ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 98, 27 April 1932, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE.

Man of Mayfalr," which opens to-day at the Regent Theatre; is a delightful romance of a man about town, who was intrigued with a mystery; of a girl who preferred to be a waitress to a stage star. It is a play that set London aflame with its romance, comedy, dancing, and singing. Jack Buchanan is the star, in the part of a titled "man about town," whose love for a pretty dancer leads him into some delightfully humorous situations, and Joan Barry is his leading lady. Nora Swinburne, heroine of "These Charming People"; Warwick Ward, one of the finest screen actors; Ellaline Terrlss and Lillian Bralthwaite,, both stage and screen celebrities; Cyril Raymond, Sebastian Smith, Charles Quartermaine, and J. Fisher White complete the brilliant cast. Jack Buchanan has the perfectly fitting role of the young and wealthy Lord Kingsland, whose light-hearted love affairs are the despair of his serious-minded Aunt Sarah (Lillian Braithwaite). In order to end his affair with Ehilne Barclay (Nora Swinburne), whose husband (Warwick Ward) has returned from Indiii on leave, William, Lord Kingsland, pretends that he has become infatuated with Grace Irving (Joan Barry), a new and fascinating dancer who is delighting London in the successful revue "Lazy Ladles." To carry out his bluft, William obtains an introduction to the dancer, and does become Infatuated with her —more than that, he falls genuinely in love. But although he discovers that his lady love is a modern shedding her beautiful clothes before she goes home at 12 o'clock each night to a cottage in the country—where she pretends to her mother that she is merely the famous Miss Irvlng's dresser —he is not able to play the part of her "Prince Charming" until he has braved many dangers (including the stings of angry bees) for her sake. GRAND OPERA HOUSE. "His Woman," a moving drama with plenty of action on a ship at sea, and "Touchdown," a football picture ■' featuring Richard Arlen, Peggy Shannon, and Jack Oakie, are the two principal features being screened at the Grand Opera Houses The story of "Touchdown" involves the regeneration of a young coach whose problems are Important enough to lift the picture out of the pseudo-collegiate class into real drama. "Touchdown" avoids the last minute victory which has spoilt many pictures of, college sport Richard Arlen is cast in the star role of a player who turns coach and who whips a minor team into such shape that it beats the representatives of a large universtly. The coach becomes unscrupulous after^the victory and is deserted by his friends. The climax is reached when during a game with his old college the coach can, with a word or sign, win "the match. If he wins, however, he loses everything else His Woman" concerns the adventures of the captain of a tramp steamer who takes on his ship a woman of doubtful character, to mother a baby he has rescued from- a drifting boat. The captain is charged with the attempted murder of the male.at the end.of the voyage, but the woman, whom he has grown to love exposes her own position and saves him.. ; _"ALIBI" AND "FRONT PAGE." .Continuing the double-feature programmes at the Grand. Opera House, A. A. Milne's mystery. drama, "Alibi," and United Artists' sensational newspaper story, "Front Page," will be screened on Friday next PARAMOUNT THEATRE. Slim Summervllle and Zazu Pitts are admirably paired in Universal's hilarious comedy The Unexpected Father,"' which heads the bill at the Paramount Theatre. The picture introduces a clever child in Cora Sue Collins Jasper Jones strikes oil, and becomes a millionaire over-night. Asked what he Intends to do wltu his moneyi he replies with the single word, Plenty." A child who has been cruelly illtreated by her foster mother claims Jasper as her fathar, much to his embarrassment, but also his secret delight,, and- there follows, a chain of • circumstances in which a veterinary aurse pays an important and highly diverting part. An overbearing prospective . mother-in-law comes into the picture, and the 1 child's persistent cry of "Daddy" causes endless trouble until Jasper hits upon a plan of escaping the marriage knot. The supporting programme is excellent. Will Rogers is at his hilarious best in "Business and Pleasure," his .latest Fox film, which will ope,? at the Paramount Theatre on Friday. Although Booth