PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 21934, 22 January 1935, Page 5

PICTURE THEATRES

GRAND 1 Lilies of the Field,’ at the Grand, is one of the most wholesome and delicious films that has been screened this year. The dainty Winifred Shotter, so well known in the LynnWalls comedies, is the star, and is seen in easily her best performance. In what is an exceptionally well-acted play she is ably supported by a splendid cast, whicli includes Judy Gunn, Anthony Bushell, and Ellis Jeffries. Adapted from the stage comedy by John Hastings Turner, the production bubbles with witty dialogue and amusing situations. Winifred _ Shotter is seen as Betty, one of the irrepressible rectory twins, who, by her pose as a demure Victorian miss, obtains a much-coveted visit to London with her modern grandma and attentions of a young collector of antiques. The young man eventually calls Betty’s Victorian bluff, but not before she causes many hilarious situations. Three excellent supports include the latest Patbe Gazettes and a scenic of ' Devon,’ a film that has been greeted with applause at each screening. ST. JAMES * Romance in the Rain,’ an unusually clever and wholesome comedy, is the St. James current feature. Roger Pryor (of 1 Moonlight and Pretzels ’ fame) and Heather Angel, lovely young English actress, are happily cast as the romantic couple in the film. They make an attractive and appealing screen pair. The story is of a modern Cinderella who, like her famous namesake in fiction, is beset with poverty and drudgery at home until her Prince Charming comes along and opens wide the gates of wonderland to her. Victor Moore, one of the most popular American comedians, makeshis screen debut in this picture, and his performance stamps him as a player of great promise. Esther Ralston scores in the role of an alluring vamp and Ruth Donnelly gives an excellent characterisation as Moore’s faithful secretary who, despite her long years of service, has never lost her sense of humour. One of the musical highlights of the picture is the Cinderella ball, _ featuring a flock of. dancing beauties, the Downey Sisters, and-The Five Cinderellas. REGENT Recognised as one of the best comedy romances yet produced, the thrilling picture, * Splendid Fellows,’ is proving popular fare at the Regent. The film is an excellent combination of drama, comedy, and romance, with several items of topical interest, such as the recent centenary air race and the Melbourne celebrations. The story tells of a young Englishman who is sent to Australia. Here h© meets the daughter of a wealthy sheep farmer, who eventually is persuaded to finance the building of an aeroplane to compete in the race. He does not win the race, but puts up a, thrilling fight, actually forfeiting his chance when, in the last lap, he decides to make a search for a parson who has crashed in the lonely wastes of Central Australia. The leading players are Eric Column, Frank Leighton, Isabel Mahon, Leo Franklin, and Frank Bradley. Another attraction on ah excellent programme is a technicolour revue, ‘ Northern Exposure.’ EMPIRE Robert Louis Stevenson himself could find no fault with the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer version of his immortal classic, ‘ Treasure Island,’ which is showing this week at the Empire. Each member of the uniformly fine cast is a popular actor, and each is admirably suited to his role. Indeed, it is almost impossible to pick the “ best performance ” of the picture. The thrilling yarn makes excellent film material, and it has been so admirably handled by Victor Fleming, the director, that the entire spirit of the story is preserved. The characters come to life, the pirates hoist tho “ Jolly Roger ” on the ship, and the treasure searchers hoist the Union Jack in the stockade. The photography is beautiful, especially the “ shots ” of the Hispaniola, and the production is lavish. The largest parts are taken by Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper, as the smooth-tongued pirate. Long John Silver, and the youthful hero, Jim Hawkins. These two, who both give fine performances, are supported by Lionel Barrymore, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone, Nigel Bruoe, and Charles “ Chic ” Sale,

STATE Harold Lloyd appears first in ‘ The Cat’s Paw,’ at the State, as the son of an American missionary who has spent virtually all his life with his father in the interior of China. At twenty-seven' his folk fee) it is time for him to return to his native land and seek a wife. Ho thus is thrown into the maelstrom of life in an American city of 400,000 at first like a fish out of water. He unknowingly becomes the tool of unscrupulous politicians, hut, when he becomes mayor of the city, through accident, he tries to apply Chinese philosophy to his operations of the Government. He refuses to becomes “ the Cat’s Paw ” of the defeated gang, and, in turn, they frame him. How he extricates himself from an unenviable position forms the basis of the finest story the comedian Las ever filmed, and carries an audience through a sweeping change of comedy, drama, and thrilling adventure, in his efforts to clean up the town he has the caustic support of a cigar counter girl, played by Una Merkel, and a loveable political rogue, portrayed by George Barbier. Neither has ever given a finer performance nor been cast in a more acceptable part. OCTAGON , Sheets Gallagher offers a profitable piece of advice to lawyers, and ambulance chasers by means of his important role in ‘ Bachelor Bait,’ at the Octagon, Gallagher portrays a taxidriving lawyer in this R.K.0.-Radio picture, and when there is an accident, lie always arrives on the scene before his competitors to sign a 50 per cent, of the mitigation contract with the victim. Ho deserts his ambulance chasing to ally himself with Erwin, who operates a matrimonial agency. Gallagher’s ingenuity nurses the agency into a national institution. Romance Inc., becomes a hunting 5 ground for millionaires by gold-digging girls, and racketeers eye the establishment as an opportunity for graft. The proceedings continue with fast-stopping comedy implicating Gallagher, Stewart Erwin, Miss Kelton,. and Miss Hudson in romantic entanglements. ‘Hat, Coat, and Glove,’ the other picture, has been acclaimed as one of the most ingeniously conceived plots. It derives its title from the three prosaic .pieces of wardrobe apparel which are found in an artist’s studio where his erstwhile paramour is found dead, he being charged .with the murder. Now the artist fancies

the wife of a great criminal lawyer from whom she is separated. The gallant lawyer, who is still deeply in love with his wife, is persuaded to undertake (the defence. He could easily save the accused with an alibi involving the wife, but by a series of brilliant devices obtains an acquittal without exposing her. STRAND Fifteen of Hollywood’s most beautiful candidates for possible stardom, under contract with First National studios, added to their motion picture education by appearing in several scenes of ‘The Little Giant,’ starring Edward G. Robinson, now at the Strand. Casting promising young players in minor background roles is a regular part of their training at First National, where every “starlet” is watched for indications of ability which will warrant their being cast for more important parts. The fifteen girls were originally selected from candidates for members of the chorus of 200 for the song and dance numbers of ‘42nd Street’ and ‘Gold Diggers of 1933.’ Later the fifteen were picked from these as the most promising and placed under contract. They appear as society girls, during a scene in which Robinson, as an ex-Chicago beer baron, quits his racket to break into society. In the supporting cast of ‘ The Little Giant ’ are Mary Aster, Russell Hopton, Kenneth Thomson, and Helen Vinson. MAYFAIR Entertainment of a particularly attractive typo is provided in ‘The Cat and the Fiddle,’ which concludes tonight at the Mayfair. Jeannette MacDonald and Ramon Novarro, who are the lovers of the piece, are seen in a stage environment which easily transforms the stormy adventures of life and love into a heaven of happiness. The path that leads to this delightful ending is a tortuous one; yet there is melody and good fun all along it.