PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 21147, 6 July 1932, Page 5

PICTURE THEATRES

RECENT Once more Dunedin audiences have the opportunity to laugh at the antics of the magnificent team of funmakers, the Aldwych Theatre players, in their latest farce, ‘ A Night Dike This,’ which is enjoying a successful season at the Regent Theatre this week. The film contains all the subtle shafts of wit which have gained Ben Travers his place among the foremost humorists of the day, and it would be impossible to find a group of comedy artists better fitted to the task of reproducing Ins particular style of humour than these plavers. It is indeed a worthy successor" to the stream of triumphs, ‘ Rookery Nook,’ ‘ Plunder,’ ‘ The Chance of a Nhdit Time,’ ‘ Canaries Sometimes Sing,’ and ‘ Mischief.’ The story concerns the efforts, usually woefully misdirected, of the ludicrously idiotic Raph Lynn to retrieve a pearl necklace from a gentleman of “ oily and foreign aspect ” on hehalf of a pretty cabaret dancer, Winifred Shorter. Fast and furious is the fun until the final scene. There arc particularly interesting supports, among them being a very clever ‘ Mickey Mouse ’ cartoon and Bobby Jones’s third golf lesson. EMPIRE As the shy and reserved little girl who is a wallflower at parties and as the dashing and daring young woman who is the latest social sensation Constance Bennett is alike excellent m ‘ Ladv With a Past,’ the talkie now at the Empire. She lifts the film from the class of good to really fine. Ben Lyon, playing a part where boyish enthusiasm for a pleasant cause is called for, makes a great success of it. He has some bright lines to say, and gets them over well. David Manners is the hero —the only man who does not “ tall for ” the now notoriety his friend has achieved. But he capitulates in the end, after some quite good work in a part rather dimcult to play. Some of the settings have been arranged with spectacular effect, and in the “ gay party ’’ scenes there is much in the way of costuming that will arouse the interest and admiration of lady patrons. In instances where a foreign atmosphere has had to be captured the film directors have done their work remarkably well. OCTAGON In ‘Romantic Vagabond,’ at the Octagon, Reginald Denny appears in the role of a tramp who is given the position of chauffeur in a wealthy household, the mistress of which collects tramps as her hobby. It is a story of mistaken identity, with novel twists and unusual situations. Charles Coleman provides a large share of the talkie’s hilarity through Ins excellent portrayal of William, the English butler." More than any member of the household, William is indignant at the entrance into the family of an erstwhile tramp as chauffeur, and his, threat to quit after his two weeks’ notice is up, is modified only after he discovers that the chauffeur was a former officer of the Coldstream Guards, with which he himself served. Coleman s characterisation is excellent throughout. , . . . ‘ Hello, Sister ’ is an admirable supporting film for the main attraction, dice Borden is the star. ST. JAMES Remembering her outstanding acting in previous talkies, hundreds of Greta Garbo’s Dunedin admirers are flocking to the St. James to see ‘ Mata Hari.’ It would be interesting to known what the consensus of opinion is, for ‘ Mata Hari ’ is unlike any other Garbo picture. The events of Mata Hari’s life make such well-nigh unbelievable fiction that it is a wonder Hollywood directors have not used them before this. The one weakness, of course, is that similar stories have been told so often. In such a tale there seems no variation from the theme of the beautiful woman spy falling in love at last with a brilliant young officer and paying the inevitable price. But though this is the story of ‘ Mata Hari ’ it is told so dramatically and frocked with so many little asides that it assumes new importance. All the qualities one associates with Mata Hari are skilfully portrayed by Greta Garbo. No liner acting has been seen in her other talkies. Ramon Novarro is an entirely satisfactory partner for Garbo. Chief among the supporting players are Lionel Barrymore and ,Lewis Stone. Excellent supports are shown. STRAND In story, artists, and direction, ‘Stepping Sisters,’ at the Strand, is outstanding. Mrs Ramsey (Louise Dresser) is the centre figure of the piece. She is introduced eulogising the qualities of her husband to her new butler ami the necessity of complying with his every whim. Rut the good impression created by Mrs Ramsey’s words of warning are rudely shattered by hubby’s entrance. He does not approve of his wife’s social-climbing activities, but Mrs Ramsey is persevering in her attempts to mould her husband into something approaching respectability. She has gained the approval of Mrs Tremaine, society’s leader, but when she arranges a gathering for the benefit of homeless eats and dogs she unwittingly paves the way for her own destruction. Among her band of entertainers she unknowingly includes two of her friends of burlesque days. The entry of the two actresses is the signal for a fresh outburst of amusement. From now on the fun is fast and furious, and the ending is quite satisfactory. KING EDWARD A daring, mocking young highwayman by circumstances, rather than by choice, is the mysterious central figure in ‘The Gay Caballero,’ Fox outdoor romance opening to-night at the King Edward Theatre. George O’Brien- heads the east, which also boasts Victor M'Laglen, Conchita Montenegro, Linda Watkins, C. Henry Gordon, Weldon Heyburn, and many olhers. Of the men mentioned, one is ‘The Gay Caballero.’ Readers of Tom Gill’s stirring novel, on which the film is based, will perhaps recognise the masked rider, although his identity is not revealed until near the end ‘of the picture. Alfred Werkor directed.