CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 141, 16 June 1936, Page 4

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

BEGENT THEATRE. Douglas Fairbanks, jun., plays the part of Barnabas Barty in the film version of the famous Jeff'ery Farnol novel "The Amateur Gentleman, at the Regent Theatre, with assurance, distinction, and an air. He makes an engaging Barnabas, and Gordon Harker enters a different sphere of acting from his usual as Natty Be"- He scores a decided success in this role. Elissa Landi is delightful _as Lady Cleone. The programme includes a Regent newsreel, a comedy. Smart Work," an aerial trip over Chile, and "Cock o' the Walk," another brilliant coloured symphony by Walt Disney.

"Anything Goes." , "Anything Goes," which commences a season at the Regent Theatre on. Friday next, is said to offer an entirely new attitude in screen musicals, m that it is bereft of the usual over-done plot idea, and presents a high-stepping, wide-range, . handsomely romantic theme which would prove splendid entertainment even without the gay background of music and the spectacle of lavish ballets. Of all the modern musicals, either, film or stage, none has presented a score which received sqch a sensational reputation as that ot "Anything Goes," its melodies and dance hits having been recorded by almost every famous dance band. Heading the comedy brigade is Charlie Buggies, whose delightfully assinme antics as "Public Enemy No, 13 procide many rib-tickling interludes, while Bing Crosby forsakes the familiar role of crooner to • show hitherto ■ unused talent as a male lead of exceptional

MAJESTIC THEATRE. \ Tuneful voices, colourful costumes, pleasing music, and buffoonery such as only Laurel and Hardy can provide, are the ingredients of "The Bohemian Girl," the main feature at the Majestic Theatre. The film concerns the adventures of a gipsy band of which the two comedians are happy-go-lucky members. Mrs. Hardy, played by Mae Busch, is enamoured of Devilshoof, a romantic vagabond. Devilshoof is flogged when he is caught skulking within the castle grounds of Count Arnheim, and in revenge Mrs. Hardy kidnaps the baby daughter of the count. Then Devilshoof and Mrs. Hardy elope, leaving Oliver with the baby on his hands. He and his good frtend, Laurel, raise the girl as a gipsy, and it is not .until she has reached womanhood that she is returned to her •: rightful place in the world. In the * meantime, however, many exciting and strange situations arise. The first part of the programme includes a film dealing with the hit-and-run motorist.

ST. JAMES THEATRE. "Mary Burns, Fugitive," now showing at the St. James Theatre, has as its central figure, played by Sylvia • Sydney, a girl who is imprisoned - because of her innocent associa- • tion with a former college man ! (Alan Baxter), turned gangster. The : scenes of prison life are extraordinary ' ily well done, as is the escape which • she makes in the company of a prison ; friend* (Pert Kelton). Unfortunately - for the girl, her. friend is m reality • the feminine equivalent in the fatates of a G-man, seeking the lair of the public enemy. After many adventures, the girls get away, and Mary Burns starts work in a hospital. Here she meets a blind scientist (Melvyn Doug- ' las), with, whom she falls in love. She i is sought out, however, by her former • sweetheart's gang, and flees from the I hospital, but the G-men follow, to a - most dramatic climax. Newsreels and a very fine cartoon complete a iirst- | rate programme.

: NEW OPERA liorsr. * Some very fine character acting and • a theme which follows closely the classic novel make "Little Lord Fauntle- « roy," which is now showing ;at the ' New Opera-House, a film-drama which < appeals to all ages and tastes. From ; a life of comparative poverty in Brookt lyn. New York, Leddie, a nine-year-old f half-American .boy, is • suddenly thrust V into the luxury of an English castle, - the heir-presumptive to the crotchety : old Earl of Dorincort By his happy - disposition, he wins the affection of ' his grandfather, an affection which be- ' comes more intense on the appear- ; ance of another claimant to the earl- . dom.. In the character of the earl : C. Aubrey Smith gives an outstanding " Freddie Bartholomew plays exceedingly well, more than re- : peating the success he made in David » Copperfleld, Dolores Costello JBarry- ' more surpasses herself in the role of t "Dearest," Freddie's mother. Guy Kib- \ bee and Mickey Rooney both do convincinK work. Newsreels, an animal » study, and a clever Walt Disney ; coloured Silly Symphony complete the programme. .

