CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 88, 15 April 1939, Page 14

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. i"lf I Were King," the latest and probably the best dramatic version of the story 'of France's hero-vagabond poet, Francois Villon, is continuing to draw large audiences at the Regent Theatre. Francois Villon is played by Honald Colman and one could not imagine a better man in the role. Basil Rathbone's representation of the crafty King Louis is one of the finest pieces of character acting ■ yet seen on. the talking picture stage. When the king in disguise visits a disreputable .cafe in the "Court of Miracles," famous centre of the slums of Paris, he hears the vagabond poet boast what he would do if he were king, and a royal whim gives Villon a chance to make good his boast. He is made Grand Constable of France for one week -at the end of which he is instructed to hang the villain, Francois Villon. Meantime a beautiful ■woman, the Lady •Katherine (Frances Dee), has captured Villon's heart. The temporarily ennobled poet gains a royal pardon by successfully leading the rabble of Paris against' the Burgundians who, have long" besieged the city, and a colourful and- romantic story thus has an appropriate ending. ■ ; MAJESTIC! THEATRE. ;..,A new Jeanette Mac Donald and Nelson Eddy and a new warmth, colour, and comedy spirit in musicals makes itself manifest in- ."Sweethearts," fifth -; co-starring musical of the. famous sing- , ing team, which is.showing for an ex- ~- tended season at the Majestic Theatre. Technicolor has given both singers a more vivid personality. In "Sweethearts"'Miss Mac Donald and Eddy portray two Broadway ■ musical comedy stars who are husband and wife in private life. Their • quarrels, temperamental outbursts,, and jealousles, together with, their joint attempt to outwit a producer who wants to prevent them from accepting an Offer from Hollywood, make for a comedy which is rich in laughter andv at the sam€ time replete with beautiful and original song and dance presentations. ST. JAMES THEATRE. : "Little Tough Guys in Society," screening at the St. James^Theatre, has provided the opportunity for three of Hollywood's leading comedians to play together for the first time. The stars are Mischa Aver, Edward Everett Horton, and Mary Boland. The last-named is cast as an American society hostess, with a most objectionable young son whom she worships. This son refuses to get out of bed, and the doting ■ mother, thinking he is suffering from some unusual malady, calls every famous doctor to his bedside. The last is Mischa Aver, who dabbles in hypnotism and the curing of the soul. ■ He tries to put his spell on the son ; as he lies in bed, but it is the mother • who falls' under the doctor's influence, j The doctor recommends low class play- ] mates for the aristocratic son, and that ; is where the "little tough guys" make ■ their society debut and with extra- ' ordinary results. From the moment \ they put their bare feet on Park ( Avenue things move with a will. As t the butler, adviser, and general pest, « Edward Everett Horton has many op- 1 *portunities for tussling with the tene- , ment kids, who, unknown to society, } are wanted by the police. The picture ] races forward without a dull moment to , a hilarious - climax. The supporting programme is excellent; there are several newsreels, a cartoon, ana a traveltalk on Corsica. OPERA HOUSE. Of considerable topical interest at •the present time is "The Legend of Prague." This, one of the first of the : new Continental films to be released in New Zealand, is showing at the : Opera House. It is a Czecho-Slqvakian ■ production, but in an English dialogue i version, adapted from "The Golem, < the famous stage play. Its theme is the ■ persecution of the Jews in Europe, persecution which in the eighteenth cen- • tury was even more barbarous than it ; had ever been before or has been ' since. The screen story, rather har- ] rowing in; its details perhaps, gives a • terible picture of the sufferings under- : ' .gone by the Jews at the hands of a tyrannical oppressor. In the hour of : their darkest agony the thoughts of . the oppressed turn to a legendary ] statue in Prague, on which was the ] inscription, "At the roar of the beast when the hour is darkest, then shall the secret of the 'Golem' be revealed. The" statue, meanwhile, has been stolen and hidden, but at the crucial : moment the necessary invocation is made, and the statue (a