PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 22882, 14 February 1938, Page 15

PICTURE THEATRES

STRAND ‘High Command,’ the principal feature on the programme at the Strand, is distinguished by the fine acting or Lionel Atwill in the central role ot General Sangye. The film, which is an adaptation of Lewis Robinson s novel, ‘ The General Goes Too Far, is also noteworthy for the fashion in whicn the atmosphere of a remote military outpost in West Africa has been caught and translated to the screen. The story is a powerfully dramatic one in which the fates of the principal characters are closely interwoven. Diana Gleam is the wife of a prosperous trader who is totally unworthy of her affections, and she naturally turns for sympathy to a Captain Heverell. The little group is completed by General Sangye and his adopted daughter Belinda. The lives of all are vitally affected by the arrival of a medical officer, Carson, who, as well as _ making love to beautiful Diana Cloam, is aware of a secret of the general’s past. Carson is murdered, and in the investigation that follows all the little intrigues of the small community are brought to .light. The situation becomes more and more involved as more people' become entangled and as events build up towards the climax, in which the general s brilliant and heroic solution of the problem determines not only his own, but the destinies of alii the characters involved. All the best elements of musical /comedy, are to be found in ‘ When .'Love is Young,’ the second film. Virginia Bruce and Kent Taylor, the featured players,' both give highly creditable performances, and the music and settings are colourful and l elaborate. 06TAMR The Octagon’s reputation for screening entertaining double-feature programmes is fully maintained by its offering this week. The two attractions are ‘ It Happened in Hollywood ’ and .* Adventure’s End,’ and as usual they offer widely-diversified entertainment. ‘ It Happened in Hollywood,’ which fea- • tures Richard Dix and Fay Wray, gives an interesting sidelight on the predicament in which several screen stars found themselves when sound was in- ■ troduced. It is a film that resembles that great production, ‘ A Star is Born,’ for Richard Dix is cast as a famous star of the “ silent ” days whose career is ruined by the “ talkies.” Fay Wray is a glamorous actress who also loses her popularity after the introduction of musical films. The trials of these two in the film capital provide an entertaining story. The , film is notable, too, for the many sidelights it furnishes on the methods used in filming and recording modern films, ■ and, a clever party of famous stars stands in. Of a vastly different type is ‘ Adventure’s End,’ which features John Wayne and Diana Gibson in a ' stirring tale of the sea,/ Filmed chiefly oh a 90-year-old whaling vessel, the -film, tells how Wayne obtains, a fortune in pearls and then boards the whaling ...vessel, where Be falls in love with Miss Gibson. The jealousy of the'ship’s mate . causes him to attach Wayne, and it is not until the story moves through a mutiny, a hurricane, and an epic struggle between a crew of men in a Small boat and a harpooned whale that A surprising climax is reached. Others in- the cast are Montague Love,-Maurice Bijiek, and Patrick Kelly : ■ 'RECENT ■ ' , Stanley Lupino* whose _ popularity never seems to wane, will delight audiences in the Briitsh musical comedy - flan, ‘ Over She Goes,’ which is being screened at the Regent. Teamed with the versatile English comedian-in this presentation Is Laddie Cliff, and with ■uch a Combination this witty and ingenious play certainly, amuses all the time. Bright tunes and a story packed '.with bright situations and clever re- . parted carry the production along with great zest, and Stanley Lupino’s recordbreaking stage success repeats its popularity on the screen as it tells of the > adventures of Tommy, Billy, and Hurry, the ex-members of a vaudeville act, when Harry becomes a peer on the presumed death of an uncle, Lord .Drewsden, and is pursued by a titlehunting ex-sweetheart. One of the .most interesting features of the film is the casting of Max Baer, the famous American boxer, as a “he-man” of the wide open spaces, who is Stanley Lupino’s rival for the affections of vivacious Gina Malo. Four_ lovely leading ladies support the star in this production—Claire Luce, glamorous as ever in the romantic lead as Harry’s fiancee; Gina Male, as Stanley Lnpino’s bright girlfriend; .Sally Gray, as Billy’s; and Judy Kelly, as the beautiful cause of all the trouble. Bertha Belmore gives one "of her inimitable characterisations as : the unfortunate Lady Drewsden, who takes Stanley Lupino as her long-lost husband, while Syd. Walker and Richard Murdoch add some grand comedy as an old-time police inspector and his young graduate assistant. John Woods, a handsome young, newcomer from Australia, is an interesting discovery, and gives a good account of himself sis the dashing young Lord Drewsden. There •’ is-an-excellent supporting programme. ‘VOGUES OF 1938, Walter Wanger’s ‘ Vogues of 1938 ’ will be screened at the Regent on Friday next. It is a fast-moving story by Sam and Bella Spewack, and was writ.ten specially for the screen. Helen Vinson, ' Mischa Auer, Warner Baxter, Joan Bennett, and Alan Mowbray head the cast. Alan Mowbray and Mischa Auer are said to provide countless humorous Situations. Modernity is the keynote of ‘ Vogues of 1938.’ Every set is stated by the critics to be an artistic, masterpiece.in itself, and it would be hard to imagine anything more modern than the gowns of Wanger’s models—in fact, to judge by the reception given to this film in northern cities by the feminine side of the audience, they are a huge success.. Musically, ‘ Vogues of 1938 ’ is said to be superb, and some of the sequences should delight the hearts of “swing” devotees. The best of them is laid in the Cotton Club, where dusky maidens dance and sing the latest jazz number and a negro boy does remarkable things with a piano. GRAND * The life of Jim Fisk, a pedlar who became one of the most powerful financiers in America shortly after the Civil War, forms the basis of 1 The Toast of New York,’ the colourful film which heads the programme at the Grand this week. Edward Arnold, the virile actor of historical roles, takes the part of Fisk in this film, and handles the unusual role with a sure feeling for the finer points of character. _ Associated with Jim. Fisk in his rise to .fortune . were Nick Boyd and Luke Hawkins, who are portrayed by Cary Grant and Jack Oakie respectively. The chief feminine role, that of Josie Mansfield, who, with Fisk’s support, became one of the most popular singers in the city, is attractively handled by Frances

Farmer, who has previously appeared opposite Edward Arnold in ‘ Come and Get It.,’ The film was directed by Rowland V. Lee. In support of ‘The Toast of New York ’ is ‘ Good Morning, Boys,’ an English comedy, with Will Hay in the featured role as the head master of a boys’ college. Starring on© of the screen s most popular teams, Gene Raymond and Ann Southern, ‘ There Goes. My Girl,’ a newspaper drama charged with romance, reportorial rivalry, and a murder mystery, is coming to the Grand on Wednesday. Two “ace” reporters on rival newspapers are deeply in love. Their marriage is frustrated by the hard-shelled city editor of the paper the girl works for, who cannot see why his star news-hawk should succumb to sentimentality. Dangling the bait of a sensational story under The pretty nose of his girl reporter, _ he twice side-tracks the pending nuptials. But his villainy does not end there. ‘ There Goes My Girl ’ is the fourth picture in which Gene Raymond and Ann Sothern have played starring roles. It is of a more serious mood than that of most of their past successes, and is said to be their best accomplishment on the screen. Richard Lane is said to be convincing in the role of the plotting city editor, and plays it to the extent of its possibilities. A highlight of the entertainment is a difficult Spanish dance by pretty Joan Woodbury. to a rhumba number, ‘ Espani pani,’ in an attractive night club setting. Actual photographs of walking fish are one of the features of Mr and Mrs Martin Johnson’s ‘ Borneo,’ the second film. As explained by Lowell Thomas in his commentary accompanying the picture, these fish are not merely exaggerated tadpoles or lizards. They are related to the trout, bass, and perch. Their difference lies in their rare talent of having adapted themselves to the conditions of the Borneo jungle—sudden floods, and pools that swiftly dry up. They dislike the idea of being stranded, and are prepared for overland journeying whenever their natural habitat suddenly evaporates, EMPIRE Dunedin audiences who laughed until their sides ached at the crazy antics of the Marx brothers—Groucho, Harpo, and Chico—in ‘ A Night at the Opera,’ will consider those laughs mere giggles ,when they see ‘ A Day at the Races,’ which is now screening at the Empire. No comedians in the world can “ put over ” the same clever clowning of the. Marxes, who are a veritable whirlwind of irresponsible doings, side-split-' ting situations, and convulsing witticisms for the best part of two hours in a story which alternates between a race track and a sanitarium. Absurdity is not always funny, but with the Marxes it is more; it is uproarious clowning. The trio is madder than ever. Groucho is a horse Chico a racecourse tout, and. Harpo a jockey. They meet—how doesn’t matter-—and the upshot of it is that -they decide to assist a young woman (Maureen O’Sullivan), who runs a sanitarium. She also has an interest in a jockey and a property mortgage, the holder of the fatter desiring to secure the building for a gaming house. ’ Allan Jones, in love with Maureen, buys a racehorse for £3O, and. has hopes of winning a big race, and thus be’ able to find the money to meet the mortgage. This actually happens, but only after the most amusing and crazy situations brought about by the brothers, with Groucho, as Dr Hakenbush, in charge of the: sanitarium. It.