CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 92, 20 April 1939, Page 7

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. "If I Were King" is continuing to draw large audiences at the Regent Theatre. Francois Villon is played by Ronald Colman and one could not imagine a better man in the role. Basil Eathbone portrays the crafty King •Louis. 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 is 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. 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 singing team, which is showing tur an extended 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 jealousies, 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 and at the same time replete with beautiful and original song and dance presentations. NEW OPERA HOUSE. Adapted from the famous stage play, "The Golem," "-.c Legend of Prague," screening at the New Opera House, is of more than usual entertainment value " because of the present tension in " Europe. The film is also interesting because it is one of the few examples of Continental productions that New Zealanders have seen for several years. The quality of realism in direction and photography which distinguishes Continental films is apparent throughout. It is the Prague of a much older day that is shown, but some people may see a parallel with modern times in 1 its depiction of suffering and oppression among the inhabitants, particularly the Jews. The story is based on an ancient legend about the Golem a huge man-made image which the Jews believed would come to life m the darkest hour of their suffering and sweep away their tyrants. ST. JAMES THEATRE. "Little Tough Guys in Society" will • be shown finally tonight at the bt. James Theatre. . "Son of Frankenstein," starring Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, and Basil Rathbone, opens tomorrow. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. "I Stand Accused" and "Storm Over Bengal" conclude tonight at the Para-

mount Theatre. "Mr. Chedworth Steps Out" and I Am a Criminal," starring John Carroll, . commence tomorrow. REX THEATRE. "Midnight Madonna" and "Arizona Raiders" conclude tonight at the Rex Theatre. „ „ - ~ , All the resources of the United States Navy were loaned to Warner Bros, for the production of 'Submarine D-l," which opens tomorrow. Pat O'Brien and George Brent are costarred, and in one of the leading supporting roles is the sensational newcomer, Wayne ("Kid Galahad") Morris. "The Lady Objects, with its thrilling and dramatic story of a woman- who pitted a career as a lady lawyer against love, and found it only after she had nearly wrecked her home, is the associate film. Lanny Ross and Gloria Stuart are featured. ROXY THEATRE. "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and "Sing Me a Love Song" conclude tonight at the Roxy Theatre. Telling an emotional story of adventure and thrills in the lives of wireless operators on American merchant ships, "The Storm" opens tomorrow. Charles Bickford, Barton Mac Lane, Preston Foster, Tom Brown, and Nan Grey head the cast. Teaming Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell for the third time, the romantic comedy, "Live, Love, and Learn," is the associate film. TUDOR THEATRE. "The Cowboy and the Lady," starring Gary Cooper, concludes tonight at the Tudor Theatre. Merle Oberon, cast as a gay and witty modern society girl, enriches her role with fine timing and a beautiful sense of comedy. 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. GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. The No. 1 song writer of America, Irving Berlin, composed some of the catchiest melodies of his brilliant career for "Carefree," R.K.O. Radio's Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers romantic comedy, which is showing at the Grand Theatre. "Carefree" is the third of the Astaire-Rogers successes to have Berlin tunes, "Top Hat" and "Follow the Fleet" having also featured the famous songsters melodic efforts. The new film features four song numbers v "The Night is Filled with Music," "I Used to be Colour Blind," "The Yam," and "Change Partners." PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. "Meet the Girls," introducing June Lang and Lynn Bari, two up-to-the-minute young people, is showing at the Palace Theatre. A thrilling drama of

a woman's bitter fight against the underworld, "Numbered Woman," is the associate film. Sally Blanc stars in this daring story of the private life of a private nurse, and the supporting cast includes Lloyd Hughes and Clay Clement, renowned stage star. STATE THEATRE, PETONE. Grim mystery among a group of people gathered around a table for a seance, and solution of a baffling murder by the use of a second seance, are but a few of the exciting elements in "The Thirteenth Chair," which is showing at the State Theatre. Myrna Loy as the voluptuous secret agent of an international ring of jewel thieves, carrying a hidden fortune in smuggled pearls, is seen in "Whipsaw," the second feature. Spencer Tracy is a Government agent who tries to trap her through romantic intrigue. DE LUXE THEATRE, LOWER HUTT. How a handsome young police officer falls in love with a pretty nightclub entertainer while trying to obtain evidence against her that will link her with a gang of jewel thieves provides romantic difficulties in "Night Spot," starring Allan Lane and Joan Woodbury, which is showing at the De Luxe Theatre. Racketeering : methods of powerful gambling rings < are dramatically disclosed in "Gam- • bling Ship," with Robert Wilcox and ' Helen Mack, which is the feature at- ] traction. 11

