CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Issue 12, 14 July 1936, Page 5

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

, AfcGENT THEATRE. . , A gay and debonair comedy which moves with a swing from start to: finish, "One Rainy Afternoon," now showing at the Regent Theatre, is a musical picture ofir refreshingly new type, the music being.integral with the plot and not, as is so often the case, apparently thrown in as a sort of additional ornament. The. cast is headed by Francis Lederer and Ida Lupino. Ihere is an excellent supporting programme, including newsreels a travelogue, a musical comedy, and a fine Silly Symphony. "Show Boat." : It is interesting'.vto-' read the com- ■ ment of one 01 Australia's most inoePendent_ critics, X X baume, eaitor ■ of the Sydney "Sunday' bun," on the latest version of "Snow Boat" which' will start at the Regent on Friday Universal's direction of this picture aas produced, along clear-cut and even cnauenging lines, the greatest I musical comedy the screen has yet produced. It is superb in conception, and utterly enthralling in presenta- i • "on; restrained, even dignified, if the ' word may be used in tne song and I dance world. What joy it is to be able to talk of a film in such vein! It is such a friendly, film, rich in emotion which is not sloppy make-believe. It offers no pretences. It has a happy ending. It has a love story. It has melodrama. It has colour. It has music. It has comedy. It has no vulgarity, and is the better for that. Paul Robeson sings 'Ol' Man River' like a man enraptured. He and the black mammy and the negro choristers are a tonic for traffic-shattered ears. Andy Hawks and Parthy come to life, and one thinks of relations. There is not a weak moment in the show, but many delicious ones; there is not a bad actor in the cast, but several great ones." ■ ._- The cast is. headed by Irene Dunne, Paul Robeson, Allan Jones Charles Winninger, and Helen Westley. All of the original Kern-Ham-merstein music is' retained in the motion picture version, with three new numbers in addition—"Gallivantin' Around," "I Have the Room Above Her," and "Ah Still Suits Me," the last-named introduced by Paul Robeson, who also sings his famous "Ol' Man River." ■ ■ . MAJESTIC THEATRE. In "Trail of the Lonesome Pine," the natural colour picture now in its second week at the Majestic Theatre, Sylvia Sydney enacts the role of June Tolkver, daughter of a family who nave ,-^been ; engaged in mountain warfare for years with the Falin family, while Henry Fonda plays tne^ part of . Dave Tolliver, June's cousin. Into these backblocks comes a railway construction gang headed by .Fred Mac Murray, endeavouring to push a railroad through the mountains. A good supporting programme is also screened. -Gary Cooper, as Mr. Deeds on a £4,000,000 spending spree, and Jean Arthur, as Babe Bennett the girl reporter who is ready to help him, are featured in Columbia's "Mr. Deeds Goes to .Town," Frank Capra's latest, which is coming on Friday next to the Majestic Theatre. It has been heralded as Capra's first romantic comedy to top hi s own .. It Happened One .Night. Appearing in important supporting roles are George Bancroft, Lionel Stander, Douglass Dumbrille, H./B. Warner, ■ and Mme. Matzenauer. ST. JAMES THEATRE. A light-hearted comedy-drama ' th it provides plenty of laughter, thrills, and romance is "Thirteen Hours by Air. which is now screening at the St.. James Theatre. As is suggested by the title, the action takes place aboard a trans-continental Dassenger airliner travelling between New York and San Francisco. Fred MacMurray has the role-of the pilot who as attracted by a lonely young 'passen-' Rer (Joan Bennett), who he considers Jf.in danger and is anxious to m-otect When the machine takes oft from New York there is > a very motley collection of passengers aboard, including a _ desperate murderer, and a doctor ■^m a^ a w lons ?- re ve,ry suspicious. Remarkable action takes place when. a -storm forces the great machine rin^J ? ? Orm lorces the great machine flown mto a snow-covered fiield among the mountains. ;, The supporting su£ Bsfv tP mterf stln* and include a musfca? On O5m Cbe rr^_ neWSrecls: and * , NEW OPERA HOUSE. A merry musical show is vcheer Up " fcwhich Stanley Lupino has the leading role. It heads a generous programme^of entertainment at the New Opera. House, and deals with the adventures of a young man who has many ambitions -one of them being to produce a play. The opportunities for Stanley are limitless, and he ch p ™,h- e fu"?st possible use of them, with the result that there i s an abun- «^ Cc +o£ <iom(2dy-. Interspersed are come tuneful musical numbers and spectacular dancing, which round off the picture and make it thoroughly enjoyable. . A Zane Grey Western, "Drift jrence, is the second attraction. In +hrm?