AMUSEMENTS

Grey River Argus, 24 August 1948, Page 2

AMUSEMENTS

At the Opera House

Now Showing; “The Best Years of Our Lives.” Spotted with realism, romance and comedy, “The Best Years of Our Lives”, a significant modern drama replete with every factor of human interest is now showing at the Opera House Theatre. This film, which won nine Academy Awards to be titled “The Most Honoured Picture in History”, boasts a cast that includes five of Hollywood’s top stars, Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews. Teresa Wright, and Virginia Mayo. It also introduces to the screen Cathy O’Donnell and Harold Russell. March finds a bank vice-presidency waiting for him, in addition to his lovely wife (Miss Loy), and his daughter, Peggy (Miss Wright). He is not at all the nopular conception of a banker, being a fun-loving individual with somewhat broad-minded views about loans to ex-service men. Andrews returns to his wife (Miss Mayo), who married him when he was a young Air Force Captain. During peace time he had been a milk bar attendant and, failing to find anything better, is forced to go back to his old job. This alienates his flighty, gold-digging wife, and she turns her interest to other men. The neglected veteran proceeds to fall in love with the independent daughter of the March-Loy couple, providing them with their knottiest problem. A third social dilemma is played by Harold Russell, as a fiance who comes home to his sweetheart (Cathy O’Donnell), and hesitates to ask the girl to marry him. Regent Shows Now Showing: “Design For Scandal”; starring Rosalind Rus- - sell. Walter Pidgeon, Edward Arnold, Lee Bowman. Rosalind Russell’s skill as a comedienne has never been more evident than in her role of Cornelia Porter, the judge who awards Mary Beth Hughes a monthly alimony of £lOOO when she divorces magazine publisher, Edward Arnold. The latter, distraught at the prospect of having his pockets relieved of so handsome a sum of money, is only too happy to act upon Fidgeon’s suggestion that he (Pidgeon) use his wiles upon the lady judge to._the point where he can involve her in a case of alienation of affections and thus unseat her from the bench. This will free Arnold to appeal his case to another judge, preferably of the masculine gender. The flaw in the case is that Pidgeon carries his wooing too far, with the result that he not only entangles the judge, who finds that a completely feminine heart beats beneath these judicial robes, but also entangles himself. It takes a lot of situations to unravel these entanglements, and they’re all very, very funny. VARIETY SHOW George Tollerton’s real Variety ShovV which will open on Wednesday and Thursday, September 1 and 2, at the Regent Theatre, Greymouth, has not neglected the children of New Zealand. A school holiday matinee is being held during which specially selected items suitable for youngsters go to make up a non-stop programme of clean, happy fun and laughter. Of particular interest is the inclusion of an Australian “Punch and Judy” show. This demonstration of time-honoured puppetry has been warmly received by

children all over New Zealand. This favourite coupled with magic, comedy and dancing goes to make up a show which should be dear to the heart of any child.