CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 59, 7 September 1937, Page 6

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

; REGENT THEATRE. "Storm in a "Teacup," a famous stage play that has been enormously popular lor several years throughout Europe and Great Britain, was originally written by Bruno Frank, an animal-lover, in German. The author intended the play" to be an exposure of the fact xhat'the excessive dog tax in his country compelled many poor people to send- their pets to the lethal chamber. It is also incidentally a humorous exposure of civic pomposity and politi-cal-humbug. The Anglo-Scottish version of the play, written by James Bridie has now been iilmed by Alex ander Korda, and it is showing at the Regent Theatre. Bridie has drawn a ricn; range of types and a vivid picture -of life in a small Scottish community.. Many Of the scenes are filled with riotous comedy. One shows the provost,' or Mayor, a Parliamentary candidate; shouted down, or rather barJcedidowri, at a political meeting at Which hostile animal-lovers are present in great force. Another shows him.still more seriously disconcerted >< by. an invasion of hundreds of dogs 'during-a dinner at which he is enter- > tabling: the party leader. All through, the picture is rich in humorous character and episode. The stars are Vivien Leigh and Rex Harrison, and they are supported by a strong cast. MAJESTIC THEATRE. '"L'bve on the Run," which is now showing at the Majestic Theatre, celebrates the reunion of that most delightful of love teams—Joan Crawford and Clark Gable—in their first picture together since "Forsaking All Others." "Love on the Run" deals with an American heiress in Europe on a pleasure trip, whose millions are cordially desired in exchange for a shoddy title. When she discovers the facts in the case the wedding is called oft\ At that point Gable enters the scene as a newspaper correspondent oft.the trail of a cable dispatch. To ■ "avoid complications the girl agrees to dodge her almost in-laws- by joining ■ Gable in- a stolen plane. He is not a iobd pilot, but they get off, and in ■; doing so. Joan receives a huge bouquet of flowers thrust into her hand at the 1 airpijrt.' In the air, they discover a ftote in the roses and from it learn ' that the owners, of the plane are spies. The gift of roses was a case of mistaken identity, but it gives Gable a "■ story to cable to his home paper. From . that point on the story gathers speed ■ and is-never without action. A rival reporter enters the case and the trio is chased all over Europe by spies ■•'. until' the proper exigencies enable them to turn the tables. The support- ■• ing cast includes Franchot Tone. ST. JAMES THEATRE. . "With every new production Australia makes another stride towards recoghition as one of the foremost film-producing countries. "Tall Timbers," now showing at St. James Theatre, makes use of resources hitherto untapped by the screen, and makes use of them in a telling way. Australia's giant forests are used in striking fashion as a background for the thrilling romance of rival lumber camps. The photography is excellent, and catclies the full beauty of scenes which would be hard to better anywhere. The felling of the huge trees is shown, from close range, and there is a spectacular, scene where a whole mountainside is swept from top /to bottom of its standing timber. The operation is-, carried out ,by the partial cutting through of the lower trees, and as the .top"ones are felled, they take with them the lower trees, until every one is levelled. . The filming of this section, and of that showing three people trapped among the falling giants, is amongst the most specr tacular and convincing film work seen in Wellington. Those in the cast include: Shirley Ann Richards, Frank Heighten, and Campbell Copelin. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. An epic story of life and love in the minefields is unfolded in "Draegerman Courage," now showing' at the Paramount Theatre. Jean Muir and Barton Maclean play opposite each other, and the combination is an excellent one. Maclean has the role of the bighearted, rough-and-tumble lover, who has the ability to laugh in the face of danger and particularly when he is called upon to risk his own life to save that of his friends. Some highly dramatic scenes of men trapped in the bottom of a mine are filmed, and the audience is kept tense with excitement as the heroic struggle to free the entombed.'miners is in progress. The title of the picture is taken from the came of that galldnt band of men, the draegermen, who,-chosen for their courage and daring, are called upon whenever it is necessary to rescue their comrades who are endangered In the mine. The associate feature, "Life Begins at Twenty," is a hilarious comedy romance, featuring Patricia Ellis and Hugh Herbert. KINGS THEATRE. Irrepressible, roguish Jane Withers is in her element in the many laughprovoking situations of "The . Holy Terror," which is the main attraction on the King's Theatre programme. She is ably supported by a versatile cast, headed by Anthony Martin, Leah Bay, Joan Davis, El Brendel, and Joe Lewis. As the young daughter of an. officer at a naval-air base and the pet of all. concerned, Jane gets into