CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 10, 11 July 1940, Page 14

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

ST. JAMES THEATRE. "The Invisible Man Returns" concludes tonight at the St. I James Theatre. „ , "Geronimo!" starring Preston Foster, Ellen Drew, and Andy Devine, commences tomorrow. MAJESTIC THEATRE. The screen's most famous family return to Wellington in their best film to date, "Judge Hardy and Son," which is the current attraction at the Majestic Theatre. Mickey Rooney as Andy Hardy is, of course, the main attraction, and, as usual, his love affairs are as numerous as they are unsuccessful. Lewis Stone plays the role of Judge Hardy, Fay Holden Mrs. Hardy, and Cecilia Parker the daughter of the family. An aged couple in rather poor circumstances seek Judge Hardy's advice regarding their home which, owing to mortgages, is to be taken from them. They have a daughter rather well off from whom they are too proud to get financial assistance. It is Judge •Hardy's task and Andy- Hardy's, too, to find the daughter without the parents knowing. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. "Follow the Fleet" and "Keep Smiling" conclude tonight at the Paramount Theatre. "Come On, George," and "Street of Missing Men" open tomorrow. REGENT THEATRE. A bunch of grown-up men sitting at desks and learning their French, a temperamental French professor with a piquant brunette daughter, and a glamorous blonde interloper with designs on all men are the ingredients of "French Without Tears," which is showing for another week at the Regent -Theatre. "French Without Tears," based on Terrance Rattigan's famous play of the same name, was directed by Anthony Asquith, and he has produced distinctly palatable fare, flavoured intriguingly with a little French mustard. Ray Milland and Ellen Drew are the wellchosen principals for this show. Jim Gerald, a French comedian, plays a character role with Milland and his co-star. v • OPERA HOUSE. "Beau Geste" will be shown finally tonight at the Opera House. Though the title of that modern comedy ■which will be shown at the Opera House from tomorrow is "The Women," the bright and witty dialogue is almost entirely about the husbands of the women involved. Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, and Rosalind Russell, all popular players, are the principals, and very well have they been cast. NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. "It's a Date" and "Honeymoon Deferred" conclude tonight at the New Princess Theatre. Action as sweeping as galloping Arab hordes, romance as strange as the torrid Sahara sands, heroes as great as any who have ridden to battle for an empire in the desert! All these thrills are packed into the new "Beau Geste," Paramount's drama of the French Foreign Legion, which opens tomorrow at the Princess Theatre. Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, and Robert Preston head a brilliant cast as the glorious gallant brothers Geste, the men who accepted disgrace and exile to protect the woman they loved. The associate •feature is the "Return of Dr. X," starring Humphrey Bogart, Wayne Morris, and Rosemary Lane. ROXY THEATRE. The Roxy Theatre will show "They Made Me a Criminal" and "Law of the Pampas" for the last time tonight. Gracie -Fields, in "Keep Smiling," which opens tomorrow, is seen in a happy setting. Starting out as head of a troupe to give a free show for charity, she ascertains that it ,1s proposed to give only 10 per cent, to the real object of the show, and that the greedy promoter is taking the rest. The ensuing row, when Gracie speaks her mind, naturally leaves the troupe stranded, but Grade's father takes them to his farm, where the main action takes place. "Follow the Fleet" supports • the main picture. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rigers, Randolph Scott, and Harriet Hilliard head the cast. ASCOT THEATRE. The popular picture "The Lambeth Walk" is showing at the Ascot Theatre, with the comical Lupino Lane and charming Sally Gray starred. "The Bad Man of Brimstone," the second attraction, stars Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone,, and Virginia Bruce. The supporting features are splendid. REGAL THEATRE, KARORI. A new Marlene Dietrich, vastly improved and bearing little resemblance to her, previous appearances except in glamorous beauty, returned to the screen in "Destry Rides Again," showing at the Regal Theatre. Miss Dietrich's almost startling transformation features a picture notable in many other respects, chief among these being the presence of James Stewart. The drama of a mysterious murder is interwoven with the light-hearted comedy of life in a tymcal American town in Paramount's "Scandal Street," the associate attraction. PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE, WOBURN. "Konga, the Wild Stallion," Columbia's new outdoor drama, is showing at the Prince Edward Theatre. Fred Stone, Rochelle Hudson, and Richard Fiske are featured in this thrilling tale of action, excitement, and romance. Phil Regan, Jean Parker, and Colonel Roscoe Turner, America's "ace" of the air. head the cast of "Flight at Midnight," the associate film. KING GEORGE THEATRE, LOWER HUTT. It is impossible to get more laughs on the one programme than that now showing at the King George, Laurel and Hardy in the "Bohemian Girl," and the Marx Bros, in "A Night at the Opera." \ PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. Columbia's "Scandal Sheet" is showing at the Palace Theatre, with Otto Kruger as a relentless publisher of a newspaper which manufactures its own news. The determined efforts of a kindly old physician to aid the impoverished residents of a small town's "squatter" section provide the dramatic basis of "The Courageous Dr. Christian," the associate film, starring Jean Hersholt. GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. Based upon the dangerous consequences of mistaken identity, Columbia's "Fugitive At Large" heads the bill at the Grand Theatre, with Jack Holt playing a dual stellar role. Patricia Ellis plays opposite Holt. "Cafe Society," 1940 version of the "Four Hundred," gets a good-natured pushing around in "Cafe Society," the second attraction. s STATE THEATRE, PETONE. With star honours divided three ways, among Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, and Rosalind Russell, "The Women" is showing at the State Theatre. It is unusual in its premise of presenting one of the strongest love stories to come out of Hollywood and yet never showing before the camera the masculine objects of the various women's affections.

