PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 23099, 27 October 1938, Page 7

PICTURE THEATRES

STRAND There is pleasing variety in the double-feature programme screening finally to-night at the Strand. 1 She Mamed a, Fireman,’ which features Dick Foran, Bob Armstrong, Ann Sheridan, and May Beatty, tells an exciting story of a feud between a fire brigade captain and an ex-book-tmaker who has joined the force in an endeavour to pav off old scores. The second film, ‘ Roots and Saddles,’ features Gene Autry and ißonnie Sinclair, the Dunedin boy. AIR DRAMA AND MUSICAL. Universal’s ‘ Air Devils,’ a dramatic thriller of love, battle royal, adventure, and comedy on a South Sea island, will come to the Strand to-mor-row. Larry Blake, Dick Purcell, Beryl Wallace, and Mamo Clark have the leatured roles, supported by Minerva Urecal, Charles Brokow, Forbes Murray, Hay Mason, Paul Sutton, A 1 Kikume, Billy Wayne, and Michael Visarotf. Blake is the actor who made a sensational debut in ‘ Tho Road Back.’ Purcell is one of Hollywood’s outstanding young leading men. Miss Wallace, playing her first film role, was featured for four years in all of Earl Carroll’s Broadway stage shows, while Miss Clark is the native Hawaiian beauty who was featured in ‘ Mutiny on the Bounty’ and ‘Hurricane.’ ‘ Air Devils ’ tells of the fights and frolics of Blake and Purcell as two exmarines. The picture, a Trent Carr production, was filmed against the picturesque Monterey Bay country in Northern California and near the United States Marine base at San Diego. It was written by Harold Buckley and George Waggnor, and directed by John Rawlins. The new Paramount musical, ‘ This Way. Please,’ also will be screened. A trio of big radio names are in the cast: Mary Livingstone, Jack Benny’s Mary, in her first picture; and Fibber M'Gee and Molly, also making their first screen appearances. The popular Charles “ Buddy ” Rogers and winsome Betty Grable furnish the romantic interest, aided by Lee Bowman. Ned Sparks furnishes laughs, and Porter Hall is seen as a swell theatre manager. There is also an army of usherettes and chorus girls. STATE For good honest comedy, with clowning of a class seldom seen on the screen these days, ‘ Kentucky Moonshine,’ main attraction on the (programme concluding to-night at the State, must be considered one of the best comedies of its type for a long time. The .Rita brothers, who have the leading parts, are outstanding, and add further laurels to their already high collective reputation as funmakers. Tony Martin and Marjorie Weaver provide the romantic interest, while Slim Summerville also appears. MUSICIANS AND COMEDIANS. Alice Faye and Tony Martin sing several tuneful songs in ‘Sally, Irene, and Mary,’ new musical hit opening tomorrow at the State. With Fred Allen, of radio’s ‘ Town Hall To-night ’ fame, they top the cast of Darryl F. Zanuck’s latest Twentieth Century-Fox success. The featured cast includes Jimmy Durante, Gregory Ratoff, Joan Davis, Marjorie Weaver, Louise Hovick, Barnett Parker, and J. Edward Bromberg. Suggested by tho famous stage play by Eddie Dowling and Cyrus Wood, ‘ Sally, Irene, and Mary ’ features eight new song hits. These include ‘ Got My Mind On Music ’ and ‘ Sweet as a Song,’ by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel, and ‘ Half Moon On the Hudson ’ and ‘1 Could Use a Dream.’ by Walter Bullock .and Harold Spina. Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen wrote the screen play from the original story by Karl Tunberg and Don Ettlinger. William A. Seitcr directed.

OCTAGON ‘ Happy Landing,’ its scene changing from gay Norseland festivals to Now York winter time spectacles, is screening at the Octagon. This Twentieth Century-Fox musical stars Sonja Henie and Don Amechc. It tells the story of a song-writing band leader (Cesar Romero) who flies across the Atlantic for a publicity stunt and comes down in a Norwegian fog-bank—almost in tho middle of a folk festival known as a “ Bride’s Fair.” The custom which starts the trouble is a rule that if a young man dances twice with the same girl at th'e party ho has proposed. Tho band leader, a little bib amused because one lovelorn little girl is giving him plenty of his favourite food—hero wor-ship-dances twice with Sonja Henie. That starts the show on its way. Don Arneche, the flying baton-wielder’s companion, knows there is little or no sincere interest in Romero’s attentions, inasmuch as he is very much engaged to an American girl, played by Ethel Merman. From this point on a whole new world of interest opens for film enthusiasts. There are the colourful American winter carnivals, the glittering gaieties of Paris and Miami and the ice ballets of New York roof gardens. The songs by Pokrass and Yellen include ‘Hot anil Happy," ‘A Gipsy Told Me,’ ‘You are tbo Music to the Words of.My Heart,’ and ‘ Yonny and His Oompah.’ Walter Bullock and Harold Spina, who wrote most of the bit tunes for ‘ Love and Hisses,’ contributed ‘ You Appeal to Me ’ to the score of ‘ Hot and Happy,’ Jean Hersholt, Ethel Merman, the Raymond Scott Quintet, and Cesar Romero are featured in the cast of ‘ Happy Landing.’ There are entertaining short films. ST. JAMES That fine character actor Lewis Stone is at the head of a carefullvselected cast in the film ‘ You’re Only Young Once,’ the attraction finishing to-night at the St. James. The story deals with incidents, mostly humorous, which are experienced by a typical American family who are spending their first holiday for 11 years* at the famous Catalina Island resort. There is an abundance of comedy. ‘ Non-stop New York ’ is tho other attraction—a thrilling air drama.