: : paramount theatre. * "Thoroughbred," a delightfully difler- ' ent thrilling romance of the Turf, con- " dudes its extended season on Thursday ;J at the Paramount Theatre. There have ' been many dramas of the Turf, and * their plots necessarily have had much ■j in common, but "Thoroughbred, by - reason of its 'Australian background, ' has a refreshing angle, and races along the world-famous tracks of Randwick ; and Flemington, where the thundering * hooves of horses tread the high hopes * of man into the dust, 'or carry them ! into the frenzy of victory.. The cast * is headed by the American, Helen Twelvetrees. There is an excellent ' supporting programme. Commencing on Friday, the Para- - mount Theatre is to have a return sear ' son which should find favour with ■ many theatregoers—"Naughty Mariet- . ta"—Victor Herbert's glorious operetta, - with Jeanette McDonald and Nelson *• Eddy.

» KING'S THEATRE. ! >• "A Message to Garcia," showing at the ~ icing's Theatre, is a film of fast action '' and rough and tumble adventure of a ; i well-tried kind. John Boles has the i! part ot Lieutenant Rowan, who is.et)- •• trusted by the President of the United States with the delivery of a message > to General Garcia, isolated by the enemy in the interior jungles and swamps of Cuba. Barbara Stanwyck * is cast as Raphaelita, the daughter of ■. a loyal farmer and Rowan's assistant - and guide on the journey. Wallace Beery has the important part of Ser- ■ geant Dory, a renegade of the Aracri- > can marines. "Here Comes Trouble, V " the associate feature, stars Paul Kelly - and Arline Judge.

OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. * Tonight will terminate a most' suc- '» cessful season with the final scrccnr jng of '"Mutiny on the Bounty and 1' "Paddy Q'Day." The attention of pic- - ture patrons is drawn to the announce- : ment in these columns regarding' the » commencement of periodical mid-week * screenings (Wednesday and Thursday) of special programmes at greatly reduced prices. The first of these six- ! penny shows will commence tomorrow * with two excellent features. The I Most Precious Thing in Life is the - drama of a mother who renounces all claim to her child, only to be the : greatest influence in his life in his > young manhood. In this picture Jean | ' Arthur, Richard' Cromwell, and Don- * aid Cook do some remarkably fine ; work. The associate filrn will be a >' lively Western featuring Buck Jones. : "The Unknown Valley." Altogether it is Brand family entertainment, to : which three can go for less than the ,* usual price for two. The circle prices *' are also reduced for these two nights.

BOXY THEATRE. Drama moves on wheels in a lifting I Comedy romance with thnlls ancl gripping drama in "Pursuit," Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer's fast-moving story of adventure on the highways and byways, : screening at the Roxy Theatre. Ches- • ter Morris and Sally Eilers play the fugitive couple. William Powell and Mvrna Loy are reunited in "Evelyn ; Prentice," the supporting feature. They ' again play husband and wife, but this • time Bre enmeshed in an amazing Pl'obblcm, worked out in one of the most dramatic courtroom sccncs ever presented on the screen.

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

DE LUXE IHEATKE. "The Story of Louis Pasteur," the current attraction at the De Luxe, is motion picture art at its very best, in Paul Muni's portrayal of Pasteur is seen one of the most outstanding achievements in acting that the screen has ever known. Muni becomes Pasteur on the screen, the great saviour of human lives, the unselfish, courageous man who had only one thought in mind —to bar death from the thresholds of homes, to rescue mothers as they went down into the valleys of the shadow of death. Paul Muni is a revivified Pasteur, a. simple, quiet, big-hearted man, whose dauntless devotion-to humani.y, sacrifice of self, the giving completely of his own life to the saving of others, stir to a far greater extent than episodes concocted from the imagination of the most prolific writer of fiction. The supporting cast of "The Story oi Louis Pasteur" is a worthy one, lncludiing Josephine Hutchinson, Anita [Louise, Donald Woods, and many others.

