CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 149, 27 June 1938, Page 4

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

T . REGENT THEATRE. A 'bright,'.witty comedy in the ne tradition is "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife starring Gary. Cooper - and Claudet Colbert, • now showing at the Regei Theatre. It is one of the best filn of its typo to be released to date, ar the type is that which has most appe to the Wellington public. The stoj is. that Of a young American mi lionaire, Michael Brandon, who, du ing a holiday in the French Rh era, still manages to keep on with tl business of making money on the Ne York stock market. Complications s in when he meets Nicole de Loisell the beautiful daughter of a rather u . scrupulous French nobleman. Unfo tunately, and with rather an inspirir show ot inexperience, he adopts e almost purely business angle in h attempts to make Nicole the eighl Mrs. Brandon. The girl herself taki a hand, with the result that the gre; Brandon is found for the first tin with a defeat hi a business deal. _Thepartof Brandon is played t Gary Cooper with the same delightft serious-faced drollery which characte ised "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town," ST. JAMES THEATRE. One of the best British comedies ' date, "I See Ice,'' starring the happy-g lucky George Formby, is showing fi a second week; at the St. James Theatr Supporting ,the comedian is Ka Walshe, the- attractive heroine, an many others. Formby is a counti photographer's assistant, with amt tions of joining a London newspapi as a cameraman. When he a rives sit. London by accident 1 runs foul ,of the police. Then con mences a wild chase through Londoi Everywhere George goes, - he. hounded .by a.' policeman. E succeeds, in gaining temporary r spite by masquerading as a woman, an he brings his trick , camera, conceale in his. ;bow:< tie,- into action 1 obtain [some important photograph By giving 'these to a big .newspapt he is engaged to photograph ah impor ant ice hockey match which no phi tographer. is allowed to attend. . screamingly funny climax is reache when George becomes confused as referee , and is compelled to control tl game. .. • ■ MAJESTIC THEATRE. When v Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ai nounced its intention of producing i England: pictures comparable to an made in Hollywood, and using its to ' ranking stars, both England an America eagerly:looked forward to th result. "A Yank, at Oxford," now i the Majestic; Theatre, the first of th M.G.M. 'British-made production more than fulfils the promise. A h< man, athletic characterisation on th part of Robert Taylor, rounded an convincing performances by Liom Barrymore and Maureen O'Sullivai and fine contributions by a group c outstanding British players, make th film memorable. Particularly to b noted are Vivien Leigh as the "othe girl," Griffith Jones as Taylor's undei graduate enemy, Edmund Gwenn £ the Oxford -Dean, C. V. France as th tutor, and Edward Rigby as Taylor "scout." The consistently fast tempo c the film, its comedy, its thrilling ath letic sequences, are all attributable t the guiding hand of the director, Jac Conway. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. "Her Jungle Love," the technicolou film which is now at the Paramour Theatre, is rather misleading in titl< The name suggests a film of the Tarza variety with a jungle setting, but acti ally it has been cast against the mor placid background of a South Se island. Dorothy Lamour is adrnirabl as Turo, who. ..pursues a . strange an lonesome existence on the island ur til into her life comes two Amer can aviators,; Bob Mitchell (Ra Milland) and Tiis co-pilot Johnn Wallace (Lynne Overman), who stag a spectacular crash amid the 'Islan palms. The not' Unhappy thoug unconventional life of the three is ai •rested hy the arrival of a fleet of nativ canoes from a neighbouring island bringing with them as captive anothe missing aviator. There is any amour of action in the scenes that follow, ani one of the most striking is the sadriflc to .the sacred crocodile of the native! captive, a fate incidentally averte wfth no little difficulty by Mitchell am Wallace. KING'S THEATRE. The mysterious beauty and fascine tion of the South Sea Islands forms th background for Bobby Breen's late; production "Hawaii Calls," which i now showing at'the King's Theatr* As in all his other films, Bobby's voic is given full scope. He plays the pai of an orphan who "stows away with Hawaiian boy on board an ocean line at San Francisco;-.- After eludin authority for practically the whol voyage to Hawaii they are compelle to jump overboard at: Hawaii and see respite in the neighbouring isle c Maui. Here in the course of an idylli existence the boys reveal a greE espionage plot. The hilarious exploit of, a carefree but debonair young mar who is employed by .a newspaper, t be sacked several times a day as stunt when complaints are receive fr6m the public, are depicted in the ai sociate feature, "Too Many Wives." Th stellar roles are taken by Ann Shi: ley and John Morley. NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. The magic of the motion pictur camera brings back to life some c the most stirring and coltiurful day in history in Paramount's "Well Fargo,' a romance with Joel McCre and Frances Deej which -is showin at the New Princess Theatre. Th romance is built around the family foi tunes of McCrea and Miss Dee, pioneer Western family, fromthe.tim ol the first pony express rider carrie his bag of precious mail out of S Louis for the remote, mining camps c the high Sierras, and ends with th close of the war between the State: The associate feature is Metro-Golc wyn-Mayer's "Exclusive Story," stai ring Franchot Tone and Madge Evan; EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY, When a well-known doctor murdei his wife and plants clues to implicaf his rival for her affections, he stirs u a cyclone of troubles in the police d< partment and newspapers. John Ba rymore is the doctor, and Harvey St< phens is the man he plans to take th blame for his crime, in Paramount "Night Club Scandal," now at the En pire Theatre. Crash of leather, flasl ing fists, and straining bodies are ii terwoven with an enthrallingly huma story of the rise and- fall of a chan pion boxer, which is unrolled in "Sorr Blondes Are Dangerous," the secon feature. REGAL THEATRE, KARORI. It was the young engineer's idea 1 build a dam. But the girl, who mai aged a fashionable salmon fishing clu on the north woods river, had a di ferent idea. She fought back wit every force at her command. Startir with this situation, Kent Taylor, ; the engineer, and Irene Hervey, as tl girl, are catapulted into a captivatir comedy drama, "The Lady Figh Back," now at the Regal Theatr Columbia's "Twpped by G-Men," sta ring Jack Holt, is the second featur a thrilling drama of America's la enforcement agency's battle with pur lie enemies. ' OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. ''One Mile From Heaven" is the ma attraction at Our Theatre. It tells tl human story of two mothers fightir desperately for the same child. Dr matically it presents the question who has the greater right—the oi who brought the little girl into tl world, but thought her dead in a fat ful car crash, and who, after sever found her hopes renewed, or tl one who nursed the child back health, nurtured and guarded her, at came to love her as her own. Clai: Trevor, Sally Blane. and Bill Hobi son have the chief'roles. The mystei drama, "Killer at Large." starrii Mary Brian and Russell Hardic, is tl second attraction.

