ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 55, 6 March 1934, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

__ I REGENT THEATRE. le Stanley Lupino creates almost endless amuser, j1"21--- .»■ "Facing tho .Music." tho British International picture which is the main feature _ ot the new bill at the Regent Theatre, lie 3 was tunny in "The Love Race," "Love Lies" ut al"* "Sleepless Nights," but iv this latest picture of his he is at his very best, and there _ is hardly a moment when tho audience is not m. l-iiiglimg at his whimsicalities aud absurdities, i. the story, iv the main, .concerns tho adventures of a young man, Jack Foley (Stanley _ Lupine), whose advances are spurned by ii c, Kill, .Nina Carson (Nancy Runic) with whom .'I. ~ e fal|s "i love at first sight during a pcrlormance of "Tristan and Isolde." He visits _ her at her hotel, where be discovers that she le is the niece of the famous prima donna, Calviui v, Uoo Collins), but he is thrown out ignoininiousl.v. Disguised as lier chauffeur, lie suffers an untimely discovery, and his subsequent efforts ill to take pari j u the soldiers' chorus in "Faust" .d are unsuccessful. In despair, lie ingratiates himself with Calviui by dint of much judicious lattery, and he arranges a publicity "stunt" le by which she will wear her own jewels and S have them stolen during the singing or "The Jewel Song." The idea is a splendid one and _ causes considerable advance publicity, but 11, thieves see the golden opportunity presented to .; them, and when tbe theatre is plunged into darkness they steal the jewels, to tlie conster- - nation of Calviui aud Jack. Tiie hitter's n efforts to regain tlio jewels before the thieves 0- leave the opera house are hilarious in the extreme and form the funniest part of the pic- - ture. Jose Collins, the famous musical i-omedv it star, makes a brilliant talkie debut, aud Dennis . Hoey as Mcphistopheles, and Darroll Richards - as Faust, are both well cast. ■y "The Gallant Lady." n The "Harding voice," eloquent with emotion and vibrant with sincerity, is envied.ln Holly- - wood, and tlie dramatist whose destiny awards J> him the privilege of having Ann Harding asill signed to interpret his character on stage or screen considers himself blessed of tho gods. - When Gilbert Emery, noted playwright and " dramatic critic, and Douglas Doty wrote the i- story of "Gallant Lady," they had one actress *, in mind, and she was that one. This information was passed on to Joseph JI. Scbenek and Uarryl F. Zauiick, when the scrip was subnutted for their approval, and it was not until t- they had ascertained that her services would I. be available for tiiis picture that they bought j it for 20th Century. "Gallant Lady," a United Artists' release, which is to come to the v Regent Theatre on Friday next, tells the story of a girl whose lover loses his life in an attempt , r to fly the Atlantic, ignorant of the fact that . she is to bear bis child. From that tragedy. and the surrender of her son for adoption im- _ mediately a_fter his birth, she rises to business i- success. Miss Harding's "Gallant Lady" is appealing in every way, a girl who lias known ', both tiie bitterness of poverty and sorrow, and _,• the sweetness of success. , I. . GRAND OPERA HOUSE. ~ For novelty of setting, snappiness of wisecracking dialogue,' swiftness of action, and effectiveness of , situation, "Cross Country Cruise. _ which is now showing at the Grand ~ Opera House, is,exceptional. The story finds a . score of people setting out from New York on a transcontinental bus, which is duo to end its . trip ■at San Francisco. - Principal among the r. passengers is Norman (Lew Ayres), a young ( . man who Is being scut to his father's lumber , camp in California. He enters upon a romance with Sue, a fellow-passenger,.soon after leaving - the starting point, and the efforts of Murphy, ~ who is keeping a watchful eye on Norman during the journey, aro not very successful. A married ■' man with whom Sue had intended to elope adds _ to Ihe complications of tlie journey, and tragedy . overtakes the party before the trip is completed. !. A thrilling climax comes when the bus, in ; which a criminal is fleeing from officers of the - law. careens at breakneck speed -.long a road •J in the desert. The part of Sue is phi veil by' ~. Juno Knight, and Murphy by Arthur Vinton.' r Others in the cast are Alice White. Alan tliiie- '* -!? r\: Minna Gombell. Eugene Pallctte. Robert V Men ade, and many other favourites. Tho sup- ;, porting programme includes two Universal : Newsreels, "Supper at Six," a musical film, ' and "She Done Him Right," a cartoou. 