CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 110, 5 November 1937, Page 4

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE.

That irascible but lovable old seafaring character created by Peter B. Kyne—Cappy Ricks—comes to life on the screen' in the Cosmopolitan com-edy-drama, "The Go-Getter," which commences at the Regent Theatre today. Charles Winninger plays Cappy in this delightful film. He isn't the "go-getter." That individual is the tall, handsome Irish star, George Brent, who is in love with Cappy's daughter, portrayed by the lovely blonde star, Anita Louise. It is an' exceptionally well-balanced cast that portrays this famous yarn of Mr. Kyne's. Apart from the starring trio, there are such players as Henry O'Neill, John Eldredge, Joseph Crehan, Gordon Oliver, Eddie Acuff, Herbert Rawlinson, Mary Treen, Helen Lowell,- Helen Valkis, and "Minerva Urecal. Brent is a member .of the crew of the famous dirigible Macon, which plunged into the Pacific ' Ocean a few years ago. This plunge *is shown on the. screen-—one of the .-most astonishing things films have ever done. Bill Austin—the character, played ,by Brent—loses a leg in the accident, is mustered out of the navy, and must find, himself a job in civil life. That is how he meets Cappy Ricks and Cappy's daughter. He is put '"through all sorts of tests by Cappy and * "the girl before he wins them both '.over.' •.'■■■ ' , v MAJESTIC THEATRE. "'■"■■". The uproarious antics of the absurd " Marx brothers—Groucho, Harpo, and •■ ;.Chico— together with the admirable • ■"supporting work of Maureen O'Sulli- ! van, Allan Jones, Margaret Dumont, . ,Esther Muir, and others, combine to ' make Day at the Races," latest : Marx laugh extravaganza, which opens , today at the Majestic Theatre, one "of the most amusing photoplays of ' '■ y. .this year or any other year. It would : " be difficult to imagine any picture being ■ runnier than the last Marxian epic, ; "A Night at the Opera," but their cur- ■ rent vehicle with its hilarious plot i shifting between a sanatarium and a i 4, race track, with Groucho in the role < '«of a horse doctor, Chico as a jockey, i •hand Harpo as a race track tout, un- '• f'.'doubtedly tops even the former picture ' .(•'•for side-splitting situations. Then there ■ is the excellent singing of Allan Jones '■ in such captivating song numbers as "On Blue Venetian Waters," "TomorSfrowls Another Day," and "A Message ISxrom the Man in the Moon.". Com- , ii^«ly predominates, . however, as it J cannot help but do with the Marxes ! m the stellar roles, and such scenes jas the: trio literally pasting Esther {Muir to the wall behind wall paper, I i#r making what must be the most pre- ; Iposterpus medical examination ever i i conceived of Margaret Dumont. J ■', ' "' • , i V ST. JAMES THEATRE. ' k"A. Hundred Men and a Girl," |starring Deanna Durbin, commences its ithird week at St. James Theatre today. iThe picture shows no sign of flagging \ •popularity. The young star's first pic,ture, the well-remembered "Three ' iSmart Girls," burst upon the public ] •practically Unheralded and scored an t [instantaneous success. This time, the i javenues' of publicity have been well * icxplored.: The result is all that can be i jdesired, however, for undoubtedly "A i (Hundred Men and a Girl" is a better 3 ipicture,than its predecessor. The plot £ ;dealing with the,finding of employ- ] iment for. a •hundred out-of-work < 'musicians, appeals.more to the public than a battle between the three daughters of a millionaire and the siren who ,is seeking to part, him from some of ;h» money. All the outstanding figures an the old cast are retained; and ; to them,are .added such well-tried '' R laJeif as .A^plphe Menjou and Billy ; w"P«tt* ana the famous conductor Stoi > •kowsW, with his splendid Philadelphia ° is^mphony;Orchestra. ,'y f| $^$Msiikl romance of old Ire- '■ togSoiw^TMjrHeart,'' with 1 the < *£*£!£ }?*&* i? 1"1 McCorinack, com- 3 TAv* Paramount Thea- ) B&wir?11^ McCbnnack sings .eleven ' sohgit^including "Rose of Tralee," "I i §f-J°4i.Callin? Me>" an<* "Little Boy < Blue." The perfect recording of his i voice, due to the use of the litest s's- 3tem and improved reproduction, en,^i?5 es considerably the beauty bi the SOilgSt :':■ . ■ . KING'S THEATRE. j Bracketing two of the screen's1 forei j most comedians, Guy Kibbee and Cora Witherspoon, in a true-to-life and ■ screamingly funny comedy. "The Bi« ; Shot" opens today at the King's Theatre. "The Big Shot" is the . stoJ7 *P* -a small-town veterinarian perfectly contented with his lot un- ! h-tii . a mysterious uncle dies and : v?uu s hl1? an enormous fortune: Kibbee, who plays the part of ] the animal doctor, would continue in ' his groove, but his wife, Cora Wither- i !