Tarkington wrote "The Plutocrat, ' from which the fllm was taken, as a defence of the Middle Western "Babbitt." Kogers gets much more out of the story than that, and keeps interest at a high pitch as he provides more than his usual quota of laughs: As in all other Rogers pictures, there is not an off-colour joke or situation in the entire production, a, circumstance that has endeared him, to the whole world./ The world-famous comedian humorist is; given excellent support by 'a. cast which includes Jetta Goudal, Joel McCrea, Dorothy Peterson, Peggy Ross, Boris Karloff, Cyril Ring, and Jed Prouty. David Butler has done an Inspired job on the direction, even surpassing his previous Rogers' picture,"A Connecticut Yankee." * DE LUXE THEATRE. Beautiful Lois, Moran plays the leading- role in "Men In Her Life," the feature film dt'the De Luxe Theatre. It is a story of a society girl who is thrown into the company of an adventurous count,, the .Irresponsible young boih of a- United-:States Senator' and a .racketeer-' who has retired from business and gone to France. "Victor Varconi is the Count, Donald Dlllaway the youthful' American boy,' and Charles Bickford the retired bootlegger. The chain of events, begun when Julia Cavanagh ■reveals to Count Ivan that the Cavanagh millions no longer-exist, 'finally leads to a 'murder trial, and the most unexpected 'of denoue^ ments, and takes in the passage of the Atlantic as well. Lois Moran acts with intelligence and feeling. Bickford has one of his best roles as the rough diamond. The supporting programme is excellent. - "Delicious," which opens at the De Luxe Theatre on Friday, is a romantic comedy-drama set to music. Its melodies—and there are 'six of them—were created especially for the production by George Gershwin, whose popular songs, musical comedies, and serious compositions, such as "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Concerto in F," have stamped him: as America's leading modern composer. It is hard to choose between the songs, although the.hit melody, "Somebody from' Somewhere," which Janet sings,'is undoubtedly one of the most popular. The. story, an original by Guy Bolton, relates the ventures of a Scotch orphan lassie, portrayed by Miss. Gaynor, seeking a home in America. It begins > among the colourful peasantry In ■ the steerage of a large ocean liner, where Janet makes friends with a troupe of Russian entertainers, and continues with her exciting life after she eludes'immigration officers to enter the country illegally. Romance enters her life on the boat when she becomes friends with the leader of the troop, played by Paul Roulien, who promptly falls head over heels in love with her and writes an Infectious tune, "Dellsbious," inspired by her quaint mispronunciations. Her affairs of the heart take on complications when Farrell, as a polo player returning from European triumphs, also becomes infatuated with. her. How she finally" straightens out her difficulties with the Immigration, authorities, and. settles for all time the disturbances love has caused in her heart, brings out the thrilling climax and completes the delightful story. KING'S THEATRE. "Song o' My Heart," starring the ■worldfamous tenor, John McCormack, is now playing a return season at tne King's Theatre. Every note as clear as a silvery bell, and the youthful love story is a sheer delight. Box plans are at the" Bristol and theatre. QUEEN'S THEATRE. The chief picture at the Queen's Theatre is • "Raogo," made in the jungles of Sumatra. "Rango" not only brings to the screen primitive animal life, but also, in story form, contrasts human life with animal life in the jungle. The development of the story is as Interesting and as fascinating is the very idea itself. - The second attraction Is "Social Errors," the riotous mix-up of mirth and laughter starring Leon Errol, Richard Arlen, Mary Brian, and Stewart Erwin. The romantic days of "the last frontier" are to be revived on Friday, when "Law and Order," Universal's exciting screen play of the Southwest, opens at the Queen's Theatre. The scenes are laid in the frontier town of Tombstone, Arizona, one of the most colourful settlements of the days when the six-shooter constituted the principal force of law and order in that section of the country. Walter Huston plays the role of Frame Johnson, fearless Westerner, who is pressed into service to bring law and order to the wild. town. NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. Joan