entertainments

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 101, 23 January 1942, Page 8

entertainments

Reg. Maddams And New Comedy At De Luxe Anniversary Bay at the De fmxe Theatre saw the first New Zealand screening of an excellent BnUsh comedy, ami the return to the Wurhtzer organ of Re" Maddams. The comedy was a brandnew version of that well-known favourite, “The Farmer’s Wife,” and limply demonstrates that, despite blitzes,_ and other annoyances. Britain is sti.l more than capable of delivering the film S °The east of "'rhe Farmer's Wife" is an excellent one, as all English film easts seem to be today. Basil Sydney is Samuel Sweetland, the West Country farmer, who decides to marry and draws up a list of possible starters in the marriage stakes. His first choice is the wealthy huntin’, shootin . and hshin Louisa' Windentt. who firmly refuses him. Second on the list is Thirza Tapper, a finicky old spinster, to whom be proposes at a small and dull party at her home. She assures him that she is not the marrying kind. To drown his pique and salve'his pride, he goes to the local pub, spots the barmaid and proposes to her. But she will have nothing to do with him either. But when he gallantly throws himself at a stampeding bull at the village fair, he finds himself a hero, and the women who have rejected his advances suddenly want to marry him. But now he has other ideas. . Wilfrid Lawson, known and admired for his splendid performance in “Pygmalion.” plays second lead, while others in the cast include Nora Swinburne. Enid Stamp-Taylor, Michael Wilding, Bromley Davenport, and ever-popular Jimmy Godden. Back at the Wurbtzer from his exploits in Crete and Greece is Reg. Maddams, and he received a great ovation last evening. War has not dulled his feeling for musie, and the sounds that he brought fortli from the Wurlitzer took the audience back to the good old pre-war days. Here’s hoping that Wellington is going to see and hear a lot more of Maddams and the Be Luxe organ. Second film on the programme is “Citadel of Crime,” starring Robert Armstrong, Linda Hayes, and Sheets Gallagher. King’s Theatre. —A great show. “That Night in Rio,” in technicolour, commenced at the King’s Theatre), yesterday. Alice Faye, Bon Anieche and Carmen Miranda are the stars. They are supported by S. Z. Sakal.l, J. Carrol Naish/ Curt Bois and Leonid Kinskey. 20th Century Fox are the producers of this film, which provides catchy songs, bright music and plenty of fun, and the company’s long reputation in the production of this type of film is a guarantee of the quality of “That Night in Rio.” Paramount Theatre. —The change of programme at the Paramount Theatre today will bring to Wellington .‘‘The Great Commandment,” a 20th CenturyFox film which is compared with the famous productions of past years ; “The Ten Commandments” and ‘‘The King of Kings.” It is described as bringing a message of hope to this war-torn world. The Wellington screening will be the, first in New Zealand. This unique film’s theme is simple. It attempts to show in stirring, human terms a practical application of teachings that have endured for 2000 years. It tells the story of the Nazarene bringing about peace during a revolt, against the tyranny of the Romans. The cast includes John Beal, Maurice Moscovieh, Albert Dekker, Marjorie Cooley, Warren McCullum, Lloyd Corrigan, Olaf Hytten and lan Wolfe. The production is the result of a student’s idea. The programme will be completed with a March of Time on the Butch East Indies. “Schubert’s Serenade,” a colour travelogue and a Horace Shepherd specialty. Sit James Theatre. —‘‘Hold That Ghost,” which today will enter a second week at the St. James Theatre, gives Bud Abbott and Lou Costello of “Buck Privates” fame, a chance to rise to new heights of comedy. Opening, in a night club, where Ted Lewis and his band and the Andrews Sisters supply the entertainment, the film moves speedily to a petrol station, where Abbott and Costello accidentally become entangled with a gangster,., inheriting the. deserted inn when he is slain'by the police. With ghosts serving as their stooges,, Abbottand Costello make the sky the limit, for their laugh-provoking antics. The March of Time issue ‘‘Norway in Revolt' is also on the programme.

