AMUSEMENTS

Grey River Argus, 12 September 1940, Page 12

AMUSEMENTS

Opera House Finally To-night: “BAD LITTLE ANGEL.” Next Attraction (Commencing Tomorrow Friday): “AT THE CIRCUS.” Those manaiacal murderers of. Old Man Gloom, the Mad Marx Bros., are back with us again in their craziest, wildest and most side-splitting fun-fest, “Marx Bros, at the Circus,” to b e presented at the Opera House to-morrow (Friday) for a season of 3 matinees and 3 nights. This time th 0 Madcap Marxes—Groucho, Harpo and Chico —do not depend solely upon their own inimitable brand of screwball comedy to keep th e audience. convulsed in their, seats for mgn on to two hours. They also drag in a circus, and a streamlined one at that, as the playground for their insan e . antics, and with th? Biggest Show on Earth are its modernistic midway and modernised menagerie packed with scores of wild beasts of the Jungle. The story—or riot, as it should be termed—concerns the three Marxes principally. Groucho i s a crackpot lawyer, J. Cheever Loophole by name, who has never won a case. Chico is a roustabout and Harpo enacts the assistant World s Strongest Man. Then there is Kenny Baker, pf the radio songways, as part owner of the circus; Florence Rice as the star equestrienne and his sweetheart; Ev e Arden as th e Upside Down Girl; Nat Pendleton as th e Strong Man; Margaret Dumont as the usual society dowager, and many others. The Strong Man, tne Upside Down Girl, th e Midget and the crooked circus manager connive to trick Kenny out of his share of th £ circus. They demand ten thousand dollars from Kenny, although thev have already stolen that affiount from him and hidden it in the gorilla's cage. Harpo and Chico summon Groucho to the circus to fight Kenny’s cause. That’s where the riot begins, But, after a continuous rapidfire °f comedy sequences, a happy solution is reached. Kenny wins the ■ love of Miss Rice and gets his money I back saving the circus-, Groucho also helps by surprising Mrs Dukesbury, played by Margaret Dumont, when he pitches the circus on her front lawn as a society function. And all the culprits are captured. Among the. many humorous highlights of the comedy are Harpo’s strong man act. Groucho enticing th e stolen money from the Upside Down Girl by doing a rhumba with her upsid e down on the ceiling, and the climactic scene in which all the*, principal characters, including a gorilla, chase each other all' over th e flying trapezes at the very top of the circus tent. Kenny Baker and Miss Rice are both stellar in the unusual musical number featuring the-white and black Arabian horses with a chorous of beautiful riders and in other' musical interludes. Also, Harpo and his harp and Chico and his piano introduce new musical hits. The first half is also of outstanding merit, and includes Metro news (showing scenes of the Evacuation from Dunkirk). Cinesound Review; aPPee,t e , Smith specialty; A M.G.M. miniature entitled “A Miracle at Lourdes” described by (Carey Wilson) and “March of Time” entitled War, Peace and Propaganda and showing for th e first time on the screen th P real story of the visit of England’s King and Queen to America

Regent Now Showing: “THE MARSHAL OF MESA CITY” and “THANKS FOR THE MEMORY.” George O’Brien’s outdoor drama, “The Marshal of Mesa City,” is one of the most exciting of all’ the O’Brien films. Laid m the frontier days ol early Arizona, the picture offers the western star on. e of his most action-packed and dramatic roles to date. Th e story introduces O’Brien as an ex-marshal. On his way to his ranch, in th e south-eastern part of the state, to lead a quiet life after years of servie in bringing law and order to frontier communities, O’Brien comes to Mesa City, a progressive little town struggling to free itself from the despotic rule of its ■outlaw sheriff. Pressed into servie as marshal when the town’s marshal is killed, O’Brien is torn between duty lo his fellow-man and his personal desire to retire, but agrees to rid Mesa City of its outlawry. Suspense, gun fights, hand-to-hand battles, comedy, tragedy and a tender romance ar e inter-woven befor e the popular outdoor star accomplishes his purpose. O’Brien's performance is smooth and even, and Virginia Vale, as the romantic interest, shows great promise. Good support is given by Leon Ames, Henry Brandon, Lloyd Ingraham, Harry Cording, Slim Whitaker, and Mary Gordon THE ASSOCIATE FEATURE. “Thanks for the Memory,” a comedy of newlywed bliss. Heading ,a cast of favourites is th, e screen’s most clever connoisseur of the wisecrack, Bob Hope, in the role of the young husband who has to write a novel or else; and his wife is none other than lovely Shirley Ross, who insists that he work at his novel while she brings home the hamburger—remember them together in “Big Broadcast of ’38?”

THE FIRST TRANS-ATLANTIC STEAMSHIP Frank Lloyd, renowned producerdirector of many screen masterpieces, offers a new motion picture—one which is being hailed universally as his greatest. Entitled “Rulers of the Sea,” it stars Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Margaret Lockwood, Will Fyffe, the great Scottish character actor, and features such favourites as George Bancroft and Montagu Love. Gloriously and magnificently, in tiie inimitable manner of Frank Lloyd, it relates the story of the first triumph of steam over sail. It tells of the dream of a Scottish inventor, who believes that he has perfected a steam engine capable of driving a ship across the Atlantic. And it shows two yOung people, two youngsters desperately in love —his daughter and a young first mate disgusted with the brutal treatment of crews on sailing ships—helping to bring that dream to triumphant realisation. Fairbanks is cast as the sailing man : Margaret Lockwood as the inventor’s daughter, and the great Will FyFe. is seen as the inventor in this outstanding Pai'amount production. Patrons are advised to make early

reservations for this programme, as bookings are expected to be heavy. ’Phone 601. TO-NIGHT’S MANNEQUIN PARADE In a setting of glorious spring flowers at the Greymouth Town Hall to-night, White’s Fashion Corner will present a wonderful selection of the latest, spring 'creations. Organised under the combined auspices of the West Coast Horticultural Society and White’s Fashion Corner, tonight’s programme will not only cater for lovers of flowers and beautiful frocks, but in addition a very fine programme will include musical, vocal and elocutionary items by popular Greymouth artists, floral dances by the Miriam Trott School of Dancing, and a spectacular tableau arranged by Mrs J. W. Hannan. The proceeds are in aid of the Patriotic Fund, and all are urged not to miss this pageant of beautiful flowers, frocks and music. RUNANGA R.S.A. BALL ( I Buses will leave Greymouth at 8 and 9 o’clock to-morrow night for what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest and gayest functions held in the Runanga district during the 1940 dancing season—the Runanga R.S.A. Ball. New and modern dances to music by the Mayfair Dance Band, Monte Carlos, lucky spots, lucky seats and two masters of ceremony will be sufficient guarantee of a great night’s enjoyment. Buses will leave on return to Greymouth at 2 a.m., after the ball. The proceeds are in aid of the local patriotic funds, and all dancers are invited to assist in this worthy effort. REST ROOM SHOP DAY Organised by an enthusiastic committee who are urgently in need of funds to enable the commencement of the Ladies’ Rest and Plunket Rooms, a shop day will be held at Schaef’s Hall to-morrow (Friday). Despite the fact that residents of the district have wholeheartedly supported many recent patriotic efforts, the organisers of to-morrow’s shop day are confident that all will realise the urgent necessity of commencing the Rest Room as soon as possible.