ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 180, 28 April 1939, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS

Majestic Bills- “Boys Town” The satisfactory work doue and still being done by Father Flanagan, in Omaha, Nebraska, has been made the theme of "Boys Town,” which will begin a season at the Theatre Majestic today. In building up Boys Town from an old and dingy brick building which he rented for 90 dollars, to the large and productive institution which it now is. Father Flanagan has seen the ambition which was born when he was a young priest, on its way to realization. He wgs first allowed into his care three boys who were' before the court for petty thieving; now be lias bovs eager to come under his care —he has 200. „ , Spencer Tracy, who appears as bather Flanagan, was declared winner of the 193 S award for the best male acting performance, by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arte and Sciences, for his work in this film. He forwarded the statuette to Father Flanagan because, were it not for the work of Father Flanagan, there would have been no part for him to have played. Mickey Rooney appears as Whitey Marsh," the boy who causes Father Flanagan trouble till tragedy suddenly awakens him to a sensbile way of living. A Robert Benchley comedy, “Any Hour For Lunch.” a Pete Smith specialty, an “Our Gang” feature; and “Heroes of Leisure,” will be included on the supporting programme. Regent Management Presents “Fools For Scandal” The stars of “Fools For Scandal,” which is presented by the management ot the Regent Theatre, are Carole Lombard and Fernand Gravet. A riotous comedy witli music, the story of “Fools ior Scanual” is about an American niovnigpicture actress, who, under .an assumed name, is seeing the sights of London and Paris. That, ot course, is Carole. She meets with a baron who likewise is travelling incognito ana keeping secret his rank. That is J*einand. PJenty of fun follows when Carole hires Fernand as her chef. Others in the capable cast include Isabel Jeans, Ralph Bellamy. Marie Wilson, Allen Jenkins, Marcia Ralston, Heather Thatcher and Tola Nesmith. Lavish settings and beautiful costumes are another feature of “Fools for Scandal,” and Miss Lombard s gowns are exquisite. The costume ball sequence is said to have the most original creations ever seen on the screen. The famed song-writing team of Rodgers and Hart composed the tunes “How Can You Forget?” and “There’s a Boy in Harlem. The Les Hite Orchestra contributes its grand brand of music, and there is a lavish dance sequence set in an elaborate Pans night club to add to the general gaiety of the film. “Ambush” Begins At St. James "Ambush,” ■which will begin a season at the (St. James Theatre today, shows how four ultra-modern bandits swoop down on a Californian bank, surprise spectators and guards with a smoke screen, and flee with 89,000 dollars, leaving a truck as the only clue to their identity. To Gladys Swarthout, secretary in the" bank, recognition of the truck as one on which her younger brother, William Henry, worked, implicates him as a member of the gang. Fleeing to her brother, she is trapped by the gang which is composed of Ernest Truex, master-mind, Hartley Tufts, gunman, Broderick Crawford, -blackballed' ex-ipilot. Under threat of bodily harm to her brother, she lures Lloyd Nolan, a truck-driver, to the bandits’ hideout. Nolan is forced to help them. With 'the 'bandits hiding in a hastily-improvised' compartment in the truck, .Miss S’warthout, posing as injured, they set out for the county line. Police trace clues to the cabin and set out in pursuit of the truck. A note dropped by Nolan leads them to a roadhouse where the gang pauses. Tufts is killed in a fight with the law, the others escape with Nolan,-who is determined to protect Miss Swarthout. The bandits reach a barn where they have concealed an aeroplane. They .plan to shoot Miss Sw-ai’th-out and Nolan before escaping in the plane, but Nolan, persuades them to use his cabin, as a hide-out, and convinces them that the aeroplane will be overtaken. Families In Conflict In Film At King’s Theatre Dealing with the lovable and perfectly delightful Vanderhof family which believes in doing whatever it wants, whenever it wants, is the film “You Can’t Take It With You,” which will begin a second week at the King’s Theatre today. In their old New York home presided over by Grandpa Vanderhof, this family reveals a heart-warming attitude toward life in a merry melange of comedy, flavoured with romance and tinged with pathos. ‘ 5.0 u Can’t Take It With You” is concerned in part, with the proud aristocratic Kirbys, as well as with the carefree V anderhofs. Kirby’s monumental plan to form a huge munitions merger, a move which requires the purchase of all property within- an area of 12 city blocks, is halted when Grandpa refuses to sell the Vanderhof home at any price. The plan of Kirby’s son to marry Alice Sycamore. his secretary, is -blocked when the boy brings his parents to dinner one night, only to discover the Vanderhof family engrossed in its eccentric affairs. The romance and merry-mad conflict ot the two families, coupled with the enjoyable hobibes of the Vanderhofs and their many friends, prove enjoyable film fare. Shaw’s “Pygmalion” Still At Plaza Theatre Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller have the leading roles in Bernard Shaw’s "Pygmalion,” which begins its seventh week at the Plaza Theatre today. Included in the outstanding cast of supporting players are Wilfred Lawson, Marie Lohr and Esnie Percy. This screen version of "Pygmalion,” which is about a Cockney girl who becomes a woman of culture, is as outstanding as the stage production, of the same name which revolutionized the theatre in 1914, but in this screen version Mr. Shaw has allowed new scenes to be written and a new ending made in order to "allow his work to be suitably presented. Vyvyan Donner’s “Fashion Forecast,” which is in colour, is an outstanding support. This, the first of a series of allcolour fashion featurettes, gives particular attention to the winter styles in evening froeks, in sill; and in velvet; woollen afternoon froeks; and sports outfits. State Screens “Spy Ring” As Main Feature

