CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 73, 23 September 1939, Page 7

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. The spirit which characterises the men responsible for the splendid tradi-' tions of the British Civil Service has inspired "The Sun Never Sets," a 1 gripping story of sinister doings om the African Gold Coast, which is nowj in its second week at the Regent | Theatre. The principal members of the strong cast are Basil Rathbone, : Douglas Fairbanks, jun., C. Aubrey ] Smith, and Barbara O'Neil. The story deals with the activities of a fanatical foreigner who has discovered valuable deposits of molybdenum, a neces-, sary ageni in the manufacture of armaments, aftti by the use of a secret radio station is attempting to stir up a world war. This melodramatic material is really the background against which is told the history of two members of an English family which has contributed, sons to the Civil Service for many generations. MAJESTIC THEATRE. "Song of the Plains," which is in its second week at the Majestic Theatre, is an unusual film with a really splendid cast. It is unusual in that it is a Western drama of landgrabbers and settlers without any gun-play in it. The story is about a group of settlers on the Western plains who are menaced by the machinations of an unscrupulous Wall Street magnate. The cast includes such | favourites as Nelson Eddy, Virginia Bruce, Edward Arnold, Victor McLagleti, Lionel Barrytnore, and Charles Butterworth. A new feature on the programme is a change of newsreels, including scenes of the dramatic launch- I ing of H.M.S. Formidable, the ship [ that broke away during the launching | ceremony, Sir Malcolm Campbell i breaking the speedboat record, and j events in Europe. In the latest Aus- ; tralian newsreels, the California : Clipper is shown arriving at Auck- \ land. . j . ' ' i PARAMOUNT THEATRE. ! Excitement and action in city andi country are presented in the two Metro- ] Goldwyn-Mayer features which this \ week maintain the Paramount Theatre's reputation for quality programmes. Spencer Tracy and Virginia Bruce are [ the stars in "The Murder Man," one j of the most ingenious crime stories ever i to reach the screen. Packed with in-: cident, the story reveals the methods of American newspapermen their pursuit of information about the i murder of a thieving broker, and few j who see it will guess the surprising! climax before it is disclosed. Spencer j Tracy, as the crime reporter, gives! one of the best acting performances of j his career, and he is ably supported by j the lovely Virginia Bruce. The other j feature, "Stand Up And Fight," in which Wallace Beery and Robert Taylor play the leading roles, presents Western Maryland in the 1850's, with the bitter struggle between the railroad and stage coach lines forming the theme of a stirring story, which combines all the elements of the best of the always-popular l Westerns with an authentic historical background. Moving at breathless with hand-to-hand battles, gun fights, wagon wrecks, gqal dynamitings, and , saloon brawls studding the action, the film lives up to * the vigorous connotation of its title. DE LUXE THEATRE. An enlivening pick-me-up for dark days is "Hard to Get," the principal feature on the new programme at the De Luxe Theatre. It is rather difficult to find out what is hard to get, but it-is very easy to get the maximum. enjoSnaaejiit^ Olivia de Havillandi-ihe pretty daughter of Fifth Avenue money, is very spankable for her wilfulness, but nothing very much is done in that line until Dick Powell, attendant at a petrol station, catches her bending with a broom. It was all because she was trying to escape from making ten beds and cleaning ten cubicles attached to the station, and the forced hard labour was all because she could not pay for petrol for use in escaping from the family. She plots revenge on Dick, who has a business proposition if he can get the backing, and gets him to go to the city to sell it, knowing the reception he will get from her father. Dick's adventures make one. of. the brightest comedies that have been screened recently, and the passage to final happiness is rocky f6r both of them. Powell's best singing number is "You Must Have % Been a Wonderful Baby.' 1 Charles Winninger is excellent as Olivia's father. The second full-length picture is a mystery newspaper drama, "The 13th Man," the cast being headed by Weldon Heyburn.* VOGUE THEATRE, BROOKLYN. William Powell and Myrna Loy are starred in "Double Wedding," which heads the bill at the Vogue Theatre. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are seen in "Block Heads," the associate film. The supports include a "Crime Does Not Pay" series, Fitzpatrick all-colour traveltalk. Carey Wilson also tells of King Edward's abdication. STATE THEATRE, PETONE. "The Lambeth Walk," the film version of the highly successful London musical show, "Me and My Girl," is showing at the State Theatre. Lupino Lane is starred with Sally Gray and Sir Seymour Hicks heading the rest of the cast. - PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. One of the most widely-discussed films ever produced, Columbia's "Let Us Live," is screening at the Palace Theatre. Maureen O'Sullivan, Henry Fonda, and Ralph Bellamy are featured in this story of plain, average people who suddenly find the eyes of the world upon them. A galaxy of stars is featured in the second attraction. "Sing as You Swing." GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. A glorious successor to "Magnificent Obession" and "Green Light" —-"White Banners," also adapted from a best-selling novel by Lloyd C. Douglas, is showing at the Grand Theatre. Claude Rains and Fay Bainter are starred. The inside workings of a foreign ring of spies and saboteurs, and the method by which counter-spies attempt to frus trate their secret activities, are threaded into "They Made Her a Spy," featuring Sally Eilers. the associate film. The eighth episode of "The Lone Ranger" will also be shown. KING GEORGE THEATRE, LOWER HUTT. Few people can be unacquainted with the songs from "The Mikado"— the famous Gilbert and Sullivan opera, the screen version of which is showing at the King George Theatre. There is lilting melody, romantic sentiment, and cheerful patriotism contained in all the songs. Fortunate are the present generation on whose minds these immortal songs will leave' an even deeper'impression by reason of their sweeping, colourful,. action-fill-ed rendering on the screen. DE LUXE THEATRE, LOWER HUTT. Seldom in the history of naval warfare has a more thrilling chapter been written than that recorded by America's wartime fleet of submarine chasers, and in view of the present problem of ridding the seas of the new submarine menace, "Submarine Patrol," which is showing at the De Luxe Theatre, is of especial interest. A Joe E. Brown comedy, "The Gladiator," is the associate film. PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE, WOBURN. "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," which is showing at the Prince Edward Theatre, is glorious, thrilling entertainment. The cast is an impressive one. "Fast Company," the associate film, is a story of the stolen rare book racket that has recently grown to international proportions.

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

KING'S THEATRE. Today's favourite dancing team, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, have fit- I j tingly been chosen to play the part of I their counterparts of a generation ago j in the film, "The Story of Vernon and j j Irene Castle," which is showing at the 'King's Theatre. The setting is during the pre-war and war years, and in j parts the atmosphere has much in com- ] jmon with that of today. Although! i costumes are in tune with the period, jthe action is lively and bright, and the dance sequences and catchy tunes, with which the film abounds, are selected from among the most sensational successes of the past twenty-five years. Vernon Castle, played by Fred Astaire, is first seen as a second-rate comedian who does not begin to ap- j preciate his great talent until he meets the beautiful young woman who becomes his wife. Together they set out to make a career for themselves, and they are at the height of their fame when the war bursts. The happy home life which they had planned is gone, and Vernon risks his life daily as a pilot in the R.F.C., while his wife does war work for the Tommies. Infrequent meetings during leave are but j | bright spots through months of dread, ! i but at last, when happiness is almost j j within their grasp, comes the greatest, tragedy of all. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are seen at their best, not only in the dancing sequences, but j in the straight dramatic sequences, j Supports include a Walt Disney Silly Symphony. | PLAZA THEATRE. I A modern comedy of errors is preIsented in "Good Girls Go to Paris," 'the current attraction at the Plaza I Theatre. The hero and heroine of the ; story are a young English professor of i Greek mythology (Melvyn Douglas) I and a pretty waitress at a tea-room frequented by undergraduates. Professor Brookes is lecturing in America under ! the exchange system, and he finds time i between lectures to deliver homely i advice to Jenny, the waitress, who has j set her mind on a Paris holiday and I even pretends to be prepared to forgo being a good girl to attain her ambition. As che result of a queer chapter [of accidents Jenny lands in the houseihold of a self-made millionaire whose j daughter the professor is about to ; marry. Jenny's common sense is soon employed settling the various personal | and emotional difficulties under which i every member of the family seems to |be struggling, but the future looks very 'black for her when, in order to help jthe others. sh£ has taken the blame I for a host of crimes. However, in a i cleverly-contrived final scene everyj one's troubles are deftly settled and ! the professor realises that he is to give Jenny her Paris trip when she becomes Mrs. Brookes. An interesting first half includes a Charley Chase farce, an intimate picture of most of the stars of Hollywood attending a charity party, and a beautiful picture tour in technicolour of the San Francisco' Exhibition. ■ STATE THEATRE. Mingling rapid-fire melodramatic action with a searching psychological study. Columbia's "Blind Alley" heads the bill at the State Theatre. The dramatic intensity of the new film is due, in part, to its sensational story of contemporary life; in part to its skilful and understanding treatment of a difficult theme; in part to the technical perfection of jts cast, writers, and director. A notorious killer, escaping in a prison break; appropriates the hpme.