CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 29, 4 February 1937, Page 10

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

MAJESTIC THEATRE. -i-ne Great Ziegfeld," the romantic, amusing, spectacular story of the . career of Florenz Ziegfeld, is still proving a popular attraction at the Majestic Theatre. William Powell, Lvis c Rainer, and Myrna Loy make an ssctjptionally fine set of top names ts a great cast, and in their portrayal .«5 Scgfeld, Anna Held and Billie • jsarke, they are convincing and have . weil-written parts. Fannie Brice, • with that facility of emotion, that magnificent voice and strange vibrant personality which have made her famous, appears as herself, and so does "" Ray Bolger, surely the most eccentric " as well as the most brilliant of tap ■ dancers ever to be seen. Harriet Hoc- -" tor, a leading Ziegfeld dancer, is also there, and so are the spectacles which Ziegfeld enjoyed, the dressing up of .. girls in magnificent creations, and the surrounding of them with magnificent settings. KING'S THEATRE. There will be shown finally at the 1 King's Theatre tonight "Lady Be Care- ■ ful" and "Wild Brian Kent." Hopalong Cassidy returns to a life ... of adventure as a two-gun peacemaker - • —forced to match wits with a woman ... —in the Paramount film, "Hopalong .. Cassidy Returns," which will be shown at the King's Theatre tomorrow. Cassidy is the marshal of a lawless West- , em town in the picture, and he finds that most of the community's crime "' stems from one source—Evelyn Brent, ■- proprietress of the Crystal Slipper Bar. William Boyd, as "Hoppy," has a new ' side-kick in the latest Hopalong film. ■ His saddlemate is William Janney, jun., ■ who appears as Cassidy's younger . brother, fresh from an Eastern school, ". yet havipg the real stuff of the Old . West in his make-up. 'In the course , of the story, he meets and falls in love . with Gail Sheridan, daughter of the town's newspaper publisher. Another ' big attraction will be "Rhythm on the • Range," starring Bing Crosby and Bob "-'■ Burns. Bing Crosby and Bob Burns " are cowboy participants in a Madison ■■■ Square Garden rodeo as the picture ~-. opens. With his winnings in the rodeo events, Crosby buys a prize bull. He .. starts for Arizona with the bull, in a ~. box car. Miss Farmer, wealthy society girl, flees from a prospective marriage 1 and stows away in the box car, hoping • to get to the ranch operated by her aunt, Crosby's employer. Bull, Crosby, and Miss Farmer begin a transcontin- -■■■ ental trip by box car, on foot, and by -, auto and trailer. " NEW OPERA HOUSE. For gripping drama, wild adventure, -■■■■ and unique romance, set in si weirdly- ,, glamorous background, it is said that few pictures can compete with the War- ,' ncr Bros.' production, "Isle of Fury," which will be shown at the New Opera House tomorrow. The picture, based ■" on the Somerset Maugham novel, ■ "Three in Eden," shows ' the .. rescue of men washed into the sea from a ship smashed on a jagged coral ~ reef in a terrific storm—battles with knife and gun between outlawed white men, half-castes, and natives; and, " greatest of all, a titantic struggle to ■ the death of two men caught in the .■ snakelike tentacles of an octopus at the ■•- bottom of the ocean. The cast is , headed by Humphrey Bogart, Mtirgaret , Lindsay, and Donald Woods, three who '. are ensnared by a triangular romance. ' Paramount's "Straight From the Shoulder," which will be the second feature, should provide enough real, solid en- • tertainment to satisfy even the most - enthusiastic movie fan. SHORTT'S THEATRE. "Escape from Devil's Island" and ■ • "Dangerous Intrigue" will conclude . their season at Shortt's Theatre tonight. The attraction tomorrow will be "Atlantic Adventure." starring ' Nancy Carroll and Lloyd Nolan. Dan : Miller, ex-newspaperman, stows away aboard the "Gigantic,"- ocean liner, on a tip that Mits Coster, murderer, is i making an