«? a? e plent7 •ol action and thrills, the story centring around tlie conflict between big and small ranch owners, when all land was considered common property for grazing purposes £V-W £ory ,~of the Sreat outdoors of Which Zane Grey has made a specialty Another of the popular and exceedingly interesting "March of Time" films is the third unit on the programme. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. - sj* accomplished artists collaborate hi Design, for Living," the comedydrama at the Paramount Theatre. They are.Frederic March, Gary Cooped Miriam Hopkins, Edward Everett Horton, Ernst Lubitsch, and Noel Coward the playwright. On a Paris-bound train, Miriam Hopkins, a vivacious young artist, meets George Curtis, also an artist, and Tom Chambers, playwright, played by Cooper and March respectively. Tom and George fall madly in love with her. To complicate matters further, Miss Hopkins, falls in love, too; only she is too fond of Tom to tell him she loves George, and' she loves George too much to tell him about Tom. The subsequent developments are most amusing. The supporting programme is particularly interesting. • . . KING'S THEATRE. Having the distinction of .being the nrst film in screen history to feature a dog and a horse, "Two in Revolt" is the maul feature at the King's Theatre. The unique team is composed of Lightning, a descendant of the silent screen canine favourite btrongheart, and Warrior, a pedigreed stallion. The adventures of the two animals, who grow up together on a Montana ranch, furnish what are said to be some of the most amazing scenes ever filmed, a battle with a wolf pack £vh¥E on/ & f the many dramatic highlights of the film. Swift action, in. a splendid story, enacted by experienced and talented performers, make Super-speed." the second feature on the programme, thoroughly entertaining film fare. Norman Foster. Florence Rice, and Mary Carlisle head the nne cast. CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. "Cautebi January," screening at the Capitol Theatre tonight, stars Shirlev Temple with Guy Kibbee, Slim Sumjnerville, and Budy Ebsen. In a de--Shtful mixture of song, dp.nee, and comedy the picture follows the adventures of Shirley and Guy Kibbee, the grizzled old lighthouse keeper who had rescued her from the sea. The associate feature, "Falling in Love," is a pleasing comedy-romance with a fine star cast. , EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. "Look Up and Laugh," Grade Field's latest production, heads the programme at the Empire Theatre this evening. Harry Tate, Billy Nelson, and Douglas Wakefleld head a large cast. An excellent supporting programme has been arranged.

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

I '.;•■' PLAZA THEATRE. 1 .'^ £ em °f mitth-provoking satire is > Professional Soldier" at the Plaza ' Theatre. Victor McLaglen. that old i film favourite,. returns to the screen 'as Colonel Michael Donovon. whose •■ own - accounts of his youthful ex- , ploits urow more haroi^ aj ins re- • tirement from active sarvice grows I longer. \ At last he finds a listener and . j a believer in the boy king Peter CiTred- :, die Bartholomew), whom the colonel ijis. bribed-to kidnap in order to aid II political moves within the kingdom. There', is ah exciting clash between revolutionists and royalists and the colonel is obliged to prove the truth •of his own tales, which he does by ■ j holding up the enemy at the point of ■ j,a, ma"nine-guh, thus saying tne ri'igi :'arid becoming ■ a hero in reality. . Michael Whalen and Gloria Stuart are | featured players. There, is an enter- !; taining supporting programme, mll eluding pastoral scenes in tncnp^olour t William Powell, co-starred with Jean ; Arthur, has to make meagre evidence , mean something to stop a series of . j strange slayings in his new R.K.O. ! Radio mystery, "The Ex-Mrs. Brad- [ ford." which commences at the Plaza ! Theatre on Friday. When he does, he ; reveals as strange a murder method . as has ever been used oa the screen. i DE LUXE THEATRE. Karloff, famous for his portrayals of weird and uncanny characters, has never given a more splendid perform- ■ ance than in "The Walking