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

KING'S THEATRE. "Kentucky"" will be shown for the last time tonight at the King's Theatre. "You Can't Take it With You" commences tomorrow. PLAZA THEATRE. Though now in its fifth week, the pictured drama 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 young Cockney flowergir) who, to settle a bet, was presented to society as a princess within six months of being "rescued" from Covent Garden, Wendy liiJJer scores magnificently. As the clever but bombastic student of phonetics, who is forcibly introduced to his own lack of manners, Leslie Howard is thoroughly in character.- There are no flaws in the supporting characters. The supporting programme this week contains a remarkable added attraction, entitled "Vyvyan Dormer's Fashion Forecast." DE LUXE THEATRE. "Sunset Trail" and "Disbarred" conclude tonight at the De Luxe Theatre. "Lily of Laguna" and "The Last Warning" commence tomorrow. STATE THEATRE. To encounter Arthur Treacher in the early stages x>f a talking picture is usually a good sign, and so it is with "Up the River," one of the two pictures on the State Theatre's new programme. The story opens on board a New York-bound liner with Arthur Treacher seemingly cast in his normal part of a wealthy English aristocrat complete with Oxford accent. Upon arrival in America the Englishman and a fellow-passenger are arrested, and turn out to be notorious confidence men, who are quickly returned to prison, where they are welcomed as wellknown characters and former members of the prison football team. It is here that the story really starts, and there is much fun halted at times while the two rascals help a young fellow-pri-soner (Tony Martin) and his charming wife-to-be (Phyllis Brooks) out of various unusual troubles. The second feature is "Bank Holiday," a product of the English studios. The strong cast includes Margaret Lockwood, John Lodge, and Wilfred Lawson. The story is a clever psychological study of a husband's bereavement and how a hospital nurse's sympathy for him prevents her from committing a folly and saves his life. NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. "It's in the Air" and "Romance in [ the Dark" conclude tonight at the New Princess Theatre. One of the great sea stories of modern literature, Rudyard Kipling's thrilling saga of the Gloucester fishermen, comes to the New Princess Theatre tomorrow, with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's picturisation of "Captains Courageous," with Freddie Bartholomew, Spencer Tracy, Lionel Barrymore, and Melyyn Douglas in the leading roles Coming from the studio that has given to the world such a powerful epic of the sea as "Mutiny on the Bounty," this Kipling masterpiece attains even greater heights in its visual and audible treatment. The associ-

ate film, featuring a spectacular parade of film personalities, is "You Can't Have Everything." OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. "It Can't Last Forever," starring Ralph Bellamy and Betty Furness, heads the double-feature programme showing at Oixr Theatre. The story concerns a couple of vaudeville agents who sign a "Master Mind," give him a big publicity build-up, only to have him get gloriously drunk at a crucial moment. Bellamy has to take the place of his psychic marvel, and as a result he runs into the funniest series of complications imaginable. "A Fight to a Finish," starring Rosalind Keith and Don Terry, is the associate feature. CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. Merle Oberon is revealed in all her true beauty for the first time in Alexander Korda's technicolour comedy, I "The Divorce of Lady X," which is showing at the Capitol Theatre. Besides marking Merle's technicolour debut, the film also marks her first comedy role after a series of exotic and tragic characterisations. A new romantic comedy about studio life, "She Married an Artist," is the associate film. John Boles and Luli Deste are co-starred. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. A startling story is told in "Four Men and a Prayer," starring Loretta Young and Richard Greene, which is showing at the Kilbirnie Kinema. The theme is an inspiring one. Four stalwart young men, with a grand old soldier-father, are bound by a gallant pledge "to rove the world to avenge his dishonour and death. Described as one of the funniest of the sophisticated comedies which began with "My Man Godfrey," Paramount's "Love on Toast," starring Stella Ardler and John Payne, is the associate film. REGAL THEATRE, KARORL Otto Kruger gives the performance of his career in the title role of "Housemaster," the Associated British screen version of lan Hay's play, which is showing at the Regal Theatre. "Housemaster" is a brigh. and breezy comedy with a sympathetic and human note underlying its humour, the action of which takes place almost entirely within the walls of a large English public school. Sometimes amusing, sometimes tragic, and always exciting. "Crime , School," the associate film, contains a powerful indictment of unthinking, brutal, out-moded methods of dealing with juvenile crime. VIENNA MOZART BOYS' CHOIR. The Vienna Mozart Boys' Choir of twenty voices belongs to the tradition of Viennese boys' choirs to which, in their day. Haydn, Mozart, and Schubert all belonged. Lucky enough to

grow up and be trained in a city with Vienna's unique musical associations, they naturally sing much music that may be called native to the place, ranging from the polyphonic masters of the 16th century through Haydn, Mozart, and Schubert down to the popular music of Johann Strauss. These boys sing, not merely from memory, but with a sense of style and musicianship resultant upon intensive training in the cultured environment of the city which must always be accredited as the musical capital of Europe. The programme to be presented next Wednesday night will include the musical play ''Tales From the Vienna Woods," | based on Strauss's best-known melodies and arranged by the choir's conductor, Dr. Georg Gruber. There will also be a group of 16th century motets, Austrian national songs, and a selection of the folk songs of many countries. KING GEORGK THEATRE, LOWER A sympathetic and understanding story of the problems of today's youth of the college age is unfolded in "Spring Madness," which is showing at the King George Theatre. Maureen O'Sullivan and Lew Ayres are excel- < lently cast as the young couple who ; find themselves faced with an aftercollege future in which love has to i survive on a shoe-string. "Rendez- ; vous," featuring William Powell and j: Rosalind Russell, forms the second i part of the programme Ij

