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Evening Post, Issue 27, 31 July 1935, Page 5

REGENT THEATRE. There is no diminution in the popuarity of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" at the Regent Theatre, where it is low in its third week. Rich in historical fiction, the product of the brain of Baroness Orczy, it is one of the most widely-read novels of any day, and thousands have thrilled to the tactics of the elusive Pimpernel who, in 1792, was the bane of the French revolutionists. It is fitting that the role was given to Leslie Howard, one of the most versatile of English actors, whose work is faultless in his dual role of fop and fighters. Merle Oberon, the Tasmanian actress, brings her calm beauty and dignity to the role of Lady Blakeney, whose love for her husband eventually brings its own reward. The supporting programme includes many items of topical interest "Abdul the Damned." Many strange pranks have been played on history since movie magnates discovered that the private lives of the famous are a short cut to box office records. George Arliss, Charles Laughton, Ronald Colman, Marlene Dietrich, and Elizabeth Bergner have all brought more fame to the historically great than those worthies could have hoped for in their own day. "Abdul the Damned," which comes to the Regent Theatre on Friday, doesn't belong to that class of film. It is a genuine effort to give the public a glimpse of the Constantinople of 1908—a city torn between a new regime and an old. But "Abdul the Damned" never ceases to be entertainment. of the highest order, and it is not merely idle talk to describe it as one of the finest pictures to come out of England. It is one of the most engrossing of the year's films. The settings are magnificent, the acting is beyond reproach, and—most unusual of all—the historical facts are accurate. Fritz Kortner, the British actor, who played in "Chu Chin Chow," is Abdul Hamid. the despot, with a flinty soul and 300 wives; Nils Asther is his crafty, officer, who "gets it in ,the neck" in the end; and Adrienne Ames is the beautiful Austrian dancer who becomes involved in Turkish plots and politics. , NEW OPERA HOUSE. Joseph Hergesheimer's famous novel "Java Head" has been made into a fine picture, which is now showing at the New Opera House. The camera tells in an interesting way'the story of a shipping line flourishing in the days when Bristol was the homeward port for graceful clippers racing from China with cargoes of tea. Part of the story deals with the conflict between old Jeremy Ammidon, the head of the firm, who still clings to his beloved sailing ships, and William, his practical son, who sees that the day of steamships is drawing near. The most important part of the plot, however, deals with Gerrit Ammidon, who makes a trip to China and returns with a Manchu princess as his bride. In a strange land with strange customs this lovely Chinese wife fights for her husband's happiness. This dramatic story is brilliantly interpreted by a fine cast comprising Edmund Gwenn, who gives an outstanding performance as the bluff, kind-hearted'old sea dog, Jeremy Ammidon. John Loder and Anna May Wong, who is ideally cast in the role of Taou Yuen, the Chinese wife. The other parts are taken by Elizabeth Allan, Ralph Richardson, and George Curzon. The supporting programme includes a Charlie Chase comedy, a Pathe Pictorial, and an interesting Australian film showing the growing of bananas in Queensland. DE LUXE THEATRE. Wallace Beery has his best role to date in "West Point of the' Air," the sensational and spectacular film of life at a great aviation field of the American army now showing at the De Luxe Theatre. West Point:is the American' Sandhurst where young officers leanrthe outlines of, army knowledge, and West .Point of the Air is therefore a flying school for the United States Army Aviation.Corps, where the flying cadets go through • the various phases of their training under experienced eyes. 