CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 21, 24 July 1940, Page 12

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

ST. JAMES THEATRE. The inimitable Mac West has become something of a tradition of the talking screen, and it certainly has been a long time between Mac West films. She is now. at the St. James Theatre, along with the also traditional W. C. Fields in her latest film success "My Little Chicadee." As usual, Mac steals the show. She is admirably cast as Flower Belle, a> daughter of the wildest west, whose education began, but did not finish, in Chicago. The colourful story tells of Indians on the war trail, a masked bandit who kidnaps Mac, and life in a wild Western town. Joseph Calleia is a genial but very wily gangster chief. MAJESTIC THEAfEE. A gay arid turbulent romance with ah unusual and intriguing plot "R£r member is showing at the' Majestic Theatre. "Remember" offers proof that no matter how many .difficulties matrimony may entail, two people really in love would go right back and do it all over again if they, had the chance, and make the most of it. As the ambitious advertising executive of the piece who falls in' love • with his best friend's fiaricee. Robert. Taylor has rarely had-a role offering, him so many advantages. The fiancee is played by Greer Garson, and the best friend is convincingly played by Lew Ayres. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. Anything in the way of more bright and breezy film entertainment than "Okay for Sound," a G.B.D. attraction at the Paramount Theatre; it would be hard to imagine. Almost every comic artist, of fame has ■ been enlisted for this British production, /including the Crazy Gang. Peter Dawson sings in his inimitable way. Another feature on the same programme is "The Invisible Man Returns." Condemned to die for the murder of his brother, the man who knows the.secret of invisibility is enabled through his eerie power to escape death and finally to bring the real criminals to justice. ; On the programme is a film showing the heroic evacuation from Dunkirk. ,- .'•. 'DE LUXE THEATRE. _" .' _" ; "Hopalong" Cassidy (William Boyd) is the star of "Santa- Fe Marshal," - the main feature at.the.Be. Luxe ;Theatre.. It tells the story of, Cassidy's' efforts to smash crooks' who have made a practice of robbing stage-coaches and whose, latest scheme.is to steal a big consignment of silver. Cassidy enters Santa Fe as a circus performer and once there he impersonates a recently-released convict. By this ruse he is accepted as a member of the gang. From then on he works to defeat the gang's schemes. The second feature, "Emergency Squad," depicts the life of the emergency squad of the police force of a large American city. William Henry and Robert Paige head the cast. REGENT THEATRE. I "French Without Tears" concludes tonight at the Regent Theatre. "Disputed Passage," starring Dorothy Lamour, Akim Tamiroff, and John Howard, opens tomorrow. CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. . Robert Douglas, whose performance in "Our Fighting Navy" won him immediate popularity, gets an unusual and interesting break in "The Challenge," which is,showing at the Capitol. The associate attraction is "Newsboys' Home," featuring Jackie Cooper. Edmund Lowe, Wendy Barrie, and "The Little Tough Guys." NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. ; A scintillating new comedy team ' is seen at the Princess Theatre in . "Lucky Night," in. which Myrna Loy ' and Robert Taylor make their first : appearance together. Taylor demon- ; strates a flair for comedy as authentic ! ', and virile as he has displayed in drama. j ( Miss Loy is even more beautiful than ' in previous pictures. "Angels Wash ] Their Faces," which is the supporting;feature, stars Ann Sheridan . and the "Dead End" Kids. i ■ - ' ■ - ■' '.'