CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 133, 8 June 1939, Page 7

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

ST. JAMES THEATRE. Deanna Durbin's newest picture, "Three Smart Girls Grow Up," which is showing at the St. James Theatre, is tangible proof of the widely-accepted truism that "there is nothing the matter with the motion picture business that a good motion picure can't cure." It is far and away the best of the Joseph Pasternak-Henry KosterDeanna Durbin pictures. One does not forget "Three Smart Girls" when this picture is mentioned as the Pasternak-Koster-Durbin best. What was true of the original "Three Smart Girls" then, as box-office records throughout the country proved, is true of "Three Smart Girls Grow Up." Miss Durbin has grown "up, artistically as well as by two adolescent years, and Messrs. Pasternak and Koster have grown up, professionally, from venturesome novices eager to test their talents in fast company to matured masters in sure perfection of their especial skill. DE LUXE THEATRE. "King of Chinatown" and "Blondes for Danger" conclude tonight at the De Luxe Theatre. "You Can't Cheat An Honest Man," starring Edgar Bergen and "Charlie McCarthy," and "Risky Business" open tomorrow. MAJESTIC THEATRE. "The Citadel," dramatically powerful story of a young doctor who barters his ideas for worldly riches, heads the programme at the Majestic Theatre. Superb portrayals are given by Robert Donat and Rosalind Russell in the principal roles. A dramatic love story is unfolded in the account of the young surgeon who struggles among the miners and marries a humble schoolmistress. There is agonising suspense when he descends into a mine that has collapsed to amputate the arm of a man trapped beneath a fallen timber. There is drama when he deliberately dynamites a sewer that has been spreading disease but which authorities refuse to move. The moving story has become even more dramatic on the screen, without an alteration, but because of the added power of visible action. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. "The Ware Case" and "The Longest Night" conclude tonight at the Paramount Theatre. The name of Edgar Wallace stands alone. It needs no explanatory appendage. Old and young in town or country know that Wallace is indisputably master of the art of telling crime and mystery stories, known generally as thrillers. "The Terror," which opens tomorrow at the Paramount Theatre, is one of his best yarns, beginning with a bullion robbery on a road to London, entailing the use of a stupefying gas, and moving to a luxurious guest: house in the country, where mysterious events are the more macabre in beautiful surroundings. Bernard Lee is one very interesting detective somewhat new to films, like the heroine, Linden Travers. Wilfred Lawson andj Arthur Wontner have the other big; parts. "Dead Men Tell No Tales," the j screen adaptation of Francis Beeding's j thriller, "Norwich Victims," will be the associate film. It is a thriller that really thrills, and no person need be ashamed to admit being carried away by its realism. Heading the cast is Emlyn Williams as a pedantic Norwich headmaster at whose school a series of mysterious deaths occur, commencing with the school mistress (Christine Silver), who disappears immediately following the announcement that she had won a big prize in a Continental lottery. REX THEATRE. "Devil's Playground" and ■ "Craig's Wife" conclude tonight at the Rex Theatre. Bette Davis and Leslie Howard are well remembered as a team for their; outstanding work in "Of Human Bond- ; age" and "The Petrified Forest," but' fine as were both of these, their. newest vehicle, "It's Love I'm After," which opens tomorrow, is definitely superior. Most horrible inheritance in history, a man-made, destructive monster is handed down to Basil Rathbone as title player in Universal's new dramatic shocker, "Son of Frankenstein," the associate film. Boris Karloff recreates his monster characterisation of "Frankenstein" and the ; "Bride of Frankenstein," and Bela Lugosi is teamed with him as a brokennecked, maddened shepherd. NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. "Premiere" and "Paris Honeymoon" conclude tonight at the New Princess Theatre. The stars of "The Good Earth" and "Captains Courageous" respectively are united in the new Metro-Goldswyn-Mayer picture, "Big City," which opens tomorrow at the New Princess Theatre. Luise Rainer and Spencer Tracy are co-starred for the first time. The new picture presents a cross-section of American metropolitan life, with Tracy as a New York taxi-cab driver i who becomes involved in a war be-! tween rival taxi-cab companies, and Miss Rainer as his immigrant wife whom he barely saves from deporta- j tion. The associate