ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 10, 13 January 1933, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. | Paramount's "Horse Feathers," latest of the mad, merry comedies of the Four Marx Brothers, opened at the Regent Theatre, to-day. Groucho, Chlco, Harpo, and. Zeppo are again. cast together in a picture that affords them opportunities for the same type of nonsense they presented in "Animal Crackers," "Monkey Business," and "The Coconuts," their three previous movie efforts. An amusing plot holds the picture together. Groucho is a college president, because that's the only way, it seems, he can get his son, Zeppo, out of college. Zeppo ha 3 been there twelve years. With the co-op-eration of Chico, village bootlegger, ■ and Harpo, village dog-catcher, he ultimately -' accomplishes his object. S. J. Perelman, Bert Kalmar, and Harry Ruby, well-known humorists wrote the book. Music and' lyrics are by TCalmnr and Ruby, and Norman McLeod, in charge of direction of "Monkey Business," directed the new picture. GRAND OPERA HOUSE. George Bancroft, one of the most popular screen personalities to-day. Is featured in Lady and Gent," which was shown at the Grand Opera House to-day. Bancroft is seen in the role v of "Slag" Bailey, whose profession Is fighting, and a great part of the story centres around "the ring." Pin Streaver, blags manager, has built his hopes on Slag, but his efforts to push his protege bring him "Jo conflict with Slag's girl. Puff Rogers, a nightclub hostess with a vitriolic tongue; Puff, thinks Pin is double-crossing Slag,. and her suspicions are increased when Pin, in desperate need of money for some mysterious reason, bets his. own "roll" and Slag's on the outcome of the championship fight. Slag, however, appears In the ring drunk, and his opponent knocks him out. Pin', and Slag are penniless. Pin. Is. so desperately in need of money that he attempts to crack a safe. He Is discovered and shot. Slag covers him: up, and succeeds In getting his death listed as suicide. Then events move quickly. The boxer and the girl undeYgo come exciting experiences, but ultimately they settle down to a quiet life. Wynne Gibson plays opposite Bancroft, and there Is a good supporting cast. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. Largely farcical, more than a little musical/ extremely witty, and wholly diverting,. "Jack's the Boy," the British comedy whicn commenced Us Wellington season at the Paramount Theatre yesterday,-had an almost packed house In a thoroughly good humour at last night's session. Jack Hiilbert took the" leading role as the light-hearted son of a Scotland Yard inspector who gave the He direct to his father's assertion that he was good for nothing by joining the constabulary. Jack also did much to disprove the, Gilbertlan claim that a policeman's lot Is not a happy one and, in addition to making light of his work when on point duty, managed to do quite an amount of courting with Ivy, a charming friend of the family, whom he first met in his official capacity. Scotland Yard at the time was considerably worried by the activities of ■ a smash-and-grab gang, and Jack sets out to prove that he was a born policeman by apprehending the. thieves. As an able assistant he has Mrs. Hobday, a Cockney proprietress of a Scotch restaurant. Mrs. Hobday is played by Cicely Courtneldge, who gives an amazingly clever and versatile performance. Ivy is presented by the fascinating Wlnnif red Shotter. Interesting supports in an entirely British programme include views of the Franz Josef glacier. .:. • • DE LUXE THEATRE. George O'Brien gives one of the best performances of his career in Zane Grey's "The Golden West," his latest outdoor romance produced by Fox Films, which opens to-day at the De Luxe Theatre. He appears in a dual role, a lapse of 20 years In the action providing the opportunity. The colourful . story, is based on a family feud that involves two aristocratic Southern families and disrupts the romance of a boy and girl. Circumstance compels the youth to go west, where he marries a girl he meets on the plains, and a son Is born to them. In a railroad construction camp he meets the daughter of his father's sweetheart, and, though he is forced to kidnap her, she finally falls in love with him. The ancient feud once more manifests itself, but peace