ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 258, 28 July 1936, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

“Show Boat” in Second Week at Regent Theatre

The romance, the excitement, the humour and the tragedy of life on the Mississippi form the background tor the story of “Show Boat,” which is still at the Regent Theatre. Magnolia Hawkes and Gaylord Ravenal, a river gambler ol fascinating personality, are the central characters. Fills’ll with money, the couple break away from the show boat to seek excitement in city life. V\ hen the gambler is cleaned out he deserts Magnolia and hi.” child, lint her old father finds her and puts her name in "electrics’’ on Broadway. Magnolia’s daughter Kim also wins stage fame, and is the star at the theatre where her father ifl the stage doorkeeper. Irene Dunne’s soprano and Allan Jones s tenor are gloriously blended in several songs, and to cap all there is Paul Robeson singing “Ole Man River’ and ‘.Ah Still Suits Me.” “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” at ' Majestic Theatre Gary Cooper a.-. a rusticated young poet who becomes heir to a huge fortune is at his best in "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, the outstanding comedy-romance at the Majestic Theatre. A small-town young man, Cooper, inherits 20.0(10.000 dollars. He goes to New York, and the newspapers are on his trail to see how lie uses the money. Jean Arthur, a bright young journalist, gets ahead of her paper s rivals with tile news by the process of awing her undoubted charm on the innocent' Mr. Deeds. A crook lawyer, excellently played by Douglass Dumbrdlc, schemes to defraud Mr. Deeds, but finds that he is not as green as he looks. “Petticoat Fever.” The new picture, “Petticoat Fever," starring Myrna Loy and Robert Montgomery. coining to the Majestic Theatre on Friday, was adapted from the stage success of the same name, and for its scenes the studio moved Labrador to Hollywood. Montgomery plays the part of a lonclv young wireless operator m a bleak Arctic station, ninety miles from the nearest Eskimo village. His life is brightened considerably when an engaged couple. Myrna Loy and Reginald Owen, find their way to his hut after their plane has cracked up nearby. The circumstances of his love-making provide what is said to be one of the sprightliest comedies of the year.

“The Ex-Mrs. Bradford” at Plaza Theatre

The light-hearted and witty dialogue of William Powell and Jean Arthur adds gaiety to a tenwe murder mystery story in “The Ex-Mrs. Bradford,” at the Plaza Theatre. The happy-go-lucky comradeship of the pair lightens the progress of the mystery, and with enlightening events crowding the stage the way is set for as tense n round-up aw anyone could wish for. To tell anything of the solution would he to ruin the climax, which is a piece of breath-taking suspense.

“Sutter’s Gold,” Drama at the

St. James Theatre

Tiie colossal fortune that Johan Sutter, the man who first discovered gold in California, made and lost is the basis of “Sutter’s Gold,” now at the St. James Theatre The story starts in Switzerland, Sutter’s native country, where he hears about California as a land where they reap four crops n year. So Johan treks xvesit, and after many adventures, lands in California. Without money for goods, seeds and implements, the Sutter settlement looks like a failure, until one day _ the Russians offer him Fort Ross, adjoining lands, and £10,060 on easy terms. He becomes involved with the Countess Elizabeth Bartoffski, an Anglo-Russian adventuress, and under her influence is beginning to lose his head. Sutter discovers gold in quantity, but cannot keep the find secret." and the world rushes in and tramples on his rights. Down and out, his Elizabeth deserts him, and he dies a broken old man on the steps of the Capitol at Washington. Edward. Arnold gives a convincing portrait of the intrepid Swiss. “Fra Diavolo.” The hilarious misadventures of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, the manly personality and glorious baritone voice of Dennis' King and the blonde beauty of the late Thelma Todd, make “Fra Diavolo” a clever transcription of Auber’s century-old opera, a film to enjoy and to remember. The return season, which is to commence nt the St. James Theatre next Friday, should meet with the approval of all who like to be amused, whether or not they have seen the film before. As two lonely travellers robbed of their savings by bandits, Olivero and Stanlio conceive the brilliant notion of turning bandit themselves. Olivero impersonating the notorious Fra Diavolo. But the arrival of the gentleman bandit in person cuts short their career, and, after narrowly escaping deatli at his hands, the pair are enlisted in his service. Then their adventures really begin.

“Little Miss Nobody” Showing

at State Theatre

A nameless little orphan whose pranks constantly get her into hot water,_ i.« Hie cause of all the fun in “Little Miss Nobody,” at the State Theatre. Jane Withers is the mischievous, nameless orphan who wins "Trouble” for her first name. She tries hard to be good, but only succeeds in getting in bad.. Many of her scrapes arise directly from the fact that she is constantly trying to shield her bosom pal, Betty Jean. She is sent to the reformatory, but en route there she makes her escape and finds refuge in a pet shop owned by an escaped convict, Harry Carey. “Private Number.” What chance has love between a millionaire's son and a personal maid? That is the romantic question propounded in the Fox hit “Private Number,” opening on Friday at the State Theatre, with Robert Taylor and Loretta Young starred together for the first time as a screen love team. Filled with youthful lovemaking, gay romancing and vivid drama highlighted with hilarious comedy the irrepressible Patsy Kelly, “Private Number” is said to be the year’s outstanding romantic hit. Robert Twvlor, only son of the wealthy ’Winfield family, returns home from college and mistakes Loretta Young, his mother’s maid, for a house guest. He

refuses to permit her to explain her situation, and this first chance meeting t»s the keystone of the romance.

Elisabeth Bergner in “Escape Me Never” at Paramount

Elisabeth Bergner has returned to convey once more how singularly human she is when suitably cast. She win,” her way because of her radiant spirit, her Pucklike humour, and her command over those common emotions that the flesh is heir to. That is why she makes Mich a generous appeal as Gemma in “Escape Me Never,” now at the Paramount Theatre. This is a version of Margaret Kennedy s play of the same name. In one way it is a .vequel to that intriguing book and play “The Constant Nymph.” by the same authoress, wliich captured attention eight years ago. In “Escape Me Never” we find Sebastian and Caryl Sanger grown to man’s estate, the foimer strongly “tainted xv.lth music.”

Double-feature Programme at

De Luxe Theatre

“Boulder Dan" at the De Luxe Theatre, is based on the building of this mighty project, and the lives of the daredevil 'workmen who blasted their way through solid rock and scaled tiie walls hundreds of feet above the river are painted in colourful detail. Ross Alexander - and Patricia Ellis head the cast. The associate attraction is ‘‘The Widow from Monte Carlo,” starring Warren William and Dollores Del Rio. This unusual comedy drama, besides its laughter and love affairs, carries plenty of exdtrng action.