'In . the. big cast the principal players are Robert Young, Maureen O'Sulliyan, James Gleason, and Rosalind Russell, and all are admirable in their parts. The supporting bill includes the best Thelma ToddPatsy Kelly comedy to date, a coloured cartoon, and the latest newsreels. Mr. Barrie Brettoner is at the Wurlitzer organ. "Ruggles of Red Gap," starring Charles Laughton, Charlie Ruggles, Roland Young, Mary Boland, ;Zasu Pitts, commences at the De Luxe Theatre on Friday next. L'aughton is an English valet lost by his titled master (Roland Young) in a poker game ito an American cattle man (Charlie Ruggles) visiting Paris. He returns to Red Gap (U.S.A.) with his new master, who introduces him as "Colonel Ruggles of the British Army." His adjustment to his new life, while fraught with comedy, reveals an underlying pathos—and that of the man who can't forget that he is a "gentleman's gentleman," and the descendant of a long line of "gentlemen's gentlemen." One of the highlights is when a crowd of roysterers in a frontier saloon ask him to tell what "Lincoln said, at Gettysburg" (without a knowledge of which speech no immigrant may achieve American citizenship), and the English valet recites it word for word! Intending patrons are advised to make early reservations at D.I.C. and theatre. KING'S THEATRE. Unfolding a colourful story set in a rough construction camp in the rugged West, "Awakening ,of Jim Burke," Jack Holt's latest starring production for Columbia, is the main feature at ' the Kings' Theatre. Florence Rice and Kathleen Burke enact the important feminine roles. "Awakening of Jim .Burke" concerns itself with the misunderstanding that arises between a father. and son when the boy, instead of being the tough young ruffian his father expects, turns out to be a gentle, talented violinist. Holt is starred in the father role, with young Jimmy Butler ca§t •as • his son. The second feature is "Cowboy Millionaire," a new type of action picture .in which the story ranges from London to the deserts .of Arizona. George O'Brien, one of the most popular of Western film stars, is said to give a first-class performance in an unusual role. Evalyn Bostock, talented English I film actress, plays the female leading I role, and Edgar Kennedy, Alden Chase, and Maude'Allen make up the supporting cast. REX THEATRE. The workings of Scotland Yard are ; exploited in "Mystery of Mr. X," Robert Montgomery's starring vehicle : which heads the double-feature programme at the Rex Theatre. "You ; Can't Buy Everything," which brings ; May Robson to the talking screen in one of the most amazing vehicles ever provided for her, forms the additional : attraction. Music and mirth are the principal components, of the double-feature programme coming to the Rex Theatre on Friday. The leading attraction, "42nd Street," is a spectacular musical comedy which numbers among its performers such favourites as Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels. George Brent, Una Merkel, Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Guy Kibbee, Ned Sparks, and Ginger Rogers. The second picture, "Merry Wives of Reno," is a highly-amusing farce, enacted by Margaret Lindsay, Donald Woods, Guy Kibbee, Frank Me- > Hugh, and Glanda Farrell. , OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN.

"Society Doctor," the Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer picture featuring Chester Morris and Virginia Bruce, heads the double-feature bill showing at Our Theatre tonight. It has been proclaimed one of the most unusual films of its kind to come from Hollywood. It is the story of a youthful love triangle within the walls of a metropolitan hospital, in which the entire action takes place within a period of eight hours. Will Eogers's latest comedy, "Life Begins at Forty," is the second attraction.