WESTERNERS AND GANGSTERS. A picturesque locale, romantic background. and plenty of action make ‘ Heart of Arizona,’ the new Hopalong Cassidy adventure film, which will be one of the feature films to open at the St. James to-morrow, a popular entertainment. As the Western hero IBoyd befriends Natalie Moorhead when the sheriff tries to restrain her from returning to her ranch after having unjustly served five years in prison. Gallantly Boyd defies tho sheriff and his posse to give tho woman a fighting chance to come back. In a fight, tho Bar 20 cowboys, led by Bovd, assisted by Miss Moorhead, round up the rustlers, recapture the cattle, and clear the woman’s name. George ITaycs, who has become jwpulnr in the role of “ Windy,” Hopalong’s saddle mate, returns in this picture after an absence of several months necessitated by the fact that he had shaved his

beard for a part in another production. Russell Hayden, the wise-cracking “ Lucky ” of the series, sings an amusing song about “ a cross-eyed cowboy,” Billy King, juvenile star last seen in ‘ Texas Trail,’ John Elliott, Dorothy Short, Alden Chase, John Beach, and , Leo MaeMahon support the stars. The , story of a ‘‘big shot” gangster, who 1 by his own admission is 11 no bigger . than the gun in his hand,” provides the L theme for the new Paramount film, ‘ Hunted Men,’ which is the other feature. Lloyd Nolan, portraying the racketeer, is surrounded by an able cast that includes Mary Carlisle, J. Carol Naish, Lynne Overman, and Dorothy Peterson. The picture centres on Nolan’s flight from the law after having murdered a man in cold blood, and bis subsequent disruption of Overman’s household when he takes refuge there. EMPIRE 1 An interesting insight into modern submarine warfare, an attractive romance, and some excellent comedy are tho main features of ‘ Submarine D-l,’ tho attraction concluding to-night at the Empire. Starring Pat O’Brien, George Brent, Frank M'Hugb,'' and Wayne Morris, the film the great development of the United States navy ’ since the war. The supporting programme includes ‘ The Long Bright Land,’ a New Zealand scenic film. ARTIST AND SOCIETY. Teaming Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell for the third time, with Robert Benchley featured in one of his funniest characterisations and with Helen Vinson as the “ other woman,” the new M.-G.-M. romantic comedy, ‘ Live, Love, and Learn,’ will commence to-morrow at the Empire. Placed largely in the colourful atmosphere of Greenwich Village’s Bohemian art colony, ‘ Live, _ Love, and Learn ’ develops a sparkling story of the married life of a penniless artist and the girl who forsook wealth and society to marry him. Jn abrupt contrast to the prim scenes of ‘ Night Must Fall,’ their most recent teaming triumph, the settings of ‘ Live, Love, and Learn ’ are faithful reproductions of Greenwich. Village. The role oi ” Julie,” Montgomery’s wife, is said to offer Rosalind Russell a telling opportunity to display the talents for which Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer recently accorded her stardom. Tho distinguished cast of ‘ Live, Love, and Learn ’ is headed by the inimitable Benchley and the glamorous Miss Vinson. Other players include Mickey Rooney, Mony Woolley, E. E. Clive, Charles Judels, Maude Eburue, Harlan Briggs, Juno Clayworth, and A 1 Shean. Entailing a lavishness seldom before matched in pictures of this type, magnificent salons contrast with shabby artists’ quarters in ‘ Live, Love, and Learn,’ providing a perfect background for the comedy and melodrama of the picture. The new photoplay was directed by George Fitzmaurice, who has innumerable picture successes to his credit. REGENT Splendid entertainment is being offered at the Regent in the comedy, ‘Romance For Three.’ The cast is an impressive one, and the story is admirably treated by Frank Morgan and Robert Young in leading roles. ‘ Romance For Three ’ has included in its cast many of the principals of the former comedy, ‘ Beg, Borrow, or Steal,’ one of the most successful productions of its kind in recent years. A wealthy and influential financier wins first prize in a slogan contest Which he himself has initiated. He elects to go to a holiday resort in. the Alps for a prize, pretending on his arrival to be a poor man imitating a rich one. His family learns of tho masquerade, however, and inform the hotel management, but a mistake in identities is made and another contest winner, Robert Young, who actually is poor, is thought to be the financier, who is relegated to a servant’s room in the attic, while Young is lavished with attention. Young and Morgan thoroughly enjoy tho change of personalities and prefer each other’s company, much to the amazement of other wealthy guesls at the hotel. When Morgan's beautiful daughter (Florence Rice) arrives to rescue her fathef from the indignities she has learned are being imposed upon him the position becomes more involved by her becoming engaged to the impoverished Robert Young. Insulted by the hotel management, Morgan and the remainder of the party leave. The film ends happily when Young is given a position in the firm controlled by Morgan and weds the girl.

