CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 125, 30 May 1938, Page 4

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE: j Grace Moore became a notable figure in the film world because of her sing-1 o ing; and it is a fortunate circumstance C that, though she has climbed-the dizzy c peaks of popularity since "One Night p of Love," singing' remains .a notable a feature of her pictures. Her latest P production, "I'll Take Romance," now n at the Regent Theatre, 1 "is one of her ti most notable contributions -. to the t' opera-film form. ,T{ie story deals with a the attempts Guthrie (Melvyn H Douglas), iagent. 'of the BUeinos Aires tl opera, to' pervade Elsa Terry to fulfil g her contract-• obligations, obligations h she had decided to renounce? by sing- ii ing. at.Paris. But Guthrie's .task,be- tl comes' when iElsa's .guardiah fi refuses •to countenance ■ the 1 Buenos S Aires proposition. .A, spuripus inter- n view," in which- he; • impersonates atc famous French-critic;;'sets the ball foil- d ing. From there it Bathers force., But 1' for once romance stands in the path e of duty. And only a kidnapping, of |j which Elsa is pretty well informed the 1 while, persuades her to go to Buenos l r Aires. There, there are more kidnap- J: pings. But the hearty hand of Stuart 2 Erwin, Guthrie's' aide in the field of kidnapping, has effect.

MAJESTIC THEATRE. Audiences who enjpy plenty of ac- i tion in their mystery pictures are/in 1 for an exciting evening when they see i "Arsene Lupin Re turns,'' which is showing sit the Majestic Theatre; with Melvyn Douglas, Virginia Bruce, and Warren William in featured roles. A • love triangle, with Virginia Bruce as the beautiful feminine ■ 'attraction for Melvyn Douglas and Warren William, 1 provides interludes of romance in the exciting plot. The story, vibrant with action and surprisesituations, 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 rapid-fire portrayal as a super G-man who turns to private detective de Grissac 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 in attempts to steal the jewel. ST. JAMES THEATRE. T*he day of the "western" is not over, but the Wild" West picture of today is very different from the old-timers. "The Bad Man of Brimstone," at the St. James Theatre 1 ; with Wallace Beery as the xentral .character, in one of the finest roles he i has ever- played,' is thenew western. It is not simply a story of-western sensationalism, though there is !i plenty of sensation in it, but sums up the history of many, a town, and cfty of the further States after the American 'civil war and the rush to find new land*.and an end to turmoil. Law did not exlst, except the law of the gun and the rule of the, strongest, and in Brimstone Trigger Bill (Wallace Beery) was both. Into Brimstone comes Dennis O'Keefe, as a champion boxer, bUt the fights he gets are not fist fights. He is robbed by Trigger Bill and in a curious manner the bad man learns that' the• newcomer is his own son. ,He is ashamed to admit it, and, to the amazement of the rest of his gang not only declines to shoot him up, but protects him'from the rest. Paramount theatre. Dealnna Durbin. was practically unknown until the original screening of the now famous "Three Smart Girls, and so great was the popularity of the- film that public demand has brought it back for another season at the. Paramount Theatre. With such well-known songs as "Someone to Care for Me," Dearina has made herself one of the most popular figures on the screen'. The story deals with the efforts of three sisters, living with their mother in Switzerland, to bring about a reunion of their father living in New York, and their mother. The father, Charles Winhinger, is almost enmeshed in the clutches of a "gold digger" when the girls arrive in New York. After a. series Of delightful incidents, in which the two older sisters, Barbara ReadancTNanGray, fall in love with fßafe Milland and John King respectively, the father and mother are reunited.- Binme Barnes portrays the "gold digger with Alice Brady as her mercenary-minded mother. KING'S THEATRE. An R.K.O.,,double-feature programme is showing ■ at the King s Theatre, and .it comprises entertainment of a thrilling character. 'Double Danger," ' which features Preston Foster and Whitney Bourne, is a "gang"picture of an unusual type, dealing - with "the,. adventures of two pairs of crooks who are noted jewel thieves. The'methods of the pair? dUTe*: one pair,are straight-out thieves, but the other, pfeir hide their identity, one of the pair being the author of crime stories, and the other being his valet. The famous. Konger diamonds are stolen by one .pair, who are in turn robbed by , the other, and then the . Commissioner of Police invites both pairs of thieves to his home for the weekend, and sets _ a trap. The second feature, "Night Spot," is , a ,gangster picture, which runs true to type. There \fs a night club, a beautiful-dancer: who falls in love with the detective* who joins the club orchestra 'to' side information, and an exciting finish. It features Parkyakarkus, Allan Lane, Gordon Jones, and Joan bury. ' ' ROXY THEATRE. "Some Blondes are Dangerous," a story of the prize ring, with Noali Beery, jun., and William Gargan, is showing at the Roxjr Theatre. Th l * story gives a little-known viewpoinl of the trials and temptatior that surrounds these knights o: the padded hands who tisetofamt and fortune from obscurity, enjoy then few brief moments of popularity anc then fade away into oblivion again Joe E. Brown reaches new heights o: hilarity in "Fit for a King," the second feature. STATE THEATRE, FETONE. If he lived, this daring British secre agent sitting with the German higl command in the uniform of a Prussiai Lancer could strike a deadlier blov than a million marching men. If h< succeeded, it meant heartbreak; if h failed, the firing squad. Cbaractei ised by a realism that ; makes it th most intriguing spy story ever screen ed, "Lancer Spy" is showing at th State Theatre, with Dolores Del Ri< George Sanders, and Peter Lorr featured. / GRAND theatre, PEIONS. The most stirring colour photograph that has reached the screen so fa: combined with the efforts'of a brilliar cast, makes "Ebb Tide," the first set picture ever filmed in Technicolou which is showing at the Gran Theatre, a truly exciting filn Taken from a story -by Robe: Louis Stevenson and Lloyd' Osbor: the film is played by Oscar Horn oik Frances Farmer, Ray Milland, Lloy Noland, and Barry Fitzgerald. Tr story has to do with a derelict, Millan who falls in love with the daughter i a dead sea captain of an ill-fate voyage in the South Pacific. PALACE THEATRE, PETONELew Ayres' and Louise Campbe form a new romantic team in Par mount's "Scandal Street," which showing at the Palace Theatre, is a story of small-town life, which the charm and beauty a young girl cause the women .. the neighbourhood to wage , a w of gossip' against ■ her, ; until she actually accused of a mysteno murder. The associate attraction "Partners of the Plains,' starring W liam Boyd, another of Clarence E. Mi ford's Hopalong Cassidy sens Humour, thrills, and romance are a mirably blended in this unusually -goi "western."

