PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 22688, 30 June 1937, Page 6

PICTURE THEATRES

REGENT The fact that crowded houses are seeing that lovely romantic drama in technicolour, ‘ God’s Country and the Woman,’ may be safely taken to prove that the film’s ingenue actress, Beverly Roberts, has made a noticeable impression on Regent Theatre audiences. She is one of the flock of new faces brought to the fore by Hollywood film-makers in their latest mass endeavour to supply the renewed demand from the public for fresh talent. Pretty, capable, young, and unmarried, she is one of the belles of the film colony. She has appeared" in ‘The Singing Kid,’ ‘Two Against the World, ‘ Hot Money,’ ‘Sons o’ Guns,’ ‘China Clipper,’ and the yet to be released, ‘ His Wife’s Secretary.’ Her romantic lead in ‘_God|s Country and_ the Woman,’ which is a splendidly picturised adaption of a famous James Oliver Curwood novel, is the virile George Brent, who is particularly good in this outdoor typo of role. Pank will remember how ho made ‘ In Person ’ a success when “ Ginger ” Rogers suffered so noticeably from the absence of Fred Astaire. ‘STOLEN HOLIDAY* COMING. Beauty and dramatic suspensq are vividly contrasted in ' Stolen Holiday,’ which opens at the Regent on Friday. The picture gives Kay Francis fresh laurels. She appears first as an obscure little mannequin in a tiny Parisian shop, with ambitions to become the greatest coutouriere in the world. She is seen to progress from better to better things, until finally she has reached her goal. She dictates modes for all the world. She wears, of course, the most gorgeous of creations, which make the women in the audience gasp in admiration. What she herself does not wear is worn by 60-odd mannequins, all tall and slender and professional, who furnished a treat for masculine as well as feminine eyes. But the Parisian girl’s progress has npt been easy. It has been aided largely through a rascally financier, Claude Rains, whose schemes finally tumble about his shoulders and cause political scandals in France and even street riots in Paris, such as we have read about recently. These battles between gendarmes and citizenry are thrilling in the extreme. Hundreds take part in them. Whole streets are filled with scuffling mobs. . The romantic interest in Stolen Holiday ’ is provided by lan Hunter, the handsome young British actor who played in ‘ The White Angel ’ with Hits Francis. He portrays a young English diplomat with whom the glamorous Kay falls in love. Alison Skipworth, veteran character comedienne, is an old dresser who stays with the rising Kay throughout her career. Splendid performances are given by Anas Francis, Rains, Hunter, Miss Skipworth, and the lesser players, in whoso ranks are, among others, Alexander D’Arcy, young French nobleman not long in film work; Betty Lawford, Walter Kingsford, Frank Strange. GRAND The romance and excitement of modern commercial aviation are usedl as materials for an absorbing and dramatic film in ‘ Without Orders, which opened at the Grand to-day with a comedy, ‘Easy to Take.’ The film deals with the responsibility of modern commercial air line operators and pilots for the safety of their passengers, and) its drama results from disregard of this responsibility. Most flying films in the past have depended for thrills on.? the splintering wreck of aeroplanes. This has been objected to by established air lines, which point out that crashes seldom occur on scheduled flying routes to-dayand that the emphasis on accidents discourages air travel. In ‘ Without Orders ’ the tense emotional moments have been obtained without recourse to crashes. Instead, the drama is derived from the conflict between two rival pilots and the difficulties of flying treacherous air routes, with the climax in a breathless struggle aboard a big air liner lost in a storm. Drama begins early in the story when Robert Armstrong, as _ a commercial pilot for Airlines, it induced) to take Vinton Haworth, the son of the line’s owner, as his co-pilot, although he knows the boy is too irresponsible to make a good commercial pilot. Robert Armstrong and Sally Eilers are ideally cast in the leading romantic roles, with Frances Sage, who made her film debut in ‘ The Witness Chair,’ and Vinton Haworth, a newcomer from the radio, and Charley Grapewin heading the supporting cast. Arthur Loft, Frank M. Thomas, Ward) Bond, and Walter Miller are also seen in important roles. Blind flying by the use of instruments when lost in the clouds, and the operation of two-way radio systems in communicating with a machine in flight, are revealed in the story. ST. JAMES The third of the Tarzan series to he brought to the screen,. ‘ Tarzan Escapes,’ is continuing a successful season at the St. James. Maureen O’Sullivan gives a very engaging performance as Tarzan’s mate, while Johnny Weissmuller appears in the title role. There are numerous thrilling scenes of jungle life introducing lions, elephants, crocodiles, and merciless African savages. Herbert Mundin and Benita Hume head the supporting cast. Among the shorter films, a coloured cartoon, ‘ Pups’ Christmas,’ is particularly intertaining. BRILLIANT MUSICAL COMEDY. Jack Buchanan’s latest comedy for Herbert Wilcox Productions is entitled ‘ This’ll Make You Whistle,’ and is de-scribed-as a deliciously daring musical crammed full with gaiety, song, and dance, overflowing with witty wisecracks and hectic situations, with Jack in the embarrassing position of being engaged to two girls at the same time. His attempts to extricate himself from this dilemma only land him into further difficulties, which are not in any way improved upon when his two “ nitwit ” pals, Reggie and Archie, join in the fun. And so the three settle down to a little hard thinking whereby Jack can be released of his engagement with Laura without letting Jean know. Jack can think of nothing. “ Oh, well,” he says, “ I might as well go the whole hog and commit bigamy while I’m about it.” But Reggie cannot let such an opportunity pass. “ Well, of all the fools, I think you’re the bigamist 1” was his trite reply. The scenes change, rapidly from London to a. French airport hotel, and there is a climax charged with comedy when he is pursued by French police as a counterfeiter. The cast, most of whom appeared in the stage version, which created a sensation all over England, includes Jean Gillies, Elsie Randolph, David Hutcheson, and William Kendall, Anthony Holley, and Marjorie Brooks. ‘ This’ll Make You Whistle ’ will present six brand-new song hits when it comes to the St. James Theatre on Friday.