WELL-BALANCED PROGRAMME ATTRACTIONS AT THE GRAND The new programme which was presented at the Grand is a well-balanced one, providing comedy and drama in equal proportions. ‘ Passport Husband ’ is a Twentieth Century-Fox screen comedy developed from the theme of a gangster’s girl trying to avoid deportation. The passport husband is, according to the Hollywood interpretation, a person “ of unassailable virtue and spotless reputation ” who by guile or force is induced to marry a woman who entered the United States without proper credentials.

The movie, according to advance reviewers, gives Stuart Erwin in the role of the “ passport husband,” one of the funniest screen performances of his career—and does an hilarious job. He makes tun of gangsters, rackets, and night clubs. Erwin is portrayed as a bus-boy in a night club where a fiery Spanish dancer is an attraction (Joan Woodbury). He has a typical “ fan ” affection for the dancer, while the cigarette girl (Paulino Moore) pines for him.

The unobtrusive bus-boy receives no one’s attention until he hits a gangster for “ insulting a lady.” The danceEs sweetheart, Tiger (Douglas Fowley), is deported, and Blackie (Harold Huber) plots to keep the Spanish charmer for himself. So the hunt, begins for a reputable citizen to marry her and save her from a fate similar to the Tiger’s. The “ passport husband ” finds himself hurled into the midst of gang wars and rackets from a mild-mannered life of oblivion. The lamb then becomes a lion, with a newspaper man (Robert Lowery) aiding and abetting the denouement. De Wolf and Robert Chapin wrote the screen play based on an original story by Hilda Stone. The associate feature is ‘ Mademoiselle Docteur,’ an intriguing spy drama with a most unusual plot. In a thrilling fashion it shows how Dr Anne Mario Lesser (Dita Parlo) becomes a spy in the service of her country. Erich von Stroheim is her heartless superior officer, but the girl falls in love with a British intelligence officer, played by John Loder, and after a great deal of intrigue in which von Stroheim plays a major part, a dramatic climax is reached in a spectacular air raid. MAYFAIR According to Mark Twain, the late great novelist and humorist, his story ‘ The Prince and the Pauper’ is one of those things that “ might have happened.” It is the tale of two boy babies born in London at the same moment in the sixteenth century—one being Prince Edward, heir to the throne; the other being Tom Canty, brat of a rufliian and thief. And Twain had them resemble each other identically—meet, change clothes—get their childish lives all mixed up. It was a great novel. It became a great stage play. Now it is. a movie, which is at present at the Mayfair. Billy and flobby Mauch are so much alike that even their own mother cannot tell thorn apart, except for one little thing. One of them is left-handed. In the movie Billy plays the pauper, Bobby is the prince. This is Bobby’s screen debut. Billy played Anthony Adverse as a child in the picture of that name; later he was Penrod in ‘ Penrod and Sam.’ Errol Flynn—of ‘Green Light,’ ‘ Captain Blood.’ and ‘ Charge of the Light Brigade ’ fame—is starred with the youngsters. In the cast are such players as Claude Rains, Henry Stephenson, Barton Mac Lane, and Alan Hale. Fay Wray, whp plays the feminine lead in Universal’s crime drama ‘ The Jury’s Secret,’ which is also screening, is not only recognised as a star in pictures, but is a skilled pianist. This picture tells the story of the man who endeavours to quiet the call of his own conscience when another man is forced to go on trial on .a charge of murder, even though he committed the murder himself.