feature is the B.E.F. comedy drama "No Parking," starring that inimitable comedian, Gordon Harker. SEASIDE THEATRE, LYALL BAY. Filmed entirely at Big Bear, California, "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine," which is showing at the Seaside Theatre, tells how an ancient hill feud, involving two families, and resulting in dozens of deaths, is affected by the inroads of civilisation. Joan Bennett and Cary Grant are co-starred in "Wedding Present," the associate film. OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. Youth is the keynote of "Spring Madness," which is showing at Our Theatre. Maureen O'Sullivan and Lew Ayres are featured in this delightful college romance. "Sing While You're Able," with Pinky Tomlin and Toby Wing, is the second feature. It is an amusing musical with a new happiness twist and five catchy songs. Selected shorts fill an excellent programme. PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. The character of the West's most famous bandit finds a remarkable parallel in Harold Bell Wright's "The Californian," stirring outdoor drama, which is showing at the Palace Theatre, with Ricardo Cortez in the starring role. The celebrated Edgar Wallace thriller, "Kate Plus Ten," starring Jack Hulbert and Genevieve Tobin, is the associate film. GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. Combining in one role the drama of a mother forced to give up her son and the glamour of a Fifth Avenue model 'displaying 24 creations, Barbara Stanwyck co-stars with Herbert Marshall in "Always Good-bye," now at the Grand Theatre. Warner Baxter and June Lang are teamed together in "White Hunter," the associate film. STATE THEATRE, PETONE. Smartly dialogued, brimming with laughs, and offering finished and believable characterisations by such stellar performers as Janet Gaynor, Robert Montgomery, and Franchot Tone, "Three Loves Has Nancy" heads the bill at the State Theatre. It is one of the most refreshing and original romantic comedies seen for some time. OE LUXE THEATRE, LOWER HUTT. A gay musical comedy, sparkling with wit and packed with brilliant novelty acts is the feature attraction at the De Luxe Theatre. The picture is "Gang Show," starring Ralph Reader and Gina Malo, with a cast of 160 talented Boy Scouts. The associate attraction is the Clarence E. Mulford western, "Sunset Trail," featuring William Boyd, "Windy," and "Lucky."

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

PLAZA THEATRE. "Made for Each Other" will be shown finally tonight at the Plaza Theatre. . "Sixty Glorious Years," starring Anna Neagle and Anton Walbrook, opens tomorrow. KING'S THEATRE. "The Mikado" will be shown finally tonight at the King's Theatre. "Submarine Patrol," starring Richard Greene and Nancy Kelly, opens tomorrow. STATE THEATRE. Playing in a new type of role, that of a tough young fisherman out of San Francisco, Bobby Breen has made a great success of his latest film, "Fisherman's Wharf," which is now showing at the State Theatre in conjunction with a thrilling story of a fearless prosecutor, "Smashing the Rackets." The tale of "Fisherman's Wharf" is that of a Sicilian fisherman (Leo Carillo). his adopted son (Bobby Breen). and their comrades who help them earn a living from the sea. The attempt of a conniving aunt and a trouble-making cousin to break the great understanding between the lad and his adopted father is the basis of the plot. When the aunt (Lee Patrick) and her objectionable young son (Tommy Bupp) are financially stranded Carillo takes them to his home, but they soon upset the run of things and it is not long before the fisherman is well on the way to losing his friends and his son as well. Bobby Breen sings half a dozen songs, mixing modern melody with Italian, with his usual artistry. Included in the cast are Henry Armetta and Slicker the seal. Slicker gained a reputation as an actor in "Spawn of the North." The second feature: "Smashing the Racket," is a thrilling story showing how modern crooks work and how business men are forced to buy protection. Chester Morris is the prosecutor for the grand jury and it is his job to find the head of the racket ring., It is a fast-moving and entertaining film. In the cast are Frances Mercer, Bruce Cabot, and Rita Johnson. A coloured cartoon, "Donald's Lucky Day," is also showing. _ TUDOR THEATRE. """Gunga Din" and "Quick Money" conclude tonight at the Tudor Theatre. One of the most pleasing and thoroughly entertaining pictures in the "crazy" tradition yet to be released in New Zealand is "You Can't Take It With You," which opens tomorrow. It is more than a story of gay irresponsibility; it has a message, the old but always true one, that money is not everything, and that its purchasing power is, after all, very