ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 198, 19 May 1941, Page 10

ENTERTAINMENTS

St. James Theatre. — George Formby is at his best in “Call a Cop,” in which he takes the part of a policeman in wartime England. This is an extremely bright comedy, and George Formby sings and acts in his usual inimitable style. Dorothy Hyson is his leading lady, and a very attractive one she makes, too. The whole ■tiling is just what is expected from a Formby film —something witli no sense to it but a lot of laughs and plenty of antics by the star, who does not seem to have allowed the present situation to dampen his inventive genius at all.

Regent Theatre.—Charles Boyer and Margaret Sullavan are starred together in “Back Street,” in the second week of a season nt tlie Regent Theatre. The former gives one of the best performances of his career, as Saxel, the successful banker who is just not quite big enough to sacrifice position and wealth for the girl he loves, and- Margaret Sullavan has a part worthy of all her many talents in the role of honest, steadfast Kay Smith. Also in the cast is Frank- McHugh, who plays the part of the cheerful little soft goods “drummer" who always has a soft, spot in his heart for Kay. ami who by introducing her to Saxel in the first place, is the indirect cause of her predicament.

King’s Theatre. —Large audiences are still enjoying Charlie Chaplin in his famous film. “The Great Dictator,” which continues its season at the King’s Theatre. The film is a satire on Hitler, Mussolini, and the former’s remarkable satellites, Goebbels and Goering. The two dictators are held Uh to great ridicule, and their well-known idiosyncrasies are subtly portrayed. A feature is that Chaplin speaks for the first time in films. He plays a double role, that of Adenoid Hynkel. dictator of Tomanin. and the familiar Chaplin role of a little Jewish barber, who finds himself in the dictator's shoes and '.he conqueror of Austerlitz. He has a rival dictator in one Napaloni. played by Jack Oakie, and others in this part of the picture are Reginald Gardiner, Henry Daniell. Billy Gilbert. Grace Hoyle, and Carter de Hnyen. The leading lady is Paulette Goddard, and others in the Ghetto scenes are Maurice Moscovitch. Emma Dunn. Bernard Gorcey. and Paul Weigel. Set against an Eastern background in the Arabian Nights tradition, Alexander Korda’s spectacular technicolour fantasy, “The Thief of Bagdad,” will be the next attraction at the King’s Theatre. By some clever trick photography, horses are made to fly and travelling is done on magic carpets. Brilliant performances are given by Sabu, Conrad Veidt and June Duprez at the head of a large cast. The film is being released by United Artists.

Majestic Theatre. — The screen version of Margaret Mitchell's famous book, “Gone With the Wind,” is .being screened at the Majestic Theatre. This story is too well known and too well liked to need any further description. Tlie film keeps very closely to the original text, and the characters as shown on the screen might very well have stepped straight from the pages of the book. Olivia de Ilavillaud, in particular, as Melanic, gives a magnificent performance, almost certainly the most effective and inspired of her career. Clark Gable as Butler is good, but both he and Miss de Havilland are outshone by Vivien Leigh in the part of Scarlett O’Hara. It. is probably her outstanding performance on the screen.

Plaza Theatre.— Further activities ot tht romantic crook, tlie Saint, are covered in the film entitled “The Saint in Palm Springs,” showing at the Plaza Theatre. The part of tlie Saint is played by George Sanders, who has lost nothing of his easy charm of manner or of his almost supernatural resourcefulness in time of trial. This time the Saint, immediately upon his return from Europe, is requested by the chief of police detectives (Jonathan Hale) to help him out in an important case. He wants the Saint to accompany a certain man to Palm Springs. This man is in charge of three postage stamps, valued at the tidy little sum of sixty-five thousand dollars apiece, which are the entire legacy left to a young school-teacher (Wendy Barrie). They had been smuggled out of Europe by her father. In typical Leslie Charters fashion, the story runs on to a dramatic conclusion.

De Luxe Theatre.—“Where Did You Get That Girl?” and “Pride of the Bowery” are the two feattires at the De Luxe Theatre. The former is a lively comedy with plenty of music and bright dialogue to help it along. It has Helen Parrish and Charles Lang in the leading roles. The second feature is a well-directed, fastmoving blend of comedy and excitement witli the toughest of the “Dead End” Kids, Leon Gorcey, in the leading role. It has been described as “a riot of laughter and explosive action"

Tudor Theatre—“Young People.’’ featuring Shirley Temple in one of her best performances, is a picture which will appeal to everyone. The story concerns two small-time vaudeville entertainers, Jack Oakie and Charlotte Greenwood, who adopt Shirley. She grows up with them on the stage —but they decide the stage is not the place to raise children, so they retire to a small New England farm. The story develops when Shirley, in an attempt to put over a sophisticated revue at the annual school performance, is booed off the stage by the shocked and indignant. parents. “Inspector Ilornleigh on Holiday,” with Gordon Harker and Alastair Sim, is the associate leaturelength attraction.

Opera House.—A screaming comedy of ihe wild and woolly West, with the three Marx Brothers running riot, “Go AVest. provides bright entertainment at the Opera House. It is the first time anyone has poked fun at the big bad men, lovely heroines, and brave heroes of the early West. “Go AVest” is full of music, with .-i piano solo by Chico, harp number by jlarpo, songs by John Carroll and Diana Lewis, comedy yodelling by Groucho, and a fast “Can-C:in" dunce.

State Theatre. — Bob Crosby, lainons swing band leader and brother of ihe renowned Bing, makes his film debut along with his celebrati-d oreliesl rn, tin- Bobcats, in "Let's Make Music." the main feature nt the Stale Theatre. “Let's Make Music' revolves around the uproarious exploits of an elderly music teacher who leads a dull frustrated life till she sells an original school march to a Broadway publisher. Telling the absorbing talc of an old prospector and a young cowpuncher who saves him from a niurdei- plot, "The Fargo Kid,” the associate fi-alure. stars Tim Holl. SUBURBAN THEATRES Tivoli (Tliorudon l. —"Lillian Russell.” Alice Faye. Don Aineclu-; "Gambling On the Higii Seas." Wayne Morris. Jane Wyman. iviiieiHa ( Kdbirnii* >. —‘’All 1 his min Heaven Too." Bette Davis. Charles BoyRivoli I Newtown I. —“llliythni on die River," Bing Crosby. Mary Marlin; "Argentine Nights, tlie Ritz Brothers, .he. Andrew Sisters. Remi! i Karol ii. "It All ('.-line I rm-. Ann Sheridan. Jeft'ery Lynn: “Augels Over Broadway." Douglas 1- .-urbanKS. Jun.. Rita Hayworth. . Capitol (.Miramar). — 1 .Married Adicnturc" .Mrs. Martin Johnson: “Quick Millions." Jed Prouty. Spring Beyinglon. Ascot (Newiowul. — "Sporting Blood." Rolh-i-i Young. Maureen O'Sullivan: "She- Coiildn'l Say No." King George (Lower 11 ul ll.— " 1- our Wivi-<.” I’risi ill-' 1 Lain-. Ituseimi rv Lane. Prime Edward ( Woburn!. —"The Lion Has Wings.” Ralph Richardson. M‘‘il“ Oberon: "The Doctor Takes n Wile. Loretta A'oung, Ray Alilland. De Luxe (Lower Hutt). —“Drums of lln- Desert." Ralph Byrd, Lorna Gray; “Meet the Wildcat," Ralph Bellamy. Margaret Lindsay. Vogue. (Brooklyn).—“l‘loriaii, Robert Young, Helen Gilbert : "Zanzibar." Lola Lane, .L-iiiies Craig..