Crawford .and. Clarke Gable are to be seen at the Princess Theatre in "Possessed," a highly dramatic story of a factory girt who, rebelling against an environment of drab poverty, ends up on Park avenue to find that wealth and happiness do not necessarily go hand In hand. As the boxfactory employee who gives up a small-town lover to become the mistress of the New York politician. Miss Crawford has her strongest talkie role to date. ■ •■■ . . . BRITANNIA THEATRE. Anna May Wong, Warner Oland, and Sessue Hayakawa, are the featured players in "Daughter of the Dragon," showing at the Britannia Theatre. The picture carries on the adventures/ of crafty. Fu Manchu, in his relentless pursuit of revenge. It finds treacherous Anna May Wong leading Fu's murderous followers against Scotland Yard. The action Is fast. The setting is the labyrinth of London's Chinatown, and two English country mansions, connected by secret passages. SHORTT'S THEATRE. A double-feature programme Is being shown at Shortt's Theatre. One woman's loyalty for her erring husband is the theme of "Women Love Once." Eleanor Boardman plays the feminine lead. Paul Lukas plays the part of the artist-husband whose philandering nearly .wrecks his wife's Idealistic love. "Confessions of a College Girl," the other feature, is the intimate story of an anonymous college girl taken from her day-to-day diary. It is said to reflect the actual conditions existing in the modern American college. REGAL THEATRE, KARORI. "Strictly Dishonourable" will be screened at the Regal Theatre to-night. A splendid cast is headed by Paul Lukas, Sidney Fox, and Lewis Stone. The story deals with the love adventures of a young opera singer (Paul Lukas) and his finding of the girl of his heart after a set of most discouraging circumstances Supporting the feature will be a comedy, "Fast and Furious," a cartoon, "The Fisherman" a novelty item, and a Universal Talking Newsreel. On Friday and Saturday "The Man In I Possession" will be screened.

MAJESTIC THEATRE. "Cheaters at Play" is at the Majestic Theatre. Thomas Meighan has tho role of a reformed jewel thief. -On tho big liner returning to America he meets an old actress friend (Charlotte Greenwood). In a merry burst of slang she tells the former thief how she has brought over the Hapsburg emeralds,. as a. " great secret. When they are stolen the old crook finds that It Is his son, whom he lost sight of many years before, who has stolen them, glorying in bla profession, with his father as model and guiding star. Then the story becomes InterestIng. Owing to a foolish debt with the rich owner, father and son seem to be at crosspurposes with each other. The son firmly believes that his father is hoodwinking him by protestations of honesty, and ha plays on the liking of the niece to get the emeralds for himself. The end is exciting. William Bakewell plays the son with distinction, and Barbara Weeks is captivating as the niece. Miss Greenwood alternates delightfully between the society dame and the hard-boiled actress. The supports are excellent. Bizet's beautiful opera, "Carmen," excellently photographed and magnificently interpreted, conies to the audible screen for the first time in the British film "Gipsy Blood," to begin at the Majestic Theatre on Friday. It is" equipped with an. entrancing musical accompaniment, arranged and conducted by Dr. Malcolm Sargent, whose name Is a by-word in the realm of English music. The artistic film transcription of "Carmen" has won the lavish praise of critics overseas. Michael Orrae says the film has much to commend it. The camera work is mobile and finely textured, and the singing of Thomas Burko, Lance Fairfax, and Marguerite Namara should do much to win success for the first screen opera from a British studio. ST. JAMES THEATRE. To-day and to-mororw will be the final opportunities to witness Robert Montgomery, with a stellar supporting cast, including Madge Evana, Boland Young, Beryl Mercer, and Frederick Kerr, in the sparkling comedy romance; "Lovers Courageous," written especially for the talking screen by that eminent British playwright, Frederick Lonsdale. The story is said to lie based on the life of:the playwright himself, and it brings a delightful freshness to the screen in these days of sophistication. Robert Montgomery has not been seen to better advantage, and makes the most of the opportunities afforded him by the true witty -Lonsdale