PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 21719, 14 May 1934, Page 2

PICTURE THEATRES

\ STATE ' Some realistic occurrences took place ‘ ■while. Jack Hulbert and Cicely Court- ’ neklge and their ' company, under Director Robert Stevenson, were filming ‘ Falling for You ’ in the s'noxvclad Swiss Alps. This picture, which forms ' the current entertainment at the State 1 Theatre, was almost entirely made some 2,000 ft above St- Moritz, in the' Enga- : dine. An interesting thing is that Jack Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge : insisted on doing all the snow feats, demanded of them without doubles. A» r tually two shots of Hulbert . were : , doubled, . but this is not because he ■ would not do them, but because it was , not possible iomhim to remain in Swit- " zerland at the very last moment : to complete the film. All Miss -, Court-., ' neidge’s luiging shots were made without doubles, and Jack Hulbert took the ' trouble-to become an expert skater in order to avoid the necessity of doubling for the skating scenes. This enthusiasm foy realism spread to Garry Marsh, who insisted on doing his own fall over the. snow cliff at the end of the film, .. in spito,.of the fact that several .heroic ■ people,-from the; continuity girl to the director, offered to double for him. An accident nearly occurred in the scene where Jack Hlilhert is. hanging over the mountainside, and Cicely Courtneidge has.to rescue him. The original , idea was for her to hold on to a tree with one hand and haul Jack up with the other. This’ proved ■ beyond her strength; she lost hold of the tree, andthe two slid" clown the face of the', mountain about 160 ft before Jack Hulbert succeeded in digging his heels into , the frozen snow and arresting the fall! GRAND A really good programme .is offered this week at the Grand. It is .a profrarnme that has ‘not---a, fault in it;'he short features which take up the first part are good), and the main, picture, ‘Orient Express,’ is a thriller with something more in it than mere thrills. 1 Orient Express,’ as the name obviously implies, is another train , story, this time of the celebrated express from .Qstend to, Constantinople, but it surpasses , in interest all but a • very few films ’of ■ the Isiiine type. 1 A v tram gives a ; almost unlimited scope for bringing together a diversity of types and then recording ■ their interactions in all sorts of situations, and the writers, responsible for the story of ‘ Orient Express ’ have made- a thorough use of all their opportunities in this way. The story starts .. at Ostend, where a number, of passengers board the train for Constantinople. Heather Angel' is an exceedingly charming heroine, who takes the part of a ' dancer going to a job in. the east. She is the centre of the play, but of little less importance are Norman Foster as a young business man, Ralph Morgan as a plotter against the. Government of a Central European State, Herbert Mundin and Una O’Connor as a be?,, wildered Cockney .man.and wife, and ’ Roy D’Arcy as. an- example of the cleverest type of Continental pickpocket. ;• The show is excellent in every department. A film of the recent trot-, ting match race at Addington between Walla Walla and Harold Logan is among the supporting attractions, ami there is also a highly amusing ‘ Screen Souvenir * picture, EMPIRE George Arliss, in the role of Voltaire, at the Empire Theatre, is a master of pantomime. His silences arc as eloquent us his words, and never before has he made such use of his remarkable face. He appears as a genius of overchanging moods, mocking; joking, amt plotting, a man of. subtle purpose, moulding others to his will; indeed, a dangerous personality, yet a most lovable one. Vo other actor cOnld have done this part; it is Arliss’s own. In it he has x-ealised a long ambition and has caught the spirit of a man who . had a tremendous influence on history. Away back in the days of the French monarchy', when the people.. were held down by grinding taxation and -money flowed like water in the precincts of the Court, it xvas Voltaire who used voice in the cause of freedom, justice, and liberty. This many-sided genius,. poet, philosopher, dramatist, historian, a man of brilliant powers and a passionate reformer, stood forward in defiance of authority and royalty as the leader of the people, and. sowed- the seeds of the great revolution. With tongue and pen for many years Voltaire fanned the flames of discontent, and thirty years before the uprising of the people risked his life to save that of a young and beautiful girl. The picture is centred round this single event, and Arliss is Seen as one who uses every channel of influence to mould the will of the king, in spite of the hatred and greed of the king’s chief adviser. The production gives a convincing idea of the France of the pre-revolution days. In marked contrast are the scenes of modern Paris shown in a splendid supporting film. Among the other supports were a bright musical novelty, ‘ The Operator’s Opera,’ a collection of Russian string musical numbers featuring Dave Appolan, :find a newsreel. Miss Iris Mason presides at the organ. , ;. - OCTAGON The material of ‘ Lady • for a Day,’ at the Ootagon, has been most expertly mads into a first-class film. With routine acting and direction it would have been at host just another film, from ; Hollywood, and at worst a deplorable piece of sentimentality. But the acting is superb and the direction, by, Frank Capra strikes just the right balance -among the sentimental, the fantastic, and the real. The plot shows the conyentiqniil American gangster, - personified in Dave the Dude,. in a particularly fantastic , light, and. this very quality of- absurdity has been seized upon by the director and used to create ft, partly humorous, partly-pathctic

