CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 140, 16 June 1939, Page 4

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE

A glorious successor to "Magnificent Obsession" and "Green Light,' "White Banners," also adapted from a best selling novel by Lloyd C. Douglas is now in its second week at the Regent Theatre. It is a moving tale, entertaining and full of the idealistic fervour so ; characteristic of Douglas's work. Like its two predecessors, which enjoyed 5 such huge popular success, "White Banners" has a message to convey—the i - message of courage in the face of ad- { versity. But the film does no preach-1 5 ing—it simply lets the extremely cap- ; ) able cast live a thrilling human story ) that carries its message, by implication. . straight to, the hearts of the audience ' That the story seems to be lived rather ) than acted is a tribute to a splendid} cast. Fay Bainter, Claude Rains, and I Jackie Cooper head the cast. ST. JAMES THEATRE. The charm of Deanna Durbin's voice and her acting grow greater with each of her films Her latest. "Three Smart Girls GroAv Up," Avhich is showing j for another Aveek at the St. James j Theatre, is a notable success, filled i with humour, fine singing, and drama- j tic interest, and entirely free of the pseudo-sentime,ntality with which Hollywood is prone to .invest its adolescents. The story concerns Deanna's attempts to settle the love affairs of her two elder sisters and to save them from the dangers of incompatible marriage. But there are many twists and turn before the end. Charles Winninger plays Deanna's stockbroking father, too interested in the pursuit of wealth to take notice of the troubles of his family. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. A further departure from the orthodox has been made by the management of the Paramount Theatre this Aveek in that a mystery programme is showing. The titles of the films are not advertised, and therein lies the mystery.! Patrons are assured, however, that I none of the films to be presented have been previously shown in any Wellington theatre, and that the programme is of a very high standard is indicated by the fact that the main feature is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer production and stars the popular Mickey Rooney, who has gained a name for himself in such pictures as "Boys' Town," "Love Finds Andy Hardy," and "Stablemates." The other picture of the double-feature programme stars b such outstanding players as Frieda Inescourt, Patric Knowles. Donald Woods, ' and Lucille Ball. The short : featurettes aro also new. The Mickey Rooney picture features Mickey's own swing band for the first time on the screen. MAJESTIC THEATRE. "The Citadel," dramatically powerful story of a young doctor who barters his ideals for worldly riches, heads the programme at the Majestic : Theatre. W v ith superb portrayals upon the part of Robert Donat and Rosalind Russell in the principal roles and the understanding and incisive direc- ' tion of King Vidor, the picture be- ' comes at once a tribute to its adthor, } to the medical craft, and to-the art i of motion pictures. A dramatic love i story is unfolded in the account of 1 the young surgeon who struggles ; among the miners and marries a l 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 i authorities refuse to remove. The moving story has become even more i dramatic on the screen, without an ' alteration, but because of the added ; power of visible action. i 1 DE LUXE THEATRE. J A killer whose disguises are 50 . numerous and effective that he can . confidently enter into the search which ' is being made for himself without j being detected is the central figure m the new Michael Balcon Capad pro- I duction. "The Gaunt Stranger," adapt- | ed from Edgar Wallace's famous k comedy mystery thriller "The Ringer." ~1 which is showing at the De' Luxe ' 'Theatre. "The Ringer's" proposed attempt on the life of Maurice Meister. a criminal lawyer in more ways than one, who was responsible for the death c by suicide of his sister, is made known I to the victim. Scotland Yard are 1 called in. and although he is afforded i strong police protection, the murder is t committed under their very noses, j Like "Love. Honour, and Behave." _ in which Wayne Morris and Pris- I cilia Lane made their debut as a "i romantic team, "Men Are Such Fools," 1 the second feature, is also a tale ot c young love, its heartaches, and mis- j understandings and its glorious recoti- £ ciliations. It is often amusing, sometimes exciting, and sometimes thrilling, but basically it is an engrossing exposition .of one of the uppermost problems of this modern age. j ~ c ROXY THEATRE. j "Rosalie." Avhich co-stars Nelson c Eddy and Eleanor Powell, and is shoAving at the Roxy Theatre, is de- i scribed as the most la\dsh musical in _ the annals of motion pictures. TAventy- £ five hundred persons appear in the "_ Rdmanza number alone. Avhich was so large that it took 10,000 amperes of , electricity nightly to light the sixty- c acre set where the spectacle was filmed. Paramount's. gay comedy and lavish fashion show, "Stranded in Paris." featuring Joan Bennett and Jack Benny, c Avill be the supporting attraction. ] OUR THEATRE. < Bernard ShaAv's brilliant and candid j play, "Pygmalion," is showing at Our j Theatre. The story tells of a Cockney flower girl who becomes the subject ( of an experiment in transforming her. into a society lady of exquisite speech and manners. The working out of the young girl's destiny provides a climax of unparalleled dramatic and £ emotional quality, Howard and t Wendy Hiller are the stars. The ac- r companying feature, "Bank Holiday," J tells of the dramatic change in three people's lives in three short days. I I CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. 1 "The Girl of the Golden West," which ); is showing at the Capitol Theatre. c brings to tbe audience the splendour of the western mountains, the romance of America Avhen the West \vas young, the beauty and happiness of a new 1 raw country that loved and laughed— . and lived up to the hilt. Jeanette Mac- j Donald and Nelson Eddy are starred. ( "Escape From Yesterday." featuring -] Akim Tamiroff in a cast alongside j Frances Farmer. Leif Erikson, Lynne . o\'erman. and Vladimir SokolofT. is the c second film. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. i "Suez." 20th Century-Fox's spectacu- c lar story of Ferdinand de Lesseps and the building of the great canal, is 1 showing at the Kilbirnie Kinema. Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, and Annabella share starring honours. The "Strange Boarders," the second feature, n are a motley crew from whom Tom Walls, in his role of Secret Service agent, hopes to discover the identity € of an international spy who has been j clever enough to obtain copies of neAv aeronautical plans from the stronghold l of a Government offlce. * DE LUXE THEATRE, LOWER HUTT. "Black Gold" is struck in a big way. and causes no end of exciting drama in the Columbia feature. "OutlaAvs oi 9 the Orient." Avhich is showing at the II De Luxe Theatre. With a locale that t ranges from New York's skyscrapers to. the-: sands', of the Gobi Desert, the c fllm features a large cast headed by t. Jack Holt. The associate feature is c "Blondes at Work," .another of those bE exciting and amusing film stories about C "Torchy Blanc," the girl reporter. h