such mischief that she has to be given a sailor escort. The sailor in question (Anthony Martin) is the one who needs looking after, howevev. He is in love with Leah Ray, the pretty proprietress of "The Golden Anchor/* a sailors' rendezvous, and there are all sorts of complications before the romance ends happily. Spies come into the story, and Jane plays a prominent part in bringing about their undoing. The second feature film is "The Girl from Scotland Yard," a swift-moving drama of spy intrigue, with Karen Morley and Robert Baldwin as the principals. Miss Morley has the role of a girl who matches her wits and beauty against . the machinations of a gang seeking to destroy her country's armaments with a death-ray invention. : ' v'V '.V--':.: ■>,- ■, ■: ' . ' --' V STATE THEATRE, PETONE. Kicking; shins, hurtling {tomatoes, busting windows,* and getting everybody ::in: art uproar, Jane Withers, in ail-fier glory, goes on a riotous rampage of'mischief and .merriment in "Pepper," her new Twentieth- CenturyFox now showing at the State Theatre. Aided and abetted by IrvJh'S. Cobb and Slim Summerville, "Ginger*' Jane puts the "miss" in mischief and, the;"pep" in Pepper. GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. iMurder .-/on- the fog-bound moor, a kidnapping, the machinations of , a counterfeit band, and the imprisonment of a beautiful woman in a house of mystery,: are a few things "Bulldog Drummorid". has to solve in Paramount's "Bulldog Drummond Escapes," the latest in the breezy series' of detective .films, which is now showing' -at the Grand Theatre. Ray Milland plays the role of the master sleuth and soldier-of-fortune who has Entertained the world for a generation in fiction, on the stage and on the screen. He is assisted as usual by his' pal "Algy," played by Reginald Denny. ' • , PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. Land without' law ... where savage men take what they crave! Alaska! Nature'snarling in the raw-. . . bullets blazing a,bloody trail to wealth . i .. as thrill piles upon thunderous thrill 'mid the rumbling roars of Arctic avalanches! In this primitive country does Columbia's dynamic drama. "North of Nome," now showing at the Palace Theatre, take place. Jack Holt, square-jawed star of countless successes, plays the leading role. "A Woman Alone," the second attraction, stars Henry Wilcoxon and beautiful Anna Sten. This pulsating human romance is set in the picturesque surroundings of pre-war Ilusslt.

V CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

PLAZA THEATRE. i In "Cafe Metropole," the Fox Films .* release with the bright trio of Tyrone ; Power, Loretta Young, and Adolphe • Menj on, which is to be seen at the , Plaza Theatre, no one is quite what he i oretends to be. Victor, the suave, int spired, rapid-thinking, ruthlessly-acting ■ head of a restaurant, is in reality an » embezzler; the "Prince Alexis," of.an . old Russian family, has the homely • name of Alexander Brown; the ■ heiress, he woos, and (as Victor in- ■ tends) weds, is not taken in for a > moment by his air of mystery and collegiate Russian; the head waiter is a i prince in disguise. In substance the t film is the soundly familiar plot of the • man who meets love under false ■ colours, the American in prince s I clothing., But it is rescued from ! mediocrity by the novel twists which ' give it point and zest, the approach of r Miss Young to her role, and the superb i villainy of Menjou. The latter has a • role of the kind which he handled so i well in "Girl in a Million," the conl scienceless, resourceful schemer who > wins through to his goal by an infinite • variety of ruses, but in this later flim , more sleek, more daring, playing for • higher stakes. He is already an em- ■ bezzler when, staking more money ■ which does not belong to him, he wins 400,000 francs and gains, too, the worthless cheque of a young man who stakes much and loses it, and then finds himself condemned to act out the - role that Victor assigns to him. ' " DE LUXE THEATRE. Warren William, Karen Motley, and i Lewis Stone have the chief rblesJn 1 "Outcast," the unusual film t which | heads the latest programme at the Be \ Luxe Theatre. The picture, which : reveals the persecution of a man who , has been acquitted for murder and tells [ of a woman who came to obtain re- , venge and remained to love, is rapia- : paced, colourful, and with strong I motives impelling even the smallest , characters. It shows the, mind of a - country community at work, with Dr. [ Philip Wendel Jones convicted by l that mind even though a jury found ; him innocent and with community . vengeance ready to be inflicted without [ regard for facts. The second feature, [ "Hideaway Girl," tells of crime, police, . playboys, yachts, and young women ■ with strange motives and mixed ldeni tities, even bursting into song here anc^ . there. The story is acted by Shirley L Ross, Robert Cummings, Elizabeth Rus- '■ sell, and Ray Walker a band of young • people who behave brightly, with Ed. i Brophy providing the comedy and > Monroe Owsley the menace. There • are some interesting supporting films and at the organ Mr, Reg. Maddains played favourite, melodies with his usual finished manner. , | STATE THEATRE. ; The musical appeal of "WaikiW Wed- - ding" at the Stale TKeatre_is undenis able. Not only are Bing Crosby and > Shirley Ross delightful in their vocal s offerings, but there are a number of - new tunes which wiU be appreciated. . As publicity agent and a contest win- . ner, the two stars join in presenting the fun. Shirley finds Hawaii a bit tame, i and Bing undertakes to supply glamour ! and thrills. What a publicity agent can .do for. a'girl he is interested mis simply i amazing, but it is all in.the interests of i business, and the story becomes really : interesting when she discovers that his > s'.unts and sighs have all been profes- ■ sional. To keep his role he has to go .at it in dead earnest. A subsidiary , romance between Burns and Martha : Haye helps to supply the relief. It all . starts with a pineapple cannery, Of ; which Bing is the agent. .He "too. ; lazy to live but occasional brilliant m- ■ spirations flash across his agile mind, ■ and when he starts to give Shirtey a i good time the queer imagination works. ■ overtime.-"While on a cruise they are ■ kidnapped by natives, and eventually become the unwilling guests^of a tribe which treats.them with elaborate^ cererrionial dancing, from which they escape through the genius of Bing. As • a of colourful, island me I "WaS Wedding" is excellent There's an excellent supporting programme. NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. ; George Formby's latest musical com- ' edy "Feather Your Nest," is now I showing at the Princess Theatre, i GeorgeVlttest film has all the merry 1 swing of its predecessors and the song ! numbers are both catchy and comical The fun oscillates between George s ! work as a gramophone recordist .and ! his mishaps in his "very jerry-built ' nest." "She's Dangerous," the associate feature, is high-pitched drama played 1 by convincing performers who portray 1 their roles in a vibrant key.. Tala ' Birell, both attractive and emotional, is ! seen in the character of an insurance detective who traps a gang leader after ' he steals a half-million- dollars' worth :of bonds. The mobster, interpreted '■ by Cesar Romero, becomes wildly infatuated with Tala Birell and later is ' madly jealous of her love affair with a doctor, enacted by Walter Pidgeon. . ROXY THEATRE. 1 "Green Light" is showing at the Roxy ■ Theatre. Errol. Flynn adds stature to his dramatic reputation with his nana- ■ ling of the role of Newell Paige, the \ young surgeon, who sacrifices his own ' professional integrity to cover the mistake of an older doctor. In shoulder-? ; ing the blame he incurs the hatred of Phyllis Dexter (played by the lovely '" Anita Louise), whose mother's death ' was caused by the fatal mistake. "Two- . Fisted Gentleman," the supporting pic- , ture, is the story of Mickey Blake, . played by Jimmy Dunn, who rises from i bar-room bouts to the position as chief . contender for the middleweight crown. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. ; "A Star is Born" concludes tonight 1 -at the Kilbirnie Kinema. | The brilliant Hollywood star Edward . G. Robinson appears in "Thunder in the City," which commences tomorrow. : The first scene is laid in a sumptuous ] New York office where Robinson, in • the role of an important sales execu- | tive, bids farewell to his colleagues and leaves for England. The rest of the action in the film takes place in and around London and brings a typical American-business man into close contact with English society.' "Snowed Under,"" the First National picture | which is the second attraction, is one of the year's most hilarious comedy , romances. There is a brilliant cast . which is headed by George Brent, and . three talented and beautiful • leading , ladies, Genevieve Tobin, Glenda Far--1 rellj and Patricia Ellis. ■■'■.'■ OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. The strenuous excitement of a Long Island fox hunt is a part of "Lady Tubbs," the hilarious comedy which heads the double-feature' programme showing at Our: Theatre at' reduced . prices. Alice Brady has the'title role I in- this rollicking comedy -'which, tells ; the story of a cook in a railroad con- ; struction •' camp who falls , heir •to a i fortune and a title, and is received in a fashionable Long Island home. How • she helps along a romance and uneSEths ! some disturbing skeletons in the cup- ; boards of a couple who direct constant attention to the high-hattedness of their respective families, is screamingly funny. One of the most unusual : stories ever filmed is the associate feature, "Alias Mary. Dow," starring Sally ■ Eiler's.- ■, SEASIDE THEATRE, LYALL BAY. The !camaraderie of a French air ' squadron dux-ing. the World War, born from staring into the jaws of death ' together, is appealingly picturised in ; R.K.O. Radio's "The Woman I Love," [ co-starring Paul Muni and Miriam Hop- ' kins, which is now showing at the Seaside Theatre. Both Muni and Hayward 1 are cast as members of a crack French air squadron. A bond closer than that 1 of brothers, between the pilot and his observer, is shattez-ed when Hayward discovers that,the.girl with.whom he . has fallen in love is the wife of Muni. ; Miriam Hopkins plays the role of the ! wife. The associate feature is "Mil- ■ lions," with Gordon Harker ard Frank ' Pettingell.