STRAND Mary Aster’s latest film, ‘ Lady From Nowhere,’ is the attraction at the Strand, The film is a melodramatic comedy, which also serves to introduce a handsome screen newcomer, Charles Quigley, a favourite- of the New York stage. The story concerns Polly, a manicurist, who is witness to a gangland murder, .and has to flee for her life. What follows is a series of uproarious events which abound in thrills and laughs. The spine-chilling melodrama of a demented murderer who lives and plots his sinister crimes in a chamber of horrors waxworks is unfolded in ‘ Killer at Large,’ which is alsoi screened. Maryi Brian, Bussell Bardie, and Betty Compson head the large cast. FRIDAY’S DOUBLE ATTRACTION. The screen offering which opens at the Strand Theatre on Friday is Universal’s ‘ She Dangerous ’ featuring Tala Birell as the dangerous female of the species. Cesar Romero, portraying a gang leader who steals 500,000 dollars in bonds, becomes desperately infatuated with the lady, to Ins own undoing. Tala is an insurance company detective sent to got evidence which will convict him. The net is about to fall on Romero, when circumstances sweep Tala into the trap she has set for him. The gang leader kills the chief detective a few minutes after Tala visits that officer. Suspicion points to he#, and Romero is the only person who can prove her innocence. The gangster charters a plane to dispose of the stolon bonds in a distant city. Tala goes along to keep track of the bonds. The plane crashes, and a doctor, portrayed by Walter Pidgeon, saves them. The doctor is strongly attracted by Tala’s beauty, and he tells her ho loves her. The girl reveals her entanglement to him, just before the authorities arrest her and Romero. Then the doctor begins a magnificent battle to free the woman he loves. Advance Hollywood reports declare that the story climbs with swift excitement to a climax which Is tensely dramatic, developing situations that are unusual in screen offerings. The associate feature, ‘ The Tenth Man,’ is a dramatic story of high finance, with John Lodge giving a virile and forceful study as the self-mad© man, juggling in millions. “ Nine men out of every ten are either knaves or fools,” was the creed of George Winter, M.P., ruthless monarch of the world of finance. He readily sacrificed love, happiness, friendship, business trust on the altar of greed for power, and got away with it until ho met “ The Tenth Man.’ EMPIRE In all the splendour of its well-re-membered songs, and with the added scenic beauty which only the screen can give, ‘ Rose Marie ’ is showing at the Empire. The tale of Marie de Flor and Sergeant Bruce, of the Royal Canadian North-west Mounted Police, is told,with a clarity and conviction which was rather lacking, in the stage presentation. In the title role, Jeanette MacDonald excels even her performance in ‘ Naughty Marietta.’ Her singing is superb, especially ‘ The Indian Love Call,’ sung in a typical Canadian setting of surpassing beauty, and in the final scene of ‘ Tosea,’ in which some splendid acting is seen. Nelson Eddy gives a fine performance as Sergeant Bruce, and his splendid voice does full justice to the melodious ‘ Rose Marie,’ and to the rollicking ‘ Song of the Mounted.’ STATE Dancing and musical numbers of more than usual merit characterise ‘ It’s Love Again,’ the latest British musical film, starring Jessie Matthews, which is screening at the State. Miss Matthews outshines all the other members of the cast, which includes such favourites as Sonnic Halo and Robert Young, and her numbers include several catchy tunes which should prove successful hits. Her dancing is spirited and graceful, and the costuming and effects unusual and attractive. The plot, as is the case in' all musicals, is fantastic, but nevertheless it provides plenty of opportunities for humour and romance. Miss Matthews is east as a girl with an ambition to get on the stage, and she succeeds in drawing public attention to herself by most diverting means. Robert Young takes the part of a young journalist wdio tries to set Miss Matthews on the road to fame. PICTURE OF THE MISSISSIPPI. When Twentieth Century-Fox decided to film ‘ Banjo on My Knee,’ which opens at the State on Friday, a drama with music, based on a novel of the shanty-boaters who colonise on islands in the lower Mississippi, both Darryl F. Zanuck, in charge of production, and Nunnally Johnson, who wrote the screen play and also served as associate producer, realised that a tremendous amount of research work would have to he done in order faithfully to reproduce the lives and habits of these primitive, picturesque people, whose very existence is practically unknown. A prominent critic who previewed ‘Banjo on My Knee’ said: “It combines the locale of Tobacco road with the atmosphere of 1 Steamboat ’Round the Bend.’ And in order to preserve this authenticity it was necessary to send a special camera crew to shoot scenes in and around the Mississippi bayous and secure a permanent record of the fast-vanishing local colour of the shanty-boaters. Another important factor was the music, because these shanty-boaters have their own type of racy, swingy melody, which might well be termed the “ rhythm of the Mississippi.” To the difficult task of creating songs which would be typical and in accord with the picture, Zanuck assigned Jimmy M’Hugh and Harold Adamson. They supplied four songs which bring to the screen an entirely new vein of native melody. The songs are 1 There’s Something in the Air,’ ‘ Where the Lazy River Goes By,’ ‘ With a Banjo on My Knee,’ and ‘ ’Sippy.’ Commenting on the picture Zanuck said that he believed that it would not only provide excellent and distinctly different entertainment for picture devotees, but would also preserve for history a unique cross-section of American life. Incidentally, ho feels that a new source of screen story material has been discovered, and predicts that there will be many more pictures based on the lives of the river folk. The casting of ‘ Banjo on My Knee ’ presented an interesting problem, and it was only after many tests and the most careful deliberation that it was decided to co-star Barbara Stanwyck and Joel M’C'rea, each seeming ideal for the difficult rdf's they play. The same care was exercised in selecting the supporting cast, as each role called for something different from the ordinary characterisation. Eventually the principal parts were assigned to Helen West ley. Buddy Ebscn, Walter Brennan, Walter Catlett, Anthony Martin, and Katherine de Millc. The direction has been flawlessly and sympathetically handled by John Cromwell.

OCTAGON The sequel to the thrilling picture ‘ The Notorious Sophie Lang,’ which proved, so popular when it was screenedl in Dunedin some time ago, has been named ‘ The Return of Sophie Lang,’ and is shown with ‘ Now and Forever,’ a Shirley Temple attraction, at the .(Octagon. Gertrude Michael, the leading actress in the first production, again has the principal role. She is cast as Sophie Lang, who, although supposed to be dead, is revealed to he in hiding, and on coming out o,nce more into the public life of the city is involved in a crime perpetrated by another person. In a thrilling climax she is shown to be innocent, and the film ends o,n a happy note. Sir Guy Standing, • Elizabeth Patterson, and Colin Taplcy are the other chief players. MAYFAIR Gene Raymond’s ability in light romantic comedies is shown in ‘ Love Qn a Bet,’ in which Wendy Barrie and Helen Broderick play the leading supporting roles. A gay tale of love and adventure along the transcontinental highways leading from New York to ijos Angelos. ‘ Love On a Bet,’ which opened at the Mayfair to-day, presents Raymond as a debonair hitch-hiker, who pursues his girl across the country, battling escaped convicts as well as an objecting aunt. A naval air base serves as the scene for the pranks and mischief that have made Jane Withers ‘ Tho Holy Terror,’ tho title of her latest Twentieth Century-Fox starring picture, tho second feature. Anthony. Martin, Leah Ray, Joan Davis, El Brendel, and Joe Lewis are also in tho cast. As the pride and problem of tho naval base, she is put in the charge of Anthony Martin. He, however, is much more interested in Leah Ray, the beau-, tiful young owner of tho “ Golden Anchor,” It is not surprising, therefore, that Jane spends ranch of her time at the inn, and it is while she is there that she begins to entertain certain doubts about some foreigners who are frequenting tho inn. Her suspicions are not unfounded, and in an exciting climax Jane is instrumental not only in bringing the spies to book, but also in uniting her caretaker and the owner of the inn.