PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 22626, 19 April 1937, Page 2

PICTURE THEATRES

GRAND Action, suspense, romance, and marvellous photography are the qualities which distinguish Universal s ‘ Yellowstone,’ - the mystery film at the Grand. The story tells of a bandit horde searching for buried treasure which one of their number hid 18 years before. The struggle for the loot reaches a pitch of violence that ends in a mysterious murder. Of all the suspects, the man in the worst spot is a forest ranger, under .suspicion because of an exploded shell in Iris gun. Ho is helped by a beautiful girl, daughter of the victim. The strange manner in which the crime is committed and the astonishing solution develop novel situations in • the story which have liefer been screened before. The magnificent grandeur of Yellowstone National Park is another reason why the picture is gripping entertainment. When a young man, singing on a radio programme, interrupts things to broadcast a frantic 7 appeal to the girl of his heart, who is out on some highway rolling along toward marriage with his riyal, there is likely to bo action, which is just what happens in R.K.O. Radio’s ‘ Walking On Air,’ with Gene Raymond as the boy and Ann Sothern as the girl. *' KING OF THE ROYAL MOUNTED.’ Zane Grey, America’s outstanding writer of outdoor stories, has chosen, a new and thrilling locale for his latest work, ‘King of the Royal Mounted I ,’ Twentieth Century-Fox release, opening o.n Wednesday at the Grand, with Robert Kent starred and Rosalind Keith, and Alan Dinehart heading a cast of screen favourites. As the title indicates, ‘ King of the Royal Mounted ’ is a story of Canada’s Royal Mounted Police, with. action, scenic grandeur, hard-riding romance, and fast-shooting thrills. Robert Kent is seen as Sergeant King, in charge of a remote outpost in the primitive nigged country of North-west Canada. Rosalind Keith and Alan Dinehart, visitors in King’s territory, arouse his suspicions when he learns that the girl has registered under an assumed name and that Dinehart is her attorney. Kent discovers that Miss Keith and her lawyer are really after a valuable mine which is being operated by Prank M'Glynn. Miss Keith claims to own a half-interest in the mine by inheritance from her father, M'Glynn’s former partner. M'Glynn becomes aware of Rosalind’s real identity and plans to restore her rightful interest in the mine. But before he can do so he is murdered l —with suspicion falling on both the girl and Dinehart. Kent, torn between his love for the girl and his duty, nevertheless sets out to discover who killed M'Glynn. The climax, rdplete with thrills and romance, is fast-moving, exciting, and surprising. Sol Lesser selected Howard Bretherton to direct ‘ King of the Royal Mounted l ,’ which was adapted to the screen by Earl Snell. The associate feature will he_ ‘ Second Wife,’ starring Gertrude Michael and Walter Abel. REGENT Everything that goes to make a highly successful comedy-romance is possessed by the new attraction at the Regent. ‘ My American Wife ’ has been heralded as possessing the qualities of that most delightful of Euro-pean-American comedies, ‘ Ruggles of Red Gap,’ and it fully realises expectations. Ttrnust be accounted one of the most fascinating and amusing romances to be seen in Dunedin this year. In it Francis Lederer, _ the Czechoslovakian actor _ of whom little has so far been seen in New Zealand, plays a feature role_ with such natural and enjoyable ability and aplomb that it will not bo surprising if he soon takes his place among _ the most successful or the romantic leads. With him is Ann Sothern, who also gives a first-class account of herself. The story is of a European count who marries a rich American girl, of ranching descent, and then astonishes and chagrins all those democratic Americans who were expecting to make him a social lion by giving his attentions instead to the pursuit of the founder of the family fortunes, a tobacco-chewing old rogue. It is a story that is made for the kind of romantic comedy that can, always be counted on for drawing full houses. Thoroughly enjoyable and refreshing, it also contains ranch good fun and plenty of action. The production has been carried out with immaculate regard for the best parts of the story and for the natural taleifts of the actors. . The acting is uniformly good. Francis Lederer shows a fine taste for the lighthearted kind of role he has been given, and is responsible for a great part of the picture’s merit. Ann Sothern, as the girl who is at first fascinated and then appalled by the false position in which her ambitious mother seeks to place her, is at once a very good character study and a moral for those who seek excitement at the expense of honesty. ‘COME