ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 25, 30 January 1930, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE,

f Featuring Gary Cooper, Richard Aden, Mary Brian, and Walter Huston, supported by Eugene Palletto, Helen Wane, E. H. Calmlnt, and Chester Conklin, "The Virginian," au alltalking screen version of Owen Westers famous novol, will t>o shown finally tonight at the Regent Theatre. There have been written countless stories of the Wild West, but very few equal to this. There was no straining after effect. Among this community of tho old West, to whom stealing is the cardinal sin, a wayward lad, Steve, joins a gang of cattlo thieves. His pal, the Virginian, knows it, but, being foreman of the ranch, he places his duty first, and owing entirely to his tracking, tho gang Is rounded up, Including his pal, and they are lynched. Time passes, and the Virginian is about to marry the sweet young school teacher who has come to the settlement. Hovyever, there Is a quarrel between tho Virginian and the man whom he suspects of being responsible for the cattle rustling and his friend's downfall. They set out to hunt each other, intent to kill, while the girl waits in her room on the eve of the wedding. The picture is one of gripping situations, of laughter, and of romance, and is powerfully acted. An entertaining supporting programme is also screened.

'THE TRESPASSER.

Gloria Swanson's first 100 per cent, talking and singing picture, "The Trespasser." has been completed, and will be screened at the Reecnt Theatre to-morrow. This film, which will hi' Miss Swansea's third United Artists picture not only presents for the first time this star's speaking and singing voice, but it also mark 3 her return to a modern rolo in which she appears fashionably gowned. Miss Swanson selected for her first audible film an original story by the author of "Broadway Melody" and the director of "Love " Goulding. Production plans were completed, the cast was assembled and rehearsed, and actual camera work was begun before Hollywood heard about the picture. Kobert Ames is Miss Swanson's leading man. The cast also includes Kay Hammond, William Holden, Purnell Pratt, Mary Forbes, Henry B. Walthall, Blanche Fridericl, Marcella Corday, and others. Cyril Gardner is the film editor, Lonnle Dorsa tho assistant director, and George Barnes and Gregg Toland cameramen. Purnell Pratt was tho police sergeant of "Alibi." Blanche Fridcrici was •the wife of the reformer in "Sadie Thompson," Miss Swanson's last film.

PARAMOUNT THEATRE,

A complete screen operetta, with music, songs, choruses, dances, and dialogue, is "The Desert Song," now being screened at the Paramount Theatre. "The Desert Song" retains all. the charm, colour, action, and romance of the stage production, but gains in dramatic power and picturesquoness because of the natural backgrounds. The big . cast of featured players includes John Boles, Louise Fazenda, Carlotta King, Myrna Loy, John Miljan, Johnny Arthur, Marie Wells, Jack Pratt, Edward Martindel, and Robert Gusman. The story is that of a Frenchman who becomes a sort of Robin Hood of the desert, and remedies tho injustices to the natives. Disguised as the Red Shadow, he leads a band of desert tribesmen. His father, commander of the French garrison, seeks to capture him. He loves Margot, his father's ward, and makes love to her In his own person and as tho Red Shadow. In the latter character, he Mdnaps her, arid, refusing to fight a duel with his own father for her possession, is deposed by the tribesmen and sent out in the desert to perish. He returns as the heroic vanquisher of the Red Shadow, and Margot discovers that her two lovers are the same person.

KING'S THEATRE.

Starring Jean Hersholt and Kathryn Crawford, "The Climax," an all-talking production, will be shown finally to-night at the Kings Theatre. The film, a romantic and dramatic story of Italy, deals with Adela, whose mother was a world-famous singer. She falls in love with his man Pietra. When sho goes to be trained by Luigi Galfanti, she falls In love with his son Pietro. When she sings before a great impressarlo her voice falters and he suggests a slight operation to remedy the fault. The operation is a success, but the doctor who inerformed it also falls in love with her, and ft is only in a dramatic climax that Adela and Pietro find happiness together. Good supports ar TholS°King's e' Theatre annbunces another big return sealon attraction at popular prices namely, "The Greene Murder Case," which opens to-morrow. It is an all-talking picture, starring William Powell, with Jean Arthur, Eugene Palette, Florence Eldrldgo, and a number of other accomplished artists The Greene Murder Case" was a great murder mysESo'SSp™ amor a c S^'^V^t Tas To do BwUh the strange UlUnp.; which occur in the Greene family's household. An eldor son, his younger brother, and then tnejr mother succumb to the fiendish hand of an unknown murderer. William Powell, as Philo Vance, is called in on the case by his friend of a former murder mystery film ("The Canary Murder Case"). E. H. Calver, the district attorney. Working on the case with Powell is Eugene Palette, the , practical-minded and blundering comedy detective, who was also one of the figures in "Tho .Canary Murder Case. After a series of uncanny and thrilling events, Powell solves the mystery.