cm AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

PLAZA THEATRE;

A rollicking story of the adventures ed of a bold Venetian traveller at the L 1 Court of Kublai Khan, Emperor of on China, is "The Adventures of Marco An) Polo," no\V showing at the Plaza 1 he- pla; atre.lt is seven centuries since Marco y ol] ; Polo, aptly described as the first, com- j n g mercial traveller, set out from his na- neil tive Venice ,to negotiate treaties be- Ast tween his own great trading nations sey and the mighty empires of the tast. fea It took him three years of hard travel, eac : through unknown difficulties and dangers. before he was able to , present i his letter to the 'Emperor at his Court . in Kambalu, Peiping., He remained in • the Khan's service for 17 years, and buc finally left as l his ambassador to\ the An ; Shah of Persia. The life ot .such a scr ■ man* needs little false colour, Da i to it.'Playing the title role, Gary Cooper prc . dominates the picture as a. happy"S°" Zei lucky adventurer whose shrewd West- ma ; ern brain makes him invaluable among j ' the scheming Court officers of P el P ! ng- roll ; xhe story also tells of a romance be- Kir I tween the adventurer and Kogatin, a Ra , ' Circassian-Tartar princess who c is pro- trif " mised in marriage to the Shah ot : Persia. ' ces L see DE LUXE THEATRE. " , _ Working under intolerable hardships - ih a. fever-infested tropical jungle, a i heroic-scientist finds his efforts to save » coiintless thousands of human lives j i thwarted by the death of a smgle i - th£ i dividual. What is he to do? I Shall an( I he meekly bow down before the con k ventional standards of ri Sht andwrong scr 5 and thereby abandon suffering men fl]n r and women to their a Sony - Or shall an( . he defy man-made laws and the taboos an( ; of human society-; for the-benefit of ser i tortured humanity? This human bg( s dilemma is the theme of fllr r versal picture, jhe_ Crime of Doctor doi r Hallet,' which is ■ showing at the IJe ac j ( r Luxe Theatre. The strong cast includes of i Ralph Bellamy,' Josephine Hutchinson, M ! Barbara Head, William Gargan and tr£ • John King. John "Boles, Lull Deste, lac 3 and Frances Drake in toe soghis- cel ticated, temperamental comedy, bhe Ch 1 Married an. Artist,!' which is the sec for 2 ond attraction.; wi: •':- inc l '-STATE-THEATRE. _ tic ! > - : 2sj^ugh•••the? : genius .of. ;David O. a ( ; Selzniclc arid«'the inagic of technicol- fai " famous characters ■step from tlie pages of his immortal . 'story and-:on ib the jicreen in The Ad- ; (ventures , of: Tom Sawyer, which is : showing for a further week at the s t a 3 State Theatre, In spite of the occa- Ev ; sional and decently obscure touches gri o. Selznick has given to the story, and in s to »< spite of the necessary 'deletion of well- ass r remembered incidents worthwhile in m j a novel form only for their exposition tei s of a character, Hollywood for once has th< i treated a good story with respect. Ana lo e from the respect emerges a film of op 0 remarkable dramatic strength, even tw [ performing for the films that difficult e feat of delineating the "characters of sit 1 the-players. ■' As Vthiiai' heart-warming g r e drama unfolds,, on'-the screen,, audi- da s erices will -alternately; chuckle, at the tu adventures and escapades of the irre- P 1 :t pressible Tom and his cronies; laugh at [1 the pranks that plagued Aunt Molly n and the neighbours; thrill to the drama n of Injun Joe and Muff Potter; and glow 1 with the young romance of- Tom. and p £ s Becky Thatcher. Tom Sawyer was pi: 0 re-created by Tommy Kelly, who was wi chosen out Of 25,000 aspirants for the: "L role, . » ch i- REX THEATRE. ' ,' " John Barrymore, Lynne Overman, no if Louise , Campbell, Charles .Bickford, m is Evelyn Brent, and J y . Carrol Nash it form the cast 'of Paramount's new h murder mystery, "Night Club Scandal, If e which is showing at the Rex Theatre, f" e The story is that of a doctor who at- j" e tempts a scientific murder, only to be t s outdone by a plodding detective and cc ir a clever reporter. Hopalong Cassidy m j> and his pajs, Lucky and Windy, join A . | the army in Paramount's new Hopalong at l f picture, "Texas Trail," the-second