ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 147, 18 March 1937, Page 15

ENTERTAINMENTS

Farewell to Gaieties Company

at Opera House To-night

At. the New Opera House to-night Wellington audiences must bid farewell to the artists of Stanley McKay’s Gaieties Revue Company, who have become deservedly popular during their season of four weeks in Wellington. A new production entitled "Extra Special” has been prepared, and will be a pot-pourri of the most popular musical numbers given during the season and a series of new sketches and comicalities, in which the popular comedian Joe Lawman and the brilliant personality girl Stella Luniond will take part. The Hilo Duo. Katli Howard. George Corelli, Elton Black, Elvy Ferguson, The Martinettis, The Warrens, Cy Pier, Heather Wright, the Gaieties ballet and May Brooke’s orchestra have all become popular during the season and should receive a hearty send-off to-night. At the conclusion of ' the performance streamers will be thrown from the stage and from the audience. “This’ll Make You Whistle” at Majestic To-day “This'll Make You Whistle,” the guy musical film based on the successful stage play by Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson, which has proved Jack Buchanan’s greatest laughter-maker, will open at the Majestic Theatre to-day. As in the play, Jack Buchanan's former stage and screen partner. Elsie Randolph, plays opposite him in “This'll Make You Whistle,” while Jean Gillie, who has also appeared with the star on stage and screen, plays an important leading role. "This’ll Make You Whistle” presents Jack Buchanan as a young man in the embarrassing position of being engaged to two girls at the same time, and whose attempts to extricate himself from the dilemma land him in further difficulties. Scenes switch from London to a French seaside resort, for which a fashionable hotel was reconstructed, complete with ice-skating rink, exotic gardens and a magnificent swimming pool. It. is in this setting that one of the big dance ensembles arranged by Buddy Bradley is staged. The tune is entitled “The Wrong Rhumba,” and has been written by Sigler, Goodhart and Hoffman, who arc responsible for the many song numbers with which the film abounds. Jack Buchanan dances, sings and makes love, and, in a comedy climax, is pursued by French police as a crook: in fact, lie does all those things that have come to endear him to the hearts of filmgoers and made him one of the most popular English screen stars in films to-dar.

“The Big Broadcast of 1937” at Regent Theatre

A host of famous names from radio, stage and screen is assembled in “The Big Broadcast of 1937,” now in its final day at the Regent Theatre. “Men Are Not Gods.” Lovely, golden-haired Miriam Hopkins, No. 1 contract player for Samuel Goldwyn, was imported to England by Alexander Korda to star in his pretentious film drama, “Men Are Not Gods,” first announced under the title of “Triangle.” This picture will begin to-morrow at the Regent Theatre. Miss Hopkins is said to have an excellent opportunity of displaying her histrionic talents in a role which is quite different from anything which she has previously attempted. She is cast as a spirited young secretary to a famous dramatic reviewer. Without his knowledge she alters one of his reviews, changing a scathing attack on London's latest Othello, to a pean of praise, and succeeds in two things—making the young actor famous and getting herself ignominiously “sacked.” Technical qualities of the picture are reported to be particularly creditable. Charles Rusher's camera work being an outstanding piece of imaginative direction.

Double-feature Programme at King’s Theatre

Action is the keynote of “Murder With Pictures,” which heads the double-feature programme which will conclude to-night at the King’s Theatre. The solution of the mystery is brought about through a photograph taken for an unusual shot. "Second Wife,” the other film on the programme, presents Walter Abel as a lawyer widower, and Gertrude Michael as his second wife. Double-feature Programme.

The spectacular round-up and subsequent stampede of a maddened herd, gun duels between racketeers and ranchers, a free-for-all fight that has its climax in a wild chase across roof-tops, hair-raising stunts and hairbreadth escapes —these thrills and more enliven the action of Harold Bell Wright’s story of the New West. “Secret Valley,” which will head a new double-feature programme at the King’s Theatre to-morrow. Richard Arlen is starred as a young rancher who gives refuge to a runaway bride, who has been tricked into marriage with a racketeer. Arlen soon clashes with the pursuing husband and his ruthless mobsters. Arlen, .to stave off seizure of his ranch by a crooked lawyer, is compelled to round up bis cattle, and the hunted girl innocently causes a stampede. The drama comes to climax when the errant bride’s hide-out is discovered by the gangsters, and Arlen's heroic rescue of her is ai/ied by Federal men seeking the racketeer. Virginia Grey, a beautiful and accomplished new leading lady, appears opposite tlie virile star. The romance of a pair of scatterbrained Chicago reporters who were sure of everything except the obvious fact that they wanted to get married, is the basis of the story of the second film, “Wedding Present,” starring Joan Bennett and Cary Grant.