Dead," the Warner Bros.' picture now showing at the De Luxe Theatre. The story centres about the reanimation of a man who has been electrocuted for murder, but who is proved to be innocent oil the crime almost immediately after his execution. In the screen play the end for which scientists have .been striving, that of bringing the dead back to life, proves successful, and the victim of a frame-up by racketeers again lives and instinctively seeks out his persecutors. The cast includes Ricardo Cortez, Edmund Gwenn, Miss Churchill, Warren - Hull, Barton MacLane, and Henry O'Neill. George Brent, Genevievo Tobin, Glenda Farrell, and Patricia Ellis.are featured in the Warner Bros, picture, "Snowed Under," which will commence next Friday at the De Luxe Theatre. It is a rollicking comedy, romance in which a playwright is snowbound in a Connecticut farmhouse with two ex-wives and a sweetheart. . The furis fast and the girls are furious! STATE THEATRE. The true story of one of the most tragic figures in American history is told with dramatic power and intensity in "The Prisoner of Shark Island," which is showing for a second week at the State Theatre. Amid the rejoicing at the close of. the Civil War, the great President Lincoln is assassinated by the actor John Wilkes Booth. The assassin flees to Maryland, and without knowing his identity, a country physician, Dr. Mudd (Warner Baxter) set his broken leg. Mudd then becomes one of the innocent victims of the hysteria of a nation mourning its leader, and is condemned by court-martial-to imprisonment for life on America's "Devil Island." Mudd fights against the degradation of his position, attempts to escape, is brought back, and finally wins a pardon for his heroic work in assisting to quell an epidemic of yellow fever on the island.. Gloria Stuart has the leading feminine role. There is an excellent supporting programme. REX THEATRE. ' Edmund Lowe and. Wynne Gibson play the leading roles in "Her Bodyguard," the romantic comedy now showing at the Rex Theatre. 'Edward Arnold, Johnny Hines, Marjorie White. Alan Dinehart, and Fuzzy Knight, head the supporting cast. "Her Bodyguard" is- the amusing rstory of the love -affair between a-beautiful stage star-and the private detective assigned by a jealous "sugar-daddy" to guard her from rivals. Also screening is "The Eagle and,the Hawk," a thrilling story of the air starring Cary. Grant. , ROXY THEATRE. ■**$. nS", romantic team appears in Metro-Gold wyn-May er's "Exclusive Story," with Franchot Tone and Madge Evans heading the cast, now screening at the Roxy Theatre. The story itself is a dramatisation of the reallife activities of a New York newspaperman. With the shrill scream of zooming aeroplanes as a blood-stir-ring background, Wallace Beery is featured in the startling aviation spectacle,: "West Point of the Air," the s4PP°r tlng .feature. Beery' in his role of,. Big. Mike" gives a dramatic portrayal. SHORTT'S THEATRE. Paramount's "Wings in the Dark," starring Cary Grant . with Myrna Loy,; is now screening at Shortt's Theatre. ■ Although "The Eagle and the Hawk was a picture of war aviation, "Wings in the Dark" is devoted to depicting the thrills and romance in the development of peace-time aviation. An engrossing murder mystery which takes place at fictitious'Rudyard College, provides the theme for Paramount's "The Clock Strikes 8," which is also on the programme. Kent Taylor, Arline Judge, Eddie Nugent, and Wendy'Barrie play the principal roles in the picture. STATE THEATRE, PETONE. "The Tunnel" and "His Night Out, 11 starring Edward Everett Horton, will conclude at the State Theatre, Petone. tonight. Commencing tomorrow with a matinee.at 2 p.m., Claire Trevor and Ralph Bellamy will be seen in "Navy Wife," a story of a strange marriage bargain. The supporting feature, starring Preston Foster and May Robson, is entitled "Strangers All," a comedydrama of family life. Specially selected supporting short subjects will be screened from 7.30 p.m. PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. Now showing nightly, with a matinee tomorrow, at 2 p.m., at the Palace Theatre, Petone,. is the greatest of all sea dramas, "Mutiny on the Bounty." It tells of the tyranny of a brutal captain who drove his crew to mutiny, of the life and lives of the sailors in a tropical paradise, and the dogged pursuit by Captain Bligh for the men who had fed him to the wrath of the sea by casting him adrift in an open boat. The cast is headed by Charles Laughton, Clark