MAJESTIC THEATRE. '. A very amusing comedy of English country life is "Dandy Dick," now showing at the Majestic Theatre. The cast is headed by the popular London comedian Will Hay, who as the vicar of a parish whose only blemish appears to be a church with a leaning spire is driven by his good nature into somewhat dubious ways and means. Sir Arthur Pinero's comedy has been modernised in such a way as to add to the humour of many of the situations. In the modern version, the neighbouring squire's son (Davy Barnaby) puts in an appearance in an aeroplane, from which the vicar later makes an involuntary parachute descent on to the leaning spire that is the cause of all the trouble. The young feminine lead is taken by Nancy Burns, whose charming manner adds much to the film. As the vicar's sister, Mignon O'Doherty scores a great success. Others in the cast are Esmond Knight and Jimmy Goddeh. The supports include a two-reel comedy featurette, in which the genius of Shirley Temple is strikingly shown, and the latest newsreels. ST. JAMES THEATRE. Even il there were little else in it. "Naughty Marietta." at the St. James Theatre, is well worth a visit to hear the voices of the two principals, Jeanette Mac Donald and Nelson Eddy, and the songs they sing. There is more to "Naughty Marietta" than the singing; in fact, ever so much more, so that in every way it is capital entertainment. The action revolves about the efforts of the uncle of the lovely Princess Marie de la Baifain (Jeanette Mac Donald) to force the girl to marry Don Carlos, a far from sprightly old fellow from Spain, and the plot thought out by the Princess, ultimately assisted by Captain Richard Warrington (Nelson Eddy), to thwart the designs of the uncle. There are some splendid touches of comedy by Frank Morgan and Elsa Lanchester. The supporting programme includes newsreels, which show the New Zealander J. E. Lovelock, defeating the pick of American milers at Princeton; a coloured travelogue of Los Angeles, and a Laurel and Hardy comedy. PLAZA THEATRE. Reviving to the full the new type of film fun that made them famous, Tom Walls and Ralph Lynn sweep events probable and improbable before them at a rapid tempo in "Fighting Stock," which is now in its final nights at the Plaza Theatre. The action is never allowed to lapse, and where there is action there is clever comedy. The complications in which the two find themselves are enough for an ordinary picture, but when a slice of real, live adventure comes down from London their reactions are too good to miss. The pair would not be complete without J. Robertson Hare, this time as Duck, Wall's secretary. "Brewster's Millions," Jack Buchanan's latest musical film, which comes to the Plaza Theatre on Friday, has well proved itself the most ambitious "musical" yet made in England. For the big scene of the film, a Corsican carnival in which more than a thousand revellers take part, the studio technicians constructed an exact replica of the market square at Ajaccio, the picturesque capital of Corsica. Another sequence was filmed on the decks and bridge of a 1500-ton luxury yacht, which the director chartered for a week's cruise in the vicinity of the Isle of Wight. A third set shows the interior of a Mayfair mansion of the grandest and most imposing kind." These are some of the fitting backgrounds for the hilarious story of the man who is obliged to spend half a million of money in six months in order to qualify for a legacy of six millions, a story which made thousands of pre-war theatre-goers laugh their heads off. Lili Damita plays opposite Jack Buchanan... SHORTT'S THEATRE. In "Passport to Fame," the fast-mov-ing, exciting Columbia comedy-drama which is now showing at Shortt's Theatre, Edward G. Robinson and Jean Arthur arc the stars. "The Night Club Lady," which is the second attraction, features Adolphe Menjou and Mayo Methot. The casting of Myrna Lo/ opposite Warner Baxter in Frank Capra's Columbia picture, "Broadway Bill," which comes to Shortt's Theatre on Friday as the main feature, brings her together again with the first leading man sh3 ever had on the screen. "Broadway Bill" is a romantic comedy in which Baxter plays a reckless, lovable rouseabout, and Miss Loy is a horseloving, feminine counterpart of him. The role gives this clever actress a fine dramatic opportunity and something entirely different from that she had in "The Thin Man" and other parts she has played lately. "In Spite of Danger," which will be the second