atmosphere of fairy tale. Fine acting by May Robson, Warren William, and everyone in the film has done the rest, and the net result is one of the most iutex-esting, most amusing, and most attractive films that have appeared this year. Mother-love is the central theme, and May Robson, “ the grand old lady of jlxo American stage,” achieves her greatest success as Apple Annie, who vends her wares in the streets of Vew York to support a daughter in Europe. For years she has practised the deception, in letters to the girl, that : she is a society matron, usaster threatens when the girl writes to say that she is returning home with her fiance and his father, a Spanish nobleman, who wishes to meet her people., Annie, passionately devoted to her daughter and willing to do anything to prevent her from knowing the truth, is in despair, but she has many friends in the underworld, notably Dave' the Dude, an aristocratic-looking gambler, who regards her as Ms lucky charm.. He-instals the old woman in a xvealthy friend’s apartment, and, with the assistance of modistes and hairturns her out as a dignified society figure. Then the fun starts in earnest. There are delightful supports. ST. JAMES Gordon Harker has long been due for a leading role, and. in his first starring ventxxre, ‘ This is the Life,’ at the St, James, he fully justifies his claim.. The delightful naturalness of this comedian and his partner, Binnie Hale, in hectic times following their sudden translation from wayside teashop proprietors to the ranks of millionaires, and'., the impressions made •upon and formed by society as a result,, ar.e de|iicted with such convincing naturalness,- and yet such complete absurdity ‘that they carry everybody along, delighted and continually expectant. Very few _ftinnier things have been perpetrated in films than the singing -by the; pair of the ‘ Miserere ’ duqt to a party of titled gliests whom tho».newly-rioh' entertain at a lavish bauqtipb; .concerning which the host and hostess do not neglect to supply all details. This banquet scene alone is xvell worth seeing, even if the picture contained nothing else. All through, however, it carries the hall-mark of outstanding, clean British comedy. Some of the-dialogue is so subtly clex-er that it catches an, audience completoly hy surprise. Thei second attraction, "Kamct-Conquered,’ is a remarkable production dealing in the most thorough and faithful maimer with one of the most hazardous and difficult of alpine ventures, the ascent of Mount Karaet, iri the Himalaya, by the Smythe British expedition. REGENT If Shakespeare could see the modern taming of the shrew in ‘You,Made Me Lox - e You,’ at the Regent, he would not believe it. He had other ideas about hoxv it should be done, and from the husband’s point of view there is much to be said for his method. It is less painful for the man and does not expose ,him to such bruising and a • battering as he receives in this musical comedy xvith its .strange romance. Yet .there, is a resemblance, for the xx-oman ■in this modern version has the same ungovernable spirit and fiery temper, and the same defiant tongue, as iff the Shakespeare play. She is a woman of charm, too, and a type of beauty that is a snare to the unwary lover. It Is Stanley Ltipino, in the role of a soim • writer and singer, xvho falls a victim to her wiles, and the way he pursues the strange courtship, and the still •stranger honeymoon makes delightful tun. Thelma Todd, as the spoilt datnditer of an American music publisher is the terror of her father’s home. No man has had the coinage to breathe of Jove to this untamed xvomau, nnt.il along comes Lupino in blissful ignorance of xyhat she is. Their whirlwind affair finishes in his being sent head-long-downstairs. There follows the wedding, a stormy married life begins, and the laughs come fast as the txvo begin the honeymoon. As the action gains in speed, she becomes uncontrolland rebellious, and he devises a tuck to break her violent spirit. The mm al n "Pi-carious. A bridge supnoms. '' Cu,burtson is aniong the v STRAND .1 hose two good funmakers, Zasu bngMlx U in l ' ll r Sl,l " viil e> shine very n r 1 111I 11 , ‘ -ovf b Honour, and Oh Baby!’ at the Strand, as an evner ’ menter m blackmail and a very unprincipled laxvyeM respect! vclv. " Z-isu is Connie, and Slim is-Mart- r( • (>d PISt ’ a l l , d ll , er millionaire employer* Ogden, ,s the kind of man xvho Mkes his typists for a xveok-end to f named Rochester. Mark do °da S \Zt m the interests of morality Rochester should be made safe for tv MstsTW plan is to compromise Ogden to tiio extent of lOO.OOOdo). Up to ■m il! mis point the plot succeed T h ~ the b m' t f I 'f' S A g l blonde restive betrays tnL P !f t 0 ogdon - Mark is obliged to take the case into court, knoinTm lw' thimc' CV R (aJ!t ,’ S CoU!,sel knoxvs cvervdishonestv^he^aoilieves ,e «? ! the teeth of defeat x V ., 1 lcto, ' y ! n the ease is more „r Ms jmscarnageof.iostiee is it gives Shm and Zasu ample scone "r£!vtr; T 1 ■ »o“K i,„. Kel '' -V° any exception to its emg nonsense. The Strand suppor need no recommendation. KING EDWARD Cast in a role that gives Ms varied noxve/ 1-1 r pli ?- v ’ Will .’Rogers shows 1M poxxers of characterisation in ‘Dr Bull at flip King Edxvnrd Theatre. i'4 «mal! town general practitioner who has the petty squabbles and difficulties of Jii§ practice to contend xvith the actor-philosopher plays a convincing pint, xvhieh ranks xvith his acting m State Fair.’ As in ex'ery small comm unity there are scandalmongers and trouble-makers in Dr Bull’s town, but day and night lie goes his round of mercy xvith only the xvelfare of his

•'r? V.niy >vpatients at heart. T-Te is hlamecl for an outbreak of. typhoid, lie is finally recognised for Ins full north when he cures a. cripple pronounced incurable by the specialists. One is apt to forget the supporting cast in a picture starring the inimitable Will Rogers, but in this Marian Nixon has a ' well-chosen role as the wife nf the crippled patient. A tempestuous drama of the Balkans, ‘ Storm at Daybreak,’ is also showing.