PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 22367, 17 June 1936, Page 15

PICTURE THEATRES

GRAND All tlic energy and action of the men of the West suv forcefully portrayed in 1 IVnvder Smoko Range.’ which opened at the orand to-day. Two experienced actors in Western films, Harry Carey and Hoot Gibson, share the acting responsibility in the first film, and they carry their parts off with rare clash and spirit. Three friends are at the head of the forces of law and order, and they carry on a willing struggle with a bunch of desperadoes, who have designs on a valuable range property. .Minor outbursts between the rival sides, livened b} - the capture of a mad coach robber, culminate in a range war which brings the film to a rousing climax. In contrast to the stern method of warfare there is an idyllic love tale, with Boots Mallory as the feminine player. ‘ The Rainmakers.’ featuring the fine comedy team, Wheeler and Woolsey, is the supporting film. Starting with a recital of the woes of the beangrowing farmers of Lima Junction, in California, the picture goes back to a wild scone in which “ Roscoc, the Rainmaker ” (Woolsey) rides to the rescue through a terrific duststorm. Hu route; ho picks up Bert Wheeler as his assistant. Arriving in Lima Junction the two scientists run into trouble with tho town’s “ leading citizen ” and his son. Bert falls in love with the local banker’s daughter, and, through the use of a rainmaking machine, the two carry their various schemes to success and turn their troubles to victories. REGENT . Lively and attractive entertainment is provided in ‘ Anything Goes,’ now being shown at .the Regent. Embodying a large number of songs by Cole Porter, it includes in its cast such favourite players as Bing Crosby, Charles Ruggles, and Ethel Merman. Charles Ruggles, whose reputation as a comedian has long been firmly established, has done nothing better than Jus portrayal of Public Enemy No. 13, a would-be master gangster whose failure to reach the top of the criminal tree is a perpetual thorn in his side. Associated with Bing Crosby, who also lias a distinct flair for comedy, lie is seen in some hilarious episodes on a transatlantic liner, on which lie has concealed his identity under the title of the Rev. Dr Moon. Crosby has the part of a young man who boards the liner on an impulse after seeing a beautiful girl whom he imagines is in trouble, and thereafter employs a variety of ruses to escape detection by his employer, who is also on the ship. EMPIRE Stars, romance, music, gaiety, laughter, and drama all mingle in a now and unique blend of screen entertainment in ‘ Escapade,’ a romance of Vienna, which is the current attraction at the Empire. It captures Continental flavour and music, and puts them on the screen in a story with unusual dramatic twists that keeps the audience in a constant state of surprise. Through the deft handling of the story, everything from laughter to tears, from drama to music, is packed into a single evening’s entertainment. William Powell and Lniso Rainer, the Viennese stage star, head the cast. The story deals with a debonair artist, played by Powell, who falls in love, through complications over painting another man’s wife, with the demure companion of a countess. With a jealous doctor, a former sweetheart, and a flirtatious wife on his hands, he tries to balance the whole structure while progressing on a rocky road of true Jovo. ST. JAMES One of the smartest comedy romances of the year is at the St. James, in Parainonrit’s ‘ The Bride Comes Home,' in which Claudette Colbert and Fred Mac Murray are starred. In a day when it is difficult to get away from the patterned story this tale of a modern boy and girl who can’t spend five minutes together without; fighting, yet who find they can’t stay away from each other, should provide a refreshing change. -Miss Colbert is the daughter of a Chicago financier who had gone distressingly broke. Though reared in groat luxury, the girl nevertheless has plenty of pluck, and decides to go to work. Robert Young, a childhood sweetheart, has just inherited three million dollars, but Claudette feels she would prefer getting a job to marrying him. She does go to work, ns assistant editor of the magazine Young publishes, she is made assistant to the editor, Fred Mac Murray. Mac Murray is a hard-boiled, rough-spoken fellow who resents Miss Colbert’s presence. They fight from the moment they meet.