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

PLAZA THEATRE. !W '-'The Divorce of Lady X," nc 3," screening at the Plaza Theatre, pi .te vides not only a large number of c nt lightfully funny incidents, but giv ns the star, Merle Oberon, another chan id to show her fine acting ability. :al addition to it being a very neat sto: ry it is in technicoluor. Miss Oberon e il- acts the role of Leslie, a charr; ir- ing, attractive, but decidedly se n- willed young debutante, who le obliged to remain in a hotel owii w to an impenetrable fog. Accomm et dation at the hotel is taxed to cap e, city, but Leslie, determined to secu: n- a bed for the night, slinks into the be ir- room of the young barrister, Laureni ig Olivier, and within a remarkably she in space of time she has secured posse is sion of his bedroom, bed, and pyjani; :h With the air of a martyr he retires • 2S an adjoining room. In the early hou at of the following morning Leslie, sti le clad in the young gentleman's pyj mas, departs, and explanations ai iy sought by an irate grandfather whe il, she arrives home in this garb, Inc r- dentally, she leaves the hotel withoi disclosing her identity, and, of cours this leaves the way open for a seri( of even more delightful episodes. to o- DE LUXE THEATRE. )r Those who appreciate action and e: e - citement in their film entertainmei ¥ have but to go to the De Luxe Theati " and see the current programme to g< 7 all they can reasonably want. Gen Autry, the singing cowboy, is starre in "Red River Valley," which is som< l *" thing superior to the ordinary cowbo f run of films. . Advantage has bee J* taken of. that stupendous engineerin ?• work, the BouMer Dam on the Cole rado River, to provide a unique bach f ground, and the construction and coir :f pletion of this dam plays a prominer: ? part in a rousing story wherein Ari „ zona and Californian ranchers fide an , shoot and make love with- an abando that quickens the pulse. Gene Autr; f is given full opportunity for exercis ing his vocal talent and he does so ver; " effectively. Another popular screei j hero, Jack Holt, "appears in "Unde 3 Suspicion," which is also a picture re | plete with action and excitement. STATE THEATRE. Three popular players, Lorett; . Young, Warner Baxter, and Virginii i Bruce have the leading roles in "Wife f Doctor, and Nurse," a cleverly devisei 3 drama which is now showing at thi j State Theatre. Warner Baxter, a pro , minent doctor, marries one of hi: I pretty patients (Loretta Young), ; , bright society girl. All goes well unti " the young wife becomes suspicious o; ' the doctor's beautiful nurse (Virgini; » Bruce), who, she believes, is in lov< ( with her husband. Miss Bruce deniei 1 this but at the same time realises hei strong attachment to the young man p She tells the doctor of her love foi , him and leaves his employ. She ha; ; become indispensable to him, however ; and her absence causes a great chang< in him. Loretta notices this, and trie: \ to make a workable arrangement foi , the trio, and eventually Miss Bruc< ; returns to the doctor. Things do nol P work to plan, but after many unusual complications all ends well. REX THEATRE. The Marx Brothers furnish the fun and three singing favourites of the Broadway stage, Kitty Carlisle, Allan 1 Jones, and' Walter King, furnish the songs in "A Night at the Opera," which is* showing at the Rex Theatre. Previewed on the stage to test original comedy situations before a single scene was filmed, the new comedy is the most ambitious and riotously funny of any produced by the Marx brothers. Chills, thrills; surprises, fast-paced drama, and plenty .. of heart interest make a first-rate-screen mystery thriller of Uni"The Black Doll," which is the - supporting feature. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. "Way Out .West" and "Daughter of Shanghai" conclude tonight at the Kilbirnie Kinema. "Danger—Love at Work," starring Ann Sothern, Jack Haley, Mary Boland, and Edward Everett Horton, commences tomorrow. Aided and abetted by a merry comedy cast the film bursts forth with brand-new ideas in laughing and loving. "Oh, Mr. Porter," the second feature, with Will Hay, abounds in rich, spontaneous humour and moves in lightning tempo through side-split-ting situations and uproarious cpmplications to a magnificent climax. ROXY THEATRE. Something new in. the way of a feminine character on the screen is showii in- "Smart Blonde," a mystery-comedy-drama starring Glenda Farrell, which is showing at the Roxy Theatre. "Torchy Blane"; is the new character. The picture is primarily a murder mystery, yet it has plenty of laughs, ; and occasional ■ songs and dances. Entertainment of a "different" sort is provided in "Living on Love," the second feature. CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. Laurel and Hardy go wild and wodlly in their first Western, "Way Out West," which is now at the Capitol Theatre. As tenderfoot desert prospectors going to town for a good deed in delivering a deed of a gold mine to the daughter of a dead miner, Laurel and Hardy commit so many misdeeds that it was surprising, indeed, that they were not shot. Mystery, action, and romance are blended in "Daughter of Shanghai," Paramount's romance-based on the alien smuggling racket, which is the associate film. The title role is played by Anna May Wong. , SEASIDE THEATRE, LYALL BAY. "Ebb Tide," a drama of a madman's Jolly, of a woman's courage, a courage strong enough to raise three pieces of human driftwood caught in the ebb tide of the Seven Seas to the height of heroes, is showing at the Seaside Theatre. It is a drama so elemental in its force, so primitive in its passion that only natural-cplour photography can bring in its raw, thrilling splen- j dour across the screen. Unique in a number of ways, "Arizona Raiders," j the second feature, presents its thrills in double-barrelled doses.

PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. "Polo Joe," starring Joe E. Brown, is the main attraction at the Palace Theatre. Joe plays the role of Joe Polton, an American youth, who, after several years in China, returns home with a solemn-visaged valet—and an unbounded supply of tall tales. He returns to the arms of his adoring, gushing, and disgustinglyrich Aunt Minnie—who is a member of an extremely swarjky polo-playing colony. The second attraction. "Danger Patrol" is a story of the oil fields. It stars John Beal, Sally Eilers, and Harry Carey. STATE THEATEE, PETONE. One of the most riotorious scandals in modern'history supplies the motivation for the second great Warner Bros. 1 picture within a year, based upon the life of a famous Frenchman. The piclure is "The Life of Emiie Zola." starring Paul Muni, which is showing at the State Theatre. The scandal is that surrounding the conviction and im[prisonment of Captain Alfred Dreyfus |on Devil's Island, on a trumped-up chargc that he had sold important army I secrets to Germany. I GRAND TIIEATRE, PETONE. "Dead End," Samuel Goldwyn's film production based on the Broadway stage hit by Sidney Kingsley, is showing at the Grand Theatre, with Sylvia Sidney and Joel McCrea in the starring roles. This powerful drama of a day in Ihe lives of a handful of humans who inhabit a "dead end" city street, where |

fashionable apartments rub elbows with the squalid tenements of the waterfront, which set records in its Broadway run and was cheered throughout America, reaches even higher heights in the film version.

