ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 69, 22 February 1937, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

STATE THEATRE. “THE TEXAS RANGERS.” Action, drama, romance, comedy and melody have been skilfully -worked into a magnificent screen achievement in King Vidor’s Paramount picture. “The Texas Rangers,” showing to-night at the State Theatre. Presented by a cast headed by Fred Mac Murray and the wise-cracking Jack Oakie, the film lifts a page from tho history of the groat organisation which rnado Texas safe for pioneers, and combines it with a love story unusual in its charm. Jean Parker, young star who captured tho movie public with her work in “Little Women” and “Sequoia,” holds the feminine lead role of the Ranger unit which Mac Murray and Oakie join. Though almost incidental to the sweeping theme of the plot, her romance with Mac Murray is presented movingly and sincerely. The plot of “The Texas Rangers” revolves about the adventures of Mac Murray and Oakie after they have joined the early Teaxs organisation of peace officers and are thrown into opposition with their friend of former outlaw days, Nolan. Battles of the Rangers in carrying out their oath to “drive out hostile Indians, stop feuds, destroy cattle and horse thieves, gangs of stage and train robbers, kill or capture murderers