THE OUEEN'S THEATRE,

Hoot Gibson Is now showing at tho Queen s Theatre in "The Long, Long Trail." Hoot is seen at his best in a hard-riding, hard-fighting role, with plenty of humour interspersed to keep 'the balance even. Hoot play? the part of a cowboy who gets into all sorts of complications through his love for a girl, and his desiro to win a rodeo sweepstakes race for his ranch. Gibson and tho entire company travelled hundreds of miles to the big rodeo at Salinas, Cal., and remained there for a week, to insure getting plenty of rodeo atmosphere. Charming Sally Eilors plays opposite Gibson. The cast Includes Kathryn M'Guire, James Mason, Archie Ricks, Walter Brennan, and Howard Truesdell. Tho second feature, "The Wonderful Lie," is a story of military lives, loves and intrigues. An outstanding all-star i cast brilliantly interprets the leading roles.

DE LUXE THEATRE.

"Tho Lady Lies," an all-talking screen version of the successful Broadway play, will be shown finally to-night. The featured play-

ers are Walter Huston, Claudette Colbert, and Charles Ruggles. ' "Tho Lady Lies" is tho story of a prominent and successful lawyer who is a widower, and who, to the disappointment of his two young children and his relatives, falls in love with a woman who Is not. In their opinion, of an equal social standing with him. Tho family powers of intervention are brought to bear, and the plot deals with the weighing in the balance of a true love affair and a family's selfish ambitions. After numerous situations, which are enhanced witli clever dialogue and tense drama, the romance reaches a logical culmination. Huston and Miss Colbert are ideally fitted for a talking picture of this character. An entertaining and well-varied supporting programme Is also screened. An entertaining all-dialoguo comedy-drama commences to-morrow at the De Luxe Theatre It is "Skinner Steps Out," a farce-comedy, reminiscent of "What Happened to Jones" ana "Skinner's Dress Suit." Glenn Tryon and Merna Kennedy are paired in this sparkling cntertainmnent. Both their roles are .admirably suited to their talents. Tryon appears as "William Henry Skinner," a young man who is a hero to his wife and a "dub" to his employers and fellow-workers. Miss Kennedy has tho role of "Honey," the young wife, whoso belief In her husband finally Inspires him to attain social and business recaKiitlon. Tryon appears in some of tho funniesFscenes of his career In "Skinner Steps Out." Especially notable are tho scenes In which he asks for a rise, and in which ho leads the orchestra and conducts an auction at a charity bazaar. Miss Kennedy's charm never was exhibited to better advantage. As tho adoring young wife, she lays immediate- claim to tho affections of her audience. Tho exceptionally strong supporting cast In "Skinner Steps Out" Includes E. J. RatclifTc. Burr M'lntosh, Lloyd Whitlock, and William Welsh.

ARTCRAFT THEATRE.

Pola Negrl has a striking role in "Tha Woman on Trial," which is now being shown at the Artcraft Theatre Sho appears as a girl in lovo with a young artist, who paints her portrait. Poverty and Illness bring him to the edge of the grave. But her loyalty does not falter. She takes a means, at tremendous sacrifice to herself, of obtaining money to caro for him, namely, by marrying a wealthy man whom she does not lovo, and whoso jealousy nearly wrecks her life. The emotional scenes are very fine. "Tho Woman on Trial" is taken from "Confession," a stage play by Ernest Vajda, Hungarian playwright. The role of the poor artist is portrayed by Einar Hanson. Another important part is taken by Arnold Kent.

BRITANNIA THEATRE.

Sue Carrol and Nick Stuart are> responsible for much of the fun and all the romance of "Girls Gone Wild," which is now being shown at the Britannia Thetare. Tho second attraction la "Chicken a la King," featuring Nancy Carroll. The whole is a fine comedy programme.

NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. '%^

•Joan Crawford appears In "Our Modern Maidens," which heads the programmo at the Now Princess Theatre. The other big picture is "Paradise," a British production, in which Betty Balfour has tho leading role. There Is a good supporting programme

BOXING.