sort of colossal - superman) conies to life. He liberates the Jews in prison, breaks down walls and lets loose on the royal court the lions to which the Jews would have been thrown. Dealing destruction aril ' round, he frees the Jews from their oppressors and the prophecy ccanes true—the secret of the Golem is revealed The names in the cast are. of course quite unfamiliar in this quar&er of the- globe, but the performances .given quickly show that there are stass on the Continent more than the ,equjil of those who shine in Hollywood s studios. The photography, too, and tlae whole presentation of the story, especially the mob scenes, is something remarkable and unusual, the pageantry of medieval Europe lending itself to the spectacular. "The Legend of Prague" will leave an indelible impr(3B*ion on those who see it screened, at was, of course, produced in CzechbSldvakia before the recent crisis, biat, with its implications, it is quite easy to see why it has been banned, if i:eport is"true,'by Hitler. The supporting programme contains several items of interest. • There is the customary newsreel, a "Betty Boop" cartoon, "M[ildewed' Melodrama," the title of which is sufficiently explanatory, a novel musical number, and finally "Silver Millions," which is an intensely interesting picture of the Alaskan salmon industry. OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. "Yellow Jack" heads the doniblefeature programme at Our Theatre. In this new drama, describing the coaxrageous fight of man against yellow fever, j Robert Montgomery plays the part of j a soldier who offers his life for human- j ity, while Virginia Bruce is seen as the nurse who accompanies the heroic j expedition to Cuba. Robert Young ' . and Ruth Hussey have the leading romantic roles in "Rich Man, Poor Girl," I the associate feature. It is an a;mus- j ing story of a girl whose only pre- j judice against her suitor is the fact that he is a millionaire. Excellent j , supports complete the programmes. - j CAPITOL THEATRE, . MIRAML&R. Mickey Ro.ney is the screen's new "nreat !nver" in "Love Finds Andy Hard:." which is showing at the Capi tol Theatre. The young actor hsis not one but three girls in the latest of the -popular Judge Hardy dramas. Not since "A Farewell to Arms" has so ■ memorable a love story laid against a background of the aftermath of the World War come to the sere sen as "Three Comrades," the associate; ulm Robert Taylor. Margaret Sullavan. Franchot Tone, and Robert Youn;f head the cast. KILBIRNIE SINEMA. Melvyn Douglas and Florence IV m as a delightful husband and wife v share a life of high adventure airt i-. .■ tured in "Fast Company." new :m ;i , ■ tic mystery -which is showing i\ . • Kilbirnie Kinema. The world's*, no ; colourful seaport. Marseilles, is jhuw r in "Port of Seven Spas," a drama <-f .1 seaman and his love, starring Wall sr • Beery, with Frank Morgan. Maureen O'Sullivsn. ■ John Beal, Jessie ilalpi' and a powerful supporting cast, which is the associate film. I

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

KING'S THEATRE. The fact that the whole of "Kentucky," which is showing at the King's I Theatre, is filmed in natural colour, has done much to make the picj ture outstanding. The origin of the family feud which forms an j integral part of the story is shown in a neatly-continued prologue dealing with an incident of the civil war when the .head of the Dillon family as a Yankee officer kills the head of the Goodwin family. The story proper then opens; in 1938 where the old feud finds its expression in the rivalry between the Dillon and Goodwin stables. Principal members of the Goodwin family, are the daughter Sally (Loretta Young) and her Uncle Peter. Haying quarrelled with his father. Jack Dillon (Richard Cfreene), under an assumed name, becomes trainer for Sally Dillon, to wham he has already been attracted by a chance meeting.' Outstanding in the strong supporting programme is a "March of Times" series dealing wfith the famous French Maginot line. {PLAZA THEATRE. Though, now in its fifth week, the pictured clrania of Shaw's "Pygmalion" is at the height of its popularity, and is enjoyed by packed houses at the Plaza Theatre at each performance. As the .voting Cockney flo.wergirl wlio, to settlie a bet, was presented to society as a princess within six months «of being "rescued" from Covent Grarden Vvendy Hiller scores magnificently. As the clever but bombastic sijudent of phonetics, who is forcibly introduced to his