STATE So amazing is the talent and the persuasiveness of Shirley Temple in her latest and best picture, ‘ The Littlcst Rebel,’ starring at the State, that nobody con *l_ fail to leave the theatre without feelings of the greatest admiration. It is her first big dramatic; role, and it definitely proves her a premier entertainer. In addition to three songs and tap dances by the captivating “ starette,” there are adventures a-plenty to thyill those who like a bit of excitement when Shirley has scrapes with the “ fight as her father, John Boles, attempts to smuggle her through the “ Yankee ” lines, only to be caught and held as a spy. ■ There are some very charming parts when Shirley sots out to save her father and to reach the capital. As they have little money she makes it possible by street singing and dancing. Shirley is a delightful imp, and no o;io can help but love her. Her work never becomes stereotyped, and into each new role she infuses a spirit of infectious gaiety, STRAND An attractive film with a timely message is ‘ This Day and Ago,’ which is being shown at the Strand this week along with ‘ Green Eyes,’ an exciting mystery film. Cecil B. de Millc, responsible for some of the most spectacular filnp productions, was the producer of ‘ This Day and Ago.’ The story centres around the activities of desperate gangsters and the efforts of high school hoys to catch them, and de Millc has succeeded in adapting the story to the spectacle class. The part of'the chief gangster is played by that powerful character actor Charles IPckford, who gives a ruthless portrayal. The juvenile lead is Richard Cromwell, whose performance is very satisfactory. ‘ Green Eyes,’ the second film, has a plot rather out of the ordinary, a quality which made a best seller of the novel from which it was adapted, ‘ The Murder of Stephen Kester.’ The head of a house is found murdered at a party, and his daughter and her lover have disappeared. Suspicion centres on them, but the mystery is not solved until the end of the film. The chief actors are Shirley Grey, Charles Starre tt. Claude Gillingwater, and Dorothy Rcvier.

OCTAGON Wendy Barrie and John Howard arc tho principal players in ‘ Millions in the Air,’ now at the Octagon, and. many •’utertainmont celebrities make frequent appearances in the course of this new screen farce. -Most of the action m this sprightly film takes place in a radio studio, a duplicate of Radio City’s largest broadcasting theatre, and the villain of the story is the gong which marks the success or failure of performers. The clanging of this sinister object, or its silence, knits together a scries of entertaining events that otherwise would he episodic, and serves as a background for an appealing romance. ‘ Millions in the Air ’ is a timely picture. Tho theme of the story deals with an amateur radio hour —the type of entertainment which is proving so popular with American radio fans of to-day. ‘ It’s a Great Life ’ gives an interesting sidelight on tho forestry camps for young people which were established in various parts of the United States in an endeavour to combat unemployment. The cast includes Chic Sale. Raul Kelly, Joe Morrison, and Rosaline! Keith. LAURIER, PORT CHALMERS * Boys Will Be Boys,’ tho British comedy now at the Laurier, Port Chalmers, stars Vi’ill Hay, the great schoolmaster of the gramophoho records, in an amusing schoolmaster role. With him arc Gordon Harkor (who plan's an “old lag” with his eye on a priceless necklace) and Claude Dampier (the famous “ silly ass,” who takes the part of the lugubrious assistant master). “ Narkover ” is tho imaginary school where tho boys are more famed for having a good time than for their literary achievements. The famous “ Founders’ Day ” at Narkover is a feature of the film. This is a groat occasion, when a grand luncheon is given to the whole school. Tho feast includes everything from soup to nuts, and the Narkover school song is the finishing effort in a feast of fun. MAYFAIR The ‘ Last Days of Pompeii ’ is the film that commenced a season at the Mayfair to-day. All the pagan splendour of ancient Pompeii is thrown into the shadows by tiic light of Jesus Christ who is strumcntal in effecting a miraculous cure of tho injuries of Marcus's (Preston Foster) adopted son, Flavius (David Holt). Maintaining a high pitch of vivid pageantry and barbaric splendour, the drama unfolds a story of the eaily days of the Roman Empire, with tho cruel doctrines of a pagan world. Tho classically beautiful city of Pompeii, re-created for tho screen, is the sotting for the story, and tho conflict is personified in the life of one man. Preston Foster appears as tho man who lifts himself from poverty to power and riches. Alan Hale, Basil Rathhonc. John Wood. Louis Calhern, David Holt, Dorothy Wilson, and Wyrley Birch appear in other important roles. 1 The Last Days of Pompeii ’ is an RKO Radio picture, produced by Meriau C. Cooper.