Is finally restored and the romance continues to a happy euding. Janet Chandler plays the leading feminine role. The masked ball and the wagon train sequences are well done, and a delightful music thema runs throughout the entire picture. There Is an excellent supporting programme, including the special Fox movietone news of the arrival at New .Plymouth, of the Southern Cross. ; QUEEN'S THEATRE. Combining whirlwind action with mystery "irills. "Ghost Valley," Tom Keene's litest RKO. Pathe Western feature, which opens at the Queen's Theatre to-night; sets a new standard for screen entertainment of the outdoor variety. It does so by retaining all of the characteristics which have made the better westerns so popular and adding to them the appeal of the mystery films. The highly' appropriate settings of a western ghost town have been chosen for the happy combination. Against this romantic background Director Fred Allen has used a strong cast to tell a story replete with suspense and surprise thrills. Hard riding, wild chases, smashing fights, ghostly music, phantom horsemen, and secret passages all find their logical place in the action. KING'S THEATRE. "Bring 'em Back Alive," by Frank Buck, the intrepid author and adventurer, is now showing at the King's Theatre. Every foot of this picture was actually made In the Malayan Jungle cquntry. It is thrilling' to see the beasts of the'jungle fighting their ancient enemies. There are excellent supporting subjects on the programme. Box,plans are available at the Bristol and theatre (telephone 52-212). KILBIRNIE KINEMA. "Tlio Misleading lady," featuring Claudette Colbert, Edmund Lowe, and Stuart Erwln, receives its final screening' at the Kllbirnie Kinema to-night. Buck-Jones in "The Deadline" will be the attraction at the special chll-. dren's matinee to-morrow at 2.15 p.m. The feature picture at tho evening session will be "Street of Women," featuring Kay Francis. ■ ' „ SEASIDE PICTURES, LYALL BAY. 7 "Ladles of the Big House," featuring Gene Raymond and Sylvia Sidney, is to be shown at the Seaside Pictures, Lyall Bay, to-night. It is an emotional drama, but with a love story that will appeal to all. It is the story of two lovers, torn apart on their wedding day; of a Cirl who risks her life to save the man she loves. Sylvia Sidney did outstanding work in "City Streets" with Gary Cooper, in "An American Tragedy". with Phillips Holmes, and in "Street Scene" with .William Collier. ';■•:.; regal theatre, karori.- :'..'■ To-night at the Regal Theatre, Karorl, "Man About Town" will be shown. The main jjlayer is Warner Baxter, who Is gast in a role entirely suited to him. There arc special supports. On Monday and Tuesday "Tilly of Bloomsbury" ■will be screened. . .

MAJESTIC THEATRE. "The Old Dark House," Universal's strange drama of one exciting night in a lonely Welsh manor, opened a season at the ■ Majestic Theatre to-day. Based on the singular novel by the great British author. J. B. Priestley, "The Old Dark House" tells a story of travellers on a week-end vacation wlio are caught In a howling storm and forced to seek shelter for the night In an ancient,- bleak house where a family of inherept Insanity live ruled by n hulking servant "of brutal character. Stark terror reigns, and the horrified guests are placed In desperate situations, and events move swiftly to a powerful climax said to be the most impressive for sheer dramatic Intensity t>f any film shown here this year. KarlofT, who created a sensation In "Frankenstein." Is said to be even more grotesque and frightening as the sinister servant. Lijian Bond and Melvyn Douglas, two of the screen's most popular romantic players, provide the love Interest ST. JAMES THEATRE. The fnrce-comedy success achieved at St: James Theatre -- by "Sly Wife's Family" is repeated by "His Wife's Mother," iWhlch Is to have an extended season, commencing to-day. This new - picture is on the same lines but Is by no means a mere feeble echo of "My Wife's Family. "His Wife's Mother" has a story of Us own —a quite ingenious plot of Impersonation and bluff, which gives scope for a clever star and an equally clever team. . The star is Gus McNaughton. Jimmy Godden commands countless laughs as a bibulous father-in-law; Molly Lamont Is the good girl, and Renee Gadd is the nauchty one. Marlon Dawson has found a quite new typo of mother-in-law. There are good sunports. .'