escape. Through Helen, his , ex-fiancee, who is also an unintentional stowaway, Dan discovers there are jewel thieves aboard. Frank Julian, , another thief, hijacks the jewel thieves and hides the gems in Helen's room, thinking her his accomplice. When ' the jewels mysteriously disappear, Julian joins forces with the jewel thieves. Snapper, a photographer friend of Dan's, attempts to rescue • Helen when she is imprisoned by the . thieves, and is, in turn, captured. Dan turns in a false fire alarm, and in the confusion manages to free Helen and Snapper, and round up the thieves. Helen and Dan are reconciled and married at sea. The other picture will be "Fighting Code," starring Buck Jones. ROXY THEATRE. The spectacular picture "Suzy" will be shown at the Roxy Theatre tomorrow, with Jean Harlow in the title role. Franchot Tone and Cary Grant appear in support. The. picture was directed by. George Fitzmaurice. It has been acclaimed as the most remarkable triumph iii Miss Harlow's colourful career as a star. The story places her in London just before the war as a stranded American show girl who marries a young aviator, only to lose him through the intrigue of spies. Their love is restored, after a tremendous adventure that presents the Europe of the World War period as a background. Helen Hayes, Robert : Montgomery, and Otto Kruger are the principals in the supporting attraction, "Vanessa: Her Love Story," from the widely-read novel by Hugh Walpole. It deals with the spectacular Herries family. ■ -;- OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. What happens when a timid clerk is mistaken for a desperate criminal is depicted in "Passport to Fame," the fast-moving Columbia comedy-drama, which heads the double-feature, programme now showing at Our Theatre. Edward G. Robinson is in the starring role of a harassed bookkeeper, whose life is transformed by his close resemblance to another person. Jean Arthur supplies the romantic interest Jack Haley and Ann Sothern are costarred in the second attraction, "The " Girl Friend," a satire on the adven- ; tures of Napoleon. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. There is a two-feature programme at the Kilbirnie Kinema. It is headed by • "Robin Hood ,of El Dorado." This marks a return to the era of spectacular outdoor films. Warner Baxter, as the dashing Joaquin Murrieta, gives one of the finest characterisations of his career on the screen. The second big attraction is "The Air Adventures of Jimmie • Allen," which tells an inspiring story of a man's true conquest of the air. SEASIDE THEATRE, LYAJLL SAY. Bright songs and dances are.featured in "Song and Dance Man," the musical drama featuring Claire Trevor, Michael Whalen, and Paul Kelly, to be shown at the Seaside Theatre, Lyall Bay. The supporting feature offers -a thrilling entertainment. The story tells . -"* ih* -vdviwJ.'ires of .two dare-devil 'trouble-shooters," for .an under-sea ■ cable company. CAPITOL THEATRE, MJRAMAR. "The Perfect Gentleman" and "The Garden Murder Case" will be screened •. at the Capitol Theatre, Miramar, to- ' night and tomorrow night. Frank " Morgan and Cicely Courtneidge are costarred in "The Perfect Gentleman." The associate feature, "The Garden '■ Murder Case," is another of the popu- : lar S. S. Van Dine-Philo Vance series. • Edmund Lowe, Virginia Bruce, Nat Pendieton, and H. B. Warner have the leading roles. GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. The programme at the • Grand Theatre, Petone, is headed by "Sing, Baby, Sing," which abounds with laughs and bright music. "Late Extra," an exciting newspaper story, starring Vjrginia Cherrill and James Mason, is the second feature. PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. "The Mystery of the Mary Celeste" is being shown at the Palace Theatre, Petone. Bela Lugosi is in the leading part. The supporting feature is "M'liss," with Anne Shirley, John Beal, and Guy Kibbec.

