PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 21571, 17 November 1933, Page 13

PICTURE THEATRES

GRAND Carole Lombard burst into the movies at the ago of sixteen without any previous experience,, except for a few amateur performances at a Los Angeles dramatic art school, ’arid has never played anything but leads since. Even in the town of “ Heads I win, tails you lose,” such meteoric success is .something unique, entirely of its own. Even . the best of them, the Gables, the Garbos, the Crawfords, saw the seamy and the small side of the movie business before they skyrocketed upon the public’s favour to stardom. Well, this little breath-taking, beautiful blonde-haired girl called Carol June Peters, who rolled up to the doors of the Fox Studios in 1925 for the leading role opposite Edmund Lowe in ‘ Marriage in Transit,’ has always been one of those out of the ordinary' girls. Her amazing vitality and unending flow of spontaneity has been clamouring for an outlet ever since the early days at school when girls’ games seemed too tame for her. This very quality is responsible for the position Miss Lorn- ; bal’d holds to-day in the film world and for the ease’ and perfection with which she plays a role in 1 No Alore Orchids’ that suits her as though she had grown up in that very character to the scintillating woman she is today. In ‘No Alore Orchids,’ at the Grand Theatre. Aliss Lombard brings to the -screen a sharply-cut representative of the socially and luxuriouslypatterned’debutante whose position of family wealth often makes life a bugbear, and ostracises them from the pleasures their less wealthy sisters enjoy. She has the strength and energy to drive through the cloying surroundings of money and find the elements of life that she wants. Miss Lombard lias been given an excellent supporting east. Walter Connolly and Louise Glosser Hale (now deceased), two of the finest, character players in the States, head the cast. The story of a modern girl earning a large salary as an illustrator and poster artist, who determines to test her own theories of life, is told in ‘Cocktail Hour,’ which is also showing. Be be Daniels is well cast in the principal role, and the supporting players include Randolph Scott, of ‘ Wild Horse Alesa ’ and ‘Hot Saturday,’ Muriel Kirkland, Jessie Ralph and Barry Norton. The settings and gowns are a feature of the production, while Bebe Daniels is heard to advantage singing ‘ Heart of Aline.’ EMPIRE Did you ever see a silent film called ‘The Lost World’? Well, forget it. That picture was about as exciting as a funeral by comparison with ‘ King Kong,’ now at the Empire. If ever a picture has deserved the description “ amazing ” this is it. This film was made from an idea conceived by Merian C. Cooper, who, with Ernest Shoedsack, has brought back many strange pictures from far corners of the earth. Only-in a super-nightmare could even a movie producer have conceived such a creature as ‘King Kong,’ the ape-man almost as tall as the First Clnp;ch, who is brought back to civilisation from" a tropical isle, and who finally escapes to wreak havoc in New York and,roar defiance from the top of the lofty Empire State Building. The idea of prehistoric monsters still existing in a forgotten corner .of the wOrkl may have - been borrowed from ‘ The Lost World,’ but the similarity of the two films stops there. ‘ The Lost World! was never like this; in fact; ’ all the weirdest and most exciting films ever made pale in to insignificance beside the succession of fan-tastic-thrills offered in ‘ King Kong.’ The production undoubtedly started off with a very big handicap. It had to reproduce a story that resembles nothing so much as a bad dream, and it had to make that story believable arid at the same time entertaining. The most amazing thing about ‘King Kong ’ is that it succeeds admirably in all three respects. Cold and sober reason may baulk at the idea of stoneage monsters running wild in this present year of grace, but while the film is showing it does, like a dream, hold the onlooker completely under its spell. It is the kind of picture that wears the edges off theatre seats, and that, by generally accepted standards, is a sure sign of entertainment. Furthermore. though ,one may be inclined to laugh’at the fantasy afterward, one ,s likely then to be devoured with curiosity and amazement as to how the 'fleets were achieved. This film _ is going to provide a very interesting subject for conversation, and that also is regarded as proof of entertainment value. ST. JAMES ‘ Tell Ale To-night,’ which is now in the second week of a successful season at the St. James Theatre, has been acclaimed by critics as the finest musical film yet made. A brilliant young Polish tenor, Jan Kiepura, is outstanding in the leading role, his singing of excerpts from ‘ Rigoletto,’ ‘ La Boheme,’ and • La Traviata ’ being particularly fine. His leading lady is Magda Schneider, a young actress who has made phenomenal progress on the German stage during recent years; and other noted players who appear include Edmund Gwenn, a clever English character actor, and Sonnie Hale, an 1 irresistible comedian. The story is both witty and interesting. It concerns the escapade of one Ferraro, a famous Italian tenor, who, bullied to death by his lady manager, runs away for a brief, respite to Switzerland. On the train he lecomes friendly with a crook named Koretsky, ■ who assumes the position of Ferraro’s secretary’ His fame precedes him, and lie is furious to find that the Alayor of