own lack of ma tuners, Leslie Howard is thorougbtty in character There are no flaws in the supporting characters. The supportii^g programme this week contains a remarkable added attraction, entitled "Vy vyan Dormer's Fashion Forecast.." r J>E LUXE THEATRE. Hopalo.ng Cassidy is seen in something guiv cc new in "Sunset Trail" at the De Luxe Theatre. For once he poses as a dude visitor to a guest ranch, and withi his chaparrejos and gun belt he sheds: the Cassidy behaviour, emerging as tlie timid, awkard Easterner, in which role he is unexpectedly humorous. In. city clothes he fails to ride his. own. horse, is taken down at poker, and generally puzzles the lady owner of the jjuest ranch which she is trying j to run ;to earn a living .after having been robbed by the murderer of her husband. "Windy" and "Lucky" play important parts, and the story is drama; tic yet full of humour. There is plenty of hard riding and sun-splashed rock a.nd pine, while the final clean-up is thrilling. Charlotte Winters and June Clayton act well. "Disbarred." the second film, featuring Gail Patrick and R< jbert Preston, is a crook story. The vi.Jlian, lawyer to a big gangster, is disbarred, and while putting distance between him and former haunts, comes across a young woman barrister who wins rill her cases in her home town. The id tea of making her the lawyer for the n<jw gang he forms, and faking evidence so that all his caught killers get oft is the eventual undoing of the "chief:" Edward Marr, in the prosecutor's dffice, and the girl lawyer wipe out Vne gang. Supports include the uses -l;o which 13,000,000 horses are put in the U.S.A., and a Nova Scotia scenic. STATE THEATRE. Wi'flh every hair a marline spike, Victor McLaglen, in "Pacific Liner," whidii is the main film on the State Theatre's programme, rules the engineroom with fists and iron spanners, but when Asiatic cholera breaks out and men drop off dailj', and "Crusher" Macikay still insists on keeping up to schedule, mutiny is not "far off. Chester Morris, the specialist in tropical diseases, who has signed on as ship's doctor, fights the disease below decks with all his skill, assisted by the nurse (Wiendy Barrie), whom McLaglen things his charms have won over. She am 3 Chester, however, have other ideas. Th.fi second full-length feature on the programme, "Arizona Legion," brings toi the screen again in his favourite role' George O'Brien. This time his tfjsk is to bring law and order to Arizona by means of the secretly-formed Airizona Rangers, but to do it he has to ir(ix with criminals and endanger his happiness with Laraine Johnson. ! \ TUDOR THEATRE. Back in a ten-gallon hat, high-heeled boots, dungarees, and roll-your-owns, Gary Cooper in "The Cowboy and the Lady," which has returned to Wellington to show at the Tudor Theatre, gives a most stirring and dynamic performance. Merle Oberon, cast as a : .gay and witty modern society girl, enriches her role with fine timing and ' a beautiful sense of comedy. The ro- < mance between the two is spiced with farce and passes on to an unexpected climax. The second leads are capably played by Patsy Kelly and Walter Brennan, who appear in excellent comedy scenes. The associate attraction is "Woman Chases Man." Miriam Hopkins. Joel McCrea, and Charles Winninger are at the head of the cast. NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. "It's in the Air," the latest George Formby film, which is screening at the New Princess Theatre, has as its background the Air Force, where George finds himself "accidentally" in uniform, subjected to a bewildering discipline, and, as usual, making a hopeless mess of "everything." George finds time and place to sing three excellent numbers and has a romance with the sergeant-major's daughter. The associate feature is "Romance in the Dark," a musical romance, starring Gladys Swarthout, John Boles, and John Barrymore. STATE THEATRE, PETONE. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy again I leave behind them a trail of hilarious disaster in "Block-Heads," their new Hal Roach M.-G.