Model Aeroplane Contest. Sponsored by the Wellington Model Aeroplane Club and the De Luxe Theatre, a model aeroplane building competition is being held in connection with "Ceiling Zero," a forthcoming attraction at the De Luxe. • Marks will be given for workmanship,' covering and finish, originality, and correctness of the principles of flying. First prize will be a flight over the city, which has been arranged with the Wellington Aero Club. Further details are available from the Model Aeroplane Club or the De Luxe Theatre.

PLAZA THEATRE. A stark, dramatic tale of the brutality and suffering imposed upon convicts in a fever-ridden penal settlement is unfolded in "King of the Damned," which is now showing at the Plaza Theatre. Conrad Veidt . portrays Convict No. 83, whose ability earns him a job as orderly tc the head of the official staff, but whose sympathies are with his comrades toiling in the swamps. Veidt is the "brains" of the insurrection, and under his direction the machine-gun on which all hopes of success are founded is smuggled in and»secretly assembled. His interest in the commandants daughter (Helen Vinson) is rewarded by banishment to the road-building squad among the marshes, and the convicts get 'ready to strike under his leadership. There is a dramatic climax. The supporting subjects include newsreels and cinemagazines. "Jack of All Trades," coming to the Plaza Theatre on Friday, is remarkable not only for the starring of one of the world's most popular song and dance comedians, Jack Hulbert, but also for its excellent stage settings, and the flawless technique of camera work ana lighting effects. These most important adjuncts to a successful film were in the capable hands of one of Britain s younger directors, Robert Stevenson, who co-operated with Jack Hulbert himself in producing the film. . Hulbert has proved himself capable ox staging scenes equally as well as he acts in .them. Like his contemporary, Tom Walls, he has reached the stage where he likes to feel he has the whole responsibility of his production in his own hands, lending a wealth of expert ence to the benefit of technicians and actors alike. With the eo-oneration of Robert Stevenson, a most happy combination resulted in complete success.

STATE THEATRE. The story of the devious ways of destiny in bringing together two people | of utterly different spheres is told m a most absorbing manner in It Had to Happen," at present showing at the State Theatre. Rosalind Russell plays the part of the world's richest girl and George Raft is introduced as an immigrant from Italy with neither work nor money. They first meet by accident on a liner, and the steerage passenger is scorned by-tfie heiress. How he works his way from the lowest form of manual work, to the career of a' politician controlling the lives of thousands, then once more meets the heiress, this time as the wife of a dishonest financier (Alan Dinehart), makes a story that holds the interest of its audiences. Among the supports is. a striking series of slow-motion divmg shots.

REX THEATRE. "The Frisco Kid," featuring James Cagney, and "Broadway Gondolier,' a musical show, starring Dick Powell, concludes tonight at the Rex Theatre. The new Paramount' dramatic thriller, "Woman Trap," which has just concluded a successful season at the St. James Theatre, will head the new bill at the Rex Theatre tomorrow. It tells of a front-page crime reporter in quest of a big scoop, with a roving commission to follow a gang of killers, fugitives from justice. Gertrude Michael and George Murphy as an excite-ment-lover who never thinks of consequences, and a wise-cracking but earnest reporter, respectively, give convincing impersonations. Paramount's "Her Master's Voice," a sparkling new comedy, featuring Edward Everett Horton, Peggy Conklin, Laura Hope Crews, and Elizabeth Patterson, will be the second feature.

SHORTT'S THEATRE. Based -on C. M. Forester's novel, "Brown on Resolution," a picture made by Gaumont-British .is the main feature at Shortt's Theatre. It is a story of naval adventure on Resolution Island, one of the lonely Galapagos group in the Pacific. This is the first purely-dramatic film in which the full co-operation of the British Admiralty has been successfully sought. "Orchids To You," the Fox Film comedy-drama, has John Boles, Jean Muir, and Charles Butterworth in the three leading roles. Ruthelma Stevens, Harvey Stephens, and Arthur Lake are among the featured favourites in the cast.

