ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 143, 14 March 1938, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS

“Victoria The Great” Continues At Plaza Theatre “Victoria the Great,” now in its third week at the Plaza Theatre, is replete with surprises. The audience thrills to the scene where the Queen, by stern exercise of her royal will, averts war between the United States and England when she checks a too autocratic Prime Minister, Anna Neagle, popular English film actress, appears in the title role, costarred with Anton Walbrook, international stage and screen star, with Walter Rilla and H. B. Warner as featured players. “Topper” In Second Week At The Majestic Photographic effects, highly technical and spectacular on the screen, are introduced to portray the startling and hilarious episodes of beautiful ghosts fluttering through space in “Topper,” which is iu its second week at the Majestic Theatre. Constance Bennett and Cary Grant are costarred for the first time, and the name part is played by Roland Young. A supporting cast of well-known players is headed by Alan Mowbray and Eugene Pallette, and also includes Arthur Lake. Hedda Hopper, Virginia Sale, Theodore Von Eltz and the “Three Hits and a Miss.” St. James Theatre Screens “It’s A Grand Old World” Sandy Powell, recognised as the greatest comedian in England, is starred in “Its’ a Grand Old World,” the attraction at the St. James Theatre. Never before has the famous Yorkshire comedian been provided with such a line vehicle in which to exploit his inimitable talents. The laughter-creating story, written by Tom Arnold, who is also responsible for the production, deals with Sandy’s adventures after he wins £16,000 in a football pool. With this money Sandy indulges in the most humorous exploits imaginable, ranging from adventures with a circus lion to buying a country mansion by mistake and falling into a den of London crooks. As Sandy’s actress sweetheart, who is just an English country girl, trying to keep the family mansion in the family’s possession, Gina Malo gives a very pleasing performance. A great cast includes Cyril Ritchard, Garry Marsh, Frank Pettingell, John Turnbull, and Iris Charles. An additional attraction will be the appearance on the stage of Jack Carter, yodelling and singing cowboy, direct from a record-breaking Australian tour. A supporting feature on the screen will be one of the series, “March of Time.” “Life Of Emile Zola” In Third Week At Regent Warner Bros.’ great screen achievement, “The Life of Emile Zola, is now in its third week at the Regent Theatre. Paul Muni’s portrayal of the French firebrand novelist; Emile Zola, outshines his notable Louis Pasteur. The story features the famous spy scare of 1895, the trial of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, and his exile to Devil’s Island, to save the prestige of the French General Staff. _A supporting feature is “This Motoring,” a picturisation of Sir Stenson Cooke’s famous book. The film is being screened under the auspices of the Automobile Association (Wellington). « * King’s Shows “Charlie Chan On Broadway” And “Hot Money” It is probable that 20th Century-Fox Films will run out of plotu for mystery stories before the public becomes tired of seeing Charlie Chau solving them. Having visited the ends of the earth in the pursit of crime, the übiquitous Chau now finds himself on Broadway in “Charlie Chan On Broadway,”, which heads the programme at the King’s Theatre. He is interested in the murder of a girl who was oue of his fellow passengers on the liner bringing him from Europe to America. Her behaviour on the boat had aroused his suspicions, and this leads him to the discovery that she was intending to blackmail prominent citizens with the damaging .contents of a diary which she possessed. The mystery is baffling, and the urbane Warner OlandChan is as well supplied with Oriental

proverbs as ever. “Hot Water, the latest episode of the doings of the Jones Family, will not disappoint admirers. Ou this occasion the homely humour ot the Joneses centres round the adventures of John Jones (Jed Prouty), ae an unwilling candidate for the mayoralty of his town. “Cafe Colette” And “The Women Men Marry” At De Luxe “Cafe Colette,” which heads the programme at the De Luxe Theatre, contains all the essentials of a thrilling spy story. The agents of a foreign power, by a subterfuge, have secured possession of the coveted formula for a super explosive. But the formula is false, and they now cunningly seek the correct one with the aid of Vanda, the beautiful Parisian dancer, charmingly played by Greta Nissen. Unfortunately for the plotters she has fallen in love with the proposed victim, Captain Roger Manning (Bruce Seton), a British agent. The associate feature is “The Women Men Marry, starring George Murphy and Josephine Hutchison. New Paramount Screens “Rose Marie” The singing sweethearts of “Naughty Marietta,” Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald, are starred in “Rose Marie,” the gorgeous romance of an operatic star and a sergeant of the Royal North-West Mounted Police, which returns to the New Paramount Theatre. Such worldfamous songs as “The Indian Love Call,’, “Rose Marie,” “Soug of the Mounties, and “Pardon hie, Madame,” ,are, sung against the majesty of glimmering lakes, tall pines and superb mountain vistas. A supporting fetature is “Going Bye Bye, with Laurel and Hardy. “Lancer Spy” Showing At The State - Peter Lorre is co-featured with Dolores Del Rio and George Sanders in “Lancer Spy,” Twentieth, Century-I'ox espionage drama, which is showing at the State Theatre. Lorre is assistant head of the German counter-espionage bureau. When George Sanders, in the title role, arrives in Berlin impersonating a German officer, he incurs the suspicion of Lorre’s chief, who assigns him to investigate. Lorre attempts to find him out, with the aid of Miss Del Rio, but Sanders is successful in evading detection. A thrilling, fast-paced series of events marks the exposure of Sanders.