TIVOLI THEATRE. In "The Great Ziegfeld," which is now showing at the Tivoli Theatre, motion pictures have picked up the torch where' the late Fiorenz Ziegfeld laid it down, and,have succeeded in out-Ziegfelding the great Ziegfeld himself. "The Great Ziegfeld" has everything that a great, musical picture should have. ' It has, in the life of Ziegfeld, a most gripping and perfect dramatic story. In its musical numbers, never before produced on such a scale of grandeur, it has many ol the most dazzling scenes ever seen in pictures. In entertainment alone it rates high. First, there are William Powell as Ziegfeld, Myrna Loy as Billie Burke, and Luise Rainer as Anna Held. Then there are Virginia f Bruce as Ziegfeld's greatest glorified Modern Girl, Frank Morgan as his rival producer, Nat Pendleton as Sandow, Reginald Owen as Ziggy's manager, Fannie Brice as herself,, Ray Bolger and his amazing dancing feet, Harriet Hoctor, and scores of the most beautiful girls. The story opens in Ziegfeld's youth in the dazzling Chicago World's Fair of 1893. It progresses, as Ziegfeld himself progressed, .massing fortunes, to lose them and build other fortunes; A selected supporting programme will be shown, every evening from 7 to 7.45. • RIVOLI THEATRE. . '(God's Country and the Woman,*; Warner Bros.' brilliant picturisation ot the James Oliver Curwodd novel of the same name—dealing with a feud between lumber companies in.the.deep forests of the Great North-west—-is now showing at the Rivoli Theatre, with George Brent and Beverly Roberts in the leading roles. The thrilling dramatic romance of the story is heightened by the fact that the' scenes—almost all ot which are in the open—were photographed wholly in natural colours. Brent and Miss Roberts have an excellent supporting cast, including such outstanding favourites as Barton MacLane, Robert Barrat, Allen Hale, . El Brendel, Billy Bevan, and Joseph King. Hundreds of real lumberjacks appear in the exciting scenes. Night club life in torrid Panama and glamorous New York is the background, for:- Paramount's "Swing High, Swing Low," the romance with music co-starring Carole Lombard and Fred Mac Murray, whicn is the second feature. The cast also includes Dorothy Lamour, the sensation of "The Jungle Princess"; Charles Butter worth, Jean Dixon, and Harvey Stephens. ~,, , SHORTT'S THEATRE. With a laugh, a lilt, a thrill, and a heart-pang, interspersed with severs* new musical hits, "Star for a Night,": Twentieth Century-Fox picture, is showing at Shortt's Theatre . Featuring Claire Trevor, Jane Darwell, and Arline Judge, the film tells an entrancing story of how madcap chorus girls turn a musical show topsy-turvy and Broadway exerts all its make-believe to make a mother's dreams come true. , "Champagne Charlie," the effervescent love story of a. dollar princess and a playboy prince, is the newest Fox picture produced under the. supervision of. Edward [T. Lowe. It is the second attraction. Paul Cavanagh and Helen Wood, lovely young screen newcomer, are cast in the leading roles. Also in the cast is Herbert Mundin, the popular comedian. REX THEATRE. "Romance in Manhattan," starring Francis Lederer and Ginger Rogers', is now showing at the Rex Theaire. Karel Novak (Lederer), an ambitious immigrant, arrives at'•> Ellis Island to find that he is barred from entry because he has only 50 dollars, instead of the 200, required. He is sheltered by a chorus girl and gradually makes good despite the many complications that arise. Supporting the stars is a strong cast. The stage success, "Dangerous Corner," on which i the RKORadio picture, which is the associate feature, is based, was written by J. B. Priestley, author of a number of bestsellers. The play had long-run engagemeh'ts iii London^sNew York, Chicago, and other American- and Canadian cities. ' Phil Rosen directed, with Arthur Sircom director of the dialogue. The imposing cast carries- the featured names ■of Virginia; Bruce, Melvyn Douglas, and Conrad Nagel, with Erin O'Brien-Moore, Henry Wadsworth, lan Keith, and Betty Furness in support. EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. Dramatically revealing the secrets of the world's greatest jewellery centre, a district guarded as carefully as the National Treasury against the hordes of thieves lured from all ove* the world, "15; Maiden Lane," Twentieth Century-Fox's story of the famous Diamond Row, is now showing -at the Empire. Theatre. Cast in the. role of a clever, silk-hatted crook daring enough to attempt a robbery, the rest of the underworld considers far too risky, Cesar Romero achieves- a polished performance