-.:Of a- professor' of psychology 'as his* refuge and subjects the owners and their guests to twelve hours of horror. The cast is«headed by Chester Morris, Ralph Bellamy, and Ann Dvorak. The inner workings of the American Bureau of Missing Persons is shown in the other feature, "Missing Daughters," starring Richard Arlen, Rochelle Hudsop, Marian Marsh, and Isabel Jewell. TUDOR THEATRE. With all the ingredients for satisfactory entertainment—love, war, sword-play, a king's wickedness, and all the glamour of the France of Louis XlV—"The Man in the Iron Mask," transferred to the Tudor Theatre, is palatable fare. The featured players are Joan Bennett and Louis Hayward. "H" in the alphabet is the initial letter of such words as hilarity, humour, happiness; and homespun. "H" also introduces the name "Higgins." And they are just the adjectives to describe properly the screen antics of Republic Studios' film family, "The Higginses," who delight audiences .in their "My Wife's Relatives," which is the associate film. . REX THEATRE. "Algiers," starring Charles Boyer, which is showing at the Rex Theatre, is one of the most exciting films to come to the screen. In "Keep Your Seats, Please," the associate film, George Formby, the popular English comedian, is seen at his best. ROXY THEATRE. Setting forth a vivid story of adventure in the Sacth Seas, and photographed throughout in natural colours by a new process, hirlicolour, "Captain Calamity." Grand National's newest screen romance, starring George Houston and Marian Nixon, is screening at the Roxy Theatre. A novel and exciting newspaper murder mystery with Barry K. Barnes and Valeric Hobson in the principal parts, "This Man Is News," is, the associate film. NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. Mary Maguire and George Sanders touch heights of dramatic power rareiy achieved on the screen in "The Outsider," which is showing at the New Princess Theatre. Pungent dialogue and brilliantly dramatic situations abound in this famous play by Dorothy Brandon. The associate feature is "Jane Steps Out," starring Diana Churchill, Jean Muir, and Fred Emney. "Jane Steps Out" is a bright, witty comedy. Special supporting items are a "March of Time" series, "Inside Nazi Germany" and "Poland and War." ASCOT THEATRE. NEWTOWN. Gracie Fields is the star in "Keep Smiling, an exceptionally bright musical corned.,, which is showing at the Ascot Theatre. This popular singing comedienne has. the happiest role of her career. Her rendering of "May Morning" and "The Holy City" is a rare musical treat. Also showing is "Inspector Hornleigh." a Scotland Yard story introducing Gordon Harker as a new and different sleuth, who collects rare stamps and careless criminals. The supports include topical subjects. EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. Will Fyffe gives a superb dramatic performance in the Gainsborough picture "Owd Bob," at the Empire Theatre. It is his first starring role and in it he gives a magnificent portrayal of the irascible old shepherd hated and feared by all his neighbours, his only friend a dog. Moto avenges his own murder! That is the macabre achievement of the famous "Saturday Evening Post" sleuth in his latest screen adventure, "Mr. Moto's Last Warning," the associate film, starring Peter Lorre. REGAL THEATRE, KARORI. Constance Bennett, the glamorous blonde who proved herself a first-rate comedienne in last year's "Topper" and "Merrily We Live," returns to the screen in another mad and merry portrayal of Hal Roach's latest comedy production, "Topper Takes a Trip," showing at the Regal Theatre. Roland Young and Billie Burke are also in the cast. A riotous comedy with music—and Carole Lombard and Fernand Gravet —is "Fools For Scandal,", the associate film. 1

TIVOLI THEATRE. "Crackerjack," starring Tom Walls and Lilli Palmer, heads the bill at the Tivoli Theatre. Flying to England on a cross-Channel plane is millionaire Morella, Jack Drake, and Inspector Benting. The rest of the passengers turn out to be crooks and force the pilot to land, after relieving Morella of most of his valuables. Once in London, Drake disguises himself and gains entrance to a big. society party, and by cleverly substituting a fake necklace steals the famous Humbold pearls. After he has left, the party is held up by a gang and in the ensuing melee a man is killed. Next morning Drake reads of the murder and that "Crackerjack" is held responsible. From then { on the film abounds in exciting and I thrilling episodes. The associate film jis "Cowboy From