Zcrn has prepared a twelve hours’ welcome for him. He punishes Koretsky by making him assume the. personality of Ferraro. The singer meets a beautiful girl, and unwittingly she discovers , that he is Ferraro; but unfortunately the police, after Koretsky, arrert Ferraro, and one of the most fascinating and unusual scenes yet produced follows when Ferraro, endeavouring to prove his identity, sings before the Chief of Police and the local operatic society who arc brought to the court to’ judge the proof of his claim. His glorious voice sings for itself, and the scene with the whole court singing ‘ II Traviata ’ is delightful as well as brilliantly clever. Tbe picture was directed by Anatol Litwak, a young Russian who has certainly made a name for himself. _ The theme song on which the film’s title is founded, ‘ Tell Me To-night,’ undoubtedly rivals in its popularity even the greatest of popular numbers—broadcast and gramophone—in its beautiful melody. The activities of the British Navy are vividly”depicted in ‘Our Fighting Navy,’ the second film. REGENT ‘ A Night in Cairo.’ a romantic comedy of Egypt, starring Ramon Novarro. commenced a season at the Regent Theatre this afternoon. Novarro is seen as a resourceful rogue ostensibly occupied in the legitimate business of guiding tourists through the picturesque Pyramid sight-seeing country; but more subtly engaged in the more romantic activity of impressing wealthy widows with his charms. It is a new kind of “ racket,” and one said to he as diverting as it is ingenious. Into the story enters Myrna Loy as a young English girl who has come to Cairo to marry the somewhat slow-witted engineer in charge of a new aqueduct. Novarro enters her employ as a guide, and from then on one exciting happening follows upon another with lightning-like rapidity. The impetuous Egyptian falls head over heels in love with the girl, and makes it his business to embarrass her confused fiance at every opportunity, at the same time showing himself up in a prepossessing light. The girl, however, refuses to take him seriously, and when all other means fail Novarro contrives a daring coup as the result of which the heroine finds herself alone with him in the midst of the desert, and subsequently becomes his prisoner. There is a surprising climax. In ‘ A Night in Cairo ’ Myrna Loy makes her first screen appearance opposite Novarro, Reginald Denny plays the slow-witted fiance, and Louise Glosser Halo has another hilarious comedy role as Myrna Loj'/'b personal maid. STRAND George O’Brien rides again in ‘Life in the Raw,’ the Fox romance which began at the Strand to-day. O’Brien has been away from the screen for about six months, but he resumes his work on the screen with the enthusiasm you would expect from this young star. The story concerns a young and attractive girl, who finds herself among the more or less primitive elements of the- Western wastes. She no sooner lands in this strange territory than she becomes the centre of attraction — among the men, at least. Her very obvious newness to her surroundings, and her need for protection, are the agents that bring her and O’Brien together. In a series of adventures that involve a number of hair-raising feats of riding, O’Brien establishes his pre-eminence over the rest of her admirers. The performance of O’Brien in this story from the pen of Zane Grey establishes him as the premier portrayer of Western romantics. He is attractive and recklessly brave. •'Li this nicture O’Brien has a new leading lady, and she proves herself entirely worthy of the hope that the. Fox studio holds out for her. Claire Trevor makes her screen debut with this picture, and she does it to the tune of real acclaim. In her performance of the role of the tenderfoot girl she reveals the training of the legitimate stage that is part of her qualifications. The support cast has as fine a set of. comedy and character actors as will be seen in a month of film attendance. Greta Nissen is more glamorous than ever, and Francis Ford, Warner Richmond, Gaylord Pendleton, Alan Edwards, and Nigel De Brnlier are excellent. This picture is preceded by good topical features. OCTAGON The product of the Twickenham studios has always been distinguished by excellent casting, and the Octagon’s latest attraction, ‘ The Shadow,’ certainly maintains this company’s wellestablished reputation. At the head of the cast are two of Britain’s most popular film stars, Henry Kendall and Elizabeth Allan. Henry Kendall, with a great reputation on the West End stage, has starred in a number of successful British films, including ‘ Innocents of Chicago,’ ‘ Rich and Strange,’ and ‘ Bill the Conqueror.’ In ‘ The Shadow ’ Kendall is seen in a part ideally suited to his great gift for the interpretation of “ silly ass ” comedy, and he also shows his talent as a -dra-m-tic actor. Elizabeth Allan, one of. the best-known of English film stars, plays opposite him. Jeanne Stuart, one of the loveliest and best-dressed actresses on the British stage and screen,' has also a leading part, and is perfectly cast as a smartly sophisticated mystery woman, in direct contrast to the simple charm of Elizabeth Allan. Viola Compton, well-known character actress and member of a famous theatrical family, is superbly funny as Mrs Bascombe, a woman of mature years who looks under her bed every night for burglars, but has not yet been lucky enough to find one. The second attraction is 1 Discarded, featuring beautiful Natalie Moorehead, one of the most important of Hollywood’s fashion loaders. The story, by Harold Hocrl, is a thrilling and baffling

murder-mystery, set in the. interesting and picturesque background of a motion picture studio. ' : KING EDWARD ' ‘The Ghost Train,’ whicE heads the programme at the’ King Edward Theatre, is one of the best British productions so far from an entertainment point of view,. The description, “ a comedy thriller,” fits it exactly; the comedy is uproarious and the thrills spiue-chilling. Jack Hulbert plays the “ not-so-silly ass ” who is stranded with a party of travellers in a station waiting room “haunted” by a ghostly train. Cicely Courtneidge, as a spinster with a monumental hat and a. parrot, provides one of- the .funnies,; scenes in films when she drinks’ brandy “ because it is a medicine.” Ann Todd is attractive as the heroine, and Donald Calthrop gives an-excellent character sketch. Another bright English comedy - ) entitled ‘ Hotel Splendid,’ is the other feature, in which Jerry Verne is. the principal. .