ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 100, 24 October 1942, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS

PARAMOUNT THEATRE,

Life rings true in the depiction 9f a rugged coalmining community' in "How Green Was My Valley," showing at the Paramount. The acting is natural, and the music of life in its minor and major keys is brought out in the story. Stirring is the young minister's denunciation of religious bitterness in chapel and his romance is a gold thread in a stirring picture all must appreciate. . Sterling virtues blossom amid toil and tragedy, and Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara, Donald Crisp, Anna Lee, Roddy McDowell, John Loder, Sara Allgood, Barry Fitzgerald, and Patrick Knowles carry out a marvellous presentation. It is the theme, rather than the actors, that is starred. A comedy of youth, "Henry and Dizzy," also finds a place on its programme. KING'S THEATRE. In hitching his fun wagon to Columbia, the irrepressible George Formby seems to have taken a new and altogether delightful lease of life. "South American George," which is now showing at the King's Theatre, gives him all the opportunities he needs for his broadish brand of humour, but with George the broadness never becomes objectionable. He is supposed to be after a vacuum-cleaning job, but is hijacked into grand opera, and the inevitable complications result in a riot. An opera that becomes a farce, two thugs who are assigned to "fix" the famous tenor (inadvertently George), and lots of other trimmings make this latest Formby effort easily the best to date. • And, t)f course, there is the famous ukelele and catchy songs. In support of George Formby are a string of popular players, notable among them Gus McNaughton as a hard-bitten theatrical mag--nate. There is a good suporting programe. TIVOLI THEATRE., "Sundown" and "Mr. and Mrs; North" conclude tonight at the Tivoli Theatre. . . An entertaining programme will be presented at this theatre tomorrow. The main film will be "Renfrew of the Royal Mounted," and the associate one "Harmony Lane," starring Douglass Montgomery, Evelyn Venables, and Lloyd Hughes. The Old Contemptibles (Sick Fund) will share the proceeds. There will be. a special holiday programme on Monday. DE LUXE THEATRE. Lawless law officers and civil war soldiers who came home to find their lands unjustly taken form the ground for a stirring Western story in ' Bad Men of Missouri," presented at-the De Luxe Theatre. Dennis Morgan, Wayne Morris, and Arthur Kennedy take the parts of the famous Younger brothers, who were driven to outlawry by unscrupulous sheriffs and their satellites, and the -smoky trail that is blazed across more than one State provides not only excitement but a thoughtful character study of three figures m early American history. They carry with them the sympathies of the audience on their rugged way because of the grim humour of their revenge on the crooks who stole their, boyhood. "Private Buckaroo" is a pleasing mix^ ture of swing music, wonderful dancing, and camp humour in the U.S.A. Harry James and his band, the Andrews sisters, and the Jivin' Jacks and Jills, with a string of song hits, keep everything moving. There is a new and whirling serial, "The League of the Murdered Men." ST. JAMES, THEATRE. "Reap the Wild Wind," which opened to a crowded house at the St. James Theatre last night, celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of Cecil de Mille as a producer of films, generally good, better, and great. "Reap the Wild Wind" is one of his greatest, a spectacular story roaring along with the wind and with the de Mille touch of the gripping and bizarre used fetrongly. It is dated about 1840, when all America's north-south trade went by sea; round Florida, through the dangers of reefs and keys in the hurricane belt, and through the hands of wrecking" gangs. In such a story there is room for action, and de Mille has added a triangular romance—with Paulette Godadrd, Ray Milland, and. John Payne as the principals—to give reason for still faster action. In the end the right.man.wins, but before that comes about the story runs through ship rescue and ship murder in ragingstorms, cunning in the Charleston Courts when the king wrecker almost slips away, and the final tremendous scenes when the rivals go under the sea in diving dress to determine the mystery before the Court and battle with a giant squid; one returns for the final most dramatic storm scene and thereafter the way is as the romancer has it. The film is in Technicolor. There are. fine supports and gazettes. OPERA HOUSE. In the "Tuttles of Tahiti," which started at the Grand Opera House yesterday, Charles Laughton has a that gives his droll humour free play As an improvident old rascal, usually "broke," but always good-natured, he is the head of a large and lusty family that doesn't hesitate to mortgage everything for a bet on a cockfight. That it loses doesn't matter. There's always, tomorrow, and of course the old doctor is always good for a loan. With the same delightful disregard for the future the family gaily dissipates another fortune, but have a lot of fun doing it. The picture makes exceedingly bright entertainment. The supports include a new March of Time feature, in which the Hon. Walter Nash figures. ,It gives a new angle on the United States at war. > STATE THEATRE. "You can't be too careful," as H. G. Wells would say. If you are thinking of adopting a war baby, you should carefully specify which war. Otherwise you will find yourself landed in more than a spot of trouble, as Leon Enrol found in "Mexican Spitfire's Baby," now keeping large audiences laughing at the State Theatre. With laudable intentions he adopts a "baby,' none else ttian the glamorous Lupe >Velez. A baby in the last war, she is now manure enough to cause devastation among susceptible males, and the complications which ensue when she is' landed upon her foster-parent make the ingredients of a comedy whic!h joyfully wiles away an hour or so. On the same bill is "Thundering Hoofs," a rousing prairie drama which features Tim Holt and the picturesque old days of stage coaches. PLAZA. THEATRE. "Twin Beds," George Brent, Joan Bennett, Mischa Aver. TIME THEATRE. "Topper," Cary Grant, Constance Bennett; "Rose Marie," Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy. ROXY THEATRE. "Deep In the Heart of Texas," Gene Autry; "A Dfcngerous Lady," Neil. Hamilton, June Storey. TUDOR THEATRE. "Ball of Fire," Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck; "The Devil's Trail," Bill Elliott, Tex Ritter. MAJESTIC THEATRE. "Blossoms in the Dust," Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon. PRINCESS THEATRE. "Come Live With Me," James Stewart, Hedy Lamarr; "Penny Serenade," Irene Dunne, Cary Grant. SUBURBAN THEATRES. Ascot (Newtown). — "The Bugle Sounds," Wallace Beery, Marjorie Main; "The Man Who Made Diamonds." Rivoli (Newtown).—"Top Sergeant," Leo Carrillo, Andy Devine, Don Terry; "Sullivan's Travels," Veronica Lake, Joel McCrea. Kinema (Kilbirnie). —"Sun Valley Serenade," Sonja Henie, John Payne; "Joan of Paris," Michele Morgan, Paul Henreid. Capitol (Miramar).—"Tarzan's Secret Treasure," Johnny Weismuller, Maureen O'Sullivan; "The Saint's Vacation," George Sanders. ■ Vogue (Brooklyn).—"Little Foxes," Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall; "Weekend for Three," Dennis O'Keefe, Jane Wyatt. • • . Empire (Island Bay).—"Tarzan's Secret Treasure," Johnny Weissmuller, Maureen O'Sullivan; "Mexican Spitfire Out West," Lupe Velez. Leon Errol. King George (Lower Hutt).—"The Fleet's In," Dorothy Lamour, William Holden. De Luxe (Lower Hutt).—"What's Cookin'," Leo Carrillo. Gloria Jean; •'Night in New Orleans," Preston Foster. Patricia Morison. Prince Edward (Woburn). —"Pimpernel Smith," Leslie Howard. KegaL CKaxoriX—"Dangerous Moon.-