ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 140, 15 May 1936, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

MAYFAIR THEATRE. ■ “EXCLUSIVE STORY.” “Exclusive Story,” featuring Franchot Tone and Madge Evans, will be finally screened to-night at the Mayfair Theatre. “WHIPSAW.” Adventure and romance, drama and comedy, are deftly blended •> “Whipsaw,” which brings Myrna Loy to the screen in a new hit with Spencer Tracy as her co-star. The picture, which opens to-morrow at tho Mayfair Theatre, takes its place among the more important new season scree). offerings. Seldom has Hollywood given American theatregoers a more .-sappily mated team of stars than Miss Loy and Tracy. The latter lias n role in, which his delightful brand of egotism and bombast is tempered with an entirely human romance. Miss Boy’s characterisation gives lior an opportunity for the whimsical lightness she first displayed so fetchingly in “The Thin Man” and which marked her as a vivid now screen personality. “Whipsaw” is a story of “angles.” Not oily does the locale shift with lightning rapidity from London to New York and thence throughout many mid-western cities, but tho mood oiJ (lie direction of the story shifts almost as rapidly. The plot concerns itself with smuggled jewels, _ whic-li Miss Loy, as a member of an international ring of jewel thieves, is presumed to have in her possession. Tracy is a secret service nun who attempts to trap her through romantic intrigue, lie manoeuvres her into a situation in which she must pos© as his wife, and the story moves swiftly through a chain of events which keeps excitement and suspense at fever height. An excellent supporting cast appears with tho stars. It includes Harvey Stephens, William IJarrigan, Robert \3aiwick Irene Franklin, Lillhn Leighton, Wade Botoler and Clay Clement, among others. John Quuien is a. new personality who scores a distinct personal triumph as a bewildered Missouri ■ farmer. William, Ingersol turns in an cxcelhnt performance as a- country doctor. i\lso on the same programme are Laurel and Hardy in o scream of a comedy, a Pete Smith sport thrill tnd the Mayfair nows service.

KOSY THEATRE. “MILLIONS IN THE AIR.” “Millions in tho Air,” the farcical romance which Paramount lias turned out as a gentle jibe at prevailing radio amateur programmes, is screening finally at the Kosy Theatre to-night and by virtue of its variety, lias everything Uiat is needed to make first-class entertainment. “MIDSHIPMAN EASY.”

There is real adventure and romance in the thrilling screen adaptation of Captain Marryatt’s great novel, “Midshipman Easy,” which heads the big double-star programme at tho Kosy Theatre to-mor-row. Taking the role of Jack Easy, the courageous young lad who joins the navy, young Hughie Green, the now variety and radio star, gives a brilliant performance. He is excited youth personified, the very incarnation of boyish adventure and the characters gathered around him are no less interesting. A typical example is the giant negro sergeant, AJcsty, who is played by W. R. Adams. Basil Dean chose his convict “types” very carefully and the result is the toughest crowd it is possible to imagine. Jack Easy, when he joined Ihe H.AI.S. Harpy, looked forward to some excitement and adventure —and lie certainly got it. He got move than ever he bargained for. This novel has always been a great favourite with readers of all ages, making a particular appeal to boys of school age. It is certain to prove very popular wherever it is shown. “MILLION DOLLAR RANSOM.” The second attraction is one of the most sensational hoax kidnapping cases which is pictured in Damon Runyon’s amazing story, “Aliilion Dollar Ransom,” produced by Universal. While all persons of wealth and prominence are taking extra precautionary measures to insure themselves and their families against the rut less means employed by racketeers to-day, hero is the highly unusual instance of a young millionaire who voluntarily has himself kidnapped. What happens when lhis hoax is discovered by a gang of unscrupulous men and when they turn it into die real thing, makes this film one of the outstanding ones of the year, full of intrigue and daring. “Million Dollar Ransom” lias a splendid cast headed by Phillips Holmes, Mary Carlisle, Andy Devine, Wini Shaw, and manv others. Murray Roth directed.