..'. .i ■■■■■■'. ■ ■:". . '. -• • .-I ROXY THEATRE. , Charlie McCarthy attains the status ] of a star in his new Universal offer- ] ing, "Charlie McCarthy, Detective," < screening at the Roxy Theatre. Of i course, Edgar Bergen share? the star- , ring position with Charlie. Mortimer j Snerd, another of Bergen's family, ( is also- starred. "Espionage Agent," j the new Warner Bros. picture, starring Joel McCrea and Brenda Marshall, which is the associate film, is a powerful . and sensational drama of the unknown guardians of a. | nation's peace during history's most ' dangerous days. . ' ASCOT THEATRE. ] Mickey Rooney and' Lewis Stone ap- < pear at the Ascot Theatre in "Out •> West With the Hardys." one of the i most popular of the series dealing with 1 the screen's best-loved family. "Young x Dr. Kildare," with Lew Ayres and ' Lionel Barrymore, is also showing. It 1 is an impressive drama of sacrifice for the well-being of humanity. Supports of unusual interest complete the programme. ..„..- . . KING GEORGE THEATRE, LOWER HUTT. They live again—Blackie Norton, j Mary Blake, Father Mullin, and Jack Burley—in Metro-Gold wyn-May er's never-to-be-forgotten production, "San Francisco," showing at the King George Theatre. Clark Gable, Jack Holt, Jeanette Mac Donald, and Spencer Tracy play famous roles in this mighty production. DE LUXE THEATRE, LOWER HUTT. Supported by a cast of more than 50 featured players, Walter Pidgeon and Rita Johnson are teamed for the first time in "6000 Enemies," which is showing at the De Luxe Theatre. It is a gripping prison drama. . PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE, WOBURN. A Derby hat, a cigar, and a pair of amazing dancing feet—plus a comedy genius—that is Will Mahoney who appears in "Come Up Smiling" at the Prince Edward Theatre. "Hidden Power," the associate film, features j Jack Holt in the strongest role of his career. -. ' PALACE THEATRE, P.ETONE. . "Jesse James," the 20th.'-Century-Fox Technicolor epic of the life and times of the most colourful outlaw that ever lived, is showing at the Palace Theatre. Romantic Tyrone Power has the title; role, sharing stellar honours with j Henry Fonda, Nancy Kelly, and Ran-1 dolph Scott. The seebnd feature, "Safety in Numbers,"- features the popular Jones Family. ' ; ■ GRAND THEATRE, PETONE, Audiences have their first chance to be thrilled by romance via television and by the efforts of a young scientist to tceep his developments in the field of long-range television out of the hands of enemy spies in "Television Spy," showing at the Grand Theatre. The further adventures of that merry screen menage, the "Fitches," are recounted in "Night Work," the second1 'feature. STATE THEATRE, PETONE. Greta Garbo's long dream of playing in a sophisticated romantic comedy has become a reality with "Ninotchka," her first picture in two, years, which heads the bill at the State Theatre, and the new Garbo.it presents indicates that her desire was well justified. The Swedish star is seen as a gay, ultramodern girl in » romance with a French count.

