PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 21007, 22 January 1932, Page 7

PICTURE THEATRES

REGENT Earl Derr Biggers, from whose original short story, called * Idle Hands,’ the new Warner Brothers picture ‘The Millionaire,’ starring George Arliss, is adapted, is a highly successful novelist and short story writer, but he considers the fact that Arliss chose his story to use as the basis for a talking picture the greatest single honour that he has ever achieved. ‘ The Millionaire ’ offers' Evalyn Knapp, David Manners, Noah Beery, Bramwell Fletcher, Ivan Simpson, Tally Marshall, J. C. Nugent, James Cagney, J. Farrell MacDonald, and Sam Hardy in the supporting cast. ‘ The Millionaire,’ which opened at the Regent Theatre to-day, tells the following story James Alden, millionaire head of a motor manufactory, is ordered west by his physician. His wife, who has climbed with him up from poverty, and his daughter Barbara, agree, and the three go. Bored by inactivity, his wife’s social ambitions, and his daughter’s interest in an unambitious rich young man. his health becomes worse instead of better. An insurance agent warns him that retired men are poor risks, and advises him to get a job. Alden answers an advertisement askjng for a buyer for a garage and filling station—finds that Bill Merrick, a likable youth, has just turned over all his cash for a half-interest, and at once buys the rest and becomes Bill’s partner. Alden’ explains to his wife his absence from home by saying that he has met an old friend with whom he can loaf—and take his medicine. The partners soon find out that the garage owner was so anxious to sell because a new highway is taking all the traffic. While Alden, who calls himself Charley Miller, is figuring a way out, Barbara drives in for gas. Bill serves her—remembers having met her once at College, and falls in love all over. “Miller” urges Bill to borrow money from an aged aunt, while Bfll insists that his partner obtain it from James Alden. Thinking that “Miller” has put his all in the garage, Bill himself goes to the Alden mansion to get the loan. Barbara agrees to see her father on his behalf. Alden refuses unless “Miller” comes in person. Bill finally gets the loan from his aunt, With the money Bill and Miller open a rival garage across the way from the man from whom they had bought. Barbara and Bill get permission to marry, after which Alden makes a shrewd bargain, which makes material for the happy ending. EMPIRE Michael Arlen’s biting satire on the foibles of English Mayfair society, ‘These Charming People,’ has lost none of its scintillating wit by its transference to the’ audible screen. Produced by Paramount at their English studios, and interpreted by a notable cost or London artists, headed by Cyril Maude (“Grumpy”), the film began a season at the Empire Theatre to-day. It has all the attributes of sparkling English comedy. Mr Maude especially is excellent as the impecunious and rather crafty Sir George Crawford. In addition to Mr Maude, all the other members of the distinguished cast act splendidly. There are Godfrey Tearle, an experienced actor of worth; Nora Swinburne, a beautiful actress of very real charm and ability; Ann Todd, a screen “find” o’f importance; 0. V. France, who played a prominent part in John Galsworthy’s ‘ The Skin Game ’; and Anthony Ireland. If the theme of, ‘These Charming People’ is ugly, so is the theme of every story that deals honestly and simply with the flesh and the devil. It is a shrewd and pointed piece of work. Mr Cyril Maude, in the role of Colonel Crawford, has a part of generous and varied opportunity, which he handles in faultless style, and if at times the truth and accuracy of his portrayal of the father greatly assisted by his son-in-law induces in the audience a : feeling of antipathy it is just a tribute to his acting of a part that is anything but an admirable one. In startling fashion he allows the _ story to unfold itself, until in the midst of situations that a lesser actor wou,ld welcome as an opportunity for unbridled melodrama, he treats his audience to a feast of delicate finesse and refreshing originality that is exquisitely amusing to watch. Miss Norah Swinburne plays a wonderful role as the wife of the remarkable James Berridge, slave to business and high achievement, and Miss Ann Todd as Pamela introduces a marvellous variety of emotions and digressions into the film. Mr Godfrey Tearle is a British actor with a -rare and pleasing sense of the dramatic, a fine appreciation of the requirements of the legitimate stage, since he served it so long, and an engaging intelligence when it comes to an interpretation of a screen part as opposed to a delineation of a purely stage role. It is truly difficult to imagine a production which would appeal more to the average audience than ‘These Charming People.’ It is a production which for its acting and sympathetic interpretation issues a challenge to America which the American studio and the American actor is not in a position to answer. ' t The supporting programme promises ho less entertainment. The box plans are at the theatre and The Bristol. ST. JAMES It happens rarely that the director of a mystery film takes the audience into his confidence at the beginning, reveals the guilty man and the exact manner of the crime, and finally provides an even greater surprise thhn the revelation of the criminal in the last scene could' ever be. Such a novel procedure has been followed in ‘ Guilty Hands,’ in every respect one of the most interesting pictures shown in Dunedin for some time. The film, which began a season at the St. James to-day, is a welcome departure from the more conventional type of mystery play, but the story loses no interest by the strange manner of its telling. In the leading role, that of a retired Crown prosecutor who has worked up a lucrative private practice, Lionel Barrymore gives a very finished performance. His work is always outstanding for the deliberate yet unstudied manner of his acting, and in his latest picture there is the same intensity of purpose which has counted largely toward, his success in earlier films.

