AMUSEMENTS

Grey River Argus, 20 September 1939, Page 4

AMUSEMENTS

Opera House NOW SHOWING: “DRAMATIC SCHOOL.” The ambitions struggles, disappointments and joys of a group of young people who form a caste by themselves, whose thoughts and behaviour differ widely from other strata m the social structure, ' are dramatically bared in "Dramatic School,” to be screened at the Opera House to-day & to-night, also to-morrow afternoon &• evening*. The new pictuie-biUigs to the screen two brilliant acting Pprtrayals, Luise Rainer, twice winner of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Award, who portrays the part of a poor student who works in a factory at night in order to earn her tuition, and the other, Paulette Goudard, Hollywood’s most talked about actress, who plays the part of a fashionable student of the school. “Dramatic School is the story of Louise Mauban, a factoryworker and drama pupil. She lives in a world of dreams, lor everything is a play' to her. She even creates an imaginary lover whose existence her classmales doubt. They plan to expose her, to place her face to facej with lhe handsome young Marquis whom she boasts as her lover. But| the Marquis a stranger to her, plays ( her game. He falls in love with her. and a beautiful romance follows. Then calamity falls upon Louise, twofold. She is threatened with expulsion from school and the Marquis abandons her. Faced with defeat on all sides, Louise awakens to find her self nominated by her class to play the leading role in the year’s most important play. She scores a great triumph and not until the Marquis seeks a renewal of her love does Louise realise that her first love is the theatre. Others in a finely balanced cast include Alan Marshall, Lana Turner, Genevieve Tobin, Anthony Alan, Henry Stephenson and Gale Sondergaard. COMING: “SWEETHEARTS.” The outstanding musical treat of the new movie season comes to the Opera House on Friday for an extended season, with the fifth co-star-ring appearance of Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy in “Sweethearts,” a filmisation of the noted Victor Herbert’s operetta, and marking the first appearance of, the popular singing team in a Technicolour production which contains breath-taking spectacles, gorgeous fashions, eight musical numbers, and four famous funsters, Frank Morgan, Mischa Auer,

Ray r Bolger, Herman Bing, also Florence Rice, and Reginald Gardner. REGENT NOW SHOWING: “CHARLIE CHAN IN HONOLULU” & “LITTLE MISS THOROUGHBRED.” Sidney Toler has been selected to carry' on the great film tradition of Charlie Chan’s adventures, the first of the new series being “Charlie Chan in Honolulu" which presents a challenge to Chan in his own home town —an audacious killer daring to strike almost on the sleuth’s very doorstep. While Chan is visiting a ..daughter, at the hospital, .where she is shortly, to present, the sleuth with . ,hi,s ..first grandson, a call comes to, Charlie’s home; a man has been murdered on a boat in the harbour. Chan’s No. 2 son, deciding not to bother “Pop,’ rushes to the scene himself. Chan, after finally learning of. the call, follows. The elements of the mystery are these: A murdered man; a y'oung girl who has been carrying 300,000 dollars (now missing) across the Pacific; a bewildered and bewildering scientist, and a motley collection of crew members, ranging from the captain down. Later on another victim is murdered, an attempt is made to assassinate Chan himself, and a number of other complications enter the mystery. Chan, carrying on in his usual manner, effectively solves the crimes and brings the case to a close with a thrilling ruse—just in time to hear that he is the grandfather of a boy! Phyllis Brooks, Sen Young, Eddie Collins, John King, Claire Dodd, George Zucco, Robert Barrat and Marc Lawrence are featured in the cast surrounding Toler. Collins in particular merits mention for several convulsing comedy' scenes. THE ASSOCIATE FEATURE. “Little Miss Thoroughbred” introduces a new child star in six-year-old Janet Chapman. Janet is not “cute” and her hair is not dressed in curls. Instead she has an engaging little face, and considerable natural charm. The picture opens in an orphanage. Left to themselves the children discuss the authenticity' of the “Daddy” to whom Janet had referred in her prayers, and while she stoutly maintains his existence somewhere, the others deny it. vociferously 7 . Janet sees him in her dreams anyway, and is eaten up with a longing i to meet him in reality. Next day, in the grounds, when the gate in the great wall is left open, the child slips out: into the street to hunt for Daddy. Rather complicated events bring her to gambler John Litel’s arms as his child. Krank McHugh prevents Litel from returning her to the orphanage by the discovery' that she is a mascot —a “Little . Lad.v Luck” who brings the gamblers so much money that they extend their operations to big | time, when a horse owner gives Janet

a racer and' it wins over many tracks. John Litel gives a stand-out performance as a hardened, soured type who not till the. very end will let his feelings break through for the mite who has adopted him. Patrons are advised to make early reservations. •■• ...