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

STATE THEATRE. A ' A most entertaining comedy features ing the famous Yorkshire comedian t- Sandy PoAvell, "I've Got a Horse.'* and s another laugh-hit, "Pardon Our t Nerve,'' are the main films at the State i-l Theatre. In "I've Got a Horse" Sandy 3 PoAvell is cast as a bookmaker who is g given an apparently Avorthless horse by i j a lawyer as payment for a gambling c I debt. The horse (Lightning) turns out -to be a thoroughbred, and a famous • I racehorse owner lends Sandy his ■ I stables and house in the country to '• ; train her for a big race. Sandy finds ' a man, Avho says he knows all about • horses, to put Lightning through her paces and leaves him to do the work. ' The man, however, after seeing [i Sandy's attempts at training the mare, I thinks she is being coached for circus Avork and soon has her dancing o music and doing other tricks. The second feature, "Pardon Our Nerve," is the story of two young girls, Lynn - Bari and June Gale, Avho discover a 1 simple young -Hercules and decide to ' make him a champion fighter so that > I they can collect a little cash. I! . j PLAZA THEATRE. i Already hailed, by film fans, as one iof the mos* successful dramatic films >of the year, "South Riding," the filmi- > sation df Winifred Holtby's best-selling ' novel of that title, is shoAving at the j Plaza Theatre. The main charac- • ters are superbly piayea by a distin- ; guished cast, headed by four popular • stars, Ralph Richardson. Edna Best, > Ann Todd, and Edmund Gwenn. The 1 Avell-known story revolves around the ! intrigue of shire politics which takes place as a result of a scheme for slum clearance in the County of South Riding. Founder of the scheme is Astell (John Clements), a conscientious social • reformer. Ralph Richardson is seen ■as the proud, conservative Squire Came. tragically burdened by poverty - and a demented Avife (Ann Todd). . Events move quickly to a gripping ,; climax, which results in happiness for , I some, disgrace for others, and success- - ful fruition of Astell's housing plan. "South Riding" Avas produced and : directed for London Films by Alexander Korda and Victor Saville. KING'S THEATRE. Gracie Fields has never been seen to greater advantage than in her latest 20th Century production, "Keep Smiling," vyhich is showing at the King's Theatre. Surrounded by a gay and happy cast, in a story bubbling with happiness, the star gives the performance of her career. "Keep Smiling" is the story of a touring vaudeville troupe, led by Gracie Fields, their guide.- philosopher, and very true friend. She leads them in revolt against a crooked manager, takes them to her grandfather's farm where their open-air rehearsals startle even the cows, and eventually lands them in the top spot among seaside carnival shows. A long supporting cast provides uniformly excellent performances. Lovely Mary Maguire, brought from Hollywood to play the part of Avis, the troupe's soubrette; Roger Livesy London stage star, who appears as Grade's devoted admirer" and at last, '. husband, and Jack Donohue, tap-danc-ing star, 'have leading roles. There is a feast of music in this refreshingly , happy film tonic. Gracie Fields sings as only she can a Avide variety of num- . bers. TUDOR THEATRE. "The Duke of West Point," the first ' major production to come from'the .. Edward Small Studios this season, i is showing at the Tudor Theatre. The story is concerned with the enrolment of Steve Early, nicknamed the ; "Duke" because he hails from England ; and holds to a snobbish point of view : urltil he i$ 'brought down-to earth by the others who are also put through ' their various paces. Early is befriend- i ed and befriends two other young offi- ; cers, but he makes the mistake