AMUSEMENTS

Grey River Argus, 29 March 1937, Page 8

AMUSEMENTS

Opera House “SAN FRANCISCO’’ LAVISH PRODUCTION OPENS. TO-DAY. “San. Francisco,” opening to-day at the Opera House, brings Clark Gable and Jeanette MacDonald together ioi the first time. The musical romance Gives Miss MacDonald her widest scope, in vocal numbers in her screen career —a total of nine presentations, ranging from a solemn hymn to the most beautiful operatic arias. Clark Gable returns to the vigorous type of role that first, elevated him to stardom as a blnsterv Barbary Coast gambling baion who has no faith in anything but his own power and his charm over women. Co-starring with Miss MacDonald and Gable is Spencer Tracy in the role ot a priest.; a distinguished supporting cast includes Jack Holt, Jessie Ralph, ’Ted Healy, Shirlev Ross. ‘ San Francisco” is’laid in the colourful period of 1905-06, its life of gaiety and song, its Barbarv Coast prior to and through the disaster that levelled the famous Golden Gate city thirty years ago. Among Miss MacDonald’s vocal numbers are: The “Jewel Song” from “Faust”, musical excerpts throughout the “Faust” opera; the “Prison Trio’’ with Mephistopheles and Faust; an aria from “La Traviata”; “Love Me and the World is Mine”; ' My Heart is Free”; Gounod’s “Ave Maria”; “Nearer My God to Thee’ ; “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “San Francisco.” Other rollicking musical features of the period ar e contributed by Shirley Ross . and Ted Healy. The story deals with a homeless girl who finds herself in the boisterous atmosphere of the Barbary Coast and who rises from an entertainer in Clark Gable’s gambling resort and cate to great heights as a famous opera star in San Francisco’s historic grand opera house. Elaborate settings are typical of the period and reproduce nianv of the famous structures destroyed in the 1906 disaster. The catastrophe scenes showing the destruction of the city by fire and earthquakes are said to be the. most thrilling shots of their kind ever recorded in motion pictures.

Resent Theatre “THREE MEN ON A HORSE” The comedy that is to begin showing at the Regent Theatre to-day, “Three Men on a Horse,’’ is the screen’s version of a comedy that has proved an outstanding success on the stage. Tn New York is has been showing on Broadway for the past three years. Tn six other countries it s being played by ten companies. Frank McHugh is the leading player, being cast as Erwin Trowbridge, the greetingcard poet, a character that has achieved world-wide fame. Trowbridge is possessed of an uncanny faculty of divining the speed of horses, a gift that leads him into many, unpleasant and pleasant situations. His wfe finds a black book full of names in his pocket, and believes they are the names of other women; a number of criminals desire to convert his uncanny gifts into ready cash. Torn between the two forces he goes on the loose, with hilarious results. The most amusing and amazing part of the whole story lies in the fact that Erwin has never attended a race meeting in his life. Yet every horse he picks invariably romps home many lengths in the lead. Undoubtedly “Three Men on a Horse” promises to be a farce of the highly amusing type. Supporting McHugh are Joan Biondell, his partner in so many comedies, Carol Hughes, Guy Kibbee and Allen Jenkins and Sam levene.

“STRAIGHT FROM THE SHOULDER.” The fact that Paramount’s “Straight From the Shoulder” now at the Regent Theatre, is first-rate entertainment is right in keeping with the rest of the story about the picture. For there never has been a film with so many “firsts’’ about it. For -instance, the film is the first, screen role for brunette Katherine Locke, stage favourite, who made her first airplane trip to reach Hollywood on time to start prduetion. It’s the first dramatic role ever played by Andy Clyde, screen comedian. It’s the first production for Sidney Brod, who, up to this time, was a film supervisor. WEDNESDAY. 9-YEAR-OLD SINGING WONDER. How a lad with bewitching vocal abilities is saved from the illegal adoption by a greedy circus acrobat, who seeks to convert the boy’s voice into'a free meal ticket for himself is an exciting sidelight of “Let’s Sing Again,’’ melody drama starring Bobby Breen, boy wonder singer. Henry Armetta’s delightful acting supplies the comedy and George Houston and Vivienne Osborne are involved in an intriguing romance which is punctuated by the boy’s vocalizations of operatic arias and. popular melodies. This feature commences at the Regent Theatre on Wednesday for three matinees and nights.