in suavity and coolness. Claire Trevor turns amateur detective arid determines to recover the million-dol-lar loss as well as break up the ring of jewel thieves victimising Diamond Row. Cary Grant, George Bancroft, and Joan Bennett appear in the hilarious comedy, "Wedding Present," the associate feature. • REGAL THEATRE, KARORI. The tragic aftermath of war is vividly reflected in the lives of the characters appearing in Bobby : Breen's starring picture, "Rainbow on the River," which is playing a return^ season'at the Regal Theatre. The dramatic musical film is laid in the period directly following the Civil War, when, the strife-torn South was courageously undergoing rehabilitation. Against this background is painted a hearttouching picture of a young orphan boy. An old coloured mammy takes the child under her care and brings it up in a simple, yet care-free life. Gifted with a. natural and remarkable singing voice, the lad merrily sings his way into the hearts of all until a sud-. den turn of events drags him from the side of the faithful servant to place; him in the inhospitable atmosphere of a stern grandmother's mansion in the north. : CAPITOL THEATRE. A brilliant new personality has come to the screen. She is Doris Nolan, and her first motion picture is "The Man I Marry," which is now showing at the Capitol Theatre. The film is a rollicking, swiftlyrpaced' romantic comedy, which relates the adventures of a girlwho runs away on the eve of her wedding to escape marrying a society snob. She meets an aspiring young playwright typing a play in a country house, where a fierce rainstorm maroons them for twenty-four hours. ,The girl succeeds in getting her uncle, a theatrical producer, to stage the play. The author resents her interference and attempts to prove. his masculine superiority. Jan-Kiepura and Gladys Swarthout have the leading roles in "Give Us This Night," Paramount's gay romantic film. The supporting programme includes a film of the second Test. ■•■ '■■ ■ ■• •■ ... .' ; A POPULAR SINGER. The "Argus'," reports that "double and triple encores were good-humour-edly conceded by Miss Essie Ackland when the famous contralto opened her recent Melbourne season. /Fortunate in her vocal endowment, Miss Ackland is no less fortunate in the possession of a happy and sympathetic concert temperament. = Her affability, easy charm of manner; and obvious readiness to please, and to Oblige her large audience, met with a willing and affectionate response. Few concert seasons open in an atmosphere so friendly and so intimate." From this Wellington patrons will realise the tfeat that, is iii: store for them at the' Town Hall on Thursday evening, when Miss Ackland will be the leading figure in a great celebrity concert in aid of the Mayor's Metropolitan Fund for the Relief of Distress. The world-famous contralto, who has been acclaimed "the singer with the voice of liquid gold," will have associated with her in an attractive programme a trio of talented artists—Reginald Morphew (baritone), Vincent Aspey (violin), and Noel .Newson (pianist), while appropriate concerted instrumental music will be supplied by the 2YA Concert Orchestra under Leon de Mauny. Mr. Leo Whittaker will act as accompanist. The box plan is at the D.I.C.

FRANK NEIL REVUE. The success of the Frank Neil Revue Company at the New Opera House is a success earned not only by the really brilliant leads but by the all-round excellence of the company. It is not merely that Irene Vermillibn dazzles with the grace and novelty of Jiei dance-acrobacy turn with the. trumpeteers- nor that Bob Famsh is a conquering singer with a magnetism a» well as a voice; nor that Con Colleano does astonishing things high up in the world; nor that Charles Norman and his aides are;in the front rank of comedians. All these things are top-line assets in a revue company, but in addition there is a background of good work by the supporting artists and ballet against which background the work of the'leads is able to stand out. The ballet, for instance, represents both native grace and acquired skillit is Australian beauty reinforced by splendid dressing and production. Theie is distinction also in the turn -of Sisson and Neale, harpist and whistlei, the Harris Sisters, juvenile tumblers, the Artistos, adagio artists;, and Natalie Raine, soubrette. The singing of Margaret Grimshaw and Bernard McCaffrey is part of the soulful uplift, while the downdraught of comedy is insisted by Chic Arnold and Jack ana Sylvia KeHaway. This well-balanced combination had an excellent Monday house last night, and deserves a continuance of support.