6 DE LUXE THEATRE. The revival of the Broadway revue fvpc of " picture under tho title of "Gold Diggers nf .' in 3:*" has proved popular at the De Luxe > Theatre, where the last three days of the - season are announced. With a bevy of charming- and lively girls, struggling gamely to cam- on - at a time when the slump has closed the doors . of practically every theatre, to form tlio pivot - of an Interesting story, there is a variety of entertainment which includes new songs aud - choruses, and sparkling cross-talk—with occa- • slonal touches of seriousness. Joan Blondell - Aline McMahon. Ruby Kceler, and Ginger . Rogers aro the four principal women in the cast. Warren William, and Dick Powell and . Guy Kibbee head tho list of males. From start t to finish the picture has a real "kick," and is' ' J?" 1"1 t0 ■"•' '**ny audience into, a happy mopd. iiie supporting programme comprises ncwsrcels, i > a travel picture featuring islands in the-Facinc, , , and a novelty featuretle. Mr. Paul Cullen ■ ■ sings and plays at tha Wurlltzcr organ.. I A* great character enacted by the greatest . of qharacler actors is the chief attraction of i . 'One Man's Journey,", the RKO-Radio Picture i coming to the De Luxe Theatre on Friday. The , supporting cast of May Hoi-son, Dorothy .Tor- < dan, Joel McCrca, and Frances Deo is headed J by tho Inimitable Lionel Bafrymorc. Barry- . more's performance, it is contended, ranks* as , one of the finest of this outstanding star's long and brilliant career. Lionel Barrymore, one of the screen's most popular character actors, gives a fine stiifly as a country doctor In "One Man's . Journey," , which opens at the De Luxe Theatre on Friday. '1 The story has a delightfully rural background. , It concerns a doctor who is so troubled by the death of his wife that he gives up a chance of ', a brilliant career to take over a practice in a ', country town. The death ot one of his first ' patients almost ruins his reputation, but ho , carries on and eventually wins the confidence r of the people of the district, who, unable to pay ' him in cash, give him produce instead. May Robson, Dorothy Jordan, Joel McCrea, and Frances Dee are in the supporting cast. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. t The heartiest possible kind of laughter from c big houses prevails at the Paramount Theatre a during the screening of the ever-popular farce c "Rookery Nook," with tlie two great comedians, * Tom Walls and Ralpli Lynn, working In perfect ■ unison as an unrivalled fun-producing team. •- The pair have appeared on stage and screen a in many of Ben Travers's successes, but neither a the clever author nor the gifted comedians i have ever done anything that has hit the popu- a lar taste quite so definitely as "Rookery 1 Nook." Winifred Shotter is at her very best s as the young lady who Is turned out into the night in lier pyjamas, Mary Brough is a delight in herself as the suspicious old charwoman, and Robertson Hare is genuinely funny as the hen-pecked husband Harold. The first nart of . the programme Is good. , "Reunion." i "Reunion." the Sound City special picture, 1 opening on Friday next at the Paramount Thea- a tre, was a terrific success in London, and. in- c deed, -throughout England. It has played re- I peat seasons in nearly every English centre. The I Returned Soldiers' Smoke Concert In it is 1 alone worth seeing. It is marvellously done, c the "digger" atmosphere being preserved, al- c though the singers and other performers aro r in each Individual case great London artists. 