PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 23100, 28 October 1938, Page 14

PICTURE THEATRES

STATE ‘ Sally, Irene, and Mary ’ came to the State to-day. Alice Faye and Tony Martin sing, and with Fred Allen they lead the cast. Joan Davis learns some ne.se Durantics from the famous ‘ Schnozzola.’ Marjorie Weaver, of ‘ Second Honeymoon,’ and Louise Hovick play up Gregory Katoff. The cast also includes Barnett Parker and J. Edward Bromberg. Eight tune hits are included. These are ‘ Half Moon on the Hudson.’ ‘ I Could Use a Dream.’ 1 This is Where 1 Came In.’ ‘ Help Wanted—Male.’ and ‘ Who Stole the Jam? ’ by Walter Bullock and Harold Spina, and 1 Got My Mind on Music and ‘ Sweet as a Song,’ by Mack Gordon and Harry ißevel. Three sirens m search of social security—Sally, Irene, and Mary—find themselves diverted by love, laughter, and song in_this romance. The trio, played by Alice Faye, Joan Davis, and Marjorie Weaver, are looking for theatrical work, but the best their ,agent, Fred Alien, can do is to get them jobs as manicurists. They are discharged for their tricks, and Allen places them in a second-rate night club where Alice meets and develops a romantic interest in Tony. Louise Hovick is also interested in Tony, and Allen prevails upon her to finance a show for Tony and the girls, but when Louise discovers the rival interest she withdraws her support. Allen’s offices are thrown into the street, but he meets Jimmy Durante, who invests in Fred s business just when Marjorie inherits an ancient Hudson River side-wheeler. Fred is inspired to turn the relic into a show boat, and the story reaches a rollicking climax. William A. Seiter directed the film, with Gene Markey associate producer. Suggested bv the stage play by Eddie Dowling and Cyrus Wood, the screen play was written by Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen. OCTAGON Dancing her way on silver skates through a will-of-the-wisp story, Sonja Henie makes of her new Pjvturc, ‘ Happy Landing,’ a gay and delightful adventure. Recent audiences at the Octagon laughed with a Sonja radiant beyond imagining and thrilled to the breathless artistry of her twmkaug feet. So popular is she that the picture has now commenced its second week. It was a new Sonja, a little love-lorn Norwegian alone in a big -city. Hits picture, which should add to the length of the Octagon’s successes, tells a story of a New York band leader (Cesar Romero), whose plane comes down in a Norwegian fog bank almost in the middle of a folk festivalj the ‘Brides Fair.’ The custom which starts all the trouble is that when a man dances twice with a girl he is considered to be affianced to her. Treated to generous doses of his favourite potion, hero worship, by the ingenuous Sonja, the band leader dances twice with her—and sets the ball rolling. It’s a glittering ball, with colourful American winter carnivals, the gaieties of Paris and Miami, the breathless ice ballets of New York roof gardens—and the songs of Po.prass and Yellen. ‘ A Gipsy Told Me ’ makes a charming theme number, insinuating itself into the canvases on which Sonja paints so charming a picture. Don Araeche is a rather nonchalant hero, hut a verv satisfying one, and' his shattering defeats of the gold-digging American girl, very much engaged to the butterfly Romero, provide laughable interludes. There are fine supporting features. ST. JAMES The story of a “ big shot ” gangster, who by his own admission is no bigger than the gun in his hand,’ provides the theme for the new Paramount film, ‘ Hunted Men,’ which commenced at the St. James to-day. 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 about .Nolan s night from the law after having murdered a man in cold blood, and his siibsequent disruption of Overman’s household when he takes refuge there. A Picturesque locale, romantic background, aim plenty of action makes ‘ Heart of Arizona,* the new Hopalong Cassidy adventure film, which will be one of the feature films to open at the St. James Theatre on Friday, a popular entertainment. As the Western hero. Boyd befriends Natalie Moorhead when the sheriff tries to restrain her from returning to her ranch afte having uniustlv served five years in .orison. Gailantfy Bovd defies the sheriff and his posse to give the woman a fitting chance to come hack In a fight, the Bar 20 cowbovs. led by Boyd, assisted hv Miss Moorhead, round up the rustlers, recapture the stolen cattle, and clear the woman’s name. George Hayes, who has become popular m the role of “Windy,” Hopalong s saddle mate, returns in this picture after an absence of several months necessitated bv the fact that he had shaved his heard for a part in another production. Russell Havden, the wise-cracking “ Luckv ” of the senes, sings an amusing song about “ a cross-eyed cowboy, iBHlv Nine. juvenile star last seen in ‘Texas Trail.’ John Elliott. Dorothv Short. Alden Chase. John Beach, and Leo MacMahon support the stars.