-would be impossible to describe the, riot of fun, which had audiences in northern centres in uproarious laughfter throughout. ‘ A Day at the Races ’ shows the Marx Brothers at their best. ■ The singing of Allan. Jones is outstanding, particularly his rendering of ‘ Blue Venetian. Waters.’ ST. JAMES The languorous romance of the tropics is strangely intermingled with the excitement and adventure attached to life in America’s naval air force in ‘ Wings Over Honolulu,’ the film at the St< James. Ray Milland, as a young air force officer, gives an excellent portrayal, and is capably supported by a cast headed by Wendy Barrie. This Universal film carries with it an atmosphere that is part of the tradition of the naval air force, particularly'of that arm stationed at Honolulu. Miss Barrie plays the part of a young wife unaccustomed to the conventions, traditions, and taboos of the service. She becomes involved in a situation which almost wrecks her husband’s career First she is seen as a young Virginian girl whose dreams of romance are brought true by thf sudden appearance during a thunderstorm of a young naval pilot, forced down by the bad weather. It is love at first sight, and the two! are soon married; but it is not long, however, before the young bride begins to chafe against the restrictions placed upon her life by the demands made upon her husband. She is just about at the end of her tether, when a former lover of hers appears. Her first escapade with him should have taught her how easy it is for a naval officer’s wife to rum her husband’s career, but in spite of this she runs away on her friend’s yacht. When Milland hears of this he appropriates a naval plane to his own use, and in thick fog sets out to bring her back. He runs out of petrol and crashes, but not before his sudden appearance over the runaway yacht has induced his wife to return. In the ensuing court martial Miss Barrie is successful in turning the scales in her husband’s favour and restoring him to his former position of trust, and at the reunion after the trial it is felt that after this experience the young couple will be able to regulate their lives to the all-important demands of the' navy. Three topical newsreels are included in the supporting programme. STATE Adventures as only Rudyard Kipling could write them are shown on the screen in the Twentieth Century Fox picturisation of his ‘ Wee Willie Winkle,’ which is the feature at the State, with Shirley Temple and Victor M‘Laglen in the starring roles. ‘ Wee Willie Winkle ’ starts off colourfully and excitingly in the railroad station at Bajpqre, India, where Shirley and her widowed mother, June Lang, have arrived to take up residence at a frontier army post commanded by her grandfather, stern old 0. Aubrey Smith. Before their eyes, Khoda Khan, a fierce native chieftain, is caught in a gunsmuggling attempt and arrested, losing from around his neck in the scuffle a treasured amulet, which is picked up by Shirley. Unhappy at the post under the gruff discipline of the colonel, Shirley decides to win his affections by becoming a soldier, and Michael Whalen, a young lieutenant who has taken a fancy both to her and her mother, puts her under the care of the burly sergeant, Victor M'Laglen. Shirley’s attempts to impress her grandfather only take her into more trouble, hut she wins the gratitude of Khoda Khan when she returns his amulet. Because she feels that both Khoda Khan and her grandfather would remain at peace if they could, Shirley takes a desperate step to end the bloodshed, and sets out

at night 'for the Khyber Pass lookout of the tribesmen. When they discover her absence, the Highlanders set out grimly for Khyber Pass determined to rescue her ot\die in the attempt. Caesar Romero, Constance Collier, and young Douglas Scott have prominent roles in the film. There is a good associate programme. MAYFAIR Historical fact deftly blended with fiction to irftike a thoroughly entertaining story, together with an exceptional cast and faultless production, made ‘ Lloyds of London,’ the Mayfair’s feature, one of the outstanding films of recent years. All the romance of the early activities of _ this great British insurance and maritime house have been captured, and in this respect the film is a wonderful instructional medium, but, above all, it is entertainment. The most notable personality in the cast is Tyrone Power, who made his debut in this leading role after comparative obscurity in one or two minor parts. Of the beauty and talent of Madeleine Carroll, who plays opposite him, little need be said, save that from the woman’s point of view at least, her loveliness is enhanced by the gorgeous period clothes which she graces. The associate featurettes include a two-reel Laurel and Hardy comedy entitled 1 Going Bye Bye.’ and also & * March of Time/ series No. 6.