Gable, and Franchot Tone. GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. "Give Us This Uight" and "One-way Ticket" will be shown finally tonight at the Grand Theatre, Petone. A human, down-to-earth, and robustly humorous story of a self-made Irishman and a Scotsman who were the best of enemies, Paramount's "McFadden's Flats" comes tomorrow to the Grand Theatre, Petone, with Walter C. Kelly. "The Virginia Judge" of American vaudeville and radio fame-, in the leading role, and Andy Clyde, popular screen comedian, as the Scotsman. Sylvia Sidney and George Raft appear together for the first time on the screen in Paramount's "Pick Up," which will be the other attraction. OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. Tonight concludes the present fine programme at Our Theatre —"The Arizonian," with Richard Dix and MarRot Graham, and "McFaddsn's Flats," with Walter Kelly and Andy Clyde as the two fighting but staunch pals. On Wednesday and Thursday another reduced-prices" programme will be presented, comprising "Fog" and a Buck Jones Western drama, "McKenna of the Mounted," two absorbing pictures of different calibre. SEASIDE THEATRE, LYALL BAY. The two first-class productions to be screened at the Seaside Theatre tonight and Wednesday are "The Gay Deception," starring Francis Lederer and Frances Dee, an amusing comedy romance, and George O'Brien in "Hardrack Harrigan," a "thrill-a-minutc" proriuntion.

TIVOLI THEATRE. "First a Girl," the main attraction at the Tivoli Theatre, is musical comedy at its best and brightest. It is a sprightly story of a girl's masquerade as a female impersonator, and the subsequent complications. A scintillating performance by Jessie Matthews embraces piquant romance, saucy innuendo, and' merry masquerade, in addition to a rich feast of song, dance, and spectacle, in which she, the central figure, is finely supported by 3 j Sonnie Hale in light-hearted quip and i zest ending in riotous impersonation lof impersonator. Each incident is dei lightful entertainment, the finished 1, whole a film that "goes over^.' with a ■ slick story, merry comedy, .extrava- ■ gant spectacle, and lilting tunes. "The j Great Impersonation," the greatest of 1 all the romantic mysteries ever writ- : ten by E. Phillips Oppenheim, is the other feature film. Edmund Lowe, the 1 star, plays a dual role in this excit.ng • I story of international intrigue and ;: love, and opposite him are beautiful ' I Valeric Hobson and seductive Wera ; i Engels, the lovely women in his life .[who finally pierce through the secret ;I of "The Great Impersonation" 'and • I bring it to a grand conclusion. ; RIVOLI THEATRE. . Joan Crawford and Gary Cooper are , co-starred in "Today We Live," now , showing at the Rivoli Theatre. The ; picture is said to give Miss Crawford brilliant opportunities as the young English girl who struggles desperately to win a chance for love amid the ' turmoil of the World War. The three ; men with whom her life is entangled 1 are Cooper as the American aviator, ■ Robert Young as the childhood sweetheart who wins her for a few brief days during the hysteria of life in a billet town, and Franchot Tone, the ; New York stage star, who makes his ; first film appearance in "Today We . Live" as Miss Crawford's brother. The . cast also includes Roseoe :Karns, Louise : Closser Hale, Rollo Lloyd, and Hilda . vaughan under the direction of Howard [ Hawks, who produced "Scarface." . What happens when a spirited South- : I crn beauty marries into one of New' • j York's "first families" and is ruthlessly : | sacrificed in the battle to preserve their crumbling grandeur is depicted in dramatic fashion in the associate feature, "Splendour," which has Miriam Hopkins and Joel McCrea heading the cast. . ".: ;.'■,'_ PRINCESS THEATRE. "Colleen," Warner Bros." latest musi-; cal film, is the leading attraction' at---, the Princess Theatre; with an all-star cast, including Dick' Powell, Ruby Keeler, Jack Oakie, Joan Blondsll, Hugh Herbert, Louise Fazenda, and a score of other principals as well as a couple of hundred chorus beauties and dancing youths. Universal's thrilling South American war and aviation drama, "Storm Over the- Andes," is: offered as the additional teature, with Jack Holt, Antonio Moreno, Gene Lockhart, Mona Barrie and Grant Withers heading the cast. Among the short subjects is an amusing coloured cartoon entitled "Flowers for Madame." ■ KILBIRNIE KINEMA. "When Knights Were Bold" and The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo" concludes tonight at the Kilbirnie Kinema. In his latest Gaumont-British production, "The Guvnor," coming tomorrow to the Kilbirnie Kinema, a new George Arliss appears. Triumphantly, with sure touch and cunning application of minute detail, Mr. Arliss brings to the screen a tramp—a living breathing "character," compelling such interest as to leave the senses satisfied at £ c, re 1S the act«al man himself. The balance of the cast is amply sustained throughout and the blend of humour and powerful drama goes to the making. of a memorable film Uirls, melody, and laughs play an equal part in Paramount^ campus comedy College Rhythm," the associate feawh?Aw ! 