AND GET IT.' According to a writer in the ‘ Film Daily,’ New York, ‘ Come and Get It,’ starting on Friday at the Regent, stands out as a perfect example of the truism that it takes a combination of the gifts of fine writing, directing, and acting to make an outstanding picture. Behind these three essentials was the guiding mind of a genius in film production—Samuel Goldwyn, an exacting taskmaster, it is true, but an appreciative one. ‘ Como and Get It ’ is described as a gusty and robust film. It catches the spirit of the great North-west lumber country, and brings it vividly to the screen. Edna Ferber, who wrote ‘ Show Boat,’ has again concocted a great drama which has all the ingredients of universal appeal. One personality dominates the cast— Edward Arnold, rising from lumberjack to timber baron through a blustering, masterful career. Frances Farmer, as the dance hall girl in the lumber country, contributes a classic part, and later, playing the part of her daughter, she offers a study in contrasting roles. ST. JAMES It is a long call to the days when the St. James was a vaudeville house, but pleasant memories will be revived) by the half-and-half programme now being presented. As well as the George Formby full-length comedy, ‘ Keep Your Seats, Please,’ and a number of short subjects, a programme of entertaining stage items will be supplied by a touring troupe of overseas artists. Prominent in the latter are Trevor and Dawn, Continental adagio dancers, who will xiresent some of the acts that won them applause outside this country, and Esmc Chalk, who, besides being a comedienne of ability, will also present a number of songs and special tap-dancing numbers. The fourth member of the troupe is George Dawson, who has been appropriately billed as 1 the wizard of the piano.” The climax to the delightful introduction will be given by ‘Keep Your Seats, Please,’ described by one critic as “ the best comedy I have seen this year, and a ,

credit to the artists and Monty Bank, comedy’s ace director.” Florence Desmond is teamed with - Formby, and, with tho merry ‘No Limit ’ still in their minds, theatre-goers should be well satisfied with this new release. Georg© Formby is cast as George Withers, who contorts his unhappy, but finally successful, way through a sustained) search for one of a set of chairs which holds a fortune. Unfortunately for George, the chairs have been auctioned off to separate purchasers, and, therefore, he spends the whole of his time looking for. the particular chair. He has a rascally, scheming partner, and, further, is persecuted by an unscrupulous lawyer, also seeking the chair. Among the laugh-provoking sequences are those of George taking “ crooner ” lessons from a prima donna, with the misunderstanding husband adding to the fun, while a goat disguised as a dog adds further to the comedy. Mention must also be made of Fiona Stuart, a new child actress, who, it is forecast, will carve tho same niche for herself in screen fame as has her famous prototype, Shirley Temple. EMPIRE ‘The Great Ziegfeld,’ the romantic, amusing, spectacular. story of tho career of Florenz Ziegfejd, first producer of America in his lifetime, is in its second week >at the Empire. William Powell, Luise Rainer, and Myrna Loy make an exceptionally fine set of top names to a great cast, and in their portrayal of Ziegfeld. Anna Held, who took America by storm; and Billie Burke, they are convincing and have well-written parts. But there is much more that goes to make 'The Great Ziegfeld ’ besides these names. There are doubles of the famous stars he discovered in little out-of-the-way places, building up their reputations and making millionaires —Eddie Cantor and Will Rogers—and there are other great stars in the flesh. Fannie Brice, with that facility of emotion, that magnificent voice, T and strange vibrant personality which have made her famous, appears as herself, and so does Ray Bolger, surely the most eccentric as well as the most brilliant of tap dancers ever to be seen. Harriet Hoctor, a leading Ziegfeld dancer, is also there, and so are the spectacles which Ziegfeld enjoved, the dressing up of girls in magnificent creations; and the sux-rounding of them with magnificent’ settings. There are also many amusing events in his career from the time he was struggling to sell Snnclow on the Midway at the first Chicago World’s Fair to the time when he had four successes simultaneously running in New York —shows of the calibre of 4 Whoopee,’ * Show Boat,’ and 1 Rio Rita.’ And the-acting of Luise Rainer, mistress of all the stage arts, is of the highest order. MONTGOMERY COMEDY. A romantic comedy which must rank among the best of its kind to have been brought to the screen in recent months, ‘ Piccadilly Jim,’ the film version of P. G. Wodehouse’s famous novel, is to begin a season at the Empire on Friday, Robert Montgomery appears in the role of “ Piccadilly Jim ” Crocker, who is a cartoonist for a prominent newspaper, and, after meeting a certain family, makes_ them the laughing stock of England in his cartoons. The family, with the daughter, decides to flee to America, but the cartoons are being, published .there also. There is an added complication when “Piccadilly Jim’’ becomes attached to the daughter' of the family concerned, but dares not tell her anything about his being a cartoonist. She happens to find out when a, friend of his greets him by his x>en-name, and more hilarity and excitement ensue. Other prominent parts are taken by Frank Morgan and Billie Burke, STATE P. G. Wodehouse’s classic characters of Jeeves, the perfect butler, valet, and general handy man, and v Bertie Wooster, the equally-perfect nincompoop, again come to the screen in 4 Thank You, Jeeves,’ which is screening in an extended season at the State. The film is a faithful reproduction of the Wodehonse atmosphere of hilarious and quite irresponsible nonsense. Bertie Wooster, forotsi by the complaints of his neighbours to abandon the only thing in life that gave l)im anything like a kick—playing the drums—finds life empty, and dingy; he is bored. Feeling then the urge of adventure, and lured on by his extravagant admiration for a young, woman who descends into his flat one night, he becomes entangled—there is no other word for it—in the plots of spies and arch-plotters and other interesting people. He blunders along in his blithe, inconsequent fashion, and succeeds almost in ruining everything for the side he imagines himself to be working for, when, in a flash of sanity, he sees that he has been wrong. The story develops in typical Wodehouse fashion, with the admirable Jeeves finally coming to the rescue. Arthur Treacher is excellent as Jeeves. ANOTHER ARLISS FILM. ‘East Meets West,’ George Arliss’s new British film, should prove a brilliant success when it opens at the State on Wednesday. Here is melodrama of a robust nature,, with George Arliss giving a characteristic performance as a crafty Sultan who replenishes his exchequer by deft diplomacy involving Great Britain and an Eastern Power. Developed with great effect, ornate settings, large-crowd scenes, gripping suspense, and the star’s personality have combined to make a rich offering for all lovers of spectacle and drama. George Arliss appears as the Rajah of a tiny kingdom known as Renaug, which, _by virtue of its geographical position, is coveted by Great Britain for harbourage purposes. Another Power, however, it also intriguing for strategic advantage, and the way in which the wily rajah plays off the diplomats of the two nations gives George Arliss magnificent opportunities for the subtle comedy that he introduced in *,Disraeli.’ OCTAGON In 4 Smart Blonde,’ now showing at the Octagon, Glenda Farrell is a flippant newspaper reporter, with Barton Mac Lane as the detective who pursues his investigations in her company. While Barton imagines he is doing the work, it is pretty evident that it is Glenda who discovers most of the clues and follows up the main leads. Addison Richards is strong as a lower world club manager, who is' keeping “on the square,” hut might at any time break out and shoot anyone who had injured a friend. Winifred Shaw is as beautiful as ever in her dark, foreign way, and a suspect from the first. Tom Brown, Larry Crabbe, and Benny Baker fight their way through many a , battle in Paramount’s O’Reilly s Luck,’ a football romance to be shown m support. It is the story of 3. multi-cornered romance, involving all three men and two lovely ladies —Eleanore Whitney and Priscilla Lawson.

MAYFAIR Seldom has a film incorporated so much pathos, dynamic action, and ironical humour as are embodied in the story of 4 Mary of Scotland,’ which is at present at the Mayfair. As Mary Stuart, Queen of the Scots, Katharine Hepburn presents one of the most magnificent performances of her career, while Fredrio March as the Earl of Bothwell gives an excellent portrayal of a gallant soldier and an ardent lover. The story is the well-known one of how Mary, on her secret landing in Scotland, is confronted by difficulty after difficulty, even her own brother, James Stuart, Earl of Moray, scheming for her downfall. With a number of disloyal and greedy Scottish chiefs and the unwelcome interference of Elizabeth of England to contend with, Mary is forced into a political marriage with the weak and foppish Lord Darnlcy. Her adherence to the Catholic faith, tho preachings of John Knox, the infidelity of her councillors, and the fact that she is really in love with Bothwell, all contribute towards making her lot an unhappy one.