ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 86, 8 March 1930, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

PALACE THEATRE. “BROADWAY MELODY,”- OENS TO-DAY The much-heralded and long-awaited “Tho Broadway Melody” is scheduled to open at tho Palace Theatre to-day. This is Metro-Goldwyn-Mayor’s first all-talking production, and thoso who hold tho dostinics of M-G-M in the palms of their hands promise new novelties in their initial hoar see “opera.” Word come 3 from tho camera capital and from Broadway, Now York, whero the film has already beeen released, that “The Broadway Melody” i 3 entitled to a couple or “supers” prefixing the familiar word “production.” When a picture can make Hollywood and New York givo a few loud British cheers, it must bo exceptionally good. Bessie Love, pertest of picturo players, has the leading feminine role, with Anita Pago, tho youngster who scored in “Our Dancing Daughters,” prominent in tho supporting cast. Tho male love interest is supplied by Charles King, a musical comedy recruit. If “What’s in a Namo ?” is to be tho query, “The Broadway Melody” has a list of celebrities connected with it that resembles a gathering at a debutante’s coming-out party. James Gleason, and Arthur Freed take just credit for the smart dialogue, and Harry Beaumont wielded the megaphone. Tho story employs “Tin Pan Alley” and tho stago as fascinating settings, and thoro are threo theme songs in this picture. There aro sequences done in technicolour, and plenty of glorified girls are brought in to add zest to tho chorus numbers. Indeed, if proper attention to production counts for anything, “Tho Broadway Melody” is destined to bo ono of the biggest hits of the cinema season. Plans for the season aro now on view.

DE LUXE "TALKIES.” “SKINNER STEPS OUT.” Glenn Tryon and Merna Kennedy aro the principals in “Skinner Steps Out,” the all-talking comedy-draina coming to tho Theatre de Luxe to-day. It tells how William Henry Skinner’s charming wife believes tho sun rises and sets in her husband and is ambitious for his success. Skinner plays up to his wife’s idea of him, and tells her what an important man he is at the office, whero in reality he is an unimportant employee. His wife, distressed at his shabby appearance, makes him buy a dress suit. At a charity bazaar she forces him to the front, with the result that Skinner dominates tho affair. Skinner blocks a combination of two firms-a consolidation which should, and later does, go through. However, his spirit and onthusiaam so impress his superiors that he is made sales manager of the consolidated firm. An all-dialogue comedy entitled “Sunday Morning”; a talking novelty, “Income Tnct” and the most recent sound news complete a thoroughly entertaining programme.

KOSY THEATRE. HERSHOLT QUALIFIES AS LADYCATCHER. The need for keeping in strict physical trim was never more impressed on Jean Hersholt than when ho was playing in D. W. Griffith’s “The Battle of the Sexes,” now showing at the Kosy Theatre. In one scene Hersholt, who is supposed to be a wayward father, pays a surreptitious call on Phyllis Haver. A trained mouse enters the scene and Miss Haver shrieks and mounts a table and then falls (deliberately) into the arms of Hersholt. Now Miss Haver is not the type of blonde that casts no shadow; she is of average weight. At any rate, she falls (intentionally) and Hersholt, being a gentleman in the picture as well as in private life, catches the lady. “The Battle of the Sexes” was made at the United Artists studio with Hersholt, Miss Haver, Belle Bennett, Don Alvarado and Sally O’Neil in the all-star cast. Brigitte Helm, who portrays the featured role in the latest Erich Pommer super production, “The Wonderful Lie,” from Ufa, looks, as she is, one of the most beautiful women in Europe. “The Wonderful Lie” is to be presented at the Kosy Theatre to-night.