-M. comedy, which is showing at the State Theatre. The two comedians persevere in their well-' meaning way, but fortunately for a world that likes to laugh, the obstacles! are almost insurmountable. Far from! exhausing their bag of tricks, the ample pockets of Stan and Oliver bulge with a supply of new ones. GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. Set against a majestic background of towering mountains and replete with intimate pictures of the topsy-turvy life found only in Reno, "the city of broken hearts," "The Road to Reno," which is showing at the Grand Theatre, runs the gamut from sophisticated! i comedy to flashes of heart-tugging j : drama. Randolph Scott and Hope, | Hampton are starred. "The Patient j in Room 18," a mystery-melodrama. starring Patric Knowles, is the asso-; ciate film. j PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. George O'Brien is a Texas Ranger J !in "The Renegade Ranger," which is 1 rhnwing at the Palace Theatre. Rita I , F-'yworth is also starred. "Missing! i Witnesses," the second feature, stars I D;'-k Puvcell and John Litel. VP- r.jXE THEATER, LOWER HUTT. D"in«ung the wcrjd-famous team of Frr'? A'-taire and Ginger Rogers to-■•ril-T-r onrp mar-. R.K.O. Radio's "C' ••"frc " which is showing at the j '""•■ T-vr/.c- The trs. presents a glittering, i ,;'oy(Mis. md sons-si added film romancel i "m'""^.U >'""c'. with Irvi'ir; TCerJin's melo-j <■']<■" c<s"'-I' 'l'l dsnre r-r'lines, and a. 'el'\y-hr"-r-l]prl afoi'v. The associatsj --I '\% * Crim.'? Cub mystery. "The' r,' ■■'~ v-'arnini." and star." Preston, Fosi.tr, Frank Jenks, and Joyce Comp- j I tOB. I

TIVOLI THEATRE. Teaming Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell for the third time, with Robert Benchley featured in one of his funniest characterisations, and with Helen Vinson as the "other woman," the new M.G.M. romantic comedy, "Live, Love, and Learn," is showing at the Tivoli Theatre. Placed largely in the colourful atmosphere of Greenwich Village's Bohemian art colony, "Live, Love, and Learn" develops a sparkling story of the married life of a penniless artist and tne girl who forsook .wealth and society to marry him. With Pat O'Brien starred, and such excellent players ;:s Humphrey Bogart, Barton Mac Lane, Joseph Sawyer, and Ann Sheridan in supporting roles, the Warner Bros. First National melodrama "San Quentin" is the associate film. It is a swiftlymoving melodrama dealing with the prisoners, the lives they lead—some good, some evil, even behind walls — j and the officers who guard them. RIVOLI THEATRE. With three stellar staid, headed by young Mickey Rooney, in the title j role, Monogram's "The Scrapper," ! which is showing at the Rivoli Theatre, is marked with sincere performances, a rustic simplicity, and plenty of ! laughs, action, and thrills. The story i concerns two social outcasts in a small, middle-western town, a shell-shocked j war veteran and his young son, j

s "Shockey," who has earned for him- " self the nick-name of "The Scrapper,"' by virtue of his ever-readiness to fight anyone who says anything about "his dad."- Just because they "live on the other side of the tracks," young -. "Shockey" is ignored in school by " teachers and students alike. However, l with the aid of a new teacher. Mary Evans, and the young wealthy son of: ' the town's co-operative 'dairyman, " father and son oppose the town and' '' finally win its respect. Revealing what j I \ goes on under the glitter and veneer: lof Hollywood picture-making. "Fugi- . I tives for a Night."- the associate film, 3 j presents a new screen team in the per- ' i sons of Frank Albertson and Eleanor '! Lynn, featured in a romantic drama of i an unusual kind. Miss Lynn portrays • a publicity girl at a large film studio, and Albertson is a "stooge,' a young 5 man who acts variously as a com- ' pan ion bodyguard,' chauffeur, call-boy, j ' and ja'ck-of-all-work for his screen--1 star-employer. REX THEATRE. Walter Wanger's cavalcade of the ■ night clubs, "52nd Street," which is ; showing at the Rex Theatre, repro- : duces in exact detail all the glamour. thrills. and excitement of New ': York's famous boulevard. Kenny. ■ Baker, lan Hunter, Leo Carrillo. Pat i Paterson, Ella Logan, Sid Silvers, Zasu • Pitts, and Maria Shelton head the cast. : A dozen of Hollywood's most popular , young stars have the leading roles in 1 Paramount^ exciting new collegiate ; romance, "Campus Confessions," the ; second feature. Heading the list is 1 Betty Grable, Eleanore Whitney, and William Henry. ROXY THEATRE. Filmed entirely in fechnicolour, "The Adventures of Robin Hood," starring ■Errol Flynn. is showing at the Roxy Theatre. This beloved legend, concerning the gallant deeds of a Saxon noble who turned outlaw with a band of followers and plundered the rich Normans to feed and protect the poor and oppressed, has long been a favourite to moviegoers of all ages. "Sing Me a Love