AMUSEMENTS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 93, 3 April 1934, Page 11

AMUSEMENTS

BEBE DANIELS AT MUNICIPAL “THE SONG YOU GAVE ME” Beba Daniels scores a personal success as Mitzi Hansen, famous musical comedy star in “The Song You Gave Me,” vow showing at the Municipal Theatre. She is supported by Victor Varconi, another Hollywood recruit to the British screen. It is an engaging story, spun in a disarming mannei, lull of charm and whimsical gaiety. Men revolved round Mitzi like planets round the sun, but there was just one man who remained impervious to het charms, and that was the man she loved. He publicly insulted her in a night club, and then applied for a job a s her secretary. She took him into her service and her heart, but all he gave her was a song. He disappeared at nine every evening to return at eleven, but Mitzi learned of his love for her from the woman he visited. Did Mitzi lose her secretary or gain a husband? ENGLISH COMEDY TO-MORROW A typically English comedy dealing with the consternation following the discovery of a Duke working as a footman is offered at the Municipal Theatre, when “His Grace Gives Notice” plays there to-morrow. In this comedy-drama George, the footman in the employ of Lord Rannock, perplexes the “kitchen” because he seems to lack the humility becoming to a gentleman’s servant. In fact he so fur forgets his portion as to hang up a photograph of the Hon. Barbara Rannock, his employer’s daughter. When he is reminded of liia place he mentions the fact that anyone can procure such a photograph who has the shilling with which to purchase the magazine from which it is cut. When George turns out to be the Duke of Marlow, a fact of which he himself was totally unaware, everything is explained, but becomes even more trying. Try as George may he cannot prove to the servants that he is the same man as he was a dav ago, calling them all by the Christian names.

DRAMA AT THE ARCADIA “THE RIGHT TO ROMANCE’

Delving into the realm where nature is improved upon by the modern art of plastic surgery, “The Right to Romance," RKO-Radio’s big production, screening at the Arcadia this change, starring Ann Harding, has won appreciation and applause wherever it has been shown. Ann Harding walks off with new histrionic honours in a marvellous portrayal of the character of Dr. Simmons, at whose heart love and romance seem always tugging at her lame and fortune prove chains that bind her to professional duty. When a gallant and handsome youth looked Dr. Simmons straight in the eye and failed to see a woman, the decided that love is still the most important thing in u woman's life. Miss Harding is provided with one of the most intriguing roles as the famous lady plastic surgeon who forsakes her career with alacrity when romance and marriage beckon. Later she finds bitter disillusionment and begins to doubt the wisdom of thrusting aside fame for love when she discovers her impetuous young husband in a compromising situation with a former lover. The drama reaches a startling and highly emotional climax when the Indy surgeon is called upon to perform a delicate operation on the beautiful features of her love rival. Robert Young portrays the man for whom the doctor gives up her career. Sari Maritza is the seductive siren, and Nils Asther, Irving Piche], Alden Chase, Delmar Watson and Helen Freeman round out the excellent supporting cast. “CHANNEL CROSSING.” “Channel Crossing,” a Gaumon-t-British picture, directed by Milton Rosnier from a story by Angus MacPhail and W. I’. Lipscombe, will be

screened at the Arcadia Theatre tomorrow. The strong, dramatic story is interpreted by a carefully selected cast, headed by Matheson Lang, as a ■multi-mill'anaire financier, and Constance Cummings as his secretary. Anthony Bushell is her lover who is responsible for tragic happenings. Edmund Gwenn enjoys a feature role as a passengera Lancashire man o substance paying his first visit to France. Max Miller, really an actor but making believe that he is a commercial traveller, is another leading figure in in comedy scenes, clevery interspersed comedy scenes interspersed with the drama. Others in the cast are Dorothy Dickson, Nigel Bruce. Douglas Jefferies, talented artists all. The story is of dramatic and tragic happen ings on a cross-Channel run between Dover and Calais. The plot covers the failure of an international financier to overcome the consequences of an issue of false scrip and. at the same time, to face the tragedy of his rejection by the women he loves, and a tragedy deep ened hy his realisation that she loves the man he had nearly murdered. The denouement is thrilling in the extreme. MARLENE DIETRICH AT COSY “THE. SONG OF SONGS” A new Marlene Dietrich, different than hei millions of screen admirers have evei glimpsed in her previous pictures will be seen in “The Song of Songs ', her new Paramount picture, showing thi s change at the Cosy Theatre Miss Dietrich, who hitherto has appeared as a sophisticated, worldly woman is revealed in her new production as an innocent young country girl of rare beauty, who goes to Berlin, and, jilted by a haudsome young sculptor, runs the gamut of tragic experience She marries a rich and elderly Baron, whom she does not love, and, following their divorce, she becomes bitter and disillusioned, and a notorious woman in the gay German city’s night life. “The Song of Songs”, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, is the first Dietrich film which has not been directed by her discoverer, Joseph von Sternberg. An outstanding cast of actors appears in support of the glamorous star who recently has commanded the attention of the world as the sponsor of the trousers for women style-vogue Brian Aherne, referred to by drama critics as the most romantic n.'tor of the New York stage, following his work in “The Barretts ■ of Wimpole Street,” makes his screen debut as Miss Dietrich’s leading j man. Lionel Atwill. who has been an ; American stage star for sixteen years, j appears as her husband. Alison Skip- I worth Hardie Albright and Helen I n eman also have good roles.