ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 5, 1 October 1935, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

“The Flame Within” at St. James Theatre

Starring Ann Harding ami Herbert Marshall, “The Flame Within,” a tense emotional drama, is at St. Janies Theatre. The film is based on a psychological story, concerned with the mental reactions of a neurotic patient to the specialist who cures him. Ann Harding plays the part of the young woman too engrossed in her work as a doctor to find time for love. 'The young doctor in love with her has had to wait a very long time already when the tale commences-, yet he has not lost heart. The case in which Ann is working is that of a girl who has fallen madly for an attractive hypochondriac; be is wholly sunken in drink- and .she regards both their lives as ruined. She tries to commit suicide. Ann undertakes to cure her, and psycho-analyses the case. Bbe oends the girl away, and concentrates on persuading Jack to abandon his deleterious hobby. After many relapses success seems in sight, but with his recovery further complications arise. “Naughty Marietta.” Haunting music of Victor Herbert, blended with thundering drama of the founding of a great city, and with a delicate love romance running through it; such is “Naughty Marietta,” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s spectacular translation to the screen of Victor Herbert’s masterpiece which has proved so popular that it is to be revived at the St. James Theatre on Friday. Jeanette McDonald, who never was more beautiful nor sang so divinely, and Nelson Eddy,, young operatic baritone, who makes his debut as a screen hero with a performance that cates- he is on the screen to stay, head an elaborate cast. The story is staged on spectacular scale. Huge settings, gorgeous costumes, and intense dramatic action embellishing such song hits as Au, Sweet Mystery of Life,” “I’m 1 ailing in Love with Someone,” “Chansonette, “The Italian Street Song.” and other immortal Herbert music. W. S. Van Dyke, directing, injected many deft touches or artistry into the romance of the Brencn princess who fled to escape a state marriage, and found romance in a young English army officer.

“The Girl From 10th Avenue” at

De Luxe

There is not a dull moment from start to finish of this week’s programme at -be De Luxe Theatre. The supporting bill is excellent, and is more or less in the nature of a vaudeville show, while the mam feature the Warner Brothers’ romance, “The Girl From 10th Avenue,” has everything to commend it —a very good and very possible story, equally. good direction, and a tine cast. “The’Girl ’ is Bette Davis, who seems to improve, in every film in which she appears. Sharing acting honours with her are lan Hunter as the husband, Colin Clive, John Eldridge, and Alison Skipworth. “Private Worlds.” Claudette Colbert, .who recently won the Motion Picture Academy award for 1934 with a comedy portrayal, and whose roles in the past have ranged from an Egyptian • sorceress to a modern devoted mother, essays a totally new type or characterisation in her new starring Paramount picture, “Private Worlds, which is coming to the De Luxe Theatre next Friday. A story laid against tho background of a hospital for the insane, Private Worlds” presents Miss Colbert as a trim, efficient, and beautiful doctor who heals the mental illnesses of others although she cannot conquer the fear ot love in her own heart.

“Call of the Wild” at Regent Against the magnificent back-cloth of the noble mountains and forests ot the stern north-west, Clark Gable and Loretta Young in the United Artists’ release. Call of the Wild.” now at the Regent Theatre, enact Jack Loudon’s romantic story of a gold prospector’s love • for a beautiful woman, Thornton (Clark Gable) and Shorty (Jack Oakie) set out into the frozen wilderness in the optimistic quest of gold. By the trail they rescue the attractive Claire (Loretta Young) from a pack of ravenous wolves. The story goes from dramatic situation, to dramatic situation, with a dog playing a large pait iu the effect of the plot. “The Bride of Frankenstein.” The monster is at large.again, Karloff, the grotesque creature of the original “Frankenstein,” a murderous giant constructed from parts of dead bodies and brought to life at the height of a crashing electrical storm, is to fie seen again at the Regent Theatre on Friday next in “The Bride of Frankenstein,” a sequel to the first picture. In this strange drama the monster is seen in further adventures of a thrilling nature. At the conclusion of “Frankenstein” it will be remembered the monster was apparently destroyed in a burning mill, but the opening scenes of “The Bride of Frankenstein” show how he escaped death and returned to throw the entire countryside into a state ot terror. Henry Frankenstein, the scientist who created the monster, finds himself forced to continue his experiments with the evil Dr. Pretorius, already successful in the creation of tiny human beings who lack only size to make them even more perfect figures than the .monster himself. Meanwhile, the terrifying creature continues his murderous career, until he is befriended by a (hermit, who teaches him to talk, but again he lapses into savagery and takes to the hills. From this point the excitement increases, culminating when the mad scientists, collaborate on the creation of a mate for the lumbering giant. Then follows an. amazing climax. Never before, it is said, has the screen shown, scenes of such tremendous excitement as wheu the woman is brought to life. The storm rages and howls, and flashes of lightning illuminate the interior of the great laboratory, already filled with darting flames and exploding balls of white smoke. The booming of the electrical apparatus rivals the crashing of thunder above, and the climax comes when the lifeless form of the “Woman Monster” is lowered to the floor of the laboratory, and the trembling scientists swiftly unwrap the bandages in which she is enensed. A finger moves, and she opens her great staring eyes, fehe is alive. The east in support of Karloff

includes Colin Clive, Valeric Hobson, Elsa Lanchester, Ernest Thesiger, and Una O’Connor.