of alienating the jpper classmen by hir superior attitude. Romance enters his life when he meetr pretty Ann Porter, and risks punishment thereafter to have dates .with the attractive laHy ' Steve Early is portrayed by Louis Hayward, and Ann Porter is played by J loA'ely Joan Fontaine. ' NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. j When a poor girl marries a rich man , out of pity, learns, to love him on their , honeymoon, and then has to prove her love when he goes broke, it evolves ; into one of the season's most highly ] entertaining motion pictures. Particu- . larly when Joan Crawford is the girl. ' Spencer Tracy the man. and the pic; ' c ture is "Mannequin," which is show"ing at the New Princess Theatre. { Love, murder, and comedy form a j contrasting combination in the associate feature, "The Longest Night," which } stars Robert Young and Florence Rice. I c REX THEATRE. ' "The Drum," now at the Rex Theatre, < is one of the most ambitious pro- " ductions ever attempted by Alexander ( Korda. Photographed in technicolor, the picture stars Sabu, the sensational child star who made his memorable debut in "Elephant Boy." "Over the Wall," a gripping melodrama of a man falsely imprisoned for murd ,r and his j subsequent rise to fame by means of i a beautiful singing voice, is the second < feature. Dick Foran and June Travis ' are starred. < 1 PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. i With a cast of high and low comedy experts, and what sounds like a hila- 5 riously funny idea for its main theme, ' "Thanks for Everything." featuring ' Jack Haley. Adolphe Menjou, and Jack 1 Oakie, is showing at the Palace The- ( atre. "Quick Money," which features j Fred Stone, is the associate film. As ' Mayor of a small town, Stone is faced J with a recall election instigated by two ' crooks. | GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. \ One of the great sea stories of mod- i crn literature, Rudyard Kipling's i thrilling saga ol the Gloucester fisher J men, comes to the Grand Theatre with . Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's picturisation of c "Captains Courageous." with Freddie c Bartholomew. Spencer Tracy. Lionel t Barrymore? and Melvyn Douglas in the c leading roles. For the first time in c his screen career Freddie Bartholomew plays a wholly American boy. a wide departure from any preA'ious o!r_. STATE THEATRE, PETONE. ; Clive Brook, whose film appearances ± have been too rare during the last few £ years, makes a welcome reappearance s in the A.T.P production. "The Ware r Case," which is showing al the State i Theatre, and it is doubtful if the popu- £ lar star has ever been seen to better £ advantage. He brings lo the part of t Sir Hubert Ware a skill md under- £ standing en!- ul.'i'rr •• -n'- s like the character, although nis moral- i s ity and general behaviour do not bear * examination. I i KING GEORGE THEATRE, LOWER c HUTT. J "You Can't Take It With Volt," i which is showing at the King George I Theatre, is the most eagerly-awaited r screen event of the year. Direct- 1_ ed by Frank Capra, the screen c play is based on the stage success by s George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. 5 Mischa Aver, Jean Arthur, Lionel * Barrymore, James. SteAvart. and Edward Arnold are in the cast. REGAL THEATRE, KARORI. A sparkling cocktail of French ° sophistication, American horseplay and a good old-fashioned romance is offered r in "Say It in French," Paramount's " Ray Milland-Olympe Bradna comedy, k which is showing at the Regal Theatre. IV California as it was in the 1870's is E the locale for the new lifelike techni- V colour production, "Gold is Where You li Find It," Avhich is the associate film, "i j George Brent and Olivia de Havilland o head the cast. c

