ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 174, 24 June 1936, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

KOSY THEATRE. “STOLEN HARMONY.” Outside of actual members of his famous orchestra, there is only one person from whom Ben Benro will accept suggestions for tho improvement of liis radio programmes. Jlc is a blind boy, Jack Gtisiek, living in Chicago, who bus been cn Bornio’s payroll for years. Bernic, who : s starred with George Raft, in Paramount's “Stolen Harmony,” showing tonight at, the Kosy ’Theatre, revealed this fact and explained the start of the strange association during the filming of the picture. Years ago, it seems, wli n Bertiio was first starting liis now famous Amer'eati radio broadcast lie was besieged by stacks of unsolicited material and suggestions from amateur and professional writers, Bernic ignored them nil —-all, that is, except one., In that flood of mail was a steady string of miss'ves from (lie same person that intrigued tlie bandmaster. lie read several of them and immediately saw that tho material was worthy of consideration. “I watched these particular suggestions for some time. Then, after a while, 1 invited the writer. Jack Cusick, to come to my .office for an nterview. It was then that l first, learned .lie was blind. Jack, now 29 years old, supports liis mother by Its work, but for years after he was stricken blind, tlie young chap sat beside liis rad o feeling that lie would be able to write programmes. He listened and studied every programme, and finally decided lie’d try mo as a. feeler. I liked his material from tlie beginning and we are oilen aide to use Its suggestions.” In “Stolen Harmony,” Bernic leads a troupe of performers on in amusement tour of America. Members of file troupe share hard knocks and laugh together until they are kidnapped by a grug of desperadoes. How olio of the entertainers risks liis life h' snve those of his companions furnishes the picture with a tbrll’ng climax. A hatch of new tunes by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel are featured in “Stolen Harmony.” which presents Grace Bradley and Iris Adrian in tlie supporting cast. “SHE LOVES A UNIFORM ”

Damn i Runyon's “She Loves a Uniform,” as hilarious a comedy as has come io town in months, is at the Kosv 'theatre. A hr illianby-tokl story, acted ior all it was worth by an extremely callable cast, it should draw capacity audi ences during the remainder of its run. “She Lines a Uniform” is the story of a flighty young heiress with a pencil: nt tor uniforms. So fond :s she of any kind of uniform and the men who happen to he inside them that her father is com iiually buying off ushers, policemen and Juts drivers to keep them from marrying into tho family. All goes well until a character bearing the typed Damon Runyon name, ‘‘Georgia the Gigolo,” hears about the girl. Sensing the opportunity to annex a fortune easily, he buys a uniiorin and enters the list. The young lady is properly impressed hut her father lakes a hand by cutting her olf . without a p.nny. So Georgia leaves her to the tender merc : es of four cronies, all rultnuis from the shady side of Broadway. MAYFAIR. “MANHATTAN MELODRAMA.” Moving with dramatic power through a series of unusual situations. “Manhattan Melodrama” opens to-night at the Mayfair Theatre to take its place among the hit pictures of the year. Clark Gable,' William I’owoll and Myrna Loy are the stars. From the opening scene, (lie picture is absorbing entertainment. One of the most thrilling scenes ever filmed is tlie prologue which re-enacts the fire and panic aboard the excursion steamer General 'Slocum in New York harhom in 1904 —a tragedy in which more than 1000 wove killed. Out of this horror emerges Bhickie Gallagher, played by Clark Gable, and Jim Wade,, played by l’owell. They are reared together by a kindly ■ old man whose son perished in the Slocum disaster. They are fast friends, inseparable. Their friendship endures through the intervening years, and in early middle age Gable is. a _ big-shot gambler, a- powerful and dramatic figure of the city's night life. Rowell, siill his friend, is 'the district attorney. Between them, a New York playgirl, who loves them both, is Myrna Loy. Out of this strange set of eircnniiJanccs rentes the body of the story —a plot which never lack's for dramatic moments. and suspense. Rowell is called upon lo sacrifice his career, be false to his oath of ofliee, or to demand the legal execution of his friend. And Gable's final scenes will not soon lie forgotten. It is probably Gables finest performance since “A Free Soul, ' and is somewhat reminiscent of those characterisations in which lie made bis first great successes. Rowell was never more convincing than as the district attorney, ambitious for further political honours, yet torn between love and duty. The picture marks his first appearance for the Mctro-Goldwyn-Mayer company, which produced the picture. Noteworthy also, is Miss Loy's performance as Eleanor. who loves both men hut marries Rowell. Ihe picture marks her elevation lo stardom, and it is M oil deserved: she plays the role with feeling anil believable naturalness. Of the supporting east, c-pccial mention is due Nat Pendleton as Gable's dumb but willing assistant raeketeer: Isabel Jewel], as his sweetheart; Leo Carrillo, as the kindly, tin ilersfanding priest, and Muriel Evans, as a Broadway showgirl to whom Gable turns when Mbs Loy goes out of his life. George Sidney, as the old man who rears the boys, does an outstanding bit of work. The stars as youngsters ate portrayed cleverly by Miekv Roonev and Jimmy Bet. lor. “Manhattan Melodrama'’ is ,-»tothcr feather in the cap of V • S. Van Dyke, who gave the screen, “Prizefighter anil the Lady.” “Eskimo, “Trader Horn" and other big successes.