“Becky Sharp” at Plaza Theatre

“Becky Sharp,” the truest and richest thing in colour the industry has. yet given the screen, is still screening at the Plaza Theatre. The tale revolves round the personality of the immortal Becky, a part played with insight by . that rogue of the screen, Miriam Hopkins. Becky was humbly born, but ambitious, happy-go-lucky, at times unprincipled, but tantalisingly adorable, madcap though she was. She was impelled by only one goal—to attain to the inner circle, where reposed wealth and title. Iler progress makes a great story and a very good film. “IjOvc Ale Forever.”

Music takes flight on the wings of song to inspire a great love in Columbia's "Love Me Forever,” starring Grace Moore, coming on Saturday to ihe I‘lazi Theatre. The magic iu the voice o(, a lovely top-hat daughter of luxury starts the iiame of romance burning in the heart of a man who can never have her. He faces disaster with a smile—for he cherishes an ideal—an ideal that will never die. Thrilling drama, coupled with the glorious singing of Grace Moore, makes “Love Me Forever” the recordbreaking entertainment it is. Featured with Grace Moore are Leo Carrillo, Michael Bartlett and Robert Allen. Victor Schertzinger directed.

“Death at Broadcasting House” at Majestic

Novel treatment of the murder mystery theme, combined with effective acting of the principal parts, makes an unusually entertaining film of “Death at Broadcasting House,” now at the Majestic Theatre. The story is of a murder which was broadcast to the world. When taking a main part in a radio play an actor was to be strangled. Unknown to anyone at the time he actually was strangled, but the crime was not discovered until his fellow players, entering the studio to congratulate, him on his excellent acting, found to their mystification and horror that he was dead in fact Scotland Yard found at least half a dozen different persons who appeared to have motive. All, however, had an alibi which appeared complete except one, upon whom the suspicion suggested by circumstantial evidence rested strongly. How a police inspector, acting on the conviction that the suspected man was not the guilty one, unravelled tho puzzle provides an ingenious climax to a clever story.

“The Black Room” at State Theatre

Boris Karloff, creator of Frankenstein,” has full scope for. his great powers in “The Black Room,” the thrilling Columbia drama which has been introduced to the Wellington public at the State- Theatre, His latest horror role is that of a ruthless killer, a veritable bluebeard, who entices beautiful ladies into the black room m his castle in order to take their lives. He commits a series of murders, but ultimately loses his own life through being thrown upon the sword of the brother he has foully murdered. Beautiful Marion Marsh and Robert Allen supply the romance, as the princess who is rescued by the manly knight. “The Farmer Takes a Wife.” It is with another time, another era, that the film writers dealt when they

wrote the script for Fox Film’s “The Farmer Takes a Wife,” which cornea _to the State Theatre ou Friday. A period wheu a gangling America was growing up into an empire of steam and steel, wheu the narrow artery of the Erie Canal bore the golden wealth of the West to the seaports of the East, when twenty-mile-an-hour steam trains had just entered into a duel to the death with four-mile-an-hour canal barges. Against this vital, pulsing background of a nation growing into its maturity, the picture tells the story of two lovers, Janet Gaynor and Henry Fonda, whose lives ami fates were bound with the momentous happenings in the world about them.

“My Song Goes Round the

World”

The first picture in which the famous tenor, Joseph Schmidt, has appeared, "My Song Goes Round tho World,” is at the Grand Opera House, The picture concerns a little Italian, Ricardo (played by Schmidt), with a magnificent tenor voice. But his talents are known only to his small, but intensely loyal, band of friends. Ricardo’s trouble is • that his excessively small, stature excites only scorn wherever lie goes,, and he finds it impossible to gain an auditiou anywhere. Eventually he decides that his only hope of success lies in singing without being seen, and this naturally leads to the matter of broadcasting. He gate-crashes a station and sings so magnificently that immediately he becomes a headline radio ’and gramophone star.

“Mystery Liner” at Paramount Theatre The menace of international espionage to a liner in which remote control apparatus is being experimented with from the shore is the central theme in “Mystery Liner,” starring Noah Beery, which is at the'Paramount-Theatre. The story opens with the mysterious mental illness of the captain. ‘ Beery, dating from the time that the remote control apparatus is being installed. The two next superior officers, who are bitterly jealous of each other over the ship’s pretty nurse, are put in command in the meantime, and many mysterious happenings occur to pave the way for a sensational climax. “Rocky Mountain Mystery.” A thrilling and exciting Zane Grey picture which combines murder, drama, and outdoor action, “Rocky Mountain Mystery” comes to the Paramount Theatre on Friday. Randolph Scott and Ann Sheridan are t'ie stars.