fea--5t ture. "Texas Trail," one of the most exciting films of the series, deals'with 1 the Spanish-American War period, Ji; when Cassidy is commissioned by the ei y army to round;up'a huge herd of wild is ,a horses. . ■ tfc Id < • ' • G TUDOR THEATRE. id David 0. Selznick, outstanding pro- ' ducer of successful pictures, has achieved another big hit with. "Nothing Sacred," starring Carole Lombard and Fredric March, which is showing at the Tudor Theatre. "Nothing Sacred" E's i s a hilarious dramatisation of r ti- life in New York City, just as Selz- 1 le nick's previous flirty "A Star is Born," m dramatised life in Hollywood so suca cessfully. The second feature will be - >e, "That I May Live," with Kochelle of Hudson and Robert Kent. ?d ■ — ut •"■ : ' KILBIRNIE KiNEMAi : ' o :ir ; "The Barrier" and "Night Must Fall" t< tie qonclude • tonight .- at thei Kilbirnie I er Kinema, Alice Faye-delivers whatsis , er doubt the finest picture of her career ■ ao in "You're a"'Sweetheart/' which- opens ]•{ nd tomorrow. Her, acting, and her ..dants- il n- ijig?starid'dyt even in the:brilliant,per* j rie formances of the exceptional' cast j :-a- ; \lrbich surrounds her. Miss Faye never - ht was. more beautiful and she never was a ch so well photographed. - The film s is lishes.a smart atmosphere and a quick i ho pace from the very opening>and keeps d it mounting steadily in tempo to the „ in. very finish. Packed with-action and 3 ui- hilarious sequences, George Formby's i an latest film,'.' Keep Fit," is the second t jd- attraction. , c JEMPDIE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. s Warren William comes to the screen £ a in a. strong characterisation in Para- 1 ah mount's "Outcast," a story of mob fury, i is which is ■ showing at the Empire < tiis Theatre. Although he is acquitted of j int a murder charge, William, a physician, , on i$ hounded from city to city by a t of women who believes, him 'guilty and me who swore vengeance upon him. ;When eir she realises his innocence and her lbve J nd for him she is unable'to stop the fury; in. of a mob she had incited against him. ' of "The Great Gambini," the:, second atec- traction, which features Akim Tami- ' rofl in the title role,:"is. primarily a < thrill-packed mystefy. : J re; REGAL THEATRE, KARORI. ] igh The eternal question of whether a , ian criminal lawyer should defend and, at- ( ow tempt to clear a murderer although he he definitely knows he is guilty, is! brought. • he forward again as an integral part of fpr- the plot of Columbia's "Counsel for th P Crime," now at the Regal Theatre. Otto : Kruger, Douglass Montgomery, and. tl i p Jacqueline Wells are featured. Modern 3j o crime detection is shown in 'Forty ; r ' Naughty Girls," the second attraction, depicting the adventures of Police Inspector Oscar Piper and' his assistant Hildegarde Withers. James Gleason and Zasu Pitts are in the leading roles, phy •. . ant '■ CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. se a- Starring popular Alice Faye, and -,ur, with a supporting cast of entertainers and from screen and radio, and with ilm. dances, music, and specialties, You re aert a Sweetheart" is showing at the Capi-:-am tol Theatre. Included in the glittering Ilea' cast are George Murphy, the screens o-yd latest rage as a singing and dancing The star. With the shrewd amiability that Jm l, has won him a preferred niche in the r of hearts of detective story readers and ited movie fans, Nero Wolfe (Walter Connolly) again solves a complicated crime in "The League of Frightened Men, which is the second feature. k e " SEASIDE THEATRE LYALL BAt. is "Night Must Fall," now at the SeaIt side Theatre, is not a mystery story. | in On the contrary, the audience knows of in advance that it is watching the of criminal, even before he conceives his war next act of violence. The result is e is fascinating and remarkably effective, ious "It Happened in Hollywood," starring is Richard Dix and Fay Wray, is the secWil- ond feature. As the title implies, the yiul- story takes place in Hollywood, the ries. famous home of motion pictures, and ad- deals with the predicament many stars »ood found themselves in .with the advent of ° sound.