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

KING'S THEATRE. "Vigil in the Night" will be shown finally tonight at the King's Theatre With George Raft and Joan Bennett sharing stellar honours and a strong supporting cast featuring Walter Pidgeon Gladys George, Lloyd Nolan, and June Knight, Walter Wanger's "The House Across the Bay" opens tomorrow at the King's Theatre. The new film production is based on an original story by Myles Connolly, and the central figure in the picture is" Brenda Bentley, played by Miss Bennett, a young girl confronted with the problem of adjusting her life to sa strange fate when her husband ,-is sent to prison for income tax evasion. This role, which is outstandingly dramatic, gives the alluring Miss Bennett wide scope as she is seen as a singer and dancer in addition to her dramatic opportunities. In one sequence of the film she sings and dances "Chula Chihuahua," her own interpretation of the South American rhumba, and later introduces "I'll Be a Fool Again." This, of course, is a radical innovation for the actress, who in the past has confined herself to the more sedate measures of ballroom dancing. PLAZA THEATRE. "Drums Along the Mohawk" will be shown for the last time tonight at the Plaza Theatre. "The Stars Look Down," starring Michael Redgrave, Margaret Lockwood, and Emlyn Williams, opens tomorrow. TIVOLI THEATRE. The Tivoli Theatre will show "Raffles" and "Poison Pen" for the last time tonight. The super-crime of the century is the thrilling story that is unfolded in "Sherlock Holmes," which opens tomorrow. The master detective is pitted against his arch-enemy, the fiendish Moriarty, in this 20th Century-Fox film, and the result is an exciting photoplay. A woman in love is the victim, and the 15,000,000 dollars British Crown Jewels the loot. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, who did such capable jobs of the roles of Holmes and Dr. Watson, respectively, in the recent "The Hound of the Baskervilles," play these parts to perfection again. Ida Lupino and Alan Marshal handle the romantic roles, heading the cast which includes Terry Kiltourn, George Zucco (as Moriarty), Henry Stephenson, and E. E. Clive. The associate film is the entertaining comedy, "Alf's Button Afloat," starring the Crazy Gang. RIVOLI THEATRE. "Gunga Din" and "One Hour to Live" conclude tonight at the Rivoli Theatre. With amazing timeliness, Columbia's "U-Boat 29," which opens tomorrow, brings to the screen a wartime story of the struggle between German and British agents. Just as the English Secret Service is today manoeuvring to foil the machinations of the German Gestapo, the film graphically depicts the actions of two loyal agents as they work to prevent the torpedoing of a whole squadron of the Royal Navy. Conrad Veidt, Valeric Hobson, and Sebastian Shaw are featured. Double portions of mystery, action, artd comedy are contained in Universal's "Honeymoon Deferred," the associate film. Edmund Lowe and Margaret Lindsay are in the starring roles. STATE THEATRE. Based on a detective novel which met with great success when first published, "The Crowd Looked On," one of the two- main features of the new programme at the State Theatre, is an exciting and unusual story. A player falls dead in the middle of a great Soccer match, not from heart