ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 169, 19 June 1931, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

AT THE REGENT. “DIXIANA” FINALLY TO-NIGHT. Those beautiful actor-vocalists, Bebe Daniels and Everett Marshall, will finally appear in the musical extravaganza, “Dixiana,” at the Regent Theatre to-night. “JUST IMAGINE” AT TO-MORROW’S MATINEE. One of the most unusual features of “Just Imagine,” the newest do Sylva, Brown and Henderson Fox Movietone musical comedy, proclaimed from all pre-view sources as a real successor to “Sunny Side Up,” is that it was written by the world’s most famous song writers and has not a theme song titled after the picture. In fact, the songs are only essential to specific comedy situations in the novel phases of the story. There is a perfectly good reason, of course, asido from the fact that they instinctively shy away from the usual practice in musical picture making. There already is a song entitled' “Just Imagine.” It was one of tho hits of “Good News,” the Broadway musical play written, by tho way, by this self-same versatile team, do Sylva, Brown and Henderson. Their first picture, “Sunny Side Up,” was such an outstanding success that they lavished moro than extraordinary caro on every detail of “Just Imagine,-” which, will be seen and heard at the Regent Theatre, beginning to-mor-row afternoon. “Sunny Side Up” was largely an experiment for them, embarked on only after considerable persuasion. '1 hoyhad been moro successful than any other writing combination on Broadway productions. turning out nine in a row without a failure. Now they have capitalised the experience gained on their first picture, ono of the most popular produced last year, and in “Just Imagine” correspondents at the studios insist that tho producers have created a real comedy masterpiece. The cast includes such favourites as El Brendel, Maureen O’Sullivan, John Garrick, Marjorie White, Frank Albertson, Kenneth Thomson, Hobart Bosworth, Wilfred Lucas, Sidney de Gray, Mischa Auer, Ivan Linow and a dozen others. David Butler was the director of “Sunny Side Up,” and made “Just Imagine.” Seymour Felix staged the dance numbers. He acted in a similar capacity- a year ago for “Sunny Side Up.” Plans are on view at the Central Booking Office, ’phone 7178.

KOSY THEATRE. “SONG OF THE WEST” FINALLY TO-NIGHT. John Boles, tho featured player in “Song of the West,” heads a very strong cant, in the nll-lechnieolour outdoor drama, adapted from the stage operetta, “Rainbow.’ This very fine production will have its final screening at the Kosy Theatre tonight, when “The Flirting Widow” will also have its final presentation. GARY COOPER IN TYPICAL ROLE. Gary Cooper, who secured two outstanding successes in “The Virginian’ and “'the Texan,” is now starred by Paramount in a new and. unusually thrilling romance, “A Man from Wyoming,” coming to the Kosy Theatre to-morrow. Playing opposite this popular star, and creating one of the finest roles of her career, is June Collyier. “A Man from Wyoming” reveals Cooper in a typical role, this time as an engineer in France during the late war. There, under unusual and thrilling circumstances, he meets and falls in love with June Collyer, a girl of social prominence serving with the ambulance division behind the lines. From the very beginning their romance is tempestuous, cuiminnt.ng within a short time in their marriage in a battered French church, while distant guns boom an ominous wedding march. From this point on the story takes several unusual and highly dramatic twists, as Cooper is torn from the arms of the bride he has hardly k ssed. There is a-powerful climax when Cooper, who has been reported killed, comes face to faco with his young wife. Gary Cooper as the engineer gives one of the finest performances of his career. June. Collyer, as the girl in the case, is charming and believable in a thoroughly delightful role. Others in tho cast who do good work include Regis Toomey, Morgan Farloy, E. H. Calvert, Mary Foy and William B. Davidson. PALACE THEATRE. “LAUGHTER” SCREENS FINALLY TO-NIGHT. Nancy Carroll, who played such a remarkable dramatic part in “Tho Devil’s Holiday,” will repeat her heavy drama achievements in “Laughter,” Paramount’s emotional play which will havo its final screening at tho Palace Theatre to-night. Supporting Miss Carroll in this production are Frederic March and Frank Morgan. H. d’Abbadio d’Arrast directed the picture at Paramount’s Long Island studio. “WITHIN THE LAW” TO-MORROW. Tho story is as follows: Mary Turner, a shop girl, is sent to prison for stealing from the store. Gilder, the owner, unheeding her protestations of innocence, demands the gaol sentence as an object lesson to his other employees. Embittered, Alary spends her time in prison in forming underworld associations and studying criminal law, bent upon seeking vengcanco against society by the criminal life kept “within the law,” through her knowledge of legal loopholes. The head of a suave crook gang, Mary leads the police a merry chase, even obtaining a Court injunction preventing them from harassing her or her associates without direct evidence of criminal activities. Although Joe Garson, underworld king, is humbly devoted to her, Alary has not forgotten her promise to “get” Gilder, and she coquettes with Gilder’s profligate son, Bob, until he marries her. Things go badly for the little gang. Fighting the law is one thing, they learn; fighting Gilder and big money is another. They are so closely watched that they cannot carry on their trade, and when one of tho gang outlines a fool-proof scheme to mako off with and sell the original “A'lona Lisa” at the Gilder mansion, all except Alary jump at the chance. The robbery turns out to be a police “plant” to trap Alary. In her desperation, Alary goes into the house and is caught on tho scene of the robbery by her husband. Tho frame-up is disclosed, and Joe Garson kills the stool pigeon who posed as his friend. All but Alary and her husband flee the scene when the officers arrive; They are gaoled for the slaying, and Alary’s wits and legal knowledge are put to a test in a fight for freedom. When Joe Garson learns that Alary actually loves tho store owner’s son, although she had married him for revenge upon the father, he confesses to the killing, freeing the newlyweds and allowing them to start life afresh. “Within the Law” has its first screening at the Palace Theatre to-morrow afternoon at 2. WILLIAMSON COMPANY. “THE FIRST AIRS FRASER” AND “HAY FEVER.” Aluch moro than ordinary interest is invested in tho initial production hero of the latest London comedy success, “The First Mrs Fraser” as, apart from the fact that St. John Ervine’s play has been running continuously for two years in London, the'title role is to be portrayed by Miss Ethel Morrison, who is probably the best actress Now Zealand has produced. Since she left her own country Aliss Alorrison has mnde quite a name for herself in England, America and Australia, having created quite a number of important roles in successful comedies and dramas. Aliss Alorrison was specially engaged by the Williamson management to return to Australia and New Zealand for, tho “First Mrs Fraser” and “Hay Fever.” The following was written by a well-known Sydney critic: Cleverly constructed, smart in dialogue, and with a fine acting part for Ethel Alorrison who played the title-role of Janet Fraser with sincerity, dignity, humour and charm, St. John Ervine’s new play, “The First Airs Fraser,” won the emphatic approval of a crowded house at its first appearance at the Criterion Theatre. Apparently, the dramatist has intended this play as a subtle satire of the divorce law. At any rate he contrives for the first scene an extraordinary situation when the stolid, humorless James Fraser, who had divorced his first wife years before, comes to her flat to consult her about the behaviour of his flirtatious second wife, who is now seeking to divorce him because she wishes to marry a scion of the aristocracy, brainless, but heir to a

marquis. This situation would probably be incrediblo in real life, but St. John Ervine, by his outstanding genius, makes it plausible, and the threo participants in the scene acted it as if it were the most natural event in the world. “Hay Fever,” Noel Coward’s comedy, will bo the second production. The box plans for the two nights’ season will bo opened at the Cen,‘n i Booking Office next Tuesday morning.