Patrons may well expect a fast, open contest when Pete Sarron and Johnny Lecklo meet at the Town Hall on Tuesday night. In Australia each has one win, while in Napier Sarron was adjudged the winner in a close contest in which Lecklo claimed that he was not at his best. For Tuesday's meeting each can be depended upon to be in the best of condition. That the public are looking forward to seeing the two in action is demonstrated by the demand for seats since the plan opened this morning, and indications are that only ticket holders will have much chance of securing seating accommodation. There will be the usual four amateur preliminaries, and more than average Interest attaches to the meeting between the two heavyweights, Bolton from Masterton, and Hagsdale, of Wellington. These two are to meet after many attempts to bring them together.

MAJESTIC THEATRE,

Taking a melodramatic premise and turning it into humour is no new triclt for Harold ; Lloyd. Yet never before has he done It with tho finesse he sxhlblts In" his latest all-talking . release, "Welcomo Danger," which is the cur- . rent feature at the Majestic Theatre. "Welcome . Danger" relates the experiences of a boy wnose . avocation is botany, and who suddenly anas : himself a detective In underground Chinatown ; trying to outwit wily Chinamen who have bar- ; fled the police of San Francisco. Lloyd por- , tra; the son of a famous Golden Gate police . officer, who passes on, assuming he has ieit . the world a legacy in the form of a great law- . enforcing son. Harold prefers flowers to chasing law-breakers, but when his father's old friends call on him for assistance, he readily assents , with results that are highly humorous for tne , audience. What tho bespectacled comedian does in this quest of crime is hardly wortn mentioning, and from first to last the picture is one long laugh. An interesting Fox Films and a sound film of Armistice Day, 1929, In London are also screened.

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

Sparkling comedy, haunting music, and attractive ballets make "Sunny," the Freddie Forbes Musical Comedy Company's current production at His Majesty's Theatre, a delightful show which is drawing good houses nightly. The story concerns Sunny, an exhibition riaer in a circus, who is carried off by mistake on an American liner. Sho naturally has no passport and trouble looms large when the steamer nears Ellis Island. However, she marries Jim Deering, on the understanding that they are to be divorced as soon as they land. Jim nas other- ideas about the matter, and Sunny herself changes her mind after a most amus ng sequence of events. Freddie Forbes, Bettie Lambert, and Catherine Stewart aro responsible for most of the fun.

GRAND OPERA HOUSE,

As a medical man in a most amusing play, "The Love Doctor," Richard Dix (Dr. Gerald Sumner) enhances his previous reputation. Those who attend the Grand Opera House this week are assured of an excellent evening s entertainment. Dr. Gerald Sumner, known to his friends as Jerry, has not, at the start of his medical career, got over his love for tennis and golf, and waits vainly for patients, one day a patient is announced, but the visitor, Virginia Moore (June College) turns out to be an applicant for a position as a nurse. Dr. Sumner had made up his mind to remain a bachelor for some years, until he had worked up a practice, but he admires the new nurse, and she is at once engaged in that capacity. Mr 3. Woddbrige (Mildred Harris) cannot imagine what the malady is that is troubling her son Bud (Morgan Farley). The fact is he Is in love with Grace Tyler (Mirlan Seegar), who does not reciprocate his affection. By chance he meets the girl while awaiting an interview with the doctor, who correctly diagnoses the trouble, and who sends Bud away for a couple of weeks with the new nurse to look after him. At the Woddbridge home Grace notices the growing attachment between Jerry and Virginia. A complicated and amusing situation ensues. This fine all-talking Paramount production will bo screened for one week only. There will be a matlneo on Wednesday next.

"WHOOPEE."