TIVOLI THEATRE. "The Housemaster" and "Fast Company" conclude tonight at the Tivoli Theatre. 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 screen as "Three Comrades," filmisation of the Erich Maria Remarque nove*, which opens tomorrow. With Robert Taylor. Margaret Sullavan, Franchot Tone, and Robert Young filling the stellar assignments, and with a supporting cast comprising such fine performers as Guy Kibbee, Lionel Atwill, Henry Hull, Charley Grapewin, and Monty Woolley, the picture's characters come vividly to life. The Remarque story describes the experiences of the three comrades as they return from the front to face an uncertain future together in a country gripped by post-war dis- ! turbancs. A will depriving the hero of a fortune if he marries before he is thirty, a girl's determination to avoid marriage in favour of a career, a "Cinderella" pursuit of the heroine with a heelless slipper as the only clue, and the conflicting aims of the mothers of the respective lovers, are all combined with uproarious effect in "TheLife of the Party," the associate film. Gene Raymond heads the cast. RIVOLI THEATRE. "The Housemaster" and "Love Finds Andy Hardy" conclude tonight at the Rivoli Theatre. j "The Young in Heart" and "The Affairs of Annabel" commence tomorrow. CAPPICADE, 1939. Commencing next Saturday at the New Opera House, Victoria University College will present once again the biggest feast of entertainment seen in Wellington since last year's great suci cess. Extravaganzas are unique to universities. No other body can reproduce the same delightful humour and rollicking hilarious comedy. Politicians are pilloried with delightful impartiality and their piottings and escapades are but the release for deiightful dances and rhythmic melodies. The first of the plays, "Adam in Wonderland," written by the "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" and produced by Jack Aimers, is an excellent representation, or, perhaps, misrepresentation, with political characters .succeeding I the fictional of "Alice in Wonderland." "The Dinkum Oil," play No. 2, a roaring South Sea comedy, woven around the blue-wave-lapped shores of New Zealand, was written and produced by the capable hands of John Carrad. This play really leaves nothing to be desired. Show No. 3, and the main show of the evening, "The Vikings," was written by Ronald L. Meek and produced by Ralph Hogg. The story slips back centuries to the time when men, women, and animals roamed , among the gaunt shadows of Stone- : henge, and the ancient Britons pad- j died their coracles in what later became the Anglian marshes. Wild Vik- • ings inhabited the barren north of Europe, and thence goes Nev, the , British oracle in his coracle and urn- i brella, only to be caught by the Vik- | ing Hit, who crosses over to England j in disguise. . The Cappicade booklet is now on , sale, and is up to its traditional stand- , ard of farce and bright burlesque. . This magazine is devoted to a worthy ' cause, the augmenting of the Students' , Building Fund. j EMPIRE THEAI E, ISLAND BAY. < The most seasoned follower of the '' adventures of screen sleuths will get ; a reaJ thrill out of Monogram's "Mr. ' Wong, Detective," which is showing at , the Empire Theatre, for not only is it i a clever mystery drama, full of action , and suspense, but it serves to intro- I duce a new screen detective in the t person of that ex-horror man and c master of eerie characterisation. Boris . Karloff. "Paradise for Two," a scin- \ tillating musical comedy co-starring \ Jack Hulbert and Patricia Ellis, is the r

associate film. CLARE BOOTHE'S COMEDY. Clare Boothe's comedy of modern society, "The Women," will be presented at the New Opera House next Saturday week, April 29, by J. C. Williamson Theatres, Ltd. It ran ipr over 800 performances on Broadway, New York, had a remarkably successful Australian season, and ran for two weeks recently in Auckland. The all-feminine cast of 40 is headed by the distinguished New York actress Irene Purcell, who has also appeared on the films. Another screen actress in the cast is the late Jean Harlow's double, Mary Dees. Miss Dees has the role of Crystal, a glamorous blonde, who nearly wrecks the domestic life of the only sympathetic character in the play, portrayed by Miss Purcell. Altogether there are nine American stars, the remainder of the cast comprising leading Australian performers. The dialogue is scintillating, satirical, and at times bitter, but a sense of humour always prevails. The scenes are many and varied, as are the costumes, so that the play is just as much an entertainment for the eye as for the ear. Box plans open on Monday.