CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 134, 7 June 1940, Page 10

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

REGENT THEATRE.

"Juarez" (pronounced "War-ezz"), Warner Bros.' brilliant new production starring Paul Muni and Bette Davis, is in its second week at the Regent Theatre. Supporting Muni and Miss Davis are such stellar names as Brian Aherne, John Garfield, Claude Rains, Joseph Calleia, and Gale Sondergaard. From a historical standpoint, "Juarez is extremely important, for it depicts the only widespread efforts on the part of a European Government to infringe upon an independent nation's liberty Napoleon 111 ol France sets up a puppet empire in Mexico, with Maximilian and Carlota as innocent and hapless pawns, in order to collect the debts owed to France, but cancelled by Juarez, president of the Mexican republic.

ST. JAMES THEATRE.

Deanna Durbin's latest film, "It's a Date," is in its second week at the bt. James Theatre. In many ways the new Joe Pasternik production is the Universal star's best picture. It has the mos.t colourful setting—Hawaii—in which Deanna has ever appeared. Its comedy rates with the funniest ever screened and its romance is as poignant as the most successful hit-makers in Hollywood can produce. The music, with Deanna singing four numbers, is again outstanding. One of the star's finest supporting casts shares credit for her latest triumph. Kay Francis, as Deanha's mother, a famous and glamorous actress, returns to high favour with an excellent performance and Walter Pidgeon, as romantic interest for both Deanna and Kay, has perhaps the most successful role of his career.

MAJESTIC THEATRE.

The renowned operetta "Balalaika" has reached the Majestic Theatre in its picturised form and those who have been expecting something out of, the ordinary in musical films now have the opportunity of judging for themselves. They certainly, will not be disappointed. The film people have utilised all the resources of the screen in technique and**talent to produce a film which is well worth seeing and hearing. All the old favourite songs are there, together with several new ones which are destined to be heard everywhere in the next few weeks. The story has been altered here and there, but operettas are getting used to this by now, and to exchange the Imperial Russian Ballet. for the Imperial Russian Opera is direct gain when Nelson Eddy and Ilona Massey happen to be playing the leading roles.

PARAMOUNT THEATRE.

"1 don't want my baby to be born a Nazi!" An anguished cry from, the depths of a woman's heart... a woman who wanted babies, yes, but not babies to become part of the war machine of a power-crazed dictator. This dramatic outburst occurs in "Hitler —Beast of Berlin," an amazing picture, which heads the new bill at the Paramount Theatre. The scene is the home of -Mr. und Mrs. Hans Membling, two young Germans who "dare" to prefer the love of family—the love of peace—to the brutal policy of Nazism. Hans is a prominent member of a secret band, who are courageously fighting Hitlerism with every weapon their ingenuity and meagre resources can command. His wife, Elsa, lives in constant dread that her husband will be caught by the Gestapo, and every German knows what that means. Eventually the inevitable happens and Hans, with many of his friends is caught and flung into a concentration camp, there to be subjected to brutalities and indignities almost unbelievable in this advanced age of civilisation. And Elsa is left to continue the fight alone—a fight for the rights that we believe are the inheritance of every man and woman — peace and happiness with those we love.

TUDOR THEATRE

For all its militaristic theme, there is a particularly pleasing leavening of dry humour in the patriotic film, "For Freedom," which has been transferred to the Tudor Theatre. Though based on factual material, some of the characters are fictional, and Will Fyffe's portrayal of a peppery, dictatorial, but imaginative head of a great newsreel organisation—a fictional character —is done with the utmost appreciation of such a man, and with remarkable vigour. The story of the war, right up to the Battle of the River Plate, is shown in newsreel form, with commentary by sight and sound welding the scattered fragments of military, nayjal, and civil effort into a convincing unity. With Alice Faye and Warner Baxter together for the first time as a romantic team, "Barricade" is the associate film.

ASCOT- THEATRE ..^Tef af^the "TscSt noiei ior women at me ASCOt Theatr^ The stars are Ann Sothern, Linda Darnell, and James Ellison. It is a bright comedy of glamorous girls and their various escapades in seeing life The suppor ti n g feature is "Submarine p atr( ff> wit | Richard Greene and I^eston Foster It is a. mighty e Plc of the sea and of the heroic deeds of the men who fight the U-boat menace. The programme is complete w i t h entertaining featurettes. ° -KINO flFOttfiF THFATRF RTOifS H m ' LOWER HUTT. Laughs, action, and romance are the orr j e r at the Kine O^nr^p ThpatrP °raer at «ie wng u-eorge ineatre, where "Destry Rides Again" is showing. Starring versatile James Stewart and Marlene Dietrich, in an entirely new role> witn an exce llent supporting castj "Destry Rides Again" is firstclass entertainment.

