ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 177, 26 June 1935, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

i KOSY THEATRE. , “WHITE COCKATOO.” jj ' A melodramatic- murder mystery thrilj lor guaranteed to send chills creeping up and down the spine comes to the Kosy Theatre to-night under the title of ’ “The White Cockatoo.” This new War- ! nor. Bros, drama, unlike most mystery . plays, accentuates the romance angle ) very strongly. The attempts of two l bands of criminals tc' steal a young i American girl’s fortune. lead to three ; murders, tho kidnapping of the heiress and an attempt on the lives of several others. An American engineer, aided by ! a cockatoo, finally solves tho killings and s other mysterious happenings in the ' spooky French hotel. Jean Muir has tho » role of tho heiress whose past is wrapped 1 in mystery, and who has a habit of ap- * pearing in two places at the same time, I a coincidence which is not explained ; until the end of tho story. Ricardo Cor- : tez pays tho part of tho engineer lover. 1 Comedy relief is injected into the intense ■ and thrilling action by Ruth Donnelly, in the role of an eccentric American school [ teacher who manages to get herself mixed , up in tho mystery through her habit of snooping about. There is a large and talented supporting cast which includes ’ John Eldredge, Gordon Westcott, Addi--1 eon Richards, Pauline Gadon, Armand de * Bordes, Bentley Hewlett, Andre Cheron > and Georges Renavont, The picture is - based on the thrilling novel by Mignon , G. Eberhart which is dramatised for the i screen by Ben Markson and Lillie Hay- . ward. Alan Crosland directed. STATE THEATRE. * “ROBERTA.” j Owing- to continued packed houses, the I management has extended the season of f “Roberta’’ for ono day. This dazzling » miracle musical will conclude its Palmerston North season at this evening’s > screening at the State Theatre. | “RED MORNING.” A scarfaring maid's adventure with her fiance on the tropical seas surrounding 1 New Guinea and the Fiji Islands form the 5 actionful theme of “Red Morning.” new , attraction at the State Theatre eommencs ing to-morrow. The adventuress is second mate on her father’s schooner which l a treacherous crew scuttles for the int surance money. She escapes in a leaking . dinghy to a tribal village where her in* 5 genuity saves her life from tho natives. . Then she espies her lover captured by savages on a neighbouring island, ami rescues him in a breath-taking venture. ‘ An action-packed story proceeds to tin J climax topped off by the thrilling si gin 1 of a dynamite blast. What is bclieveo : to be tlie first genuine pictures of human ■ life among the head-hunter savages and l Papuan natives in the wilds of Now l Guinea is brought to the screen in “ltei. [ Morning,” The pictures were secured b\ » James Shackelford and George Drom , gold, noted cinema adventurers. Armco j with cameras and sound equipment thej , spent almost a year in unknown part. ' where white men never before trod —and ; never will again, they were caused to be [■ lieve. They travelled to the colourfu; 1 and dangerous locales of New Guinea and the Fiji Islands, “shooting” thtribes’ religious ceremonies and thcii habits. ) “ENCHANTED APRIL.” i In the persons of four women of dii ferent ages, clashing personalities bui ’ with the same desire, age joins beauty ii. } an escape from domestic monotony ii “Enchanted April,” also commencing a 1 the State Theatre to-morrow. The film 5 is from the story by “Elizabeth” wliici * has sold 150,000 copies to date. Miss ‘ Harding is seen as Lotty Wilkins, u > charming wife decaying in bondage to u > truant husband. Katharine Alexander r ortrays the role of another woman, who l finds herself in Lotty’s plight. Jane Bax L tei*, beautiful English actress, carries a featured role as a disillusioned noble- . woman bent on shunning man’s fickle ai- | tent-ions; and Jessie Ralph is the fourth member of the quartette as an old lady of fashion with memories which she wants to rekfndle. The iour women rent an oU. villa in Southern Europe where they seek 1 to recover their spirits. The outcome of ‘ their quest offers a stirring revelation to tho problem of holidays from companionship with the opposite sex. Frank Morgan and Reginald Owen have tho leading male roles in “Enchanted April,” RKORadio picture. Harry Beaumont directed. regentltheatre. “LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER.” This remarkable picture, ‘‘Lives of a Bengal Lancer,” which is screening to full houses, will bo shown again to-night at tho Regent Theatre. “Love v. Duty” makes no new problem, after all; but at? this struggle is presented here, in tho mind of a military father, it takes on the appearance of a starkly unusual and realistic idea. This is caused to a great extent by the sensitive and magnificent acting of Sir Guy Standing, as Colonel Stone; and that is why his work in this film it? more remarkable than that of the two better-known stars. The character of the old Colonel, on tho eve of retirement from the King’s army in India, utterly in love with soldiering and all the things which soldiering means, yet loving his only son desperately, too, is portrayed to complete perfection—a perfection sealed by the knowledge that such mcn_ do exist, not in India alone. Quite a different part is that of Gary Cooper, as Captain McGregor. Though he once calls himself “the biggest fool in the army,” he leaves the impression that he is also the bravest man. It is a part which tends to seem not over-difficult —you tell your Colonel what you think of him, you take care of his son secretly, you go out against orders to make a rescue, and even face machinegun fire to achieve some object. But it is not so easy to be at tho same time a very real individual, with all the characteristics which differentiate cne man from all others —in fact to be at once a man of action and a man of subtle, sensitive personality. Cooper docs this with what seems, in retrospect, to be consummate ease. When, in the very opening of the story, he disobeys orders with raging scorn, ho has half-made his character already; and be never belies that first impression. He is helped a great deal by Franchot Tone, an ascending actor who here convinces us finally of his worth. Tone is the reverse of Cooper He is easy-going, usually making dry jests at the other’s expense, lying about lazily, commenting on McGregor’s impetuosity with elaborate sarcasm. W’liou ho acts it is swiftly, but after quick, careful thought; he is the other kind of man-of-action. Tho part of the Colonel’s son is played very sincerely by Richard Cromwell. Throughout this, youth is the bone of contention; his character is employed also, with considerably insight on tho part of tho director (Honry Hathaway) to emphasise those of McGregor and the Colonel. Without him thore would be no story; yet compared with the three other men, he is I of minor importance except at the end. » when lie is given deserved prominence in | the part of a helpless traitor whose honour I is lost, unless something incredible happens—and it does happen.