CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 122, 26 May 1938, Page 14

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. "Wells ■ FargoM concludes tonight at the Regent Theatre. A musical comedy with the Hhe flexible soprano voice of Grace Moore leading the music in song ranging from light opera gems to popular melody and with a pronounced and highly enjoyable element of comedy, "fll Take Romance" commences tomorrow. Grace Moore is at her best in operatic airs, in which she adventures with joyous abandon. The drinking song from Verdi's "La Traviata" is gloriously sung and is enhanced by the rousing male chorus which accompanies it, while the duet from "Madame Butterfly," with Frank Forest in the male part, is given with a verve and delicacy which thrills music-lovers. Grace Moore probably makes a more general appeal in this than in any former picture, for she shows an improvement in her character acting, and throws a most engaging rollicking spirit into the popular melody, "She's Coming Round the Mountain." Melvyn Douglas provides romantic interest by a particularly nice-bal- • anced study in which he adds handsomely to the comedy as well as td the human side of the story. But the humour which ripples right through the progress of the action owes most to Helen Westley: and Stuart Erwin. MAJESTIC THEATRE. i '. "Double Wedding" concludes tonight «t the Majestic Theatre. Audiences who enjoy plenty of action in-their mystery pictures are in for an exciting evening when they see "Arserie Lupin Returns." which will Begin tomorrow at the Majestic - Theatre, with Melvyn Douglas. Virginia Bruce, and Warren William in featured l roles. The screen play, based on the famous character in French detective fiction, is a fast-moving adventure drama, from its start in the offices of G-men in > New York city, to the work of the French Surete m Paris. A love triangle, with Virginia Bruce as" the beautiful feminine attraction for Melvyn Douglas and Warren William, provides interludes of romance in .the exciting plot-. The story, vibrant with action and surprise situations, gives Miss Bruce, an excellent opportunity for a contrasting portrayal of comedy and drama. Melvyn Douglas is easy and' natural in his performance with plenty of punch at climaxes of the plot. Warren William, who is an expert at playing a screen detective, gives a rapid-fire portrayal as a super G-man who turns to ■ private detective work. The de,Griss'ac'emerald is only surpassed in beauty by Lorraine, daughter of the family, who is almost as much temptation to Arsene Lupin and Emerson, former G-man, his pursuer, as the jewel'itself. Two murders are committed m attempts to steal the jewel. The thief leaves clues that point to Arsene Lupin, who is supposed to be dead according to reports of the French police. ST. JAMES THEATRE. Not "just another. Western" but an episode from the exciting history of nineteenth-century Arizona, brought to the screen, with the usual satisfying thoroughness of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, "The Bad Man of Brimstone," now at the St. James Theatre, crowns the long list of successes of Wallace ;Beery. In the title role the star rules the little town of Brimstone, with a dictatorial personality, backed up by two always-ready guns and a faithful "Portygee" retainer, played by Joseph Calleia. The only law that "Brimstone knows is the solely selfish one of Trigger Bill, the bad man. Into the township comes Dennis O'Keefe, as a champion boxer looking ;for a fight. .He gets plenty—with guns, not fists—and with his advent the story follows the familiar trail df'the newcomer setting out to "clean up" the town.' How -he does it is shown in a new way, making excellent entertainment PARAMOUNT THEATRE, ~ . ; ; .,"The Prisoner of Zerida" will .be ■shown for the" last time tonight at the Theatre. i Dainty Deanna Durbin will be seen ;at the Paramount Theatre tomorrow fin a special return of. the-picture that imade her famous, "Three Smart Girls." 'Possessing a lyric soprano voice that (electrifies all who hear it, Deanna 'makes her movie debut in one of the igayest comedy dramas:., ever to come ;out of Hollywood. It deals with the imadcap adventures of three lovely (daughters of a New York millionaire ; who join in a conspiracy. to break up !their father's romance with a for-iune-hunting beauty, : The blonde, played by Binnie Barnes,; and her scheming mother, portrayed by Alice Brady, put'up a spirited fight for their matrimonial prize, but are outwitted by the three smart girls. Charles Winninger, as the millionaire, Ray Milland, | «nd Mischa Auer are prominently cast. I KING'S THEATRE. | ""While Parents Sleep"* and "She'sj Got Everything" will be, shown fori the last; time tonight at the King's Theatre. A modern Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde, sans the