feature, is a story of rival truckmen who haul dynamite and other supplies to a mountain mining camp. To win the hauling contract, Wallace Ford and his rival, Arthur Hohl, stage a race in their great trucks up the mountain grades. Ford and Hohl also play the roles of rival suitors for Marian Marsh; the lovely girl of the popular camp cafe. PRINCESS THEATRE. Pauline Lord, celebrated American stage star, makes her screen debut in "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch," Paramount's adaptation of the worldfamous book, which is the main feature at the Princess Theatre. The film, which has preserved all the homely, lovable ,philosophy of the novel and play, also has W. C. Fields, Zasu Pitts, Evelyn Venable, and Kent Taylor in the principal r_oles. One of the. most hilarious and entertaining screen attractions offered for a long time is the 8.1.P. production "Girls will be Boys," the supporting, feature. The star is Dolly Haas, a delightfully captivating Continental artist, while a splendid cast comprises Cyril Maude, Irene Vanbrugh, and Edward Chapman. The short subjects include a cartoon in technicolour, entitled "Poor Cinderella." ROXY THEATRE. Hostile headhunters, villainous seamen, pestilence and fever are among the tropical hazards which lead to the thrilling sequences of the action drama in "Red Morning," now screening at the Roxy Theatre. Steffi Duna, Regis Toomey, and Raymond Hatton head the cast in this new melodrama. Miss Duna, as second mate of her father's boat, is drawn into dangerous conflict with a treacherous crew, which scuttles the Papua. Her lover, depicted by Toomey. enters the scuffle, and together they carry the action thrills to a hair-raising climax featuring a dynamite blast. Hostess, playboy, and Broadway sport participate in a thrilling romance while secrets of night club management are unveiled in "Gigolette," the supporting feature, with Adrienne Ames, Donald Cook, and Ralph Bellamy. ARTCRAFT THEATRE. In "Cockeyed Cavaliers" now at the Artcraft Theatre, Wheeler and Woolsey are seen in a burlesque of the knighthood era as members of the Honorary Order of Tramps. They steal the royal physician's carriage which takes them to the Duke of Weskit's manor. Here rollicking romances with a commoner and the duke's niece lead to hilarity, abetted by several popular melodies, beautiful barmaids, and high comedy. Dorothy Lee and Thelma Todd also appear in "Cockeyed Cavaliers." There are specially-selected supports on the programme. EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. Wallace Beei-y is seen in an entirely new role in "The Mighty Barnum," which is to be screened at the Empire Theatre this evening. The picture shows Barnum's entry into the sideshow business exactly 100 years ago ' with his fantastic "American Museum." Virginia Bruce and Adolphe Menjou play the leading supporting roles. A Mickey Mouse cartoon, two organlogues, and a featurette entitled "Unknown Island," complete the. programme.

.• STATE THEATRE. | In the current' attraction at the State Theatre, "Under the Pampas Moon," Warner Baxter appears as an Argentine gaucho, 'the picturesque cowboy of South America. As the uncrowned king of the village, he has one great love, his horse, and uncountable "affaires." The forced landing of an aeroplane on the pampas and the rescue of ttie passengers by the horsemen result in a series of exciting events in which a beautiful blonde, played by the French actress Ketti Gallian, plays an important part. Veloz and Yolanda dance their new sensational "Cobra Tango." "The Great Hotel Murder," a mystery comedy-drama, will come to the State Theatre next Friday. This is Fox Film's adaptation of Vincent Starrett's fine mystery yarn, "Recipe for Murder," which ''Red Book Magazine" featured. Edmund Lowe and Victor McLaglen are rival sleuths in this picture. One is a mystery writer who solves real murders for the fun of it. The other is a hotel detective with an inflated ego and a dislike of amateur crime solvers. The comedy in "The Great Hotel Murder" enters when the pair of sleuths get in each other's way as they proceed to unravel a particularly baffling murder. In the supporting cast are such well-known screen figures as Rosemary Ames, Mary Carlisle, Henry O'Neill, C. Henry Gordon, William Janney, Charles C. Wilson, John Wray, John Qualen, Herman Bing, Madge Bellamy, Robert Gleckler, and Clarence H. Wilson, PARAMOUNT THEATRE. There is an excellent double-feature programme at the Paramount