£°- On' «f A°i?ia, Uy .ambitious, and she '■ insists that the family move to a big city so that their daughter, Dorothy-Moore, can have the proper social advantages; j ■£" Jsn^ s«. a newspaper reporter^ i and Dorothy's beau, refuses to let his ' Sari slip away-from him that easily, ' and follows the family to the metro- t poUs. The mysterious imel>'s past i bobs up.to seriously' embarrass the i mothers social plans and complicate i ■the liyes,of the entire, family. How a 1 conceited but likeable movie actor who < believes himself the world's greatest I amateur sleuth actually solves a series i of sensational Hollywood crimes to the i amazement of everyone but himself,.is i the basis of the thrilling mystery story, 1 "Super Sleuth," the second attraction, i in which Jack Oakie and Ann Sothern ] have co-starring roles. . j NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. ' One of Rudyard Kipling's most popular tales in "The Jungle Book," "Toomai of the Elephants," has been made into a film. Presented by Alex- ' ar.der Korda under, the title of "Ele- ; phant Boy," it is showing at the New Princess Theatre. The story tells of : a little Indian boy, who dreams of the > day when he can become a great i elephant, driver like his famous j grandfather. Little Toomai's father is killed and the boy goes through a series of remarkable adventures while fleeing from the expedition which seemingly intends to shoot his fay- , ourite elephant. The associate feature "Quality Street." starring Katharine Hepburn and Franchot Tone,.is one of the most widely-acclaimed stage plays ever written by Sir James M. Barrie. . ■' GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. "Let's Make a Million" and "Arizona Mahoney" conclude tonight at the Grand Theatre. The adventures of three lovely ' daughters of a rich New Yorker, who .' smash their father's romance with a , fortune-hunting blonde, provide the ; amusing theme of Universal's comedy . drama, "Three Smart Girls," which opens tomorrow. The picture marks the debut of the 13-year-old singer Deanna Durbin. Others in the cast ; are Binnie Barnes, Alice Brady, Ray ', Milland, and Charles Winninger. STATE THEATRE, PETONE. i "Storm in a Teacup" concludes to- ' night at the State Theatre. Hinging, dancing,, and romancing their way more securely into the hearts of millions of theatre-goers, the world's dancing favourites, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, are costarred once more in their gayest and most spectacular screen hit, "Shall We Dance, which opens tomorrow. Six musical numbers, written by George and Ira Gershwin, songs already established to wide popularity, are woven into the picture. PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. "Student Doctors Can't Take Money," the drama with Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea which is now at the Palace Theatre, Petone, is the story of a girl whose happiness depends on getting 1000 dollars, and a young student doctor who loves her yet can't accept money even to help her. The associate feature, "Calling the Tune," is a musical comedy romance with Clifford Evans, Sally Gray, George Robey, and Sir Cedric Hardwicke in. the cast.

GUY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

PLAZA THEATRE.

The effort of the screen to do justice to Shakespeare makes a notable forward step in "As You Like It," which opens today at the Plaza Theatre, I with Elisabeth Bergner as Rosalind. There have been many Rosalinds to compare with Elisabeth Bergner, and opinions about her performance may differ, but no one will deny that she infuses into the boy-part ,a .splendid yital .energy. There have been many Orlandos also, but few who can chal-j lenge Laurence Olivier. The famous | speeches of the Banished Duke and of Jacques are heard from such actors as Henry Ainley and Leon Quartermaine. As Silvius, Richard Ainley carries on the family tradition. Sophie Stewart is Celia, and Mackenzie Ward is Touchstone. The style adopted by the players is to speak the lines without too much declamatory stiffness; in adopting ' this more natural and conversational style, they have not sacrificed the rhythm nor the dignity of Shakespeare, DE LUXE THEATRE. Combining the speed and thrills cf aviation with a modern mystery clot. Universal's exciting flying story, "Reported Missing,"' opens today at the De Luxe Theatre, with William Gargan and Jean Rogers in the leading roles. The picture deals with the adventures of a young inventor who perfects a navigating, device for the giant transport planes of a major airline —and then sees plane after plane, depending upon his instrument, plunge to destruction. The resulting tragedies give rise to protests from the Press against a man who, it is charged, has used innocent passengers as "guinea pigs" for his experiments. The story reaches a smashing climax and a surprise ending, when the young inventor, by clever detective work, unmasks an unscrupulous and merciless sky bandit who is responsible for- the. wrecks. "The Wildcatter." the associate film, does an excellent job of deoicting the smashing drama that accompanies the wild rush of fortune seekers to the scene of a new oil strike. The story centres around Scott Colton as a wildcat oil prospector; his loyal plucky wife, and his pal, in the person of genial Jack Smart. STATE