STATE THEATRE, PETONE. "Foreign Affaires" and "R.A.F." will be screened finally tonight at the State Theatre, Petone. Commencing tomorrow at the State Theatre, Petone, with a matinee at 2 p.m., a double-feature programme will be screened —Hugh Herbert 111 "To Beat the Band," a blend of harmony, humour, and romance, and "The Daring Young Man," starring James Dunn and Mae Clark.

PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. ' "Modern Times" is screening finally tonight at the Palace Theatre, Petone. "So Red the Rose." Paramount's stirring adaptation of Stark Young's novel of the same name, opens tomorrow night at the Palace Theatre. Petone, for a three-night season. Margaret Sullavan is the star, and the su-juort-iiig cast includes such well-known names as Walter ConiVUv. Randolph Scott, Janet Beeclier, Elizabeth Patterson, Harry Ellerbe, and the child actor, Dickie Moore. So Red the Rose" is a romantic and poignant account of those turbulent days of the war between th.e North and South of United States.

GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. | "Whipsaw" and "Falling in Love" will be shown finally tonight at the Grand Theatre, Petone. "Millions in the Air," the farcical romance which Paramount has turned out as a gentle jibd at radio amateur programmes, will be the main feature at the Grand Theatre, Petone, tomorrow, and by virtue of its variety, has everything that is needed to make first-class entertainment. Wendy Barrie and John Howard have the romantic leads. Zane Grey's "Under the Tonto Rim" will also be shown, with Stuart Erwin. Fred Kohler, Raymond Hatton, and Verna Hillie in leading roles.

EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. Tonight at the Empire Theatre, "Here's to Romance," starring a new golden-voiced singer in Nino Martini, will be screened. Genevieve Tobin, Anita Louise, and Reginald Denny arc also in the cast. Good supports will , be shown.

TIVOIjI theatre. "In Persqji" and "The Casino Murder Case" will be screened finally tonight at the Tivoli Theatre. Few screen stars, even the muchpublicised Hollywood variety, have attained the great popularity that is attached to the name and the personality o£ Jail Kiepura. Today each film in which he appears is awaited with an eagerness and anticipation which proves that the picture-going public is very much at the feet of this handsome singer whose latest Gaumont-BritiSii picture "My Heart is Calling" com-J mences at the Tivoli Theatre tomorrow. Though, in all. he has appeared in but four films, "The City of Song, Tell Me Tonight," "My Song For You, . and "My Heart Is Calling,". Kiepura richly deserves the title which many have bestowed upon him of "the screens favourite singer." "My Heart Is Calling" provides an abundance of good entertainment. The cast includes Marta Eggerth, lovely singing star ant. talented dancer, and Sonme Hale. I Found Stella Parish," a Warner Bros picture based on the powerful and thrillingly. dramatic story by John Monk Saunders, will .be the associate feature. Kay Francis heads the talented cast, which includes lan Hunter, Paul Lukas, Sybil Jason, Jessie Ralph, and Barton Mac Lane.

RIVOLI THEATRE. The cast of the British and Dominions historical production, "Peg of Old Drury," starring the popular romantic team of Anna Neagle and Sir Cednc Hardwicke, at ' the Rivoh Theatre, reads something Jike a guide-book to the National Portrait Gallery. Di. Johnson and the inseparable Boswell, William Pitt the Elder, 'the P o6 ' Pope, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Oliver Goldsmith, and, of course, the famous stage figures, Peg Woffington and David Garrick—on whose celebrated love-affair the film is based are all there. The film, indeed, gives a generous slice of the stage and literary life of the mid-eighteenth century— that most glamorous period of Bntish social history, when Garnck and gay affable Peg were making the. Drury Lane stage the focus of fashionable atteThens'econd feature is the spectacular and romantic "20th Century, stalling John Barrymoi-e, Carole Lombard, and Walter Connolly,