EMPIRE Intermingling elements of comedy, romance, and human drama place the production ‘ Live, Love, and Learn in the highest class of motion pictures tor many reasons. Patrons of the Empire, at its first local screenings to-day, must have been impressed by the unusual nature of the plot and the deter diathat kept a note of amusement and good fun always to the tore. Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell play their thud co-starring roles in ‘ Live, Love, and Learn, but they are not the same people who were in the stern drama, ‘ Night Must hall, and thev prove beyond doubt that the lighter type of role if, their true forte. As a bibulous comrade of the leading pair. Robert Benchley gives his best performance to date, and others present are Monty Woolley. Helen Vinson, and E. E. Clive, while brief and amusing appearances are also made by Mickey Rooney, Barnett Hanker and Harlan Briggs. It is difficult to describe the plot and yet convey the note of genuine good humour which pervades the whole piece. Briefly, the story is told of Bob Graham (Robert Montgomery), a penniless artist, who wooes and wins a wealthy society’ gut, Julie (Miss Russell). To live with him in an attic in New I ork s Bohemian centre. Greenwich Village, she gives up friends and influence. Success suddenly comes to Boh, and laves him with a superiority complex, a huge and magnificent apartment, and some little regard for the higher principles of art. Tired of Bob’s penchant for painting rirh dowagers, Julie leaves mm. Then the “ learn ” part of the title comes into play, and happy union is finally reached.

Subtlety is the keynote of the humour, and Benchley’s comedy stands out. A deftly-woven film directed by George Fitzmaurice, it wastes no time in getting down to business, and moves briskly throughout. Though the accent is essentially on the humorous, the genuine note of sincerity always discernible, makes 1 Live. Love, and Learn ’ definitely a film to be seen. REGENT ‘ Romance for Three ’ heads the programme which commenced its second week at the Regent to-day. Nearly every poor man would like to enjoy the life of a millionaire for two weeks, and every rich man would like to go back to the simple pleasures—at least for the same time. And that’s what Frank Morgan, Robert Young, and Reginald Owen do in this escapade of the Alps. Morgan turns poor while the other two actors become rich and powerful. Their plan works until Morgan’s daughter, Florence Rice, his housekeeper, Edna May Oliver, and his “girl friend,” Mary Astor, find out about it. But in the meantime Morgan, who has won a contest and has been given two weeks’ vacation at an exclusive Alpine resort, appears to be a poor man, and therefore is treated badly by the management. Only one man is kind to him, and he is Henry Hull, the dishwasher. When Morgan’s family makes him return to his normal life as the wealthy capitalist, he orders the hotel manager and porter to his office, explains that he was actually staying at his own hotel, reminds them of their treatment toward him, and makes the dish-washer their boss. Miss Rice and Young are outstanding in the leading romantic roles, while Morgan does the finest work of his career as the capitalist, with Miss Oliver, Owen, Miss Astor, Herman Bing, and Walter Kingsford at their best. Edward N. Buzzed showed his flair for comedy in directing the picture, and Sam Zimbalist gave it outstanding production.