As the title suggests, “Spy King," whieli is the main feature on a doublefeature programme at the State Theatre, is about an extremely efficient spy organization which succeeds in obtaining much secret information about aeroplanes, poisonous gases, and so on till a Government agent (Ralph Bellamy), endowed with a brain obviously more nimble than most, steps, in and scores one of those characteristic “clean-ups” so dear to all lovers of thrilling fiction. Presenting Bruce Cabot as a police lieutenant assigned to (he "murder detail” which is under heavy lire for its inability to solve a series of balling crimes, is "Homicide Bureau." the associate feature. Scrap iron dealers have been the victims, and Cabot and bis squad see no apparent motive for the slayings. With this swift start, “Homicide Bureau" quickly gets to the core of the evil it exposes —an organized underworld preying on scrap metal dealers. “Kentucky” Retained By Tudor From an old quarrel rises the bar which separates the present-day families and complicates the romance of young Jack Dillon (Richard Greene) ami Sally Goodwin (Loretto Young), in "Kentucky,” which has been retained by the Tudor Theatre management. Jack falls so much is love with Sally that he goes <0 train a horse for her without her being

aware of bis identity; but just before the Derby she learns who her helper and lover is ami quarrels with him. However, the hor.se wins the race—the result fe more logical than is usual in such stories —-and by so doing heals the breach between the families, restores the fortunes of the hero and heroine, and leaves the story to end according to recognized pla n. The associate attraction, "Paid To Dance,” has not been shown before in Wellington, and it exposes a racket known overseas as “the taxi-girl racket.” The cast i« headed by Don Terry and Jacqueline Wells. Comedy And Prison Drama Show At De Luxe Theatre Love, ao it generally does, finds a way to solve the problems of Bing Crosby, Shirlev Ross, ITraitciska Gaal anti Akim Tamiroff, in the comedy “Paris Honeymoon,” which will begin at the De Luxe Theatre today. Four new hit tunes — “You’re a Sweet Little Headache,” "1 Have Eyes,” “'rhe Funny Old Hills,” and “Joobalai”—are all delivered in expert and workmanlike fashion by Bing himself. ... . , A thrilling story originally written by Warden Lewin E. Lawes, of Sing Sing Prison the associate attraction, “Over the Wall,” has an authentic ring that combines gripping drama with romance. Dick Foran's pinging, always so appealing in his Western pictures, is heard to excellent effect. He becomes a member of Ibe prison choir whose songs are broadcast weekly, and thus he wins for himself a tremendous public and the attention of the governor, who is persuaded to listen to some new evidence which clears him of false accusations.