Song," the associate film, is one of the most entertaining musical comedies of the year. There is an allstar cast headed by James Melton, the radio singer. EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. Effectively utilising the talents of the six New York boys who became famous in both stage and screen versions of "Dead End." as well -as such adult players as Humphrey Bogart and Gale Page, the new Warner Bros, picture. "Crime School," which is showing at the Empire* Theatre, makes a strong case for its basic theme—that the old type of boys' reformatory is in fact a "crime school." "Keep Smiling," the second feature, affords Jane Withers almost unlimited range for her high-spirited talents, and she keeps the audience laughing, thrilling, and living every exciting moment of the film. ; REGAL THEATRE, KAKORI.' "Love From a Stranger," starring j Ann Harding and Basil Rathbone, is ; showing at the Regal Theatre. Miss : Harding has a powerful role as the j, typist who is swept off her feet by the ; wooing of a fascinating stranger, only ■ to discover after marriage that her ] husband is a cold-blooded fiend. Basil i Rathbone is the sinister husband. One ] of the finest comedy teams the screen j has seen for years' is the star attrac- i tion of "Wolf's Clothing," the associate : film. Claude Hulbert and Gordon | Harker make up the team. ; ] BROOKLYN THEATRE. i At the Brooklyn Theatre tonight the ] first attraction is "The Girl with Ideas," ' featuring Wendy Barrie and Walter ' Pidgeon. The second feature is "That ; Certain Age," featuring Deanna Durbin ; and Jackie Cooper. 3 1 VIENNA CHOIR SEASON. j At the Town Hall on Wednesday, April 2t>, the famous Vienna Mozart , Boys' Choir will commence a season E of five nights and two matinees. Among j!; the many tributes to the artistry of this t choir is that of the "Manchester Guardian," which said: "Those who heard this choir of boys aged from ten to twelve must surely have gone away with enlarged conceptions of the musical possibilities of boys' voices. Lucky enough to grow up and be i trained in a city with Vienna's unique } musical traditions, they naturally sing i much music that may be called native A to the place; it ranges from Mozart 1 through Schubert to Johann Strauss. ' But their programmes take a wider " flight, beginning with music of another c golden age—that of the Italian Church 1 School, with its Flemish and Spanish c branches, culminating in Palestrina < and the masterly music of the Spaniard ] J. L. deVictoria. The young singers c from Vienna can, when they choose, ' emulate closely the clear, smooth tone . 1 of English choir-boys' singing at its ! best, but for the most part they produce j' a tone freer and reedier and more ] flexible in quality. The silken beauty 1 lof the pianissimo, the dramatic gusto, < the rhythmic abandon of the singing. ] were astonishing; nor did the singers' 1 ! utmost vigour spoil the pure quality ' lof the melodic lines. Dr. Georg Grubcr j controlled the singing of the boys in ' ; masterly style throughout." Three dif-1 ' ferent programmes will be presented!1 during the Wellington season, changes ! being made on alternate nights. Box ; plans will be opened on Friday next at the D.I.C. , j i SUNDAY PICTURES ' . Another grand picture entertainment '. is announced by the Port Nicholson -, Band for tomorrow night at the De ■, Luxe Theatre, when the film "When i 'Knights Were Bold," a spectacular 1 i picturisation of the world-famous i ' comedy romance, will be screened. j Jack Buchanan is featured. Delightfully i • interwoven with all the fun are a num- . iber of catchy songs, including "Let's .' jPut Some People to Work' and "I'm . Still Dreaming," which Jack puts over j in his own inimitable manner. Of ; course no Buchanan picture would be , complete without his novelty step and 1 j tap-dancing. Patrons are advised to , Ibe early. Reservations can be made j jby telephoning the theatre (53-080) (from 7 p.m. ; „ .j KING GEORGE THEATRE, LOWER \ HUTT. i "Too Hot to Handle," starring Olark i Gable and Myrna Loy, which is show- ! ing at the King George Theatre, is an i exciting story of daring newsreel men 'who face death daily to bring the c | events of the world to the motion pic- t : ture screen. It is the story of Chris ~ (Hunter, ace. cameraman, who chooses to work alone, of Alma Harding, ' famous aviatrix who crashes her plane ' lin China on a round-the-world flight, I land Bill Dennis, a rival cameraman, c

"CAVALCADE OF MEMORIES."