disease, as at first supposed, but murdered. How this fell deed was accomplished, undetected by the thousands of spectators watching the match, it is left to Inspector Slade to discover. And it is essential for him to solve the mystery in double quick time, otherwise his production of a beauty chorus will be seriously interfered with. Inspector Slade, plus his faithful sergeant, gets to work quickly, however, and the mystery is solved. The star performer is Leslie Banks, the English actor, and his role as the detective is one that eminently suits him. The Jones Family makes a joyful reappearance in the second feature, "Ybung As You Feel." Pa Jones sells out his business and the family goes off to New York and the World's Fair. There they fall a prey to all kinds of rogues and fortune hunters, and their adventures are many and humorous. The usual cast carries this farce through with conspicuous success. DE LUXE THEATRE. "Congo. Maisie" and "Our Leading Citizen" conclude tonight at the De Luxe Theatre. "Women Without Names" and "Cheer, Boys, Cheer," open tomorrow. "Tudor theatre. A fine psychological drama with an intense human interest appeal, "Rebecca," concludes tonight at the Tudor Theatre. The picture tells of the joys and tribulations of a young and unsophisticated second wife who is constantly fighting the shadow of the first wife. Rebecca, whose influence remains something real and a little terrible to the second Mrs. de Winter. Centring'engrossingly on the efforts of the doctor in River's End to convince the local residents of their need for a hospital, "Meet Dr. Christian" is the associate attraction. Jean Hersholt gives a particularly convincing performance as Dr. Christian. CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. "Sing As You Swing," in which many of the top-line radio and variety stars appear, and "Hell's Kitchen," with the "Dead End Kids," conclude tonight at the Capitol Theatre. Tomorrow a complete change of programme will be presented—"The Tower of London," with Basil Rathbone, and another of the popular "Mr. Moto" mystery films, "The Mysterious Mr. Moto," with Peter Lorre. EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. Despite anything Bob Hope, at his gagging best, can do about it, lovely Paulette Goddard falls into the clutches of "The Cat," murderous, claw-handed creature, in the course of Paramount's great mystery-comedy, "The Cat and the Canary," showing at the Empire Theatre. "Daughters Courageous," the Warner Bros. c©medy of domestic life, is the associate film. REX THEATRE. "Give Me a Sailor" and "Prison Farm" conclude tonight at the Rex Theatre. "We're Going To Be Rich" and "Roberta" open tomorrow. VOGUE THEATRE, BROOKLYN. "Charlie Chan at Treasure Island," 20th Century-Fox mystery thriller, brings Sidney Toler to the Vogue Theatre as the famous Earl Derr Biggers detective. "Bridal Suite," the associate film, stars Annabella, Robert Young, Walter Connolly, Reginald Owen, Gene Lockhart, Arthur Treacher, and Billie Burke.

Gradings of hemp last month were 64 bales, compared with 950 bales for June, 1939. There were no gradings of tow, stripper tow, or stripper slips. New regulations under the Australian National Security Act provide that no person shall advocate, orally or otherwise, the use of war savings certificates as currency.