Theatre, consisting of "Chinatown Squad" and "Alias Mary Dow," both of which provide gripping entertainment. "Chinatown Squad," the main attraction at the Paramount Theatre, presents the Chinese quarter of San Francisco in all its stark reality, revealing its overlords and its priests of hate, its secrets, and its throbbing romance. The exceptional cast of featured players includes Lyle Talbot, Valeric Hobson, Hugh O'Connell, and Andy Devine. "Alias Mary Dow" stars Sally Eilers, Raymond Millard, and Baby Jane in a remarkable story of an impersonation- and its consequences. One of the most entertaining and laugh-provoking comedies seen in a long time is "A Night at the Ritz," which comes to the Paramount Theatre on Friday. Warner Bros, have a knack of selecting stories with unique and unusual plots, and this one, dealing with a high-pressure publicity man who sells a chef who couldn't cook to a fashionable hotel, carries a bizarre twist that will send audiences home shaking with laughter. The dialogue is sparkling and the action swift, while a delightful romance underlies the fun. William Gargan has the leading role, with Patricia Ellis playing opposite him in the romantic angle. The second feature ■will be "Murder at Monte Carlo," starring Ralph Flynn and Molly Lamont. SEASIDE PICTURES V LYALL BAY. At the Seaside Pictures 'tonight at 8 "Broadway Bill" will be screened, featuring Myrna Loy and Warner Baxter. It is a comedy romance of a man who throws over his so.cially-inclined wife and family to wander around the race tracks with his horse and down-and-out friends and, the woman who loves it all as much as he does. The theatre has been electrically heated. BROOKLYN THEATRE. . Three members of the cast are seen for the first time on the screen in the British Dominions release "Danny Boy," which is coming to the Brooklyn Theatre tonight. They are Dorothy Dickson, Frank Forbes-Robertson, and Archie Pitt. The second feature is "Song at Eventide," starring Fay Compton, Lester Matthews, Nancy Burne, and many others. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. "Turkey Time," a riotous comedyfarce my Ben Travers, and starring the famous Aldwych Theatre troupe, Tom Walls and Ralph Lynn, with Robertson Hare and Mary Brough, screens at the Kilbirnie Kinema tonight! The picture opens in good style, and maintains a rattling pace to the end. The additional attraction is G. K. Chesterton's famous story, "Father Brown, Detective," starring Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas, Gertrude Michael, and Una O'Connor. The picture tells how a small-town priest, a human, lovable old man, captures England's most notorious jewel thief and unites two lovers. DE LUXE THEATRE, LOWER HUTT. "Captured" concludes tonight at the De Luxe Theatre, Lower Hutt. Tomorrow the main attraction will be "The Night is Young," starring Ramon Novarro and Evelyn Laye. The creation of Oscar Hammerstein II and Sigmund Romberg, who gave the world "New Moon," "Desert Song,"^and other outstanding hits, it. is a haunting story of the Imperial Ballet, in which spectacle, heart interest, and gorgeous song hits are blended into a dramatic theme. NEW EMPIRE THEATRE, PETONE. "Cavalcade," which comes to the Empire Theatre tonight, appeals to nearly every emotion to which the human heart is susceptible. That is the principal reason why it was selected by a Hollywood film company for production as a super-picture. The cast includes Diana Wynyard. Clive Brook, Herbert Mundin, Una O'Connor, Ursula Jeans, Irene Browne, Merle Tottenham, and Tempe Pigott. PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. One of the best musical comedy pictures for some time is "Mr. Cinders," the screen adaptation of the phenomenally successful play, which is showing at the Palace Theatre, Petone, tonight. Its main ingredients are mirth and melody, and they exist in joyful abundance. The stars are Clifford Mollison and Zelma O'Neal, and in addition, the Western Brothers do their famous "Delightful People, Aren't We All?" ' GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. Barbara Stanwyck will be the stellar attraction at the Grand Theatre tonight in her latest Warner Bros, picture, "Gambling Lady," a film based on the dramatic story by Doris Malloy. There is a talented cast in which Joel McCrea and Pat O'Brien share honours as the rivals for the love of the gambling lady. The cast includes C. Aubrey Smith, Phillip Reed, Robert Barrat, and numerous other well-known players.