ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 269, 10 August 1938, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

Last Day Of “Stolen Heaven” At Regent Theatre The performance of .Olympe Bradna and the musical background of the film are attractive features of “Stolen Heaven,” the Paramount ' production now showing for the last time at the Regent Theatre. Olympe Bradna. a 17-year-old French brunette, is a notable new discovery. Lewis Stone is well cast as the musician. "Varsity Show.” "Varsity Show,” Warner Bros.’ film musical extraordinary, which commences to-morrow at the Regent Theatre, stars the ever-popular Dick Powell and introduces in grand manner to motion picture audiences Fred 'Waring and his internationally famous orchestra, the Pennsylvanians. “Varsity Show” marks a new height in musical and comedy entertainment. Included in the cast besides Dick Powell and I' red Waring are such leading figures as Ted Healy, Lee Dixon, Priscilla Lane, Rosemary Lune, Buck and Bubbles, Walter Catlett, Johnny Davis and Roy Atwell. Busby Berkeley, known for his imaginative and lavish production numbers in past Warner Bros, musicals, outdoes himself in "Varsity Show” with a smash-.-ing finale that gives more than an hour of supreme fun and amusement. The plot of the picture deals with the efforts of Chuck Daly (Dick Powell), a Broadway producer temporarily on his uppers, to stage the annual Quadrangle Club show a-t Winfield College. Duly, himself a Winfield graduate, is induced to return to thp college to rescue the varsity show from the hands of Professor Sylvester Biddle (Walter Catlett), faculty adviser, who is all for art and nothing for .modernity in school presentations. “Varsity Show’’ is a refreshing relief, in its story, from the well-worn “backstage routine in which many musical comedies have been kept. There is an air of briskness and youth and gaiety to it rarely found in movie-musicals. Rosemary Lane, lovely to look at, is Dick Powell’s romantic feminine, interest, while her sister Priscilla is one of the most original and adept dancers to be seen upon the screen in recent years. There arc, of course, plenty of dances, Imth solo and chorus. The smashing finale of the show—devised and directed by Busby .Berkeley—shows no less than 200 girls and 200 boys in a picturesque and stage-filling routine, dancing up ami down a high and wide flight of steps at the college.

“Let George Do It” Season Ends

At St. James Theatre George Wallace is in his element in the Cinesound production “Let George Do It,” which is showing for the last two days at the St. Janies Theatre. The story of "Let George Do It” centres round the strange condition attached to the comedian’s inheritance of a fortune amounting to £30,000. George Wallace makes the best of every gag. “There’s Always a Woman.” “There's Always a Woman,” Columbia’s current contribution to the comedy cycle comprising "The Awful Truth,” “Theodora Goes Wild” and "Air. Deeds Goes to Town,” commences on Friday at the St. Janies Theatre. Co-starred in this gay new romantic comedy are Melvyn Douglas and Joan Biondell, appearing together for the first time. Douglas wou his comedy spurs in "Theodora Goes "Wild,” and repeated in “I Met Him in Paris’’ and "I’ll Take Romance.” Miss Blondell has -been garnering laughs from the screen for many years with most recent appearances in “The Perfect Specimen” and “Stand-in.” A thin thread of mvstery weaves through the story of “There’s Always a Woman.” The plot, briefly, concerns the mad antics of a bewildering young blonde wife who starts out Io prove to her detective husband that she, too, ean be a r »Sherlockian sleuth. This wild-eyed situation arises when Douglas bequeaths his defunct private detective agency to his spirited wife and returns to bis former post with the District Attorney.

Nelson Eddy In “Rosalie” At Majestic Theatre

A ballroom built on about the same scale as the arena in “Ben Hur” is the scene in “Rosalie,” now showing at the Majestic Theatre, of ballets so gargantuan that they have to be photographed from a long way back before the camera can take them 'in. A leading part in the dancing is taken by Eleanor Powell, who appears in the story as a princess of the mythical Balkan kingdom of Roinauza. Among the supports .is a special film ot Tlieir Majesties the King and Queens tour of France, including the unveiling of the Australian war memorial. “Merrily We Live.” Constance Bennett aud Brian Aherne 'are the stars in the lively and hilarious comedy "Merrily We Live,” which com inences ou Friday at the Majestic Theatre. Miss Bennett appears as the spoiled aud spirited daughter of the Kil bourne household, as curious, eccentric and lovable a group of characters ever to lodge under one roof. Her bright and pointed delineation of a modern girl is both amusing and appealing. Dignity is cast to the lour winds it' the occasion demands, and Miss Bennett enters into the mad capers demanded by the script with an infectious gaiety. Aherue’s role.is much broader in comedy values than any he has heretofore portrayed. • His entrance as a tramp with tattered clothes and a two-day growth of beard forecasts a inix-up in identities and around this feature is built a series ot events that stamp the young British uctor as a light comedian of engaging quality. He manages the shift from fuu-makiug to romance with deft touches and whether hobo, chauffeur, or guest iu impeccable evening attire enacts the character with an intelligent restraint. Much of the hilarity is furthered by the iuelusiou in the cast of Alan Mowbray and Patsy Kelly, butler aud cook respectively. Miss Kelly s humour is rollicking ana boisterous and Mowbray has improved upon even that rare portrait of a gentlejnan's gentleman that he gave in “Topper." Billie Burke as the absentminded, well-mean-ing philanthropist who redeems hoboes even at the cost of the family silver and other relics adds immeasurably to the dizzy pace of “Merrily We Live.” Tom Brown as her son and Bouita Granville as the sub-deb. daughter offer much laughter ami gain much sympathy in sketching the plight of the younger generation. Clarence Kolb, veteran actor of the stage, makes an auspicious appearance us the beleaguered head of the household. Marjorie Rambeau, Anu Dvorak, ami I’hillip Heed are other members of this stellar cast.