: TIVOLI THEATRE. ' "The Story of Louis Pasteur" and "Bulldog Drummond Comes Back'' conclude tonight at the Tivoli Theatre. 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 business was betrayal, with the opportunity to strike the deadliest blow of the Great War if he lived, is the theme of "Lancer Spy," which, opens tomorrow with Dolores Jw Del Rio, George Sanders, and Peter ro- Lorre. Revealing with jolting realism le - an untold chapter of the World War, 'es "Lancer Spy" is brought to vivia life ce by the acting discovery of the year, In George Sanders. With Marion Davies ry and Robert Montgomery as co-stars, :l1 " and a supporting cast that includes S 1 " such popular comedians as Frank Mcif- Hugh, Patsy Kelly, Louise Fazenda, is and Allen Jenkins, the Warner Bros, ng Cosmopolitan comedy Ever oince l 0" Eve" is the second attraction, it is )a " described as the sprightliest piece of re nonsense that either the lovely goldenhaired Miss Davies or handsome Robert ce Montgomery has ever played in. jrt ;s " RIVOH THEATRE. to In "Wells Fargo," now at the Rivoli rs Theatre, the director found an assignill ment particularly adapted to his a- talents. The story is concerned in the re main with the necessity which arose in the American West for dependable n- transportation service across the conut tinent to California, to carry the mails ;e and news to the scattered wildcat es towns on the frontier, and to return to the East with gold and silver. How this need was filled by the enterprising firm of Wells Fargo and Company forms the bipkground of the picture. Laid, against this background, which nt covers the period of 1844 to 1870, is PP the beautiful romance of Joel McpT Crea, a young man with farsighted vision who is one of the trail breakers, and his wife, Frances Dee, who loves „ him but fails to understand his dreams. f~ The fortunes of this pair are traced ;•* from the time when they are married, at the, outset of the picture, until they * are reconciled after the war between 3 " the States had' come between them. , Walter Wanger's musical comedy '52nd Street" is the second feature. d NEW OPERA HOUSE. ' n Franchot Tone's popularity' as an y actor has arisen from his starring in s " many fine pictures. One of his finest, y giving him great opportunities to den monstrate his technique, was "The Un!r guarded Hour," which has been reissued and which is showing at the New Opera House. Dealing with ;the predicament of a brilliant criminal , lawyer who finds that his wife - is the chief witness in a case where : ~ he has pressed for conviction on ( , circumstantinal evidence' alone, Tone . %' gives a polished display. More- ' over, he himself becomes implicat- , e ed in a crime and circumstantial " evidence against him mounts more and , ? more. For a time, his wife, his home, ( , and everything closest to him become ( i endangered, and the dramatic sus-. 1 pense of the picture is admirably man- ® aged. Loretta Young is convincingly e good as his wife, and Lewis Stone „ ® and Roland Young are two supporting 1 players who contribute greatly to the . j picture. . J * BOXING ON THURSDAY. B A wealth of boxing entertainment 8 s will be provided at the Wellington I r Town Hall on Thursday evening when £ f the Wellington Association will stage " | another tournament. The main bout j. 1 will be between Billy Hamilton, light- " weight champion of Victoria, and \ Dommy Ganzon, of the Philippine j Islands, and there will be two other g professional bouts, between Brian Mc- j, J Kay, of Hawke's Bay, and Tommy j ; Hansen, of Wellington, and JoeHHa- g J sen and Norm. Tanner, two Wellington .. j boys making their professional debut, g . The main-bout should be a thrilling en- n I counter between two of the highest- n . class lightweights in the Dominion at ; the present time. Ganzon has been in ' the local ring and his cleverness was amazing. That he packs a terrific ( j punch was proved when he knocked (, . Hamilton out "in the sixth round of <•' . their earlier match at Christchurch. ; Hamilton is in better form now and ( is confident that he can win. The other , two professional bouts should provide r entertainment well above the ordinary. The Hansen boys are well known 9 locally and a lot has been heard of E ■ Brian McKay; There will also be six amateur preliminaries. Particulars are I advertised. WRESTLING TONIGHT. ; Pat Fraley, of Nebraiska, and Dick 1 Raines, of Texas, who gave a thrilling wrestling display at the Town Hall 4 ; last week, will have a return match _ : in the same ring tonight. Fraley is ( ' determined to reverse the decision rgiven- against him last week, but t Raines is confident he can win again, so ■» everything points to an outstanding □ bout. Both are matmen well above the ordinary and in* addition to presenting the public with fast and skilful wrestling,' they can also indulge in rugged touches' which have their appeal. Raines last week seemed to find the answer to most of Fraley's holds but it would not be surprising if Fraley kept something ■up his sleeve a , for tonignt. There will be the usual attractive array of amateur pre- a liminaries. b — ai ; RED CROSS MEETING. C Residents of Karori are reminded of b; a meeting to be held in the Methodist Schoolroom, Main Road, Karori, on g Wednesday, at 8 p.m;, for the purpose 21 6f setting up in the district a branch 1( of the Red Cross Society. For some 2< time past instruction in home nursing, y, under the society's auspices, has been 0 in progress in Karori with very satis- sc factory results, and the move to pro- j/ perly constitute a branch is in pursu- g ance of the society's policy to have a g network of the organisation ready for e immediate action should emergency j; arise. Members of the Wellington exe- jyj cutive will attend the meeting and D speak on the society's aims and ob- fil jects. Uh