PRINCESS THEATRE. "In Person," which heads the bill at the Princess Theatre, with Ginger Rogers in solo stardom, ushers her to her new position with a story that la highly entertaining throughimt. George Brent is the male lead. The British Dominions' release "Are You a Mason. ! £ the second feature. The scenes in which Sonnie Hale and Hare as fake Masons, make it their business to initiate Dayy Burnaby into the mysteries of Masonic rites of which, infirfpntallv. they have not the slightest knowledge, are amongstthe mos hilarious sequences.ever filmed, ine supports delude two techmcolour cartoons.

kilbirnie KINEMA. 'Slrpet Singer's Serenade" and "Bulldog Jack" will conclude at the Kilbirnie Kinema tonight. When the British Dominions re ease "Falling in Love comes to the Kiibir nie Kinema tomorrow, picturesocrs will see, in Charles Farrell and Mai y Lawson, as charming a pair of film in\rpr < s ever firaced the screen. Fall ing in Love" is a refreshing and ingenious comedy of JJie type rarely en countered in Britisn pictures. It is smoothly balanced by the rich humour of Gregory Ratoff who, with r ar ™llgives a brilliant performance. Warntr Oland makes his latest screen appearance as that genial and philosophical Chinese sleuth, Chailie Chan one of the most completely captivating detective heroes in the history ot book or screen, in ' Charlie Chan in Egypt," which will also be shown. In this picture, the eighth, of the famed Chan series, is an ingeniously thrillin„ and baffling mystery.

SEASIDE THEATRE, LYALL BAY. Owing to special bookings of "Barbary Coast," Seaside Theatre patrons will have the last opportunity tonight to seeing this famous story brought to the screen in, all its splendQur. l istory deals with-the hectic days of the old gold rush .period, _when gold -was more than plentiful and every man and woman carried their lives in then hands. The cast includes Miriam Hopkins Edward G. Robmson, and Joel McCrea. On Wednesday and Thursday the picture, aptly as th"Happiness Picture of 1936, Street Singer's Serenade," will be screened.

regal theatre, karori. Tonight at the Regal Theatre the golden voice of the world-famous soprano Lily Pons will be heard in I Dream Too Much." .Henry Fonda is featured in this glorious rausicjil romance. Special supports will also be shown.

CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. "Escape Me Never," featuring that brilliant actress Elisabeth Bergnei, and "Lilies of the Field, a feast ot gaiety, wit, and adventure set among England's beauty spots, and starring Winifred Shotter, comprise the .programme at the Capitol Theatre tonight.

"LABURNUM GROVE." • Not the least of the Thespians' reputation for excellent productions in Wellington is due to their excellent scenery, made entirely by the members themselves, and m this respect their latest oroduction, "Laburnum Grove, by J. B. Priestley, which opens in the Town Hall Concert Chamber on Thursday night, is no exception. This delightful comedy has had a most unusual setting designed for it—the. scene is the living-room of a house in a London suburb—and it should be one of the most effective scenes ever seen on the stage in Wellington. For this, their second production of the litdb season, the Thespians have selected an outstandingly strong cast, and no elfort has been spared to make it one of the best, if not the best, shows in the history of the society. One of the strongest casts ever seen on the stage in Wellington has been assembled, and has been rehearsing for a considerable time under the direction of Victor S. Lloyd, assisted by Winnie Cooley. Those taking part include O. N. Oiilespie. Vera Horton, Dorothy Tansley, A. D. Priestley. Betty Wilson, Max Willis, Evan Harrowel], Ri J. Larkin, and L. M. Schneideman. The stage manager is H. A. Painter, and the property mistresses Isabel Burton and Peggy Lucas. Box plans for the season 'are now open to the public at Begg's.

CHARITY BALL. j The final meeting of the Charity Ball Committee will take placc at the St. Vincent de Paul rooms. 74 Manners Street, on Thursday evening next, to finalise the arrangements for the Charity Ball, which is to take place at the Town Hall on Wednesday, June "24. The box plan for the gallery will open tat the D.I.C. booking office tomorrow morning. The number of debutantes has now reached 61, and this large number will make a brilliant showing at the presentation ceremony.