■:'.■ The Fox Movietone sound film record of the arrival at New Plymouth of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and the Southern Cross is now being screened at the St. James Theatre. It is an excellent, picture showing every detail, from the tumultuous reception accorded by the enormous crowd when the monoplane first appeared to the happy reply given by Sir Charles In response to his welcome. : .-■■....■ . ■ SHORTT'S THEATRE. "Arrowsmith" the new attraction, features Ronald Colman and Helen Hayes. It revolves around the medical profession and its gigantic struggle to help humanity. ■ Although "Arrowsmith" Is generally serious in nature, there are many scenes with. a comedy tinge, especially when Dr. Arrowsmith -is" struggllrs to. rise in the profession. "Arrowsmith" Is notable in that it gives Colman his first American role. Although he has been one of the screen's most: eminent stars for nearly ten years, his previous roles have always been English or Continental.' In this picture he battles his way through prejudice and difficulties to the top of the scentiflc world." . .... BRITANNIA THEATRE. "While Paris Sleeps" is the title of the main picture in the change of programme to-day. It features Victor McLaglen and 'Helen Mack. Victor H'Laglen Is faced with death on a tropical- prison island, while his wife is dying and his daughter Is penniless in Paris. Helen Mack and William Bakewell are the romantic lovers. Their adventures in combating an apache gang who seek to take advantago of the helpless girl compose an unforgettable story of lotc and sacrifice, told with great detail and absolute realism in its Parisian backgrounds. NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. V , , ."Back Street," which is being shown In! the new programme to-day. Is adapted from the widely-read novel by Fannie Hurst, with Irene Dunne and John Boles In"' the featured roles. It was directed by John 4L ' StahL "Back Street" tells the story of a woman who considered no sacrifice too, great to make in the name of love, and a man who gave freely of his love but at the same time retained his social position as a husband and father. The story covers a span of twenty years, and Is said to give' an especially- affecting picture of the trials of two people whose lovo Is outside the law, notwithstanding its sincerity and depth. ARTCRAFT THEATRE. . "Bachelor Affairs," the new picture, is discreetly racy, and Is delightful summer fare. It is splendidly .produced, and. the action takes place on board a smart ocean liner, around New York, and on the Lone Island estates of the wealthy. Adolphe Meniou takes the leadIng male part. Minna Gombell and . Joan Marsh are also among the ca^t, M&rsh as the dumb wife, and Gombell as ths dastgninc older sister. . ;■...■:" ..'■.■ '~, CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. "Caught Plastered," screening at the Capitol Theatre, to-night, and at the matinee to-morrow at 2.15 p.m., features the screen's favourite fun-makers, Bert Wheeler and Robert Woblsey. As two hard-riding drug/store cowboys, they lasso gangs. There Is much humour when they take over the operation of a small town chemist's shop. Episode 3 of . "Detective Lloyd" will also be shown at the matinee. ' EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY./ The week-end programme at the Empire Theatre, % Island ■ Bay, is of exceptional merit. John Gilbert in "Downstairs" is the principal attraction. The ./ story is . a tense drama, laid in the servants' quarters of a European castle, with Gilbert as a chauffeur spreading a web of intrigue that enmeshes the entire household. A Hal Boaeh comedy, a Metrotone newsreel, and a Fox Australian newsreel will also be shown. On Saturday afternoon' "Riders for Justice," with Buck Jones, will be screened. • . ■ OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. "The Rich Are Always With Us," with Bulb. Chatterton in the leading role, will be shown at Our Theatre to-night. The story concerns one of the wealthiest women, in the-country her marriage, subsequent loss of her husband to a debutante love pirate, and the ultimate happiness she finds with a handsome young author who had long been in love with her. The young author is portrayed by George Brent. There are excellent ■ supports. . ■ • . ■