AMUSEMENTS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 98, 9 April 1934, Page 4

AMUSEMENTS

ARCADIA THEATRE, HASTINGS. CLARA BOW IN "HOOPLA” Clara Bow, fiery and impassioned, reaches new heights as an emotional actress in "Hoopla,” her second Fox Film release which screens at the Arcadia Theatre, Hastings, to-night. "Hoopla” is a splendid production that delves deeply into the inside life of the “big top.” It offers Clara Bow a marvellous opportunity to display her histrionic abilities. Let it be recorded here that Miss Bow took fine advantage of the opportunities presented her. The story concerns Itself with a vivacious young carnival dancer who, on a bet, attempts to win the love of a young man who is the carnival barker's son. It is not a difficult task for this finished siren, and she soon captures the heart of the boy. But the sincerity of the youngster and his naive manner work a change in the nature of the dancer, and she finds herself involved in a true romance. The boy’s father objects to the affair, and there follows a series of thrilling incidents which are capped by a climax that is the outstanding one among a.’] the Clara Bow classics. As the carnival dancer, Clara Bow plays her role with astonishing versatility and finish. It is by far the most important production she has had to date, and she carries her part with remarkable results. The supporting members of the cast—Preston Foster, Richard Cromwell, Minna Gombell, Herbert Mundin, James Gleason, Roger Imhof and Florence Roberts—are aptly suited to their roles. They acquit themselves with distinction. Frank Lloyd who directed such hits as "Cavalcade” and "Berkeley Square” has directed this film with the inspired touch that is his. Al Rockett produced the picture from the stage play, "The Barker.” by John Kenyon Nicholson. The story was adapted for the screen by Bradley King and Joseph Moncure March. BOMANC” AT THE MUNICIPAL MARY PICKFORD IN "SECRETS” Surrounded by one of the largest casts in her long career and directed by Frank Borzage, twice Academy winner, Mary Pickford screens at the Municipal Theatre to-night in "Secrets,” an adaptation of the celebrated stage play by Rudolf Beiscr and May Edgington. "Secrets” give Miss Pickford what she believes is an ideal vehicle. In the first place, it is "motion picture” from beginning to end, and in the second place the story is a simple one of love and elemental emotions, with no wise-cracking and no sophistication. There’s an elopement to foil a rich father who wants his daughter to wed a titled Englishman instead of a poor clerk; a young couple battling the hardships of western ranch life; battle’ with cattle-rustlers; the rearing of a family; eventual prosperity, clouded by the husband’s affair with another woman; a loyal, devoted wife who refuses to let threatened scandal wreck their happiness. Playing opposite Miss Pickford is the English actor, Leslie Howard, who will be remembered for many ’ne interpretations in the picture world. The role of John Carlton, cattle rancher, is a departure for T eslie Howard, who has risen to screen heights in pictures such ns "Outward Bound,” "A Free Soul,” and "Smilin’ Through,” and it was because lie was so eager to play an American westerner opposite Miss Pickford that he cancelled a long-plan-ned voyage to his native land. PLYING PICTURE AT COSY. "NIGHT FLIGHT.” The.e is a thrill, a verve, an authenticity to "Night Flight,” M-G-M’i championship picture, which screens to-night at the Cosy Theatre, which make's it a definite forward achievement >in the realm of aviation pictures. The story, by a flyer, Antoine de SaintExupery, tells grippingly of incidents in the running of a big air mail company for which the author flew for several years. It has been put on the screen with complete .ympathy and ac curacy by a director-flyer, Clarence Brown. The tale concerns John Barrymore, an air mail company manager, whose creed is that the mail mist go through; Robert Montgomery, the pilot on the trans-Andean run; Clark Gable, shooting northwards through a terrific storm from Patagonia, and Helen Hayes, Gable’s worry-distracted wife. Subordinate plots bring out excellent work from Myrna Loy, William Gargan, C. i.enry Gordon, Leslie Fenton and others. Lionel Barrymore, as the shif css, easy-going inspector of planes, is a perfect comedy foil to his stern brother. Tremendous thrill value is inherent in the manner in which Brown cuts back and forth from Gable in his storm-battling plane; to Barrymore, tense in his office; to Helen Hayes, frantic over unfavourable wireloss reports. There is great suspense to scenes showing the gasoline gauge of Gable’s plane dropping lower and lower, until finally it registers "empty” —with no ground in sight through tho I hick storm clouds. Oliver H. P. Garrett’s script is an excellent piece of work, and credit must also be given to the unusually fine musical background given the piece by Herbert Stothart, co-composer of "Rose Marie.” Stothart, has achieved a "symphony of tho air” in the musical effects.