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

KING'S THEATRE. Howard Spring's novel, "O Absalom!" has been turned into a United Artists film under the title of "My Son, My Son!" and it is showing at the King's Theatre. It is an unusual picture of strong dramatic and character interest William Essex, who wants to be a writer, reaches manhood in the slums of Manchester. He determines that when he has raised himself out of these summndings his son shall have everything he lacked. And he works incessantly to give his son just those things. The story of how that son deceived his father in childhood and finally laid waste the lives of those around him is tellingly shown. Brian Aherne, Louis Hay ward, and Madeleine Carroll head the cast. PLAZA THEATRE. . In "The Stars Look Down," which is showing at the Plaza Theatre, there is not one dull moment throughout. The* film forcibly illustrates the dangers that face British ■ miners, but their drab and heart-breaking existence is all the, more realistic as the film, like the hovel" shows how, but for the avarice and callousness of the mine owners, the plight of the1 miners could be greatly alleviated: The picture does not attempt to cover the whole scope of Dr Cronin's novel, but confines itself more or less to the mining sequences and associate incidents. Michael Redgrave and Margaret Lockwood head the cast. ■ OPERA HOUSE. Charles Winninger, Mickey sßooney, and Judy Garland handle the main roles in "Babes in Arms," which heads the bill at : the Opera House. Based on _. one of the more successful musical hits on Broadway by the famous composer-author team of Rodgers and Hart, "Babes in Arms" has an abundance of singing and dancing fitted into a plot that is filled with pathos, comedy, and, at times, drama. The,musical-high lights include numbers from the original.Broadway show, songs, written specially. for the film, and some never-to-be-forgotten tunes from the minstrel .sho.ws of other days. ' - ['..''■ .'■■■"•■■ EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND* BAY. As if the presence - of the Jones Family itself were not sufficient clue to the uproarious hilarity : packed into America's first fun. family's latest, film, "Too Busy to Wock,", which'is showing at the Empire Theatre, 20th CenturyFox has featured Joan Davis-in .a- top role. "This Man in Paris," a mystery comedy film of unusual entertainment, starring Barry K. Barnes and Valeric Hobson, is the second feature. REX THEATRE. ■ Romance and adventure ride ' the range with John Wayne in. Zane Grey's latest action. picture, Paramount's "Born to the West;" which is showing at the Rex Theatre. The story tells of a cowhand, played by Wayne, whose philosophy is to keep moving—in any direction at all. A comedy as typical of Harold Lloyd as his world-famous spectacles is "Professor Beware," the associate film. The'story deals with the antics of a penniless archaeologist, Lloyd, and hisj cross-country jaunt from California to New York, pursued by a beautiful girl. The girl is Phyllis Welch, a. new film "find." KILBIRNIE KINEMA. There. is plenty of varied entertainment in "Spies of the Air," now showing at the Kilbirnie Kinema. The story deals with the leakage of secrets from a lonely aerodrome where a super-fast plane is being nursed to completion for the air. force. Barry K. Barnes is the attractive test pilot who is in love with his designer's wife, played . by Joan Marion. The associate feature is "They Made Me a Criminal." starring John Garfield, Claude Rains, and the popular "Dead End Kids." REGAL THEATRE^ KARORI. Jane Withers joins forces with the mad Ritz Brothers in the. 20th CenturyFox comedy, "Pack Up Your Troubles," now at the Regal Theatre, and the result is a chaos of comedy. Murder by the psychic arrow of a master of the occult provides Charlie Chan with his most exciting adventure in "Charlie Chan at Treasure Island," the associate film. . . TUDOR THEATRE. Sensational and absorbing, ."Vigil in the Night" is the main attraction ..at .the Tudor Theatre. Briefly, the story of "Vigil in the Night" is that, of Nurse Lee. who has two loves-r-her work and her younger sister, also, a nurse. Nurse Lee jeopardises her promising career when she takes the- blame for her younger sister for the death of a patient. A thrill-packed story of what happens behind American football matches is interestingly detailed in "Saturday's Heroes," the associate attraction. ■ .

TIVOLI THEATRE.. A glorious, stirring story of a trio, of gallant brothers whose • loyalty and devotion to each other lead them to high adventure in the French Foreign Legion is brought to the screen in "Beau Geste." Paramount's vivid new picturisation of the famous P. C. Wren novel, which is showing at the Tivoh Theatre. Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, and Robert Preston are starred. 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 or Paramount's great new mystery comedy "The Cat and the Canary, which is the second feature. RIVOLI THEATRE. Claudette Colbert and Gary Cooper form a brilliant comedy team in "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife," the picture of life among Europe's smart set, which is showing at the Rivoli Theatre. The story, adapted from the famous play of Alfred Saviour, tells about a much-married American multi-million-aire who is subdued and put into a strait-jacket by his eighth wife, whom he marries for a new thrill. After becoming the bride of the much-married financier, Miss Colbert, a penniless French aristocrat, starts out on a campaign to bring him to his knees and humble his pride for the first time. The associate film is "Code of the Secret, Service " VOGUE THEATRE, BROOKLYN. ■ "Broadway Serenade," which is showing at the Vogue Theatre, boasts an outstanding cast in support of its star Jeanette Macdonald. Lew Ayres portrays the male lead, while others include lan Hunter, Al Shean, Virginia Grey, Rita Johnson, William Gargan, and Franklin Pangborn. The second feature on the programme is "Beg, Borrow, or Steal," starring Florence Rice and Frank Morgan. Selected supports complete the programme.