DE ILUXE THEATRE, LOWER HUTT.

The romance and mystery of the Orient, the intrigue identified with the country north of Singapore serves as a framework for the Paramount drama "Island of Lost Men," showing at the De Luxe Theatre. What happens when a taxi-driver who trains pigeons on the side is given the job of training a racehorse, leads to uproarious complications in Joe Penner's latest, "The Day the Bookies Wept," the associate film.

GRAND THEATRE, PETONE,

"Wolf of New York" and "That's Right, You're Wrong" conclude tonight at the Grand Theatre. A deadly killer with a slow smile and the soul of a poet, camouflaging his avenging instinct, "The Saint," famous fictional creation of Leslie Charteris, opens tomorrow. Car racing, one of the most thrilling and dangerous of sports, affords the story basis for Richard Arlen and Andy Devine's newest co-starring picture, "Danger on Wheels," the second attraction.

STATE THEATRE, PETONE,

"Naughty Marietta" will, be shown finally tonight at the State Theatre.

A picture which stirs cinema-goers with its powerful reality is "Angels With Dirty Faces," the Warner Bros, melodrama starring James Cagney and Pat O'Brien, which opens tomorrow at the State Theatre. No ordinary filmfare is this story of two boys from the slums, who, through a strange quirk of fate, grow up at opposite ends of the social order to a conclusion as thrilling and human as ever produced for the screen.

CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR.

Deanna Durbin has two leading men in "First Love." They are Robert Stack and Lewis Howard, and they are in support of the star at the Capitol Theatre. Deanna sings four popular songs with perfect feeling. "6000 Enemies" is the associate featurp with Walter Pidgeon starred.

KING'S THEATRE.

Based on the popular, best-selling Daphne dv Maurier novel, David O. Selznick's ■ production of "Rebecca," is showing at the King's Theatre. Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine appear in the principal starring roles, while the featured cast includes Reginald Denny, Judith Anderson, George Sanders, C. Aubrey Smith, Gladys Cooper, Florence Bates, and Nigel Bruce. Alfred Hitchcock, who previously staged such successes as "The Lady Vanishes" and "The 39 Steps," directed "Rebecca" from the screen play written by Robert E. Sherwood and Joan Harrison. Under the direction of Lyle Wheeler, art director at Selznick International, forty different sets representing the picturesque backgrounds of the story were constructed for the film. Among the unusual settings are London streets, old taverns, a Coroner's office, and a gloomy boathouse facing a windswept bay on the coast of Cornwall. The largest set depicts the Tudor estate known as Manderley.

PLAZA THEATRE.

Story value and acting performances are counted on in "Everything Happens at Night" more than in any of Sonja- Henie's previous five productions. A completely different type of story for the famous skating star and queen of the ice, the screen play by Art Arthur and Robert Harari, is filled with love and laughter, and mysterious danger, too. Ray Milland and Robert Cummings are featured as Sonja's leading men in the attraction which is showing at the Plaza Theatre. \Signed by 20th CenturyFox originally just for her skating genius, the studio asked no - real acting talent from Sonja Henie in her first few pictures where they were content just to have her perform on the ice. But it was soon apparent that a real dramatic talent was possessed by the ice champion. Never, however, has Sonja had a part as demanding upon her new-found ability as in "Everything Happens at Night."

STATE THEATRE,

Possessing an original plot, the Columbia picture "Fugitive at Large," now showing at the State Theatre, is better and more entertaining than the majority of films which feature America's most successful specialtycrime. Jack Holt is first seen as an engineer who is noticed by some petty crooks to be the double of a wellknown city gangster. A plan is made and executed, and eventually the engineer finds himself "framed" in court and ends up as a member of a prison road gang dojng a term of 20 years for the crimes committed by the gangster. A daring gaol-break and a long and, persistent man hunt contribute to the interest of the film. Holt is supported by Patricia Ellis, Stanley Fields, and Guinn Williams. The second feature is "Call of the Rockies," a Western romance with plenty of gun-play and cowboy melodies. Charles Starrett and Iris Meredith take the leading roles.

DE LUXE THEATRE.

Walter Pidgeqn and Rita Johnson, who proved their appeal as a, romantic team in the prison drama, "6000 Enemies," combine forces again in "Nick Carter, Master Detective," showing at the De Luxe Theatre. The story of the supersleuth who was the hero of the popular novel series of a generation ago, "Nick Carter, Master . Detective," presents Pidgeon in the title role as a detective called in to solve the mysterious disappearance of plans for a super-aeroplane. Miss Johnson is seen as a plane stewardess. The story and characters have been brought entirely up to date, and glimpses of imaginative aircraft of the future lend a Jules Verne touch. "Kid Nightingale," new Warner Bros, comedy, featuring John Payne and Jane Wyman, which is the associate film, is about a prize fighter. But what a fighter! He likes to sing much more than he likes to fight, and to tell the truth he sings much better than he fights.

