author, has told one of his most engrossing tales of the earth’s far-off and little-known islands. A tale of the Malay Archipelago, it begins in Sydney, Australia, and goes by ketch with Douglas Fairbanks, junr.. and Arthur Hohl, and Dudley Digges, by way of the colourful islands of this out-of-the-way group to the Dutch East Indies, where as exotic a romance and as mad adventure as ever screened take place. Maugham is known for his characters, but the group in “The Narrow Corner” is representative of his best. Outcasts, polite society might, call them. Devil’s spawn, the missionaries might label them. But to Maugham they are the world's most colourful people, living TitertiHv. in their own “narrow corner.” It is in this colourful setting that a mad passion springs up between an island maiden and an Australian ytmth. Patricia Ellis is Louise, the young girl on the island. STATE THEATRE. Comedy, romance, and tragedy are contained in “Friday the 13th,” which is screening at the State Theatre. Jessie Matthews. Sonnie Hale. Gordon Harker, Edmund Gwcnn. Max Miller. "Robertson Hare. Emlyn Williams. Frank Lawton. and Belle Chrystall play their tense and humorous scenes with complete conviction. “I Am Suzanne.” To the State Theatre on Friday next comes an extremely ambitious and elaborate film. “I Am Suzanne.” Comedy, drama, bright singing, intriguing dancing, nil on a lavish scale, make the picture one flint should be remembered. At the same

time, with all the variety of interests which are contained in this one show, the story never falters on its enthralling way. Lilian Harvey is the central figure. Her pictures have been all too infrequent in New Zealand, but she has never been seen in a bad one'here, and “I Am Suzanne’’ promises to give her full opportunities for the type of alluring, vivid acting at which she is adept. Supporting her arc Gene Haymond and Leslie Banks. DE LUXE THEATRE. Laurel and Hardy are screening one of their best films, “Sons of the Desert, at the De Luxe Theatre., .The two popular comedians decide to break away from their watchful wives and enjoy life in a big way. This they try to do, and their cunning planning in the face of opposition gives rise to much merriment. It is a tip-top picture, and is preceded by a budget of shorts definitely above the average, hfa. Paul T. Cullen supplies popular music nt the Wurlitzer organ. “Queen Christina,*’ “Queen Christina,” Greta Garbo’s first Jlctro-Goldwyn-Slayer picture in two years, which comes to the De Luxe Theatre on Friday, promises to make film history for three reasons: It reunites Garbo with John Gilbert after a screen separation of five years, ajid brings him out of retirement for a. triumphal return to pictures. It is the picture, that Garbo has wanted to do nil her life because QueOn Christina of Sweden is her favourite historical character. It is the most ambitious film production with sets that rival the Field of the Cloth of Gold for their size and beauty that is to be seen in recent years. The picture is based upon the glamorous life of Sweden s famous Queen Christina, who reigned three hundred years ago. and its filming taxed the capacities of all M.-G.-M. departments—the wardrobe department tor thousands of authentic costumes of the period, the art department and construction department for the massive sets of Christinais Stockholm palace, the research department for eighteen months of labour while gathering authentic information for the picture, the property department for the manufacture of every article used in the production, from a tiny footstool to palace furnishings and military armour of the period.