1 The story is interesting in every foot of tile ( film, beautifully recorded, and containing exquisite settings. Naturally, the opening night will be invested witli a military and gala atmosphere, but the picture appeals to everyone. Particulars are published in this issue „ of the essay competition which Is being run '[ in connection with the picture under tlio aus- *, pices of the R.S.A. I; SEASIDE PICTURES.' fi At the Seaside Pictures, Lyall Bay, Jimmio c Durante, Jack Pearl, aud Zasu Pitts will be ll seen in "Meet tlie Baron." Tlie story deals with Julius, tho valet being forced to imper'••sonate the real baron, trying to lecture for him, and getting into hilarious trouble, aided and abetted by Jimmy Durante as Ills "manager." I He does a love sequence with Zasu Pitts sit- h ting on a cake of Ice in an icebox that is a ° classic in laughter. His and Durante's arrival o at the college on an elephant is a "howl." a There are also Metro Short Subjects. Telephone tl 16-303 for reserves. o KING'S THEATRE. '' "Smoky," Will James's best seller, that has thrilled miillons of readers, is now showing at the King's Theatre. The author, known as one of the most colourful figures of the d West, is a member of the cast, and he " participates both as actor and narrator, fi Victor Jory, who has the leading role, por- il trays tho part of a cow hand, who tames n and befriends "Smoky." tho wild horse, born G and bred on the plains of the West. The ti life of "Smoky," his rise and fall, forms tho f basis of the film. There will also be shown h "Uptown New York," starring Jack Oaklc. Box s plans are at the D.I.C. and theatre. QUEEN'S THEATRE. Buck Jones, the greatest Western star of the movies, goes back sixty years to the hectic days in Kansas at the close of the Civil War, when various largo armed bands of Confederate sympathisers made an armed battle-ground •? of. that territory, In his latest Columbia pic- . ture, "Treason," which Is now showing at *■ the Queen's Theatre. The story takes a I leaf from history, presenting Jones in tho i colourful characterisation of Jeff Connors, fam- *] ous army scout, who is detailed to capture and , bring back, dead or alive, a remarkable young * Joan of Arc of modern times. The second t attraction -will be "Obey the Law," starring . Leo Carlllo, Lois Wilson, and Dickie Moore. PRINCESS THEATRE. ° Tho secret of vmany a child's success on C tho stage Is revealed In "Stage Mother," a ■** drama of theatrical life recently filmed by the ( Metro-Goldwyn-Maycr studios, which Is now t showing at tho Princess Theatre. Adapted from an original story by Bradford Ropes, c author of "42nd Street." the picture deals with a little-known side of the theatre. Alice Brady i scores even a greater triumph than in "When . Ladles Meet" in her portrayal as tile ambitious * mother. Supporting roles are capably filled c by C. Henry Gordon, Alan Edwards, and Ben i Alexander. , ARTCRAFI THEATRE. v "When London Sleeps," which is fo be shown ' at tiie Artcraft Theatre tonight, is one of the .1 most vividly entertaining films of recent ] months. Presenting a new mystery theme in * a variety of diversified and lengthy entertain- ( ing scenes, this production has an outstanding f cast of stage and screen celebrities who render j capable performances. It concerns Ihe death ■ of a miserly millionaire wbo left his fortune ' lo a daughter ho had cast out with her a mother, and who was eventually left in tho y hands of a travelling circus. Diana Beaumont ~ and Rene Ray supply the feminine charm, while Harold French looks after the masculine part. S

STATE THEATRE. During tho last few years there has been an ever-increasing variety of war-novels, war- ■ dramas, and war-pictures. "I Was a Spy," now showing at the State Theatre, is, however, a masterpiece of a different type. It is more !