latter's tendency to kill, is dramatically treated in R.K.O. Radio's - "Double starring- -Preston Foster and Whitney Bourne, which opens tomorrow. Foster is seen as an apparently impeccable member of society and a highly-successful author of detective stories, while in his other guise, he is a mysterious super-cracks-man of legendary skill who is known as !The Gentleman." It is his exploits as the last-mentioned figure that provides him with melodramatic action for his notorious novels. Cupid suddenly Vies with cupidity when Whitney Bourne, as a fashionable adventuress, enters his life, while in quest of a priceless collection of diamonds, which, naturally enough, is in the possession of Foster. Revealing modern police methods of planting undercover men at suspected spots to get evidence of criminal activities, the story of "Night Spot," the second feature, with Parkyakarkus, Allan Lane, Gordon Jones, and Joan Woodbury, ..deals with.a musically-minded policeman assigned to play in the orchestra of a night club operated by a suave gangster and his henchmen. The discovery by this young policeman" that the gang is a big-time jewel-robbing group is complicated by his falling in love with a'young entertainer m. the club, and duty, ahd romance conflict in a-manner that makes the film unusually thrilling. REX THEATRE. "The Tunnel," now at the Rex Theatre, is a picture possessing all the qualities that make for successful film entertainment. The story is human and dramatic; the theme, visionary-in the immensity of the -task—no less than driving a tunnel from England .to America. Richard Dix, Leslie Ba»ks, Madge Evans, and Helen Vinson are starred. A romantic story that is also a. satire on the Hollywood scene is contained in . "Music Is Magic," the second feature. * Alice Fay and Ray Walker are starred; REGAL THEATRE, KARORI. Sandy Powell, Britain's inimitable comedian of radio, stage, and screen, is the. star of "It's, a Grand Old World," which is showing at the Regal Theatre. He is seen with Cyril Ritchard and Gina Malo. The picture, which is a mixture .of music, mirth, and melody brings Sandy to the screen as a football fan, a radio star, a stage hand, a,lion tamer, and a gambler. The picture is probably the most entertaining comedy produced in England. SEASIDE THEATRE, LYALL BAY. Five new tunes are introduced in Jack Benny's new musical riot, '"Artists and Models," which, with Benny, Ida Lupino, Gail Patrick. Richard Arlen, Ben Blue, Judy: Canova, and Andre Kostelanetz and • his- orchestra, is showing at the Seaside Theatre. Edward Everett Horton and the famous "Pixilated Sisters" are together in one Of the gayest comedies for months, "Let's Make a Million," the second Attraction.

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

PLAZA THEATRE. "Second Honeymoon" will be shown finally tonight at the Plaza Theatre. '•The Adventures of Marco Polo, starring Gary Cooper, commences tomorrow. DE LUXE THEATRE. "Scandal Street" and "Partners of the Plains" conclude tonight at the De Luxe Theatre. "The Crime of Dr. Hallet" and She Married an Artist" commence tomorrow. STATE THEATRE. Through the. genius of David O. Selznick and the magic of technicolour, Mark Twain's' famous characters step from the pages of his immortal story and on to the screen in "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," which is, showing at the State Theatre. Meticutous care has been exercised in capturing the spirit of Mark Twain's story As this heart-warming drama unfolds on the screen, audiences will alternately chuckle at the adventures and escapades of the irrepressible Tom and his cronies: laugh at the pranks that plagued Aunt Molly and the _ neighbours; thrill to the drama of Injun Joe and Muff Potter; and glow withrthe young romance of Tom and Becky Tatcher. Tom Sawyer, who has come to be the embodiment of all boyhood and a beloved hero of nulhons the world over, was re-created by Tommy Kelly, who was chosen out of .sa.uuu aspirants for the role. NEW OPERA HOUSE. "Over She Goes" concludes tonight at the New Opera House. One of the greatest film successes of recent years, reissued in response to many requests, "The Thin Man, will begin at the New Opera House tomorrow It is inconsequential comedy, with William Powell and Myrna Loy, the Stars, at their best. The cast includes the famous terrier "Asta, seen more recently as Mr. Smith m The Awful Truth." The Thm Man is at once brilliant comedy and stirring mystery drama. The director, W. S. Van Dyke, has made it a masterpiece of film fechnique and the action moves swiftly and without gaps in the sequence. Powell plays the part of Nick, a retired detective, and Myrna Loy that of.his wife, his jolly companion and his real friend. The-domestic fun and '.happiness interpreted by 'nese two , bubbling up through all the tensest Situations as ...a.. Maureen