STATE THEATRE
* Simone Simon In “Josette”
Designed chiefly to exploit Simone Simon’s recently discovered talent as a singer, “Josette". (the 20th Century-Fox picture at the State Theatre) goes about its work by presenting her in the now very familiar story of the ambitious but frustrated songster who gels her big
chance to make good when the established star fails to appear and, the unknown girl takes her name and the spotlight. Inevitably the newcomer is an instantaneous success. This role permits Simone Simon to sing two numbers, “May I Drop a I’etal in Your Glass of Wine?” and “In Any Language.” in
n voice that offer* a fascinating contrast of liglitnciss in the upper register and huskines* in the lower. The song "In Any Language” is a good one, not because it is original but because it borrow* liberally from the popular love songs of several languages. However, the mu,sic in "Josette” is hardly more than incidental. Interwoven with the "local-girl-makes-good" theme are the equally faithful themes of mistaken identity and friendly rivalry between two brothers in love with the same girl. Don Ameche and Bobert Young play the brother roles with plenty of light-hearted gaiety and charm. When the boys’ young-minded father (William Collier, sen.) is entrapped by a cabaret singer and announces hi* coming marriage they t?et out to rescue him by diverting the crooner's attention to themselves or by more drastic action if necessary. Then the modest heroine takes the crooner's identity, and of course the young men go oil on a false trail after her. It is the kind of story in which the audience can keep about four jumps ahead of the action all the time. , Everything goes according to time-honoured precedent, with the young men falling in love with the supposed gold-digger, the real Josette returning to cause complications and misunderstandings. However, the director has taken the rather tired script, and injected it with a good deal of life and *parkle, and Simone Simon is seldom lacking a chance ,to use her French accent and her special quality .of half-child. half-sophiPticate. But the biggest laughs' fall to Joan Davis', who has nothing particular to do in the plot hut does it splendidly. .
TUDOR THEATRE
“Bringing Up Baby” A new style of screen courtship is previewed in RKO Radio’s “Bringing Up Baby,” which begins a season at the Tudor Theatre to-day. Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, principals in the novel love affair, meet with many madcap adventures when they become entangled in a circus. The romantic initiative is taken by -Miss Hefiburn, and' the unsuccessful fleeing by Grant. The methods Miss Hepburn uses to bag her quarry are singularly unique. Her first trick consists of enlisting Grant’s aid to transport a leopard from New York to Connecticut. Later she employs a dog to hold Grant's attention while she hides his clothes to prevent his return to the city to carry out his original plan of marrying Virginia Walker, his secretary. Each time Grant seems on the point of escaping, Miss Hepburn conceives a new scheme to hold him, and before the picture reaches its happy conclusion the two have landed in jail, stolen an automobile, stoned an innocent man, posed as circus -entertainers and met with dozens of other madcap adventures. Charlie Ruggles, May Robson, Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Catlett and Fritz Feld also figure prominently, in these escapades, with a large supporting cast to help pile up the merriment. .Toe Penner and Lucille Ball are co-starred in another hilarious comedy, “Go Chase Yourself,” the associate feature.
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Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 296, 10 September 1938, Page 7
Word Count
591STATE THEATRE Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 296, 10 September 1938, Page 7
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