ENTERTAINMENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 September 1946, Page 10

ENTERTAINMENTS

OPERA HOUSE.—To-night: “The Girls He Left Behind,” starring Alice Faye, Carmen -Miranda, Phil Baker and Benny Goodman and his Orchestra. “The Girls He Left Behind,” is a hit that future musicals will be measured from. Starring are Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, radio’s man with the 64-dollar question, Phil Baker and the King of Swing, Benny Goodman, and his famous orchestra. Backing up this brilliant galaxy are many favourites, including Eugene Pallette, Edward Everett Horton and James Ellison. Alice Faye, singer in the famous club, New Yorker, meets James Ellison, a soldier spending his last night of leave. Pretending he has no friends in New York, Ellison wins Alice’s sympathy and they “do the town,” with Alice promising to meet him at the station the next day to say “good-bye.” Ellison’s wealthy father and the parents of his fiancee, throw a big farewell party for him, but he breaks away to meet Alice. Shipped overseas, Ellison contrives to keep both girls interested. When he returns home his father decides to give him a royal welcome and hires the entire New Yorker cast to put on a show for him. Ellison’s return brings everything to a hilarious, tuneful and romantic climax. REGENT THEATRE.— To-night: “Madonna of the Seven Moons,” starring Phyllis Calvert and Stewart Grainger. An intriguing malady worked in-1 to a credible and holding story of a beautiful woman with a split mind, and very definitely in love with two men, “Madonna of the Seven Moons” | is showing at the Regent Theatre. The background is in colourful Florence and it opens with Madda-

i lena, a lovely young girl being i brutally attacked in the wood by a ■.gypsy. This affects the mind of the girl, who develops a dual personality and this character is played by Phyllis Calvert, as'Maddalena, the wife of ’a- wealthy wine merchant (John (Stuart). She is very happy and holds a part}' to celebrate the arrival home of her daughter Angela. On the night (of the party Maddalena disappears, '■taking with her jewels, and leaving ' behind the sign of the “Seven Moons” i scrawled in lipstick on the mirror. Maddalena has returned to her other personality and is living as Rosanna, (lover of Nino the head of a gang of • thieves who “play” on the tourists 'in Florence. Angela, who is looking 'for Maddalena, is drugged by Nino’s ; brother, Sandro, when Maddalena apipears on the scene, and thinking it is (Nino, stabs Sandro in jealous rage, i Sandro, with his last dying strength (throws a stiletto, mortally wounding (Maddalena. Angela, the while is ’slowly coming round from her stupor and as she awakens recognises in the wild gypsy woman, her mother. From this point the story goes on to a dramatic climax.