“A Woman Rebels” Showing at Plaza Theatre Tlie character of a young woman who declined to be bound and warped by convention is clearly drawn by Katharine Hepburn in “A Woman Rebels,” now in its final day ; t the Plaza Theatre. “Where There’s a Will.” Will Hay, beloved schoolmaster of screen, stage and radio, meets with a new set of hilarious misadventures in "Where There’s a Will.” which will begin a season at the Plaza Theatre to-morrow. ‘‘Valiant is the Word for Carrie” at State Theatre "Valiant is the Word for Carrie,” which marks the film debut of the New York stage actress, Gladys George, in an emotional role which she handles with skill and sincerity, will conclude at the State Theatre to-night. “Wives Never Know.’’ Charlie Ruggles. Mary Boland, and Adolphe Menjoti form the promising comedy team which heads the fun in “Wives Never Know.” opening at the Slate Theatre to-morrow. “Poppy” and “Spendthrift” at De Luxe Theatre W. C. Fields takes the leading role in the rollicking comedy, "Poppy.” which heads the two-feature programme which will conclude to-night at the De Luxe Theatre. “Spendthrift,” a comedy-drama, tells of a young man who squandered a fortune before finding the right girl. Two New Filins. "The Return of Sophie Lang,” starring Gertrude Michael, Sir Guy Standing, and Cloin Tapley, will open at the De Luxe Theatre to-morrow. When tlie notorious jewel thief returns to prevent a rival from stealing the world’s largest diamond, the stage is set for adventure. The associate picture, "Early to Bed,” is an hilarious farce, and included in an imposing cast are Mary Boland. Charlie Ruggles. George Barbier, and Gail Patrick. A Grantland Rice spotlinght. featuring the world famous “Heil Drivers”

in “Lucky Spills,” and two newsreels will complete the programme.

Colman in “The Masquerader” at Paramount One of Ronald Colman’s finest characterisations is seen in “The Masquerader” in its last day at the Paramount. Theatre. If, is the story of the remarkable impersonation of a rising young member of the House of Commons by a journalist. “Ruggles of Red Gap. ’ The film which conclusively proved Charles Laughton’s versatility by presenting him in a hilarious comedy role. "Ruggles of Bed Gap,” will open a return season at the Paramount Theatre to-morrow. Alary Boland, Charlie Ruggles, Zasu Pitts and Roland Voung are also in the cast. St. James Theatre Screens “Three Smart Girls” Deanna Durbin, 14-year-old soprano, who is making her film debut in “Three Smart Girls,” now nearing the end of its second week at the St. James Theatre, has completely captivated the audiences. Not only lias she soprano voice, but she shows she is the possessor of unquestionable ability as an actress. But even without Deanna Durbin this film would rank high. It is good, elean comedy all the way, being the adventures of three ingenious girls on a campaign to patch up their mother's shattered romance. Two New Films at Opera House To-morrow A drama dealing with tlie sport of kings, “Down the Stretch.” opens at the New Opera House to-morrow, with Mickey Rooney, Patricia Ellis and Dennis Moore in tlie leading roles. The story is built around a boy who is unable to get a job with any stable because his father, a famous jockey had thrown a race, but is finally taken under the wing of a woman owner of a famous Kentucky racing stable. Even then he is given no opportunity to ride because of the prejudice of the trainer. He has made friends with a colt considered bad but pleads in vain to race it. But when tlie horse depended on to win the Derby lias been injured. a chance is taken on tlie youthful jockey and the horse as the last chance.

"Hollywood Boulevavde,” featuring John Halliday, which is the second new feature, is a colourful story of the comeback of a fallen screen idol and has in it a big parade of famous names of the silent film days and current players o'. prominence.