limited. Lionel Barrymore dominates an extremely good cast with his portrayal of Grandpa Vanderhof, the old man whose creed forms the title of the picture. Jack : Holt soars to brilliant new heights with his performance in Columbia's "Tha Strange Case of Dr. Meade," which is i the associate film. As a doctor fighting to bring modern medicine into a backwoods community, Holt is seen as j a modern gladiator—a man who fights ' with brain and courage and patience, j rather than with his fists. RIVOLI THEATRE. "Our Fighting Navy" and "The Adventurous Blonde" conclude tonight at the Rivoli Theatre. Departing from the established formula, "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl," in the new romantic! comedy "Fight For Your Lady," which opens tomorrow, John Boles loses his girl, Margot Grahame, early in the picture, and she stays lost. Moreover, it turns out to be the best thing that could have happened to him. Subsequent events prove that .the motives of Miss Grahame are not the best, she being more interested in the fortune Boles has amassed as a successful con cert singer than she is in the man himself. But the whole thing seems ! like a tragedy to Boles, and when Gor- ' don Jones, as a professional wrestler, wrests the lovely Margot from him, • the world seems black indeed. But | Jack Oakie takes charge of his love affairs, and Boles realises the best thing has happened, eventually, with the situation leading to some of the most amusing comedy to reach the screen. A combination of thrills and laughs and romance is the Warner' Bros, mys-tery-melodrama, "The Invisible Men* ace," the associate film, with Boris Karloff as its star. The picture—made from the successful Broadway stage j play of the same name —deals with aj murder in a Government arsenal, and transfers, part of the time, to the island of Haiti, with its revolutions, voodoo jungle rites, and the like. Eddie Craven and pretty, blonde Marie Wilson provide the romance and most of the comedy. ROXY THEATRE. "Thoroughbreds Don't Cry" and "The Frontiersmen" conclude tonight at the Roxy Theatre. "Port of Seven Seas" opens tornor-. row. Starring Wallace Beery, and with a splendid cast including Frank Morgan, Maureen O'Sullivan, John Beal, and Jessie Ralph, the picture presents an entirely novel theme. As the gruff, but understanding, father and owner of a waterfront tavern, Beery is outstanding as usual. "Escaoe from Yesterday" is the supporting picture. It features Tamiroff. The story concerns a conflict between an untamed Russian and his Americanised son. j CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. Otto Kruger gives the performance of his career in the title role of "Housemaster," the Associated British screen version of lan Hay's long-running play, which is showing at the Capitol Theatre. "Housemaster" is a bright 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. The associate attraction is "Miss Fixit," starring Jane Withers. EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. Paul Robeson, one of the world's greatest and most glorious singers, returns to the screen to thrill audiences in an original, dramatic filr_. with music, "Big Fella." The film, which is showing at the Empire Theatre, presents him in a role unlike anything he has ever done, combining powerful drama and human characterisation with a number of stirring musical numbers. Five film favourites are seen in their most outstanding roles to date in the comedy romance, "Hold 'Em Navy," the associate film. These are Lew Ayres, John Howard, Mar} Carlisle, Benny Baker, and Elizabeth Patterson. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. "Say It In French," a story of complications that arise when a young American society lad returns from abroad with a French bride only to learn that he must shield his marriage from the world and announce his engagement to a N.Y. heiress in order to prevent his father's shipping business from going on the rocks, is showing at the Kilbirnie Kinema. Ray Milland and Olympe Bradna are starred. "Break the News," produced and directed by Rene Clair and starring Jack Buchanan and Maurice Chevalier, is the associate film. . . REGAL THEATRE, KARORI. A lot of people questioned the possibility of transferring the Crazy Gang to the screen. They said that the boys' spontaneous humour could never get over. "O-Kay For Sound" proved that their fun-making could reach the screen without any loss of their spontaneous combustion. Now their second collective effort, "Alf's Button Afloat," is showing at the Regal Theatre. What happens when a Texas Ranger is sent to arrest a beautiful Mexican girl who has been "framed" on a murder charge, forms the theme of George O'Brien's latest film, "The Renegade Ranger," which is the associate attraction.