.....: . TIVOLI THEATRE. There is wild excitement and cheers as Jane Withers rides doAvn the home stretch in "Checkers," her newest 20th Century-Fox picture, which is shoAving at the Tivoli Theatre, but. wnat thrills most, is the grand human story. Jane recently was voted one of the six mosl popular stars of today, and in this story of galloping hoofs and gallant hearts she is at her very best. Stuart Erwin and Una Merkel play the lovers in a hilarious seA^en-year romance. and Marvin Stephens, the bad boy of "Borrowing Trouble," is the first sAveetheart of Jane's screen career. An amazing new racket—a nation-wide transportation company Avhich helps fugitives make their escape in exchange for a share of the 100t —is boldly exposed in the new Paramount crime drama. "Illegal Traffic," the associate film. J. Carrol Naish. Robert Preston, and Mary Carlisle head the cast. RIVOLI THEATRE. A gay comedy of the eighteenth century, "The Great Garrick," starring Brian Aherne and Olivia de Havilland, heads the bill at the Rivoli Theatre. While it is a costume play—the period being the 1750's and the locale the theatres of London and Paris—it is not drama, nor is it a serious biographical sketch of David Garrick, who was at that time ; the world's greatest actor. In the words of Mer\'yn Leßoy, who produced it, "The Great Garrick" is just a whole lot of fun David, it vvould seem, was a gay, rollicking felloAA', as well as a great artist, and he speeds happily through a great number of adventures —especially a pleasing romance with lovely Miss de Havilland Robert Preston and Mary Carlisle play tAvo youngsters forced to fight for their love, and later for their liA^es, against an astounding and vicious racket in "Illegal Traffic," the associate film. CHINESE MYSTIC REVUE. Chang, the famed Oriental artist, Avho, with his company of 36 American and Eastern artists, Avill present the Chinese "mystic revue, "A Trip to Hades," in the Grand Opera House, Wellington, for a season of seven nights, beginning on June 24, has had the question asked about him: "Is he • half-devil and half-man?" Chang, out j of absolute nothingness, produces "ghosts" and lovely girls. The Avizard j presents more than a sequence of illusions, hoAvever. He uses his mystic j talent as a means of introducing a' spectacular revue. The leading dancer j in "A Trip to Hades" is lovely Joanna | Clair, and she dances with her beauti-; ful ballet to the music of a clever marimba orchestra. Included with these artists from overseas are sensational balancing acrobats, a young English baritone, and Spanish, Ger-j man, and American specialties.