GRAND ■ Endowed with many thrilling action scenes and providing absorbing entertainment, the film, 4 Mademoiselle Docteur,’ is the attraction at the Grand. Two great favourites are starred in this wartime spy drama. They are the blonde beauty of many Continental successes—Dita Parlo, and that popular Hollywood figure, who dominated the screen as a writer, director, and actor for many years—Erich von Stroheim. 4 Mademoiselle Docteur ’ has been producer Max Schach’s favourite subject ever since he some time ago announced that he had acquired a story woven around one of the most incredible char actere of modern history, Dr Anne Maria Lesser, the German woman spy who became known during the war as Mademoiselle Docteur. For Douglas Fowley his role as a gangster chieftain in ‘ Passport Husband,’ the second attraction, marks something of an old-'home-week. * Passport Husband,' a 20th Century-Fox comedy, depicts the trials and tribulations of Stuart Erwin, who has to marry Fowley’s girl, Joan Woodbury, to keep her from being deported. In this film Douglas is seen again with former “ teammates, ’ Pauline Moore and Lon Chaney, juu. The last time this trio appeared in the same cast they made a delightful job of Jane Withers’s ‘ Wild and Woolly.’ STRAND Mary Livingstone and Fibber M’Gee and Molly all made their screen debut at. the Strand this afternoon in Paramount’s ‘ This Way, Please. Both radio and screen already 'know Charles 44 Buddy ” Rogers and Betty Grable, who play the romantic leads in the picture. The picture concerns the love of a band leader and a theatre usher, and the action all takes place in a huge movie house, with the climax of a stage wedding. The film is put together with humour, music, and beauty, and played by a cast including, besides the players named above, Ned Sparks, Lee Bowman, Porter Hall, Romo Vincent, Wally Vernon, Jerry Bergen, and Rufe Davis. The boast that there is no scene in all the world which cannot be reproduced in Hollywood was proved again for Universal’s picture about exU.S. Marines, ‘ Air Devils,’ the second attraction, with Larry Blake, Beryl Wallace, Dick Purcell, and Mamo Clark, of ‘ Hurricane ’ fame, in the leading roles. Producer Paul Malvern and Director John Rawlins had to take their company only a few miles from the studio to'San Diego, although the locale of the film was supposed to be on a tropical island.

> MAYFAIR The programme at the Mayfair, consisting of ‘ The Jury’s. Secret ’ and ‘ The Prince and the Pauper,’ finishes tonight. The latter is from Mark Twain's story of the two sixteenth century boys one the son of a ruling monarch and the other the son of a thief, who are so much alike that their lives become entangled. Errol Elynn plays the part of Miles Hendon, and the boys are the Mauch twins. ‘ The Jury’s Secret ’ is a story of a man who commits murder and then serves on the jury. EDWARD G. ROBINSON DRAMA. Edward G. Robinson, who played the first gangster in motion pictures, comes to-morrow to the Mayfair in ‘ The Last Gangster,’ a dramatic story of a man’s term 5 in a penitentiary, with James Stewart, Rose Stradner, glamorous new actress from Vienna, and a notable cast. ‘ The Last Gangster ’ tells of the imprisonment of a '‘ public enemy ” and the struggle of his wife, who did not know his calling, to lose her identity and save their child from the disgrace attached to his name. Miss Stradner plays the wife, and Stewart the newspaperman who befriends her and with whom she finally finds happiness. Cattle rustling in the days of the frontier west and the efforts of ranchers to put an end to it form the plot of Paramount’s Hopalong Cassidy drama. ‘ Cassidy at Bar '2O,’ which will be the second attraction. William Boyd, as Clarence E. Mulford’s popular character, is accompanied by his saddlematcs, Russell Hayden and Frank Darien. GREEK ISLAND ‘ Robert Donat, the handsome young English actor, who rose to world fame overnight last season, when he was brought to Hollywood to play ‘ The Count of Monte Cristo,’ makes his latest appearance in ‘ The Ghost Goes West,’ Alexander Korda’s gay romantic comedy, which will open to-morrow at the Municipal, Green Island. Jean Parker and Eugene Pallette head the supporting cast. Adapted by Robert E. Sherwood from a story in London ‘ Punch,’ by Eric Known. 1 The Ghost Goes West ’ is the first production to bo directed in English by Rene Clair, the famous French director who handled the megaphone on such successes as ‘ Sons Les Toits de Pai is. ‘ fie Million,’ and ‘ A Nous far Liberte.’ The story follows the amazing and amusing adventures ol a handsome and amiable ‘‘ spook ” who haunts an ancient Scottish castle.