PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 22195, 25 November 1935, Page 8

PICTURE THEATRES

EMPIRE Irish life as it might be in New York is the theme of ‘The Irish in Us,’ the’ cheerful ■ comedy which provides laughs in plenty at the Empire. “Ma ” O’Hara lias three sons—-Pat, Mike, and Danny. The first is in the police, the second is a fireman, and Danny—well, Danny just loves fighting and promoting fights, which contributes nothing at all to the family purse. But Danny has ideas. He picks up with “Car-barn” HammerscMeg, who ho fondly imagines is an embryo champion. Danny actually brings this “ png ” home and feeds him up like a prodigal son as part of his training. Pat also brings home a stranger, sweet Lucille Jackson, but the little lady finds Danny more to her taste than Pat, with tho result that there is a serious rift in the house of O’Hara. Matters culminate on the night ” Car-barn ” is to meet the middle-weight champion of the State. “ Car-barn ” might have done something did he not develop toothache, which stupid Mike O’Hara tried to cure with gin, so at the last moment Danny has to go into the ring. He is taking a lot of punishment until Pat conveys to him the news that Lucille loves him. and is there to see him win. So Ire knocks his man out and everyone is happy. The picture

features Janies Cagney, Pat O’Brien, Olivia de Havila’nd, and Mary Gordon.

REGENT Recalling that now famous picture ‘ Disraeli ’ _ for the clarity of its presentation of a historically, George Arliss’s ‘ Cardinal Richelieu,’ which is attracting large audiences to the Regent, must rank as an extraordinarily fine film. Based on the play of Sir Eduard Bul-wer-Lytton, ‘ Cardinal Richelieu ’ is the portrayal of a man who, from comparatively humble beginnings, became Secretary of State of the Kingdom of France. The turbulent days of Louis XIII., with the conflict between Church and State, and the beginnings of the major struggle for national power, form an ideal setting for such a figure as Arliss presents in the role of Richelieu. Churchman and statesman, he used each office to benefit tho other, using craft to fight craft, guile to fight guile, and when, he found it necessary either the cloak of the churchman or the sword of the soldier to force his ends. Ho was ambitious, avaricious, unscrupulous, and unyielding, but there was no doubt that he was a diplomat of the highest order, who, whatever his personal gain, took his country to a position of honour among tho nations of Europe. France must be united to fight her rivals was his dictum, and like Bismarck in-Germany lie made that his life’s work. One by one ho reduced the great feudal nobles to the position of vassals to the King. Their power he usurped, their lands lie confiscated to the Crown, and their incomes to the State purse. A particularly fine Walt Disney picture is included in tho supporting list. , ST. JAMES When a picture is replete with three such outstanding players as Claudette Colbert, Joan Bennett, and Charles Boyer, and has a story such as is told in ‘ Private Worlds,’ the attraction at the St. James, entertainment of a very rare nhtnro can he expected. Those who were present at the initial screenings will surely agree that few finer pictures have recently graced the screen in Dunedin, and it is not unsafe to predict that tho audiences of tho present week will be equally pleased. Miss Colbert has the role of Dr Everest, a psychiatrist in a mental home. A new superintendent is appointed, and with him comes his sister. Working with Dr Everest, Dr M'Gregor has achieved some notable successes, hut both his work and his wife begin to assume small significance when he meets Claire Monet. Tho time comes when his wife, Sally, is. so beset with worries that she has to become a patient in the home, and only the brilliant surgery of the new superintendent saves her from complete mental wreck. This, briefly, is tho dramatic situation on which a wealth of incident relies. Miss Colbert has won high honours for her acting in the past, but it is improbable that she has over been seen to bettor advantage than in ‘ Private Worlds.’ The picture brings before Dunedin audiences Charles Boyer, who has been acclaimed by trade journals as “ Hollywood’s latest and greatest heartbreak.” OCTAGON Most people will agree in entertaining a high opinion of Marlene Dietrich, both for her personal charm and for her powers as an actress. Her presence alone is sufficient to guarantee the value of a film. She has perhaps been more happily cast than in ‘ Carnival in Spain,’ winch is showing at the Octagon with ‘ His Double Life,’ but her personality still impresses. Tho scene is southern Spain at carnival time, and Marlene Dietrich, as Concha Pore/., is thus given an appropriate sotting in which to engage in her con-