Todays radio programmes wiU oe

found on page 17,

YOUNG AUSTRALIANS. The Young Australian Boys' Band and Revue has reurned to Wellington, and in the Opera House last night, again, delighted a iarge audience. Since last appearing in Wellington three New Zealanders have been added to the party; quite naturally, interest was centred in them. The performances of these boys—lvan Lawson, the. eleven-year-old Wellington singer Maurice Dixon (Christchurch), a talented dancer, and Albert Workman (Auckland), who played a "piano-accor-dion—merited their inclusion. Colin Croft was instantly popular with thei ..audience with his comedy sketches but it was when lie appeared as a girl i that he was most successful. Something was added to the show by every i boy and, taken in all. every performance approached that of an adult professional performer. The last session will be; presented on Saturday night. ihe finals for the talent quest will be completed at the matinee on Saturday afternoon. j

LOTTE LEHMANN

M^ame Lotte Lehmann, who will return to Wellington tomorrow after a highly successful season in the South island, and who has Avoven the charm ot .her spell over music-lovers in -all places where she has sung, will sing her good-bye to Wellington patrons in tne lown Hall tomorrow night Every effort has been made to make the programme a memorable one. The programme will contain something to suit every taste. A wonderful selection of operatic gems, lieder, and old and modern English songs will be given. Among the operatic numbers avill be "Elsa's Dream," from "Lohengrin," Mimi's son" from "La Boheme," and Salome's aria from "Herodiade," the audience therefore, having the privilege of hearing German, Italian, and French operatic excerpts on one programme. There Avill be a bracket of Schubert and Richard Strauss lieder, an enchanting group of English songs which will include "The Last Rose of Summer" and "Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes," and compositions by Gretchaninoff and Handel. AUGUST COMPETITIONS. Considerable interest is being shown in the Wellington Competitions Society's August iestival, for which entries close on Friday next, June 23.' The syllabus this year shows many { outstanding classes, chief of Avhich is the New Zealand elimination for the Dame Nellie Melba vocal scholarship. The winner of this contest will represent New Zealand at the finals in Mel-! bourne in February next. The prize offered by the society is £40, to cover the boat fare and incidental expenses of the singer to Melbourne. The final in Melbourne carries a prize A'nlued at £300 a year for two years, with the possibility of a third year if the winner's progress warrants it. This class offers a unique opportunity to a New j Zealand singer to start out on a musical career. Another scholarship which is attracting attention is for dancing, and| is open to pupils of teachers who are members of the Royal Academy of Dancing. Tbe scholarship is worth £25, and the winner must sit for her R.A.D. examination this year. There are 2271 classes in all in the syllabus, covering the various arts, and from present indications a record entry will be re-ceiv-ed for this year's festival. MONDAY'S WRESTLING BOUT. With Paul, "Bombshell" Boesch and Jim "Dazzler" Clarke in the ring together, Wellington wrestling enthusiasts are assured of a thrilling night's sport at the Town Hall on Monday night. Both Boesch and Clarke specialise in fast and spectacular tactics, and, as they are very much of the same size and can match each other in speed, there will be little advantage on either | side. The first time they met the result was a draw, and the bout was de-i i scribed as the best seen in Christchurch for several seasons. Their previous appearances in Wellington showed them up in a very favourable light, Clarke doing what few wrestlers have been able to achieve this season in holding Jack Donovan to a draw, and Boesch figuring in a memorable bout Avith Lofty Blomfield. Boesch's drop-kicks, rolling short-arm scissors, and other exhilarating manoeuvres have made him one of the most popular wrestlers ever seen in this country. There will be amateur preliminaries from 8 o'clock. Particulars are advertised. EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. The hilarious adventures of a gang of East Side alley kids as hwited guests at a fashionable Long Island estate are revealed in Universal's gay farce. "Little Tough Guys in Society," Avhich is shoAving at the Empire Theatre Avith Mischa Aver. Mary Boland. EdAvard EA'erett Horton, and Helen Parrish. With George bßrent and Olivia de Havilland as its stars, "Gold is Where You Find It," a thrilling melodrama lof California in the 1870's, is the associate film. |