THEATRE. Thrills, excitement, and lots of laughs are promised in the new dramatic story of American newspaper life, "Exclusive," which, begins at the State Theatre today. Fred McMurray, Frances Farmer, Charlie Ruggles, and Ralph Morgan are the stars. Miss Farmer plays the part of a woman journalist who exposed yellow journalism in a thrilling battle of headlines. ' NEW OPERA HOUSED "Turn Oil the Moon." a Paramount picture with Charlie Ruggles, Eleanore Whitney, and Johnny Downs, commences at the New Opera House today. It is a musical romance with plenty of girls, gaiety, and uproarious fun. The four new songs, it is claimed, will set all Wellington whistling. The second feature is "I'd Give My Life," with Sir Guy Standing, Tom Brown, "France? Drake, and Janet Beecher. It is the story of one man who risked love and life itself to protect the ones he loved, even in the shadow of the gallows. SHORTT'S THEATRE. The great love drama of the Great War," "The Road to Glory," is showing at the Shortt's Theatre. Painted agaist a background of the seething kaleidoscope of battle, No Man's Land, and war-torn France, the film depicts love in all its phases. Love of heart-starved fight•ing.men; love of women who can paly wait; love of a soldier father and hero son; love of a cause they all must serye;;-,;love of what our world calls Glory; .The cast includes Fredric March, Warner Baxter, Lionel Barrymore, June Lang, and Gregory Ratoff. That happy, scrappy Jones Family moves into a new and hilarious phase of its career in "Off to the Races," the second attraction. \ BOXY THEATRE. Red-blooded actiom ot the type that everyone has come to expect from Paramount's "Hbpalong" Cassidy Western stories, is supplied in good measure in the latest of these outdoor romances, "North of the Rio Grande," which is showing at,the Roxy Theatre. William Boyd is in the role of the hard-riding, square-shooting "Hoppy." With him ride "Windy," played by George Hayes, and "Lucky" Jenkins, portrayed by Russell Hayden. The associate .feature, "That Man's Here Again," is a delightful comedyromance of boy and girl love, with Tom Brown as the lad, and a new and beautiful, 17-year-old girl, Mary Maguire, as the feminine lead. SEX THEATRE. Laughter-laden situations abound in the new Associated Production, "Please, Teacher," a screen version o.c the record London musical comedy success with Bobby Howes, Wylie Watson, Vera Pearce, and Bertha Belmore in their original roles, which, is showing at the Rex Theatre. Bobby's feigned attack of malaria, his singing of a part song in the school pageant, his prize-giving speech, and his experiences m the gym with Vera Pearce are a few of the rollicking situations in this screamingly funny film. Three themes are deftly blended in one exciting picture in "Border Cafe," RKORadio's new Harry Carey-John Beal starring vehicle with Armida in support, .the second attraction. REGAL THEATRE, KARORI. "Lost Horizon," now at the Regai Theatre, is one of the finest' films seen in Wellington. The true power and scope of the ideal State of which all men dream and, few find has been captured on the screen, and a dream city evolved. Never before have such magnificent direction and beautiful ' photography been united to create a film. It is fitting that a great play should have an excellent cast, and Ronald Colman, H. B. Warner* Jane Wyatt, and Isabel Jewell faithfully portray the chief characters, while the portrayal Of the Chief Llama, guider of the destinies of the city, is a consummate piece of acting. EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAT. Old clues, a sensational motor-car wreck staged by a criminal, the roaring offices of a great daily newspaper figure in the latest newspaper-detec-tive romance of the screen, "Sinner Take All," now showing at the Empire Theatre with Bruce Cabot and Margaret Lindsay in the main roles. The second attraction is "Brewstcr's Millions," starring Jack Buchanan. SEASIDE THEATRE, LYALL BAY. Gary Cooper, as Mr. Deeds on a 20,000,000-dollar 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," now at the Seaside Theatre; From the fiery pages of Dostoievsky's novel, from the soul-searing drama of ..mad crime and inexorable punishment, an emotional dramatic triumph emerges, acted with tremen-| dous power. "Crime and Punishment," the second feature, has been brought to the screen by Columbia Pictures, with Edward Arnold as its star and Peter Lorre featured in an important role. CAPITOL THEATRE. Ranking with the most thrilling animal action scenes ever captured by the camera is a battle to the death between a man-eating tiger and a fierce leopard which is one of the dozen thrills in "The Jungle Princess," starring Dorothy Lamour and Ray Milland, which is showing at the Gapitol Theatre. "The Jungle Princess" is the story of a native girl in the heart of a Malay jungle who falls in love with an explorer, the first man she had ever seen. The second attraction, "Laughing at Life," with Victor Mc'Laglen, is a robust .and vivid talo of a soldier of fortune.

