PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 25003, 23 October 1943, Page 8

PICTURE THEATRES

EMPIRE. Something specially attractive and entertaining is offered in ' Holiday Inn,' heading the new programme at the Empire. Original and tuneful, the picture has a host of first-class players and singers to make the. most of the lively situations and the musical score. Ring Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjoric Reynolds, Virginia Dale, and Waller Abel are among the first-class people who fill I lie leading roles in a story that will keep the onlooker amused and intrigued from beginning to eml. 'firing of his job as a night, club singer, Crosby turns a farm into an inn where guests are fed and entertained with a bright iloor show. There are many tuneful melodies wrilten for the piece, such as ' White Christmas.' 'Be Careful, It's My Heart,' ' Abraham,' and ' Song of Freedom,' and Fred Astaire has two new attractive dancing partners in Marjoric Reynolds and Virginia Dale. For a Fourth of July celebration Astaire does a fire-cracker dance which entails the firing of special rockets. As background to its many glamorous features ' Holiday Inn ' has a charming comedy romance. ST, JAMES. Picluregoers who are ever on the alert for something novel in musical entertainment will be well catered for in the Universal production, ' When Johnny Comes Marching Home,' which had its Dunedin premiere at the St. .lames yesterday. The unusual and refreshingly new feature of this Universal production is the first screen appearance of that world-famed stage and radio combination. Phil Spitalny and his all-girl orchestra and choral group known as ' The Hour of Charm.' This talented group ot entertainers presents a variety of novel specialties in addition to providing accompaniment and rhythmic background for the action of the picture's story. Prominent in an all-star cast is the delightful singing star, Gloria Jean, who, in addition to solo numbers, is heard to groat, advantage with Allan Jones in the hit tunc, ' You and the Night and the Music' Glamorous Jane Frazec and Jones have the romantic leads, and are ably supported by such well-known artists as Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, and the four step brothers. The story is an up-to-the-minute one of a soldier who returns home on furlough and finds himself the object of ail sorts of attention. Seeking seclusion, he is. mistakenly believed to be a deserter. This error provides the dramatic impetus which speeds the plot along a surprising musical path to a grand and happy finale. The first half comprises a number ot specially-selected fcaturettes. STRAND. The efforts of a young criminal investigator and his newspaper woman sweetheart to solve the murder of a celebrated refugee French painter and to track down a ring of Axis agents is the theme of ' Secrets of the Underworld,' the mystery drama now showing at the Strand. John Hubbard will be seen as the investigator, while Virginia Grey has the role of the girl reporter. Lloyd Corrigan, Robin Raymond, Miles Mander, Lin Howlin, Ben Weldon, Maria Shelton, and Neil Hamilton complete the supporting cast. The supporting feature is Paramounl's ' A Night in New Orleans,' starring Preston Foster, Patrick Morison, and Albert Dekker, with Charles Butterworth and Cecil Kellaway. A murder, was solved because a girl was curious and a romance was almost spoiled because her husband mixed blondes with business. Tn addition, the second episode of the thrilling serial, ' King of the Royal Mounted,' will be shown. GRAND. Witchcraft on a tinv West Indian island forms Ihe basis of 'I Walked With a Zombie,' the thrilling offering which heads the news programme at the Grand Theatre. In this film dealing with the supernatural, the principal players are James Ellison, Frances Dee, and Tom Conway. A nurse who is sent to the island finds her patient, the wife of a wealthy sugar planter, praclically an automaton, able to walk, but not to speak or think. The more she investigates, the more she suspects something supernatural in the whole affair. Deciding that, if the woman's stale is due to voodooism. then voodoo might cure her, the nurse takes her patient to a native meeting at a secret temple. " There her suspicions are confirmed, and her actions release a flood of suppressed nassions and jealousies that bring about a highly dramatic climax. A rollicking western story is told in 'Pirates ot the Prairie,' an exciting tale of frontier adventure and romance. STATE. Laurel and Hardy appear at. their hilarious best in the side-splitting comedy,

' A-Haunl.ing We Will Go,' which was presented to patrons at yesterday's sessions at the State Theatre. It is claimed to be the best episode in the merry screen careers of the two noted comedians. The entire proceedings are on an antic level, and most of the sequences are plain sidesplitters. Stan and Oliver are appropriate) buffs for that suave magician, Dante. The situations in which the) find themselves are ludicrous—and the house was convulsed when a pair of " con men " took them over the bumps. They peddle the comedians a money-manufac-turing device, and (heir pantomimed preoccupation with it is a comedy delight. Stan and Oliver meet a lot of h'!cresting people—beauteous Sheila Ryan, for one. and John Sbelton, Don Costello, and Elisha Cook, juu., among others—and all contribute to the hilarity of the proceedings. OCTAGON.

Betty Grable, Victor Mature, and Jack Oaki'e'have a happy, care-free time on a South Sea island in Twentieth CenturyFox's teehnicolour musical hit, ' Song of tho Islands,' which began a season at the Octagon Theatre yesterday. With the rotund Jack Oakie handling the comedy, assisted by Thomas Mitchell and George Barbier, the film takes patrons to a small outpost of the Pacific, where Mitchell and his daughter, Betty Grable. are striving to keep the island unspoiled from the encroachments of civilisation. Tycoon George Barbier sends his son, played by Vic. Mature,, to the island to take care of the cattle ranch which he owns. Under tho spell of the tropical moon and in a setting of breath-taking beauty, Betty and Vic. fall in love to the strains of a number of " catchy " song hits, written by Mack Gordon and Harry Owens for the picture. These include ' Down on Ami, Ami, Oni, Oni Isle,' ' O'Brien Has Gone Hawaiian,' ' Sing Me a Song of the Islands,' ' Maluna, Malolo, Mawaena,' ' Blue Shadows and White Gardenias,' and 'What's Buzzin' Cousin?' Also featured in the cast are Billy Gilbert and Hilo Hat tie in some clever comedy characterisations. REGENT. Linking three brilliant Hollywood stars, Robert Taylor, Charles Laugliton, and Brian Donlevy. M.G.M.'s 'Stand By for Action,' which opened yesterday at the Regent Theatre, brings to the screen the most spectacular and exciting drama of the sea since ' Mutiny on the Bounty.' The picture tells the story of a gallant old destroyer, recommissioned and assigned to convoy duty in the Pacific, and its heroic crew. Taylor plays a young lieutenant and Donlevy is his superior officer. With their men they fight off Japanese aircraft, stage a successful'attack on a battleship, under a smoke screen, and bring a convoy safely into port. Charles Laugliton, as an American admiral, has an address that for patriotism and inspiration recalls his famous reading of Lincoln's Gettysburg address. Its action laid almost entirely at sea on the destroyer, the picture provides many amazing and exciting episodes ' Comedy is contributed by Walter Brennan as a veteran yeoman and Chill Wills as a petty officer. Richard Quinn, Douglas Fowley, Mart a Linden, Marilyn Maxwell, and Inez Cooper are among the principals. MAYFAIR. Mirth and melody will be provided in full measure at the Mayfair Theatre today, when the Metro-Goldwvn-Mayer musical comedy ' Rio Rita ' will be screened. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello have the starring roles, and important parts are. plaved by John Carroll and Kathryn Grayson. The associate feature, ' Parachute Ntirsc,' is a daring drama of the nation's unsung heroines.