He has the part of a widower, extremely fond of his only daughter, and determined that she shall marry the right typo of man. To his dismay he discovers that the girl has fallen in love with one of his clients, a prosperous man of middle-age, whose early life is known only too well to the lawyer. Rather than allow his daughter to marry such an undesirable character, the father decides to kill him, and takes the first opportunity of doing so. His long association with crime from the prosecutor’s standpoint, however, enables him to evolve a perfect alibi, and it would appear that the crime, justifiable as it was under the circumstances, is to go unpunished. By a strange freak of nature, however, the murdered man is avenged, in a final scene which ia remarkable for its

sudden climax. Other members of the cast who distinguish themselves are Kay Francis, Madge Evans, and Alan Mowbray.

OCTAGON In response to many applications from patrons, it has been arranged for ‘ Mother’s Millions ’ to come back to Dunedin for a short return season of one week. This at the Octagon Theatre began to-day. It can be at once said that the management has never received so many applications for the return of a picture before, and there is no doubt that May Robson endeared herself to picture enthusiasts of Dunedin during her season of ‘ Mother’s Millions’ at the Regent Theatre recently. ‘Mother’s Millions,’ it is claimed, is a remarkable example of a good play transferred almost bodily to the screen, and with equally good, if not better, results. Howird M'Kent Barnes wrote the play originally for May Robson’s use. It is understood to have been a financial and artistic success for Miss Robson, and it was this success which inspired her to use it as a vehicle f6r her talking picture debut. It is remarkable, because it lent itself so remarkably to transcription to the screen. Winnifred Dunn is credited with the adaptation. It is still more remarkable 1 oi* the gripping performance of May Robson. The play was written for her. and James Flood very wisely retained the splendid dramatic climaxes, the appropriate comedy relief episodes as well as the stage characterisations which made the original play such a success. The story briefly deals with the trials and tribulations of the sou and daughter of the richest ■woman in the world. The girl is eagerly sought in marriage by ne’er-do-wells and fortune-hunters. The boy is a mark for his mother’s greatest rival, for the mother is a dominating figure in Wall street, a tyrant in her own home, sedulously endeavouring to bring up her children to be self-reliant, and to educate .them in the school of life so that they can retain and enioy the heritage of wealth which she will leave them. The unexpected twists of this story are numerous and highly effective. I'rances Dado is one of the most beautiful of the new crop of screen ingenues; James Hall and Lawrence Gray bear their roles with distinction. A word of praise should be given Lip lian Hamer, and Edmund Breese is especially effective in the role of William Remington. STRAND * Skyline/, the Fox production which started at the Strand to-day, is magnificent entertainment. Director Sam Taylor has taken the lliesenberg novel, ‘ East Side, West Side,’ and made of it a motion, picture that will catch the imagination as well as entertain. Thomas Meighan, Hardie Albright, and that dainty bit of Irish femininity, Maureerf O’Sullivan, Myrna Loy, and Donald Dillaway portray the featured roles, and Meighan adds another personal triumph to his string of successful pictures. ‘ Skyline ’ depicts the adventures of an ambitious youth of unknown parentage, reared on a dilapidated river barge and dominated by its brutal captain. On her death bed, the boy’s mother tells him the captain is not his father, and gives him a brooch that was presented to her by his real father, whom she never married. The youngster escapes by swimming to land, where he finally gets a job on a New York building site. The. builder, a dynamic and forceful individual, takes a deep interest in the plucky, good-natured lad, and finally discovers that he himself is the boy’s father. Meanwhile, the lad meets ' and falls in love with the daughter of a fellow but also becomes fascinated by an alluring siren. To save him from ruining his life, the boy’s father manages to get himself caught by the son in a compromising situation with the adventuress. At this point the climax of the picture comes with stunning force and in a most surprising manner. The romantic element of this picture is furnished I Albright, as the boy, and by Miss O’Sullivan as the girl. Both are superb, especially in their romantic scenes. The beautiful and exotic Myrna Loy has never played as persuasively. Donald Dillaway is very good. Stanley Fields, Jack Kennedy, Alice Ward, and Robert M'Wade are perfectly cast in their roles. ‘ Skyline ’ is a powerful drama, fascinating in romance, and is as human as life itself.

KINS EDWARD A graphic story of the struggles of a) Russian aristocratic family to hold together in the face of the tragic economic conditions under which the wealthy were compelled to exist following /the upheaval of society after the Red Revolutions is_ told in ‘ The Spy,’ the current attraction at the King Edward Theatre. The cast is a prominent one, being headed by Kay Johnson, who scored heavily in ‘ Dynamite ’ and ‘ The Spoilers.’ Nei! Hamilton, who will be remembered for his fine performances in ‘ Beau Geste ’ and ‘ The Dawn Patrol,’ enacts the male lead with John Halliday, who was starred in the Broadway production of ‘The Spider,’ in the title role. .Another important member of the cast is little Freddie Frederick, who first won fame in King Vidor’s production, ‘ The Crowd.’ Dorothy Seacombe is featured in the second picture. ‘ Leave It To Me.’