tinual sport, the exercise of her charms to the downfall of men. It is not unfair to say that some of the best acting is that of some of the subsidiary characters. As Don Paquito, the Governor, Edward Everett Horton has a small part, which he elevatesvand enlivens in his own inimitable way. Ho has tho great gift of extracting the utmost from his part, however small it may be; that gift, for one who is acting humorous parts, is a priceless one, for it makes individual scenes remain in : the memory long after other memories of a film and its acting have disappeared. Cesar Romero is an actor of rising fame, who lias appeared in no fewer than nine pictures during the nine _ months of his career at Hollywood, Ho is an actor of the«restraiued, selfpossessed type That is always enjoyable. STATE The combination of William Powell and Ginger Rogers should be sufficient recommendation for any picture As a crime detector, Powell lias played a number of loading roles, all of which have demonstrated his outstanding ability to keep his audience in suspense until tho end of the film, and r,o progress slowly but surely towards the objective of tracking down crime loaders. And Ginger Rogers, who recently scored such a success in ‘ Roberta,’ is oven more attractive in her present part. The film. ‘Star of Midnight,’ is now at the State, and is receiving a splendid reception from local theatregoers. _ ‘ Star of Midnight ’ provides question and answer to_ a crime problem of more than usual intricacy. What lay behind the disappearance of a stage favourite, Mary Smith? Why was a newspaper gossip writer killed? And who was responsible for the crime? A brilliant New York lawyer (William Powell) sets out to complete the answers, and bo is joined in the task by a young society girl (Ginger Rogers), who frankly and openly declares her intention of marrying him. Thereby hangs the tale, and into the plot arc drawn a Chicago gangster, another lawyer, ajid a number of minor characters, GRAND ‘ Laddio ’ is screening at the Grand. This worthy successor to 1 Little Women ’ heads tho. current programme at tho Grand. How a farmer’s hoy courted a. nobleman’s daughter and, against tho odds of caste and hitter opposition, won her as his bride is ■vividly painted against the canvas of a homely rural scene. Laddio is the son of Hoosicr farming pioneers. His father and mother have struggled to establish their prosperity out of the soil. Into tho community comes a noble family, tho daughter, Pamela, described as one of tho most beautiful of women, dressing in tho latest London styles, and making captive Laddie’s heart, just as she was the envy of all feminine hearts. Pamela is the princess, tho mystery of whoso coming is later cleared away in one of the most exciting climaxes in films, silent or sound. In addition to tho loro story tho picture has fine comedy sequences, and its emotional elements arc sincere and realistic. John Beal has the leading role, and Gloria Stuart is tho Princess, and about these two tho producers have placed the perfectly balanced cast. STRAND ‘ Chinatown Squad ’ which heads the Strand’s fare, provides an entertaining story of mystery, romance, and much comedy. In the Pekin Cafe a confidence man is murdered, and from then on the adventures commence. It is found that the murdered man was carrying 75,000c101. a packet of indiscreet let ters written by a beautiful girl, and a valuable jade ring. Suspicion is directed on several characters, and the police sergeant in charge of the case, although hopeless in his powers of de-

tection, is nevertheless an excellent butt for the hero, an ex-police officer who protects tho beautiful girl of tho story. The murder of the proprietor of tho cafe adds further to the mystery, and the excitement reaches a high pitch before the clever ex-policeman solves tho problems in a manner which wins for him the love of the girl and the title of sergeant in the Chinatown police squad. The cast includes Lyle Talbot, Valerie Hobson, Hugh O’Connell, and Andy Devine. No less entertaining is the second picture, ‘ We’re in the Money,’ which has two popular female stars' Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell, in roles that are eminently suited to their style of acting. MAYFAIR ‘ George White’s Scandals ’ and ‘The White Cockatoo ’ comprise the bill of fare at the Mayfair. George White has gained great distinction for his spectacular reveues ou the Broadway stage, but their transfer to the medium of the screen has enhanced- their effectiveness and appeal. Although the production contains a number of song hits, dazzling revues and “ blackouts” of a typo associated with the brilliant producer, it also contains a romantic story which gives the principals scope to show thoii y acting ability. The cast of the ‘ Scandals ’ is a particularly outstanding one, and contains popular favourites of the screen, stage, and radio. Rudy Vallee is heard in several tuneful items, and Jimmy Durante provides the audience witli plenty of comedy. Others in the large cast are Alice Fay, Adrienne Ames, Cliff Edwards, and Gregory Ratoff. Of a vastly different type of entertainment is tho supporting film, ‘ Tho White Cockatoo,’ which is a tense mystery drama in which no fewer than three murders occur in the eerie surroundings of a haunted hotel on the French coast. Tho excellent cast is headed by Jean Muir and Ricardo Cortez.