Brooklyn," starring ! pick Powell, Pat j'Brien, and Priscilla Lane. KILBIBNIE KINEMA, CAPITOI. AND SEASIDE THEATRES. Hilarious comedy sequences deftly woven into a powerful story stamp Universal's "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man," which heads the programme at the Kilbirnie Kinema, Capitol and Seaside Theatres. Heading the cast of the picture are W. C. Fields, Edgar Bergen, and Charlie McCarthy. High lighting the film is the bitter feud between Fields and his wooden nemesis, McCarthy. Their battle reaches new heights of potency and comedy in "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man." j High adventure along one of the world's last frontiers is thrillingly depicted in "Heart of the North," the Warner Bros, picturisation in Technii color of a tale of the Royal Canadian | Mounted Police which is the associate j film at both the Kinema and Seaside I Theatre. "Racket Busters," the associate feature at the Capitol Theatre, carries on the tradition of live pictures about live topics. Humphrey ißogart, George Brent, Gloria Dickson, Allen Jenkins, and Walter Abel are in the leading roles. SUNDAY PICTURES. The picture "Please Teacher," to be screened at the De Luxe Theatre at 8.15 tomorrow night, is a riot of musical mirth Bobby Howes. Vera Pearce, Bertha Belmore, and Wylie Watson head the cast. The fun starts when Bobby Howes enters a girls' school in search of a missing legacy and finds himself in bed with "Malaria." And the one who puts him to bed is none other than the headmistress herself, what happens when Bobby "walks in his sleep" into the girls' dormitory looking for a bust of Napoleon, in which the legacy is supposed to be hidden, when he sings the male part in the school pageant song, when he dances the historical dance with Vera Pearce, and when he presents the school prizes, is indescribably funny. Proceeds are in aid of the Mayor's Metropolitan Relief Fund. WELLINGTON'S SPRING SHOW. The Wellington Horticultural Society has arrangements well in hand for the j spring flower show to be held in the Town Hall on Tuesday next. The show I is to be officially opened at 3 p.m. by the Governor-General, Viscount Galway, who will be accompanied by Lady Gal way. In addition to the many attractive displays made by professional growers, which are in themselves always much appreciated, there will be many interesting decorative displays by florists and private exhibitors. An interesting feature will be the decorative work by the ladies' committee and the ladies of the Pioneer Club Garden Circle. The spring show is, of course, essentially daffodil day, but there will be beautiful exhibits of cinerarias, tulips, hyacinths, polyanthus, pansies, anemones, rhododendrons, etc. The spring show also provides excellent scope for decorated tables in the competitive classes. Afternoon tea will be available during the course of the afternoon, and suitable music will add to the enjoyment of the proceedings. NORTH CHINA TROUPE. The Wellington season of the Great North China Troupe and associate artists concludes tonight at the Opera House. Many fresh items have been added to the second week's programme, including several balancing turns. Some of the old turns, sensational enough in themselves, have been made even more thrilling. A small girl who contorts her body while balancing and moving two glasses of coloured water presents an amazing act. Chiu Chiu, a beautiful young girl, gives a graceful fan dance, and the hearts of the audience are reached by the nine-year-old singer Herbert Young. A satisfactory first half is provided by Alexander Cooper, balladist; "The Campbell Boys." concertina players; Latoma and Sparks, acrobatic dancers; "Roylston," , ventriloquist; Keith Connolly and Elsa Hoskins, Effie Fellows, cheery male impersonator; arid the "Three Musical Camerons." The troupe and associate artists will appear in Masterton on Monday, in Wanganui next Tuesday and Wednesday, and in Hawera next Thursday. WRIGHT AND BLOMFIELD. In the wrestling match at the Wellington Town Hall on Monday night Rube Wright, of Texas, is to meet . "Lofty" Blomfield, the New Zealand champion. Blomfield will need all his weight and strength when he comes up against Wright, as the latter is about 6ft 2in in height and weighs nearly 18 stone. Wright has been wrestling as a professional for six years, starting his career after he had won the American amateur . heavyweight championship. He has wrestled not only throughout the United States and Canada, but also in various European centres and in Australia. He is freely regarded as one of the most promising pi;ospects among the presentday American wrestlers as he combines exceptional scientific ability with great size and ruggedness. Specialty holds such as a figure-four scissors and a barred toehold top off a full equipment of attacking measures and he can also use a powerful forearm jolt. He and Blomfield are ideally matched in many respects and their previous meeting this season resulted in a hardfought draw. The preliminaries will mcliM1? a semi-professional bout between Colin Croskery and Syd Scott.