2 G P? nncr heading a cast which includes Lanny Ross, Jack Oakie HeleiT Mack, Lyda Robcrti, and ivicUry xsrian. REGAL THEATRE, KARORI. "Shl r' Hi' der laggard's amazing story w»« i the Pwnc'Pal.-attraction at the ne§ al Th£atre this evening. Helen Gahagan, Randolph' Scott, Helen Mack, and Nigel Bruce-head the cast in this gripping tale of a search for a flame of eternal youth. A splendid supportins programme has been arranged. LA MERI. ..Although at each concert La Meri the famous international dancer, whose Wellington-season opens-at the New Opera House on July 23, performs fifteen or sixteen dances, changing her costume completely for each dance, no change takes more than three minutes Her wardrobe contains over one hundred -magnificent costumes. All the costumes for the Spanish, Eastern, and* American dances are authentic and correct down:to the smallest detail, while the beautiful costumes' worn r,m r,- the lnterpretative dances, such as The White Peacock," "The Preludes" or The Marseillaise," have been designed by Mme. .La Meri herself, and executed in Paris, Berlin, Milan, and Vienna. The accompaniments to the Spanish and the interpretative dances will be played by Mario Salerno and his Instrumental Trio, while the music for the dances from the East and from South America will be repro-. duced on a special reproducing apparatus from ' a magnificent collection of authentic records, 'many of which have been made especially, for Mme. La Meri. By this means these rare and exotic dances are accompanied by the correct music. THE MOST MUSICAL LANGUAGE: When Mr: Bernard Shaw was in the Dominion, he heard the Maoris singing at Rotorua. That singing, he said, convinced him that next fo~ the Gaelic the Maori language was the most musical language in the world. The wonderful Gaelic will be heard in several of the Hebridean .songs to the Celtic harp by Miss Russell Fergusson in the Concert Chamber tomorrow evening. The "Morning Post," in a review, states: "The rise of this young artist to the front ranks of the folk song singers of Europe has been phenomenal and the irresistible appeal of the beauty of the Hebridean music and the songs as sung by her is conquering many foreign lands." ■ The recital in the Concert Chamber on Wednesday evening is the only one to be given in this city. The booking office is at Chas. Begg and Co., Manners Street. ST. ANDREWS BURNS CLUB. The attention of-members is called to the recital by Miss Russell Fergusson tomorrow evening in the Town Hall Concert Chamber. This artist in her world tour has done much to make known the wonderful folk songs of the Islands of the West, that little-known part of Scotland, and a treat is in store for all lovers of what is best in music and song. It is the first occasion that the clarash or Celtic harp will have been heard; in this city at a popular concert. COMMUNITY SING. Tomorrow at 12.30 p.m. this week's community sing will take place at the Town Hall the song leaders being Messrs. Will Mason and Charles Proctor, with Mr. Frank Crowther at the piano and Mr. Chas. Collins at the oi-gan. The usual sale of goods will take place during the sing and in addition the raffle for the model yacht will be drawn. . The proceeds will again be in aid of the Mayor's Fund. ■ FOLK SONG AND STORY. The recitals of Miss Russell FerHusson, featuring the wonderful folk ' songs as sung in the every-day life of I the people in the Western Islands of I Scotland, have brought this artist into the front rank, of folk-song singers in Europe. The music and songs to the;! Celtic harp have also conquered many foreign lands.. The Association of Scots Societies invites all lovers of this ! Wonderful music to the recital in the' Concert Chambers of the Town Hall tomorrow evening. This will be the only opportunity to hear this artist in Wellington. ' •" I