TIVOLI THEATRE. All the beauty, colour, and swashbuckling adventure of the famous Anthony Hope romance has been reproduced in "The Prizoner of Zenda, which is showing at the Tivoli Theatre, 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, which John Cromwell directed from a screenplay which John L. Balderston and Wells Root based on Edward Rose's dramatisation of the Anthony Hope novel. 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. Selected short features will be shown iiem 7 to 8.45 each evening.

RIVOLI THEATRE. All the beauty, colour, and swashbuckling adventure of the famous Anthony Hope romance come to the screen of the Rivoli Theatre where David O. Selznick's magnificent film production of "The Prisoner of, Zenda" is showing, 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# The second attraction is a surprise picture.

NEW OPERA HOUSE. Mr. and Mrs. Ifick Charles, or to use j their famous names, William Powell and Myrna Loy, make a welcome reappearance in "The Thin Man, now screening at the Opera House. The film is the one that made theni famous and created the most entertaining man and wife combination ever to be sented on the screen. The picture has been acclaimed as the finest detective film ever to be shown, and it is undoubtedly thrilling. However, what adds to its merit is the brilliant acting of a large and talented cast. Mr. and Mrs. Charles, very much in love,.but treating each other with a delightful lack of respect, are flung into the centre of a series of murders. Mr. Charles, an ex-detective, is practically forced to take up the case by his wife, and after a thrilling series of incidents he brings the criminal to justice in a most original /way. He arranges that all the suspects meet at a dinner party at which his wife is a faithful but resigned hostess.

OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. The comedy thriller, "Espionage," starring Edmund Lowe and Madge Evans, heads the double-feature pro-] gramme showing at Our Theatre. The story - describes a girl reporter who is assigned to trace a munitions-making millionaire, and on the train, encounters a man on the same mission, , although she is unaware of it. Played by Lowe, this man is a star reporter on an opposition paper. Accordingly, as the two of them adroitly manoeuvre-to get the story, they fall rapidly in love. The situation is amusing, and as it progresses the story flings the stars into dangerous action and thrilling adventure. The nautical drama, "Devils Playground," is the associate feature.

TONIGHT'S WRESTLING. > At the-Wellington Town Hall tonight Pat Fraley, who is almost as accomplished a singer as he is a wrestler, will have his return engagement with "Lofty" Blomfield, the New Zealand champion, and the'certainty of seeing a match "right out of the box will draV followers of the sport to the hall in full force. There has probably been no more thrilling encounter in the Dominion than the one m which Fraley gained a points decision over Blom-. field at Auckland a few weeks ago, and' the controversy which has been waged since then gives tonight's bout prime importance, particularly to the contestants, who will wrestle more keenly than ever. Both'men are in flrst-class condition-and ready-to see through the most .fetuellinp bout right to the finish. Amateur preliminaries will commence at 8 o'clock.

— SKATING. There ■ are thrills and exhilarating exercise' associated with skating "*at is hot.found in any .other sport, and the excellent facilities available at the Golden: Gate Rink, Winter Show Buildi ingj niake this the favourite spot for skaters. ■■■■ / '