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

TIVOLI THEATRE. "The Case Against Mrs. Ames" and 1 "The Bohemian Girl" will receive their ■ final screenings at the Tivoli Theatre : tonight. "China Clipper," the new First National production which will be the feature attraction at the Tivoli Theatre tomorrow, is a glamorous romance of the air, marking a milestone in the pictorial history of daring aviation. There is an exceptinally talented cast which includes Pat O'Brien, Beverly Roberts, Ross Alexander, Humphrey B. Walthall in the principal roles. While the story itself is fictitious, it is based, to a large extent, on the hazardous flights of the famous China Clipper of the Pan-American Airways which not so long ago established an air service between Alameda, on the Pacific Coast near San Francisco, and the Philippine Islands. One of the most popular and successful of recent stage comedies, J. B. Priestley's "Laburnum Grove," will be the second attraction. Edmund Gwenn is in his original stage role of George Radfern, and Sir Cednc Hardwicke appears as Bernard Baxley, his sponging brother-in-law. DE LUXE THEATRE. The spirit of one of the most gallant charges in history is caught in The Charge of the Light Brigade," now playing to huge audiences at the De Luxe Theatre. Though the picture reaches its climax in the charge, there are many other scenes and episodes which commend it. It begins in an expedition to the stronghold of the powerful Surat Khan on the NorthWest Frontier of India. Then follows the increasing threat of Russia, hanging over both the Far and the Near East. The film shows the besieging and betrayal of a frontier fort, and the swearing of a blood feud with the Khan by members of the Light Brigade. Errol Flynn is convincing throughout as the man who, knowing of the presence of the Khan on the Balaclava Heights, changed retreat into an advance for the purpose avenging the feud. Through the film is woven the story of a romance which ends when the Major's youngest brother, Perry Vickers (Patric Knowles) wins the affections of his fiancee (Elsa Campbell). Others in the cast are Henry StephejiJon, Nigel Bruce, Donald Crisp, David Niven, and C. Henry Gordon. The supports, which include a newsreel and a cartoon, are excellent. RIVOLI THEATRE. The final screening will take place at the Rivoli Theatre tonight of "Devil's Squadron" and "Under Two Flags." The main attraction tomorrow will be "Meet Nero Wolfe." Under the frank and informal title, "Meet Nero Wolfe," Columbia Pictures introduces Rex Stout's famous fat detective in the first screen adaptation of his widelyread fictional adventure. Those who have read "Fer de Lance," the Rex Stout story on which "Meet Nero Wolfe" is based, will recognise the lazy, beer-imbibing amateur Hawkshaw in the corpulent person of Edward Arnold. As Archie, Nero Wolfe's assistant, Lionel Stander acts as his master's eyes, ears, arms, and legs—but never. his brains. Stander gathers the facts and suspects, and between rounds of beer, Wolfe assembles the crime puzzle and isolates the guilty person. So effective is this method of crime deduction that Wolfe has found it unnecessary to leave his house in seven years. Supporting the two male leads is a large cast including Victor Jory, John Qualen, Joan Perry, Dennie Moore, Nana Bryant, and Russell Hardie. The second big attraction will be "The Final Hour," with Ralph Bellamy and Marguerite Churchill in the main parts. , The story tells of a brilliant attorney driven to a downfall by events outside his control. There will be the usual entertaining supports. PRINCESS THEATRE. "Manhattan Melodrama" and "Gentlemen of the Navy" will be shown at the Princess Theatre this evening for the last time. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's cinema version of "When Ladies Meet," one of stageland's biggest hits, is the main picture of the entertaining double-fea-ture programme commencing tomorrow. Ann Harding and Robert Montgomery have the co-starring roles and the other principals are Myrna Loy, Alice Brady, and Frank Morgan. The thesis of "When Ladies Meet is -.based on the conclusions of what would happen when the wife of a philandering husband meets the woman on whom this husband is now lavishing his attentions. The plot achieves its originality on the fact that its situations are so ingeniously arranged that neither of the rival women is aware of the other's identity. They are unexpectedly brought together at the home of a friend and before long take each other into mutual confidence. The supporting feature, "Living Dangerously," starring Otto Kruger and Leonora Corbett, is one of the most powerful romantic dramas ever presented on the screen and the entertainment value is even further enhanced by a most stirring and gripping climax. EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. Another big double-feature programme is being shown at the Empire Theatre, Island Bay. The main attraction is "36 Hours to Kill," featuring Brian Donlevy and Gloria Stuart. It is an exciting mystery story. The second picture is "The First Baby," starring Johnny Downs, Shirley Deane, and Dixie Dunbar. REGAL THEATRE, KARORI. "Counterfeit," a powerful dramatisation of the activities of the Federal T.men, guardians of the U.S. Treasury, beads the current programme at the Regal Theatre, Karori. Another big attraction is "Atlantic Adventure." in which Nancy Carroll and Lloyd Nolan are the featured artists. STATE THEATRE, PETONE. "Girls' Dormitory" will be shown finally at the State Theatre, Petone, tonight. The attraction tomorrow will be "Swing Time," in which the popular pair, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, have the main roles. The story deals with Astaire's arrival in New York as an impecunious free-lance sport, bent upon making enough money to return to his home town and. marry his fiancee. "LILAC TIME." Each moment of "Lilac Time," that evergreen musical play that has been so successfully revived by the J. C. Williamson Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, was again thoroughly appreciated by a large audience at the New Opera House last evening. The depth and sympathy of Schubert's melodies as a background to an incident in the life of the composer show Uie real soul of the great musician—retiring, gentle, generous, Some of the most beautiful, of Schubert's lyrical compositions have been included in "Lilac Time." and this talented opera company bring out the full fragrance. Mr. Ivan Menzies capably handles the title role, and Miss Helen Langton as Lilli Vect gave a stimulating performance, being convincing both in her singing and acting. Misses Margaret Kelly and Nina Robinson ably play the parts of her two sisters, and Mr, Gregory Stroud is a dashing Baron Franz yon Schubert. There was fine blending in the ensembles. Mr. Bernard Manning (Christian Veidt) and Miss Eileen Kelly (Marini) were excellent in their roles. SUNDAY PICTURES. On Sunday night at the De Luxe Theatre the Port Nicholson Band will screen the comedy of the Gay Nineties, "Those Were the Days." Will Hay, the famous comedian of the English stage, takes the leading role and is supported by a strong cast" which includes Marguerite Allan, Jimmy Godden. Lily Morris, Claud Allistcr, and Harry Bedford.

REX THEATRE. Baffling mystery spiced with hilarious comedy is presented in RKORadio's "Murder on a Honeymoon," now showing at the Rex Theatre. Edna May Oliver, character comedienne par excellence, and James Gleason, famous for his wise-cracking roles, are seen again as the school-teacher-sleuth and the police inspector, respectively. The associate feature is "Old Man Rhythm," by the producers of "Roberta," featuring "Buddy" Rogers, Eric Blore, and Erik Rhodes. •/'•