Two returned soldiers who saw seri vice in the last war will provide amusement for the audience attending • "Cavalcade of Memories' at the Grand : Opera House on Anzac night. They are ! Messrs. Ross Williams and Ken Rigby ' who get in and out of many scrapes : in various camps in Egypt and France. Handling the dramatic sequences will .be two well-known local theatrical players, Messrs. Evan Harrowell and ; Selwyn Toogood. As officers in a New ' Zealand regiment they see service on ' various fronts and their adventures 1 form ?. framework around which is built the 1939 "Cavalcade of Memories." . I Cleverly interwoven with the story are , several spectacular interludes, combining a variety of entertaining performances, equalled only by the best professional shows. Among the very large cast taking part are Mrs. George Holloway, Miss Molly Atkinson, and Messrs. Harison Cook. Stuart Nelson, A. L. El- . ston. Ernest Dean's Diggers Concert Party, Alf, Jenkins's troupe of ' tumblers, the Tin Hat Club Orchestra, land the R.S.A. Choir. Altogether, it is a show that is likely to surpass anyi thing ever attempted by local talent.----j Spectacular and fast moving to a de- ; gree. it is sure to hold the interest of j the audience to the final fall of the ! j curtain. Last year's "Cavalcade of Memories" attracted hundreds more {than could be admitted to the theatre, and there is every indication that this year the theatre will be booked out well before the day of the show. TicketI holders are warned that it is necessary I for them to exchange their tickets for ! reservation tickets at the D.I.C. where | the box plan is now rapidly filling. Ini tending patrons who have not already i purchased tickets can purchase rei served seats at the D.I.C. The origanisers of "Cavalcade of Memories" i state that they cannot guarantee admission unless seats have been reserved. BAND PERFORMANCES. The Wellington Caledonian Society's Pipe Band will give a performance at Oriental Bay, the Port Nicholson Silver i Band at the Basin Reserve, and the Legion of Frontiersmen Band at the Home of Compassion tomorrow, commencing at 3 p.m. LECTURES AND DEBATE. Mr. H. Scott Bennett, who is at .prosent lecturing in New Zealand, is well known in this country and Australia. His high reputation as a lecturer will be a draw tomorrow afternoon at the Operatic Society's Hall, Lower Cuba Street (opp. Electricity House), where the lecture will be, "Why Hitler Marches On." This is an explanation I of Nazism. On Monday night, at Trades I Hall, Mr. Scott Bennett will speak on "Karl Marx and Charles Darwin." At the Concert Chamber, Town Hall, tomorrow night. Mr. Scott Bennett will debate with the Rev. O. E. Burton, of the Webb Street Methodist Church, who will take the affirmative, "That Christianity is Worthy of Belief." The meeting of these two debaters will be worth hearing. HUTT PARK TROTS. The Railway Department announces cheap fares and train arrangements in connection with the Wellington Trotting Club's Meeting at Hutt Park on April 22. PUBLIC LECTURE. Dr. Ulric Williams, of Wanganui, will give a public lecture at St. James Theatre, tomorrow, at 7 p.m., under the auspices of the New Zealand Co-opera-tive Health Society. The subject will be "The Only Way to Health and Security."

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