ENTERTAINMENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 April 1936, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

OPERA HOUSE. “Chinatown Squad" and “Ladies Should Listen," which constitute the new double-feature bill at the Opera House to-night and Tuesday, provide excellent varied entertainment. For pure hilarious entertainment, one of the best pictures of the year is “Ladies Should Listen.” The story is a Continental farce, in which a young man about town in Paris gets into all sorts of complications with an option on a South American nitrate concession and too many lady friends. This breezy, intimate comedy bears, the distinction of being exceptionally! well cast. Cary Grant and Frances Drake have the leading roles and are well supported by Edward EVerett Horton, Mydia Westman, George Barbier and Rosita Moreno. In the realm of mystery drama the screen has no more absorbing interesting film play than “Chinatown Squad.” The story deals with a mysterious murder committed in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and the efforts of a bumptious bus-driver and a white girl masquerading as an Oriental, to luaravel the crime. The picture has been lavishly staged and the backgrounds depicting beautiful Chinese wood carving are an artistic delight. Lyle Talbot, Valerie Hobson, Hugh O’Connell and Andy Devine are also in the cast. BROADWAY MELODY OF 1930. Unrivalled beauty to please the eye —unforgettable music to charm the ear—a thousand laughs to tickle the funny bone—that’s “Broadway Melody of 1936!"

REGENT THEATRE. The thrilling privilege of sitting on a motion picture set and watching characters she created more than 30 years before come to life, was afforded Baroness Orczy, when Alexander Korda produced’ “The- Scarlet Pimpernel,” her internationally famous best-seller, which began a three-day run at the Regent Theatre on Saturday. She saw Leslie Howard become Sir Percy Blakeney, the gallant English gentleman who took the name of a little English flower as the symbol of the League of young Regency bloods pledged to the work of snatching French aristocrats from the jaws of the guillotine during the Reign of Terror; and Merle Oberon become Marguerite, the lovely French wife who was estranged by the masquerade her husband assumed to hide his activities. The novel conceived in 1903 was adapted to the French Revo-1 lution, and it was translated into twenty-three languages. Nigel Bruce, Raymond Massey, Joan Gardner, Anthony Bushel], Bramwell Fletcher and Walter Rilla are seen in the chief supporting parts.

JANE WITHERS IN "GINGER.” In “Ginger,” which comes on Wednesday to the Regent Theatre, Jane can make you laugh and cry and laugh again in one scene. Six months ago she was playing bits and extra parts. To-day she heads the cast. Just wait till you see her in "Ginger.”

SATURDAY’S FEATURES. Tractors nose-diving into snownlled crevasses of unknown depth, the collapse of Mountain House, where Admiral Richard Byrd lived during his /-month isolation, an airplane ascent to 16,000 feet, .the record for Antarctic flying, and the planting of at th e peak of Mt. Grace McKinley are a few of the high spots m historical record of the second Byrd

trek, “At the Bottom of the World,” which comes to the Regent Theatre on Saturday. “Ship Cafe’’ is a hilarious story of a singing ship stoker from his job as bouncer in a waterfront cafe to singing sensation and gigolo to a rich, countess. An amusing series of events brings him to a realisation of his position, and he renounces his benefactor.

A.S.R.S. SOCIAL. In connection with the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, the Greymouth Branch held a successful smoke social in the Oddfellows’ Hall on SaturI day evening, Mr. E. P. Greenwood (President of the Branch) presiding over a good attendance of members. Toasts honoured during the evening “The A.5.R.5.,” proposed by -the President and the Secretary, Mr. J. Nelson; “The Parliament of New Zealand” (Mr. J. Nelson —Hon. J. Goodall, M.L.C.); “The Management of the Railways” (Mr. L. B. Hutchinson— Mr. E. S. Brittenden); “The Labour Party” (Mr. A. E. Mayell—Mr. P. I O’Farrell); “Kindred Societies” (Mr. F. Bowes —Messrs. C. < Dewar (E.F.C.A.,), S. Bassett (R. 0.1. McGirr (R.T.A.), Joyce (Public Service), W. Roxborough (P .and T.);; “The Older Members” (F. C. Graham —Messrs. W. Bade and A. Woods); “The Visitors” (The President —Messrs. Longstaff and H. C. Langford): “The Pianist” (The President —Mr. W. Williams). Items were given by Messrs. F. C. Garham, M. J. Gallagher, A. Lowe, W. Upton and L. J. Wililamson , Mr. W. Williams presiding at the piano.