dialogue. For Friday, next Sir Benjamin and John Fuller will present at the St. James Theatre another riotous British comedy, entitled "The Perfect Lady." It concerns the adventures of a young society girl who becomes maid to an alluring actress in an endeavour to learn from the latter the secret of her "techniQue" whereby she attracts the strong sex to': her home as-zealously as tho spider draws the humble fly to her lair, and with the same .tenacity of purpose. Complications set in when the psuedo-maid's fiance arrives to pay court to the actress and he is forced to make love under the watchful eye of the "maid." Another arrival in the person of Lord Westhaven, the husband of the "maid's" best friend, causes more consternation and merriment. The latest arrival is a real heman from the backwoods of Canada, and then matters take on a different complexion. "How the maid falls in love with the Canadian and the desperate attempts of the love-sick swains to escape from the clutches of the charming actress are said to provide a joyous^.entertainment. "The Perfect Lady" introduces to, New Zealand audiences the loveliest girl in British studios, Betty imann, whose beauty, is enhanced' by the magnificent dresses she wears throughout the unfolding of the film. Among the supporting players are Reginald Gardiner, Moira Lynd, and Harry Wilcoxon. ■ "THE NEW MORALITY." A repeat performance of the very successful Repertory Theatre Society's play, "The New Morality," has been arranged for to-night In aid of the Y.W.C.A. Crowded houses greeted tho performance at the Y.W.C.A. last week. The play went off with a swing to the evident enjoyment of the audience, which laughed heartily throughout > the performance. Zita Chapman, T. V. Anson, and A. D. Priestley gave excellent performances, and .were alily supported by Moya Hemptdn and George Cooper. Tho comedy Is charmingly staged and dressed, and altogether a delightful entertainment. CAPITOL THEATRE, mWmAR. "Always Goodbye,"- featuring Elissa Landi, will be screened for the last time at the Capitol Theatre to-night. In this romantic drama, which is tinged 'with thrills, intriguing romance, and suspense, Elissa Landi, ably supposted by Lewis Stone and Paul Cavanagh, has ample opportunity for portraying her exceptional acting and dramatic powers. ARTCRAFT THEATRE. "Merely Mary Ann" is showing at the Artcraft Theatre. Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell are starred. Beryl Mercer and J. M. Kerrigan head the supporting cast. There are excellent supports. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. Replete with new songs, beautiful girls, and comedy, "Flying High" Is at the Kllbirnio Kinema. Bert Lohr heads the cast, which Includes Charlotte Greenwood and Pat O'Brien. :■•■•',. ' OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. The biff attraction to be shown at Our Theatre to-night is tho sensational drama, "The Secret Six." Wallace Beery is starred, and a fine supporting cast Include Lewis Stone, Jean Harlow, and John Mack Brown. Excellent supports complete the programme. : GLIDE SKATING RINK. With the approach of cooler weather, skating is as popular as ever, the larger crowds attending the Glide Skating Rink In Wakefleld street testifying to the fact. During the. summer recess this rink has been entirely renovated, and the bitumen floor has been re-conditioned. The rink now presents a gay and colourful appearance, and there is every evidence that skating will. be a very popular pastime this winter.. Time-table for the daily sessions is given in' the'advertising'columns, but special attention Is drawn to the two ; lunch-hour sessions from 12 to 1 md 1 to 2 respectively. The healthful ■ exercise afforded by skating should prove a relaxationl from business wories. Members of the Glide Skating Club are advised of club night, which will be held tonight. ' > * EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. • In "Lonely Wives," to be screened at the Empire Theatre to-night, Edward Everett Horton plays the principal role, that of a divorce lawyer'wlio works (hard by day to. his profession hut when the clock strikes eight starts out'to enjoy himself in, a big way. Laura La Plante, Esther Ralston, and Patsy Ruth Miller head the supporting cast. The supports inolude a two-reel comedy, a Pathe Audio Review, and a Pathe Newsreel. On Friday and Saturday "Possessed," starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, will'be screened.