Last Days Of “Judge Hardy’s Children” At De Luxe The humour, happiness and minor disappointments in-the domestic life of an average family form the basis of “Judge Hardy's Children,’' an entertaining M.-G.-M. production now showing at the De Luxe Theatre. The second feature, "Nurse from Brooklyn,” is a satisfactory melodrama of crooks ami policemen. "Leave II To Me." Sandy Powell, the laughable, lovable comedian, whose brilliance can f ruthfull,V be said to have made him a national draw nowadays, has the biggest role of his career in “Leave It To Me,” which is to be .screened at the De Luxe Theatre, commencing on Friday. In this film, a worthy successor to his famous comedy hit. "It's a Grand Old World,” Sandy becomes a special constable. “Gun Law” And “Blind Alibi” At Tudor Theatre A two-fcHtiii’p programme is* the present bill of fare at the Tndnr Theatre. Geo rare O’Brien leads the eirst tn the Western drama “Gun Law.” The supporting film features Richard Dix and Whitney Bourne in “Blind Alibi.”

“Breakfast For Two” Screening At State Theatre Boisterous farce is the keynote of the infectious comedy, "Breakfast For Two,” starring Barbara Stanwyck and Herbert Marshall, and now showing at the State Theatre. This usually sedate couple break out into a rash of pic-throwing, eyeblacking, falling about the floor, and all the other familiar symptoms of farce. “Blockade.” Perhaps the timeliest of the season’s motion pictures, and certainly the one presenting the most, tensely dramatic action,, is “Blockade,” which, the film critic of "Reynold's News,” London, reports as "worthy of, ranking among the greatest dramas that the screen has produced.” This Walter Wanger production, starring Madeleine Carroll and Henry Fonda, comes to the State Theatre on Friday. The background of this stirring photoplay is the Spanish Civil War, though the central theme of the story is the romance of Miss Carroll and Fonda, both caught in the seething maelstrom of the conflict. The story opens with Norma (Madeleine Carroll) arriving in Spain to discover her father and an associate who have been active in helping to foment a civil war. War breaks out, and Marco (Henry Fonda), a' farmer whom the girl has met and fallen in love with, becomes a soldier, kills Norma’s father as a spy, and is obliged to arrest her as a suspect. “The Baroness And The Butler” At Plaza Theatre Annabella, the French star, has enough inherent ability to overcome the limitations of her role in “The Baroness and the Buller,” now showing at the Plaza Theatre. William Powell, -as charming as ever, is presented a » the butler in the household of the 1 rime Minister of Hungary. A novel situation is created when the butler is elected to Parliament and becomes leader of a party pledged to put the Prime Minister out ot power. There are romantic complications and a far-fetched finale in which the baroness professes her love for the butlerpolitician. . . Among the supports is u Movietone film of the King and Queen’s visit to France, which includes the unveiling ot the Australian war memorial at Villers Betouneax. In addition, two of recent Test matches in England and Australia are shown. “Charge Of The Light Brigade” At New Opera House That thrilling film “The Charge of the Light Brigade” is showing at the New Opera House for the lasti two days The leading roles are played by Frml Flynn and Olivia de llnvilland, Much of the action takes place on the Indian frontier, where the machinal ions and cunning of Surat Khan load to the women and children of the 27th Lancers garrison being murdered. Thi s causes the Lancers Io pledge eternal vengeance. Olivia de Hnvilhind. as daughter of the garrison commander, is betrothed to a captain of the Lancers, but when he is away fighting she finds she really loves his youngest brother. New Paramount Theatre Showing “Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife” A tirst-rate comedy of life among Europe's smart set is provided by Claudette Colbert and Gary Cooper in "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife,” showing at the New Paramount Theatre. The second feature on the programme is "Hold ’Em. Navy,” a story of the Annapolis naval college's football struggles. The east is headed by Lew Ayres, with Mary Carlisle and John Howard in supporting roles.