TIVOLI THEATRE. Rare and restful entertainment, right off the beaten track, is featured in "Elephant Boy," now showing at the Tivoli Theatre. The story, based on Kipling's famous "Jungle Book," tells of a little Indian boy, son of a mahout, who dreams of the day when he can become a great elephant driver like his famous grandfather. Little Toomai's father is killed and the boy goes through a series of remarkable, breath-taking jungle adventures while fleeing away , from the expedition which seemingly intends to shoot his favourite elephant. An elephant drive provides a thrilling climax to a magnificent picture. Seldom has such realism been captured by a camera. The film was nearly three years in the making, two of which were spent in locale in India. An excellent supporting .cast is headed by Walter Hudd. W. E. Holloway, and Alan Jeayes. A madman's vengeance strikes two young lovers and Charlie Chan faces the most baffling mystery of his career in "Charlie Chan at the Opera," the second attraction. Warner Oland, of course, plays the crafty Chinese detective, with Boris Karlofl! co-starred as his implacabla. foe. RIVOLI THEATRE. A new and remarkable boy star is introduced in "Elephant Boy," which is showing at the Rivoli Theatre. He Is Sabu, a thirteen-year-old Indian lad. The story, based on "Toomai of theElephants," one of Rudyard Kipling's "Jungle Book", yarns, tells of a little Indian boy who dreams of the day when he, too, will become a great elephant driver like his famous grandfather, the renowned "Toomai of the Elephants." Little Toomai's father is killed, and Kala Nag, his favourite elephant, attacks his new driver and runs riot. Fearing disaster Petersen Sahib, the white hunter, decides to shoot the huge beast. But little Toomai boldly approaches his elephant friend and soothes him. Owing to a misunderstanding Toomai runs away with Kala Nag into the jungle. Toomai is found utterly exhausted but he bears news of an enormous herd of elephants in the vicinity. A stockade is built, beaters are hastily assembled, and there follows an exciting round-up in which more elephants are caught than have ever been known before. And the happy boy returns to camp proudly riding Kala Nag not as Little Toomai but as Toomai of the Elephants. The associate feature is "Kid Gallahad," starring Bette Davis, Wayne Morris, and E. G. Robinson. : THE THESPIANS. The Thespians have chosen for their final production this year "The Two Mrs. Carrolls," by Martin Vale, which will be presented at the Concert Chamber commencing next Wednesday and continuing until Saturday. This play caused a great sensation in London with Leslie Banks playing the lead. It is a play of highly dramatic incidents in which the excitement mounts higher and higher until a breaking point in the pitch of emotion is reached. The Thespians are fortunate in having again secured the services of Elsie Lloyd as producer, and she has under her direction an exceptionally strong cast which consists of Zenocrate Mountjoy, May Lahor, Dickey Lucas, Marjorie Eberlet, Roberta Duff, Sam Tansley, Norman Hannah, and Jim Vaughan. The stage manager is Myles F. E. Wright, who is assisted by Evan Harrowell, while the property mistresses are Isobel Burton and Molly Lucas. The box plan is now open at Begg's. . KILBIRNIE KINEMA. "Farewell Again" concludes tonight at the Kilbirnie Kinema, The special brand of humour that Claudette Colbert has made her own sparkles throughout Paramount's "I Met Him in Paris," brilliant comedyromance which opens .tomorrow. W.ith two leading men. Melvyn Douglas and Robert Young, fighting to win Miss Colbert's affections, "I Met Him in Paris" contains many sparkling situations and bright dialogue. Delightfully tuneful, with a generous dash of light comedy,, a romantic- story >with an unusual/twist, and two lavish musical numbers, "Ready, Willing, and Able" is .the associate, attraction, with Ruby Keeler "and Lee Dixoh heading' the cast. ■ OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. Shakespeare's immortal drama, "Romeo and Juliet," is the main attraction showing at Our Theatre. Juliet, played by Norma Shearer, is a lovable and convincing character, and her Romeoi for which part Leslie Howard was chosen, is an appealing young man against whom the forces of destiny have pitted themselves. Another actor whose performance is above the usual standard of screen achievement is John Barrymore in the character of Mercutio. Basil Rathbone, C. Aubrey Smith, and Ralph Forbes also play their parts well. The splendid comedy, "Where There's a Will," starring Will Hay, is the second attraction.