ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 68, 14 December 1936, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

Regent Theatre Screens “Forgotten Faces” “Forgotten Faces,” which begins a season at the Regent Theatre, is the dramatic story of a man who married a sec-ond-rate actress and persuaded her to give up the stage. A flirtation with another man ended abruptly when her husband, coming home unexpectedly, found them together and shot the man. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, but not before he had managed to smuggle away his infant daughter and arrange for her adoption. Twenty years passed, and the unfaithful wife became desperate tor money. Her only source of supply was through her daughter and her rich adopted parents. The leading roles in the film are taken by Herbert Marshall and Gertrude Michael. “The General Died at Dawn.” Gary Cooper gives a likeable and intensely human portrayal as an American adventurer who io involved in intrigue, in China, in "The General Died at Dawn,” which begins at the Regent Theatre on Friday. Madeleine Carroll is also starred. “Man of Iron,” Thriller at {he De Luxe “Man of Iron, which heads the new programme at the De Luxe Theatre, is a virile transcription of Dawn Powell’s story, in which she takes a steel foreman and elevates him to a high executive position. Barton Mac Lane proves that he is an actor of ability and a comedian of no mean order in the role of the two-fisted mechanic. His vanity is fed by an assistant and a woman secretary, both of whom are seeking hi® downfall. They inflame him with social ambition, but he proves himself a man when he leaves a party in evening dress to quell a riot at the mill. The fight he puts up against the infuriated mob is full-blood-ed, but he is borne down by the weight of numbers and rescued more dead than alive by a police riot squad. Sobered by the affray, the men learn that the vicepresident was not to blame, and in their remorse reaffirm their old loyalty. Dorothy Peterson makes the character of the plain, home-loving wife who tries to keep her husband’s feet on the ground stand out prominently. An air of reality pervades the mill scenes, which are laid in the plant of a big steel company in Burbank, California. “Anthony Adverse.” A special featurette on the De Luxe Theatre programme is “The Making of ‘Anthony Adverse.’ ” It tells the story behind the film and introduces many of the players and the characters they portray. “Anthony Adverse.” which opens on Christmas Day. stars Frederic March. Claude Rains, Edmund Gwenn, Anita Louise, Olivia De Havillnnd and Gale Sondergaard. “His Brother’s Wife” In Second Week at the Majestic In the daring "picture “His Brother’s Wife,” now in its second week at. the Majestic Theatre, Robert Taylor appears as a scientist-explorer who falls in love with his brother’s wife. Barbara Stanwyck gives some fine emotional acting as the. wife, who follows her lover into the heart of darkest Africa, and there shows him ample evidence of her devotion. The scenes in the cabarets and gambling hells of New York, in which the young doctor lias his final fling before burving himself in the African jungle, are brilliant in the extreme. The supporting subjects include a delightful miniature musical revue, “Violets in Spring. “Orphans of the Wilderness.” Based on “The Cosmopolitan” story by Dorothy Cotterell, “Orphan of the Wilderness,” which will have its world premiere at the Majestic Theatre on Friday, is basically a story of Australia’s great outdoors, revolving as it does around the life of the kangaroo hero “Chut.” Life is pictured in the tent city of a touring circus, on a great sheep station and among the crowds of the cities. Brian Abbot in his first big role impresses as ia real “find.” “Roberta” Opens at the Paramount One of the most popular revivals of the year is that of R.K.0.-Radio’s tuneful musical-comedy. “Roberta,” which lias opened at the Paramount Theatre. Played in Wellington on the stage last year by Madge Elliott and Cyril Rilehard, “Roberta” was a great success; but'popular as was the stage show it is doubtful whether it was as spectacular as.the film version, for so much more can be made of a film than is possible on the stage. In the film the one and only Fred Astaire is seen in the role taken by Cyril Ritchard; Irene Dunne takes Miss Elliott’s role, and Ginger Rogers plays the part in which Marie La Varre was seen. “Roberta” is the story of an American college man—a rather dumb athlete —who inherits a dressmaking establishment in Paris from his Aunt Minnie, professionally known as Madame Roberta. And then the fun starts. All the popular melodies are in the film —"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” “You’re Devastating,” “I Won’t Dance,” “I'll he Hard to Handle,” and “Lovely to Look At.” “Ramona”, in Technicolour at the State Theatre Filmed in natural colour, “Ramona” comes to the screen a rich and glorious picture, now in its second week at the State Theatre. The title role is played by Loretta Young, with Don Ameche ao Alessandro, and the splendid supporting cast includes such players as Kent Taylor, Pauline Frederick. Jane Darwell, Katherine de Mille and John Caradine. There are pastoral scenes of surpassing beauty, and even when dramatic action takes complete possession the medium of technicolour still enhances and vitalises it. The tragic plight of the two hapless lovers, Ramona and Allessandro, takes on poignant reality. “The Case Against Mrs. Ames” Now at St. James Theatre A woman's fight, for her good name forms the theme of “The Case Against Mrs. Ames,” at the St. James Theatre. The beautiful English stage and screen actress, Madeleine Carroll, is charged with murder and later threatened with' the loss of her only child. George Brent appears as a ruthless district attorney who seeks a verdict of guilty against Mrs. Ames, yet. proves the means of her salvation. The battle for her child, in which she is opposed by the power and wealth of her mother-in-law, makes an unusually powerful screen stroy. Miss Carroll, who will be remembered in "The 39 Steps” and “I Was a Spy.” gains further laurels in “The Case Against Mrs. Ames.” Plaza Theatre Shows “Everything and Thunder” A lense and well-acted war-time picture is “Everything is Thunder,” now at. the Plaza Theatre. Lieutenant McGrath, of the Canadian forces, escapes from the. Lorndorff prisoners' eamp and kills a German guard. He is befriended by Anna, a woman of the streets, who takes him to her fiat. Anna does not realise until the next, morning that she has succoured an enemy, but she has come to love the man and it is through her wit, resource and courage that she fools her suspicious admirer, Detective Goertz.