O'Sullivan is ma prominent supporting part. "The Thin Man may really be said to have begun the modern trend of light, frothy comedy. TUDOR THEATRE. ' "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'- and "Change of Heart" conclude tonight I at the Tudor Theatre. ' David O Selznick, outstanding producer of, pictures,. has achieved another big hit with Nothmg Sacred," starring Carole Lombard ana Fredric March, which commences at the Tudor Theatre tomorrow. Nothing Sacred" is a hilarious dramatisation of i fife in New ; .York City, just as Selzi nick's previous film. A Star is Born, dramatispd life in Hollywood so successfully; The-second, feature will be "That I May Live, with Kocnene Hudson and Robert Kent. ROXY THEATRE. "Counsel for Crime" and "Music for Madame" conclude tonight at the Roxy Thsstrc 1 I > "Some Blondes' are Dangerous, a story of the prize ring, with Noah Berry, jun., and William Gargan, opens tomorrow. This story gives a littleknown viewpoint of the trials and temptation that surrounds these knights of the padded hands who rise to fame and fortune from obscurity, enjoy their few brief'moments of popularity and then fade away into oblivion again. Joe E. Brown reaches new heights of hilarity in "Fit for a King," the second feature. Brown plays the role of'a foreign news correspondent who covers-the story of a political plot in a mythical European kingdom. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. "Charlie Chan on Broadway" and "Her Husband Lies" conclude tonight at the Kilbirnie Kinema. iThe forbidden love of a young army officer for a half-breed Alaskan rirl is'the theme of Rex Beach's"The Bar-rierj^yrtiichopen*'-tomorrow. , One of the most beautiful scenes to be shown in a motion picture is in the North Woods setting of the film, which shows James Ellison and Jean Parker as the figures in this troubled romance. Leo Carrillo, Otto Kruger, and Robert Barrat are' -in the cast. Adopting a technique of story construction that ,is entirely new on the screen/ Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer introduces, a novel picture in "Night Must Fall," starring Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell, which is the second feature. EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY; The boldest venture a British secret agent ever faced, impersonating an officer in the German high command, forced to gamble on the love of a woman whose busine:3 was betrayal, with the opportunity to strike the deadliest blow of the Great War if \he lived, is the theme of the screen's most exciting espionage drama, "Lancer Spy," featuring Dolores. Del Rio, George Sanders, and' Peter Lorre, which is showing at the Empire Theatre. "Born Reckless" is the second attraction. Rochelle Hudson and Brian Donlevy are starred. OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. "Palm Springs," a comedy with music, heads the double-feature proigramme showing, at Our Theatre. It presents a vivid picture of the play life of debutantes and movie queens, of sporting men, and wealthy idlers. Sir Guy Standing plays the role of Frances Langford's father, a. penniless retired British captain. Frances decides to go, fortune hunting, but meets Smith Ballew, a young crooning, guitar-punching cowboy. and falls in love with him. A picture of adventure in the United States Coastguard Air Corps is "Border Flight," the second attraction, starring Frances Farmer and John Howard. STATE THEATRE, PETONE. ■ Splendid in every sense of the word, 'Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's .lavish musical offering, "Maytime " is showing at the State Theatre, with Jeanette Mac Donald and Nelson Eddy in the starring roles. Miss Mac Donald and Eddy sing the stage production hit tune "Will Vou Remember?" very effectively. Miss Mac Donald also sings two complete operatic arias and portions of others. PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. A beautiful British actress of the pronounced gold-digging type promptly cuts loose from the man she is going to marry when she is told he has gone broke in "Fight For Your Lady," now at the Palace Theatre. Later it transpires she has been tricked, and what follows furnishes a side-splitting series cif comic complications. Margot Gralianie, John Boles, Ida Lupino, and Jack Oakie have the leading roles. The second attraction "Forbidden Valley," has Noah Beery in the leading role. ; j GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. An 'outstanding double-feature programme ,is showing at the Grand Theatre. The main attraction is "West Point'of the Air,"' Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's thrilling air drama, featuring Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone, Robert Young, and Maureen O'Sullivan. "Sequoia," a new and different out T door animal picture, it the second featura.