Regent Theatre. —“Quiet Wedding, one of the most genuinely natural comedies to grace a 'Wellington screen in many years, is continuing its long run at the Regent Theatre. A likeable young couple, sitting under the trees on the side of the village cricket ground, decide to get married. Relations and friends turn the ‘‘quiet wedding” into an affair that looks like an adequate answer to the Coronation ceremony. Margaret Lockwood plays Jnnet. Royd, the girl who could scarcely credit that a simple proposal under an oak tree could set in train such a disturbing sequence or events.

State Theatre— “The Ghost 'lrani, the famous London stage success, has been brought to the screen again with Arthur Askey starring this time. Picturegoers who remember how successful Jack Hulbert and Cicely oCurtneidge were in the first “talkie” version of the play, have been anxious to see this third topical film version at the tSate Theatre. The picture is full, of suspense and excitement as well ns superb comedy.. oNt only has “The Ghost Train” proved famous on the stage, but has also proved a sensation and thrill over the air. Stage,and broadcasting cannot claim all the laurels, for the screen now presents with scenic brilliance the looming horror of the phantom train and the bewildered and frightened collection of travellers, each noted for his or her specialized character acting, matched by the hilarious comedy star, Arthur Askey. >

Tudor Theatre. — Today a return season of “Kipps," which had a successful run at the Plaza Theatre before Christinas, will begin at the Tudor Theatre. In "Kipps,'’ the leisurely story of the boy who is apprenticed to a draper in Folkestone in the first years of the century has been brought to the screen in one of the best British pictures of the year. How he is left a fortune and becomes the unwilling centre qf attention is tnld in all its simplicity. The picture is made memorable by the magnificent acting of Michael Redgrave—diffident, illiterate, loving Kipps, (he little man who epitomizes an England that has become great through the very casual, everyday courage of her ordinary men and women. Iliana Wyuyttrd, too, rises to heights she has not achieved since “Cavalcade.” Also on the programme will be ‘•Dance Hall," starring Carole Landis and Cesar Romero.

Majestic Theatre. —A Robert I’nylor picture always draws the crowds. This lime he is in “Billy the Kid,” a drama of the American pioneer West, filmed in technicolour. The cast with Taylor is good—Liu Hunter, Brian Donlevy, and Mary Howard. SUBURBAN THEATRES De Luxe (Lower Hutt). —'‘Bombay Clipper,” William Garga, Irene Hervey; "'rilly of Bloomsbury,” Sydney Howard, Jean Gillie. Kincma ( Kilbirme"Penny Serenade," Irene Dunne, Cary Grant: “The Great Train Robbery." Jnek Holt, Claire Prince Edward (Woburn). —“Magic in Musie,” Alan Jones. Susanna Foster; ‘,‘Buy Me That Town,” Lloyd Nolan, Constance Moore. . „ Ascot (Newtown). — “M estern Union, Robert Young, Randolph Scott; “Yestcrday’s Heroes,” Jean Rogers, Robert Sterling. , , ... . . „ Tivoli (Thorndon). — Buck. I n\alts, Bud Abbott, Lou Costello; ‘'Christmas in Ju.tv." Dick Powell. Ellen I*l'“' v - ~ Empire (Island Bay Ihe 1 owcr and the Glory”; "Dr. Kildare s ( risis, lew Avrcs, Lionel Barrymore. _ ' Canitol (Miramar). —"A Woman's l.'aee " Joan Crawford, Melvyn Douglas; for Riches." Jean Ilersholt. „ v ()s iie (Brooklyn).— In the Na'.'Bud Abbott, Lou Costello; “Isllery

Queen, Master Detective,” Ralph Bellamy, Margaret Lindsay. King George (Lower Hutt).—‘Men of Boys’ Town,” Spencer ’i'racy, Mickey Rooney. , ~ ~ Regal (Knrori).—“Little Nelly Kelly, .Tmlv Garland. George Murphy; "the Saint's Vacation,” Hugh Sinclair, Sally Rivoli (Newtown). —‘‘The Thief of Bagdad”; "So You Won't Talk.” Joe E. Brown, Francis Robinson.