OPERA HOUSE.

"Sing, You Sinners" and "Double or Nothing," both characterised by bright music and humour unbounded, comprise the programme for "Crosby Week" at the Opera House. "The Moon Got in My Eyes," "It's the Natural Thing to Do," "I've Got a Pocket Full of Fun," and "Don't Let That Moon Get Away" are but a few of the prbgramme's popular songs.

NEW PRINCESS THEATRE,

The efforts of a group of aeroplanecrash victims to escape from a foreboding jungle near the hiadwaters of the Amazon River in South America form the basis of one of the season's most dramatic film offerings, "Five Came Back," which is showing at the New Princess Theatre. Chester Morris, Lucille Ball. Wendy Barrie; and eight other prominent players are in the cast. The associate feature is "Sons of the Sea," an epic of courage and dare-devil adventure. Leslie Banks is featured in this film, which was produced with the full co-opera-tion of the British Admiralty.

EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY.

Turning the spotlight on the wretched soul of a disabled bellringer whose dog-like love for a beautiful gipsy girl saves her from the. hangman's noose at the sacrifice of his own life, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" comes to the Empire Theatre as a compelling character study painted against ah awe-inspiring background. Charles Laughton is in the title, role. "Off the Record," a new Warner Bros, picture with a newspaper background, is the associate film.

REGAL THEATRE, KARORI.

Gay comedy and romantic revelry are the keynotes of "Day-time Wife," 20th Century-Fox picture showing at the Regal Theatre with Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell co-starred; The film presents Tyrone in the light, carefree roles in which he excels and the selection of dark-eyed and lovely Linda to play opposite him is a happy one. The bravery of men who give their lives that others may live is brought to the screen in Columbia's "Coast Guard," associate film.

VOGUE THEATRE, BROOKLYN.

Jane Withers and Leo Carrillo are together in the 20th Century-Fox screen version of "Chicken Wagon Family," a heart-warming story which opens tomorrow. "Sudden Money" in the form of a sweepstakes fortune hits a typical modern family and causes a riot in the new Paramount comedy, "Sudden Money," the associate film.

PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE, * WOBURN.

Would* you send your own daughter to death in the electric chair? That question is asked and answered in Columbia's "A Woman is the Judge," showing at the Prince Edward Theatre. Also showing is "Hell's Cargo," a thrilling story of the sea.

PALACE THEATRE, PETONE,

"Huckleberry Finn" and "Three Loves Has Nancy" conclude tonight at the Palace Theatre. Sandy Powell heads the cast in one of the most entertaining musical comedies screened for some time, "Song in Soho," which opens tomorrow. In this film are featured the famous Windmill Girls, England's prettiest chorines, and Alan D'Albert and his Band. "Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase," the second feature ,is the fourth in the Warner Bros, series presenting Bonita Granville as the juvenile heroine of Carolyn Keene's stories of a girl detective.

TIVOLI THEATRE. Darryl F. Zanuck's production of "Hollywood Cavalcade," the romance of the movies from bathing beauties to world premieres, which stars Alice Faye and Don Ameche and xis showing at the Tivoli Theatre, is the first film in the history of motion pictures to combine Technicolor and black and white. The 20th Century-Fox picture contains one scene which shows a theatre projection room, all in Technicolor, which takes in the theatre, screen on which a black and white film is. being shown. It is human drama of today, which, brings back happy screen memories, such as Mack Sennett bathing beauties, Keystone' cops, custard pie comedy, Buster Keaton, Ben Turpin, and Chester Conklin. "Naughty But Nice," the new1 Warner Bros, comedy, which is the associate film, is a hilariously satirical disclosure of some of the skeletons in the closets of the denizens of r ln- Pit n Alley- Sharing almost equally m the acting and singing burden are Ann Sheridan, Dick Powell, and Gale Page.

ROXY THEATRE,

m ty, es^S na-f c s*?ry which moves swiftly, "Traitor Spy" is showing at the Roxy Theatre. Bruce Cabot as Healey, a crafty tool of German agents, goes the way of all spies who know too much for their employers. A huge English naval factory is seen in full swing, and amongst the workmen, the young man of German parents with ah American accent manages to get away with the plans of a device for destroying submarines, though he has to kill his landlord/1 0 close his mouth. The associate film is "Colorado Sunset," in which Gene Autry and June Storey lead in a galloping ranch racketeer break-up.