- human In tone, and more likely to serve its i- purpose of entertaining the public, lor its main *o theme revolves round the sympathetic figure le of a woman. It Is the woman who serves to " soften many of tho bitternesses of human dis- :- comfort, so that It is not without some degree c of Justice that Marthe McKenna should have it been left to tell the story of her life. "I 3. Was a Spy" has the merit, however, of not i- transgressing generally accepted probabilities, y and while tense in its drama and characterisau lion, it retains those elements of human pathos v and comedy that always lend a particularly *- keen sense of realism. Tlie picture has been s staged on a very lavish scale, some of the sets c being tlie last word in completeness of detail ii and comprehensiveness. The cast, which mii- dudes many hundreds, is excellent, the princin pals particularly being worthy of note for their s fine acting. Madeleine Carroll achieves the finest characterisation of her career as Marthe. while s Conrad Veldt gives a really remarkable pors trayal of the commandant. The story is set iv " Belgium in 1915, and through a scries of highly d dramatic situations it moves to a climax of c self-sacriflce and peace. In the choice of supd Dorting pictures the State has again displayed t fine taste, there being a wide variety of news o and sporting reels, together with another of 0 those atractive descriptive pictures, this time -. dealing with Ludlow, in Shropshire, England. MAJESTIC THEATRE. Two mysterious murders in the same fashions' able house are solved by Philo Vance, the s immaculate detective in the Van Dine story s "The Kennel Murder Case" showing .at the -Majestic Theatre. Following on the finding of a dead man in a room locked from the Inside, is tlie discovery of a second body in a » closet. Both have been stabbed, while the ■- former has also been shot and struck on the Is head with a heavy object. Philo Vance, admir- '■- ably played by William Powell, pits his wits ■• against a killer, and solves what ho describes 3. as the most complicated murder mystery of d his career Any of seven people are potential c murderers of Archer Coe, dog-fancier, dilettante ** In art and women, who is discovered in a - chair in his bedroom with a knife wound in d his back, a bullet fn his head, and signs of i- blows about his temple. Mary Astor and Paul il Kavanagh supply the love interest, and Eugene il Pallctte plays a heavy police sergeant. Italph it Morgan as the murdered man's secretary, an _ irascible police surgeon, a mysterious Chinese. c cook,__ an international crook who is butler in y tile Coe household, and a lovely paramour who lt occupies the adjoining house, all figure in the t tangled tale. ; "Counsellor at Law," the screen version of * Elmer Ilice's great stage play of the same s name, which will be released shortly, reveals tlie private life and loves of a great lawyer. . Broadway was in the midst of one of the worst j theatrical slumps in years when Elmer -Iticc produced "Counsellor at Law." It was at o*ice a sensational success, hailed by the critics and Ihe public alike. Overnight, all New Yorktalked about the caustic, witty, lashing drama, - tickets sold at a premium and kept selling for 1 many months. This remarkable property, a * proven moneymaker, was secured by Universal 1 and invested with extra showmanship for its i screen presentation. The finest cast possible, 1 regardless of cost, was obtained—John Barrys more for the title role, Bcbe Daniels as his * secretary, Doris Kenyon as his wife. Elmer ; Rice himself was engaged to supervise the dcr tails of tlie production. "Counsellor at Law" c on tho screen is said to bo even greater enter- ; tainment than it was on the stage. 3 ST. JAMES THEATRE. 5 The name of the star,- Maurice Chevalier, ami * the title of the picture—"The Way to Love," . ii subject of In Ani to variety and endless mii terest—are such as to make the pro--2 gramme at the St. James Theatre very popular. I nut thero is something more attractive even !', Mian that; for the picture Is not only Chevalier, - but Chevalier at his best. It is tlio old ■ Chevalier of "The Innocents of Paris," not tho I Chevalier of kingly palaces and palace bed- ■ rooms. The only bedroom In it is a alum bedI room improvised for two. in which Francois . (Chevalier) and Madeleine (Ann Dvorak) pass one critical evening in conditions strictly honourable, although Professor Bibi (picturegoers' old friend Edward Everett Horton) is r cynical about it. But, as Francois explains, * Bibi has "a dirty mind." Nolhing that . Chevalier has done In the way of pit-edged ', courtiers or soldiers or such like equals his \ Francois, aud no setting In which he has nni