PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 22202, 3 December 1935, Page 7

PICTURE THEATRES

REGENT By its performances on Saturday night and last night the new orchestra that the Regent Theatre has shown commendable enterprise 'in engaging, and which it is hoped will be a permanent feature, has already firmly entrenched itself in public favour. Under the baton of M. De Rose, this combination renders a popular programme of music before the screening of_ pictures commences. Grade Fields is at her best in ‘ Look Up and' Laugh,’ which is the main picture. The film is carefully drawn to suit her distinctive talents; there is racy.dialogue, spirited singing, and clever foolery throughout the film. Returning from a theatrical tour, Grade finds her father very ill, and her brother without money; and together they start a musical stall in the market hall that is very successful for a time, but their troubles eventually bring them to the" point of selling the show. At the last moment the clever and determined sister, established in the top rank of theatrical stars, decides to save the show, but runs counter to the efforts of a city magistrate, who is trying to have the - market closed. The complications and entanglements of the fight between the young actress, played by Grade Fields, and her influential rival are endless and comic. Grade sings topical dialect songs in her inimitable manner. The work of the minor characters, too, is good, Harry Tate giving a remarkably bright performance. EMPIRE It is no rash boast to say of 1 Dance Band,’ which is having a season at the Empire, that it is the brightest musical show that has been seen in Dunedin for a long time. The play is wholly given up to the cheerful, quick music of the modern dance halls. There is certainly a. romantic side to the picture, and this is treated in the same gay manner. The plot of the film, if it can be said to have a plot, concerns : the troubles that beset a - band composed entirely of women who .enter for a gramophone competition. • Buddy Milton, played by Charles “ Buddy ” Rogers, is the leader of another band also entered' for the competition, but when the leader of the women’s band loses her partner Rogers nobly comes to the rescue and acts for her. • This provides the opening for the romantic side of the film between Rogers and June Clyde, who plays the leader of the women’s band. In its comparatively modest and unassuming way, this picture registers as much real entertainment of the lighter sort as many a “ super-musical ” from Hollywood. Also on the new programme is a very interesting short subject entitled ‘ On the Ball,’ a scenic study showing the home towns of the various members of the All Black team at present in Great Britain. The film introduces all the All Blacks and also records the speech of the captain of the tourists. ■ife- > r ST. JAMES ■As bright as- its; titled suggests -is ‘ Bright Lights,’ starring Joe E. Brown, the comic with.the over-size in mouths. Judging; from tlie way laughter is sweeping the St., J ames at present, it must be one, of the, brightest and. breeziest films of‘its kind -to have been shown here for' some ..weeks. Joe Brown has been blessed by-Nature with a face that makes one want to laugh; indeed, it is as “ Funny Face ” that he is known in the theatre world, in which, after having done the “ smalls ’ with his wife (Ann Dvorak) as partner, he sky-rockets, to success on Broadway, teamed up with a mad-cap heiress and adventuress (Patricia Ellis). This girl who, at the wish of the producer (William Gargan), has succeeded in supplanting the comedian’s wife in their act, very nearly is responsible, through his foolishness, in causing a more, serious' break between! bim ana bis wife., But all ends ’happily. At times Joe Brown makes the dialogue fairly crackle. His story of the mouse which one night had fallen into a barrel of whisky and had an appointment,.to meet the cat which saved its life at 9 o’clock next morning is a sheer delignt. GRAHD ‘ Passport to Fame,’ which concludes to-night at the Grand with Heat Wave,’ a comedy, is a comedy-drama about America’s underworld. Although it has all the thrills of the usual gangland film, there is not much else in it that can be said to be common screen property. The theme ,is unusual, and so is the method of presentation. The main part is taken by Edward G. Robinson. STATE A film which is remarkable in every phase is the epic of the British Navy, ‘ Brown on Resolution,’ now at the State. The chief roles are ably handled by Betty Balfour, John Mills, and Barry Mackay. The story is unique in that i£ is divided into two distinct chapters, the first dealingwith the expulsion from her home, of Elizabeth Brown, after her- romance with a young naval officer. The second chapiter deals with the exploits of her son. who she was determined would-be a sailor, who serves, at the opening of the Great War, on board a _ semiobsolete cruiser. The story is far above the average war picture in'that, while the - spirit of patriotism is ever present, it never verges on the raelodramatic, and again, because of the* skill of the producer has made the battle scenes vividly real. The story never lags, and the tempo is in fact quickened toward the end. One of the most exciting incidents is the sinking of H.M.S. Rutland, on which the hero is stationed, by the Zeithen, a modern German cruiser. One of the minor roles which is a magnificent character study is that of Kapitan von Lutz (Zeithen) as a Prussian of the “ old school.” MAYFAIR The society of to-day pitted against the methods of modern newspaper life in America is the interesting theme of the first of the two pictures that the Mayfair will screen for the last time to-night. This attraction, ‘After Office Hours,’ can be recommended from, the entertainment viewpoint if only because of the inclusion of_ Clark Gable and Constance Bennett in the leading roles. W. C. Fields, doyen of American humorists, has the main part in ‘ You’re Telling Me,’ in which he is portrayed as an _ insignificant optician whose hobby is inventing—an occupation that leads him into plenty of trouble.

OCTAGON Ralph Bellamy and' Tala Birrell are featured in the leading roles of ‘ Air Hawks,’ which .is now: showing at the Octagon. The picture concerns the hitter rivalry .which exists between two large air lines, which are struggling to obtain an important transcontinental air mail contract. Ralph Bellamy, is seen" as the owner of one company, which depends for its supremacy on a special stratosphere plane in which it is intended to establish a record for the flight across the continent. His firm is opposed by a group which will stop at. nothing in its efforts to gain control of the air and to. secure the contracts. Its. principfil method of fighting is to discredit its opponents, and for this purpose it employs a mad. scientist, whose invention of a terrible death ray is calculated to achieve the end in view, by forcing down Bellamy’s planes, with the results that the Government and the public will lose confidence in the efficiency of the company’s service. How Bellamy engages in a- desperate conflict with his enemies: makes an exciting story, and a romantic thread ,is introduced into the action, Tala Birrell appearing as the girl who wins Bel* lamy’s love. • STRAND The two popular artists, Charles Ruggles and Mary Boland, who scored remarkable success with .their teamwork in ‘ Buggies of Red' Gap,’ appear together again in ‘ People Will Talk,* which- leads the Strand’s programme this week. One of the latest Paramount productions, the picture moves at a fast’ pace from start to finish, and makes hilarious entertainment. ‘ The Glass Key,’ the other picture, is an excellent presentation of a murder mystery. Based on the story of Dashiell Hammett, the plot is well knit without being very ingeniousit is well acted by a cast of competent, character actors, and it reproduces with 'an air of authenticity that no man’s laud be. tween politics and gansterism which’ appears to be a distinctive American feature. .George Raft takes first honours among the cast for a splendid characterisation of the right-hand man of one of New York’s behind-the-scenes political bosses. The latter is a benevolent despot who has the confidence of piost of the voters of the city. Portly, and cheerful, Edward Arnold plays this part with -distinction. The romantic interest is supplied by llosaland Keith, as the daughter of Arnold*