On Saturday, Ist February, at tho Grand Opera House, the high-speed, spectacular, melodious, dancing musical comedy, "Whoopee" will be presented for the first time to a Wellington audience. In "Whoopeo," in which the J. C. Williamson company have scored a success, there is ample material for the rollicking fun theatregoers enjoy to the full, while charmingly interwoven there is a story of a thwarted love—the hopeless love of Wan-En-Is (William Perryman) for beautiful Sally Morgan (Lilian Crisp). Wan-En-Is is of the Moievo tribe of Red Indians, and against the good counsels of the mighty chief Black Eagle (Fred. Bonnor) persists in ihs apparently hopeless pursuit of happiness. The denouement in the final act is quite dramatic, and the concluding scene is one of merriment. The cast of characters is a big and particularly strong one, and with the famous dancers, Patricia and Terry Kendall, in some of their world-renowned specialty turns, together with Don Nicol (the youthful versatile comedian), John Ralston (the j. C. Williamson favourite), Hilton Porter, Jas. Foran, John Byrne, Edmund Butterworth, Laurel Streeter, Edna Ralston, Doris Hopkins, with a highly-efficient chorus and a ballet (which Includes many of J. C. Williamson's best dancers), "Whoopee" should provo a success. The chorus is particularly effective, and the orchestra is under the baton of Mr. Harry Burton. The box plans are open at the Bristol.

SHORTT'S THEATRE.

"Show People" now showing at Shortt's Theatre hag one scene in which Marion Davles and William Haines, the stars of tho piece, are helped out by Douglas Fairbanks, Norma Talmadge, John Gilbert, Mac Murray, Rod La Rocque, Renee Adoree, Leatrice Joy, George K. Arthur, Karl Dane, Aileen Pringle, Estelle Taylor, Dorothy Sebastian, and Polly Moran. The story is the romance of a girl who comes to the film colony, enters pictures by the comedy route, becomes a dramatic star, nearly loses everything because her success goes to her head. A sparkling Lew Cody-Aileen Pringle comedy, "A Single Man," is the second I feature

KILBIRNIE KINEMA.

A double feature will be screened to-night at the Kilbirnie-Kinem a. The first feature Is "Tho Mississippi Gambler." Schlldkraut appears as it handsome river gambler who shuffles cards and captivates hearts. Joan Bennett as tho young girl who matches her wits with the fascinating gambler at his own game; Car-' merlita Geraghty, Alec B. Francis, Otis Harlan, and Billy Welsh also have big parts. Tho second feature, "Tho Woman from Luna," starring Mary Aston and Robert Armstrong, is the story of a girl working In a make-believe inferno, who goes through fire for a little bit of heaven.

EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY.

"Riley, the Cop," a comedy-drama,' will bo screened at tho Empire Theatre to-night.1 Tho story concerns a New York policeman who is sent to Paris to bring back a young man. The fun starts in a Parisian cafe where the policeman gets drunk and is escorted home by his youthful prisoner. The cast Is headed by Farrell Mac Donald, David Rollins, Louise Fazenda, and Nancy Drexel. An excellent supporting programme will also be screened.

NEW QUALITY THEATRE.

Of all tho characters portrayed upon the screen there is none moro popular or fascinating than that of the "Lone Wolf." Season after season Bert Lytell has returned to motion picture lovers in the role of Michael Lanyard. The appeal of these stories of the amateur cracksman by Louis Joseph Vance is widespread, and each new production seems better than the previous. "The Lono Wolf's Daughter " to be shown at the New Quality Theatre to-night, is no exception. An excellent supporting programme will be screened.

CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. The adaptation of tho famous comedy of a man who turned criminal for fun, "Alias Jimmy Valentine," constitutes the main feature at this theatre to-night, and realistic portrayals of the main characters are given by Lionel Barrymore and Karl Dane. Jimmy Valentine Incurs tho suspicion of Detective Doyle in connection with a bank robbery, but the detective cannot bring sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction. Later, the criminal reforms, obtains a position in the bank as a teller, and subsequently becomes engaged to the bank manager's eldest daughter. All goes well until the younger sister accidentally becomes locked up In one of the big safes, and the former crook la morally forced to open It, thus revealing his identity.

REGAL THEATRE, KARORI,

Entire street scenes of Vienna and Budapest form some of the many colourful settings in tho "Prisonors," starring Corinne Griffith, which comes to tho Regal Theatre to-night. Several sequences portray tho picturesque night club life in Vienna and the more humble outdoor cafe life of the students and struggling actors in Hungary, In fact,- a good all-round interpretation of Viennese lifo is given throughout this picture, and tho greatest attention has been paid to detail in order to make the film tho more realistic. Good supporting features help to mako an excellent programme

OUR THEATRE. NEWTOWN

"Secrets of the East," starring Ivan l'etrovitch is the attraction to be shown at Our Theatre to-night. The picture is overflowing wih comedy, romance, and gorgeous scenes of magnificent palaces. The second feature, The Crazy Countess," starring Dma Gralia, is an exhilarating comedy.