pearcd suits him better than tho Paris setting ;of the present picture. Chevalier certainly ; scores with "It's Oil 1 It's Ah!" "I'm a Lover < of Parce," "In a, One-Boom Flat." and "The I Way to Love." The first part includes coif (.Bobby Jones and Kirkwood), a comedy ("The Champ"), gazetlcs, and reviews. lemale. Ruth Chattcrton will play, an unusual role . in her latest cinema success. "Female," which is to commence at the St. James Theatre on Friday, and in which she is supported by George Brent. This star ,has. had a long, unique, and varied list of roles in lier stage and cinema career—ranging all tho way from Ihe touching. tearful"Madame-X" to the ultrasophisticated and indolent heroine of "The Rich Aro Always With Us." and from the picturesque " 'Frisco Jenny" to Jho helpless rich woman of "Tho Crash." But never before lias sho -appeared in the guise in which "Female" will present her, an efTlelent big business executive at the office, and a woman who has her own love code at night. OUR THEATRE. NEWTOWN. Richard Dlxs 'delightful picture. "The Croat Jasper," will be shown at Our Theatre tonight. Vera .Engels and Edna May Oliver iiead a large cast. The story Is a delightful mixture of comedy and powerful drama, culminating in Jasper's realisation that one can't go through life taking love where one finds it without some day having a reckoning. "The Vagabond," a Charlie Chaplin comedy, is included in the supports. BRITANNIA THEATRE. "Their Night Out," which is now showing at the Britannia Theatre, is thu first starring vehlclo for the screen's most priceless chump, Claude Hulbert. It tells tho story of tt young man who Is mistaken for a famous crook. Fllmgoers may look forward to seeing Claude as "something in the city", against the background of a modern business office; accompanying a young lady from Aberdeen, to a night-club which is raided ;• entangled with a gang of crooks who imagine him to be a master-mind; struggling to pacify a fiery vamp and keep her presence .hidden from his mother-in-law: and as a devoted husband in romantic scenes with'his beautiful young wife. SHORTT'S THEATRE. Charles Bickford plays the lead In Columbia's sea mystery adventure film, "The Last Man," now showing at Shortt's Theatre, with Constance Cummings playing opposite him. Bickford's role is that of a detective for a London insurance firm, which has had a succession of heavy marine losses. He goes to Port Suez to Investigate, and his startling experiences in running down the gang and their leader, who have been scuttling the ships in order to collect the Insurance money, provide one of the most gripping sea mysteries ever made for the screen. The second picture will be "Virtue."- the Columbia picture featuring Carole Lombard and Pat O'Brien. ■ EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. "The Lost Chord" Is the principal attraction at the Empire Theatre this evening. Elizabeth Allen plays the leading role, and the supporting cast is headed by John Stuart, Anne Gray, and Garry Marsh. Tudor Davis, the famous operatic tenor, will be seen and heard for the first time iv a film In this production. An excellent programme of'short subjects precedes the main attraction. I CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. "Cabin in the Cotton," featuring Richard Bartliclmcss, Bette Davis, and Dorothy Jordan, is showing at the Capitol Theatre tonight, for one night only. Tho story tells of the passion of the hot-headed Southern planters, the aristocrats of the south, the deep suffering of the poor whites, the happy-go-lucky philosophy of the Xegro all blended together Into a tumultuous drama of tangled loves, lives, and loyalties. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. Jack Buchanan's legion of admirers will undoubtedly enjoy his latest film musical comedy. "Tcs, Mr. Brown," which will be shown finally tonight at the Kilbirnie Kincma. Assisting Jack Buchanan in supplying really topnotch entertainment is Elsie Randolph. Margot Grahame, and Vera Pearce, celebrated Australian stage star. The star is seldom absent from tho screen, with the result that the fun is kept going at a fast and furious pace from start to finish.