TIVOLI THEATRE. "Young Dr. Kildare" and "The Battle of Broadway" conclude tonight at the Tivoli Theatre. "Gold is Where You Find It," an outdoor action drama dealing with the colourful war between the California farmers and hydraulic miners of the 1870's, opens tomorrow. It is a Warner Bros.-Cosmopolitan production, done in the newest Technicolor, and co-starring George Brent and Olivia de Havilland. It includes, too, such sterling flayers as Claude Rains, Margaret Lindsay, John Litel, Barton Mac Lane, Marcia Ralston, Tim Holt, and Sidney Toler. "Gold is Where You Find It" s1 based on the best-selling novel of the same title by Clements Ripley. It was made almost entirely in the outdoors, on the actual locale of the bitter conflict which it portrays—in remote Trinity County, California. The story of "Kentucky Moonshine," the second film, starring the Ritz Brothers, is that of a group of unemployed entertainers. Marjorie Weaver, waiting her turn for an audition at a radio station, overhears a conference at which it is decided to send Tony Martin to the mountains of Kentucky to get "real" hillbilly talent. Miss Weaver forgoes her audition to rush back to the theatrical boarding-house and apprise the Ritz Brothers of the radio company's plan. How the brothers and Marjorie meet this situation results in many hilarious sequences. KING GEORGE THEATRE. "Cowboy From Brooklyn" and "Safety In Numbers" conclude tonight at the King George Theatre. Lower Hutt. One of the most popular characters in modern fiction is brought to the screen, again in "The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel," which comes to the King George Theatre tomorrow. Although two years, have elapsed since the appearance of the first film featuring this famous character, picturegoers will not have forgotten the brilliant acting, sterling entertainment, and exciting scenes. In "The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel," the screen adaptation of Baroness Orczy's famous novel, Barry K. Barnes portrays the part of Sir Percy Blakeney, while others named in the very prominent cast are Sophie Stewart, Margaretta Scott, and Allan Jeayes. LABOUR PARTY DANCE. The Johnsonville branch of the New Zealand Labour Party will hold a dance in Symonds's new dance hall tomorrow. Dancing will be from 8 p.m. to midnight to the music of a good orchestra. BOXING TONIGHT. First-calss boxing should be witnessed at the Town Hall this evening, when two of New Zeaalnd's leading professional welterweights, Barney Down, of Wellington, and Don Johnston of Auckland, will meet in a twelve-round bout under the auspices of the Wellington Boxing Association. Both boys are fast punchers and Johnston's scientific style may be well countered by Down's rugged tactics. Johnston created a very favourable impression locally when he took a points decision from Vie. Caltaux at the start of the local season, and Down scored a win over Caltaux when the Auckland er was in top form last season. Down has not yet been seen in the Town Hall ring and is anxious to make a good impression. On paper it looks to be a very even contest. Down has been showing most impressive form in his work-outs this week, and there seems to be good cause for the confidence with which he is anticipating the contest. Included in a fine assortment of preliminary bouts is a 'special contest between S. Scott, the knock-out artist, and F. Moyes, a protege of Jack Crowley.