TIVOLI THEATRE. "Smilin' Thru'" and "The Squeaker" conclude tonight at the Tivoli Theatre. The uproarious antics of the absurd Marx brothers—Groucho, Harpp, and Chico—together with the admirable supporting work of Maureen O'Sullivan, Allan Jones, Margare.t Dumont, Esther Muir, and others, combine to make "A Day at the Races," which opens tomorrow, one of the most amusing comedies of the year. Such scenes as the Marx brothers literally pasting Esther Muir to the wall behind wallpaper, or giving what must be the most preposterous medical examination ever conceived to Margaret Dumont, will never be forgotten. The love of a Hollywood extra girl and an Italian singer who seeks film fame, is unfolded in "Music for Madame, the musical romance starring Nino Martini and featuring lovely Joan Eontaine, which is the associate feature. This is the third screen musical in which the voice of the world-famous tenor is recorded for music lovers. "Music for Madame" is spiced with musical thrills, comedy, and drama. It is the story of a naive Italian singer who arrives in Hollywood, becomes involved with a pair of questionable characters, and is innocently mixed up in a daring gem robbery. RIVOLI THEATRE. "Captains Courageous" and "Love on the Run" conclude tonight at the Rivoli Theatre. All the beauty, colour, and swashbuckling adventure of the famous Anthony Hope romance come to the screen of the Rivoli Theatre tomorrow when David O. Selznick's magnificent .film production of Prisoner of Zenda" will be shown, with Ronald Colman, Madeleine Carroll, and Douglas Fairbanks, jun., playing the leading roles.. Colman plays the dual role of King Rudolf V and the adventurous Rassendyll in this tale of love and intrigue among the courts of Europe. Miss Carroll plays the beautiful Princess Flavia, and young Fairbanks is seen as the dashing Rupert of Hentzau. Also prominently featured in the cast are Mary Astor. C. Aubrey Smith, Raymond Massey, and David Niven. The 62 sets, ranging from a sentry box to a cathedral, were designed by ■ Lyle Wheeler, the costumes were created by Ernst Dryden, the photography is the work of James Wong Howe, and the musical score was arranged by Alfred Newman. The second attraction will be a surprise picture. CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. Combining the best features of the greatest detective novels of the past, "The Westland Case" is showing at the Capitol Theatre, . Preston Foster is in thexrqle of Detective Crane, mir-acle-working super-sleuth, whose portrayals jn this , type of role have brought him to a high point of popularity .with theatregoers. Ralph Lynn has the main role in the associate retraction,'"All In." This is undoubtedly the best of the Ralph Lynn comedies to date. TONIGHT'S BOXING. Tonight at the Town Hall Billy Hamilton, lightweight champion of Victoria, will meet Clarrie Rayner, of Blenheim, over fifteen three-minute rounds. Rayner said today that he was in fine fettle for his bout and suffering no ill-effects from his recent bout with 'Snowy Clark. ' Rayner admitted that Clark was just about the toughest proposition he had met, but it is generally admitted that over much of the bout Rayner had been more than holding his own. To last eleven rounds with a brilliant boxer like Clark was no mean performance: There will any amount of torrid fighting,. particularly on the part of the hard-hitting Hamilton, and when ring science is called for, Rayner will shine The amateur preliminaries will provide very pleasing entertainment as the amateurs in Wellington this year have shown a high degree of boxing skill. One that should be exSfonally good is the scheduled fourround bout between Jackie Parker, Wellington and New Zealand bantamweight champion, and representee Tt the Empire Games, and Joe Hansen, one of attractive of local amateurs. Other prominent local boys will be seen in action in the other preliminaries. Particulars are advertised. WRESTLING THRILLS. What shoulfl prove one of the most attractive wrestling bouts o* the local season will be provided at the Wellingon Town Halfon Monday nighwhen •'Cowboy" Pat Fraley will. meet Lofty Blomfiefd. The match -a> to the nature of a return encounter, for a few weeks ago much to the surprise of fans Frlfey beat Blomfleld. Fraley has since catrfed everything Vr% it remains to be seen whether a vefy determined check hi* winning way. It will be a hectic wrestling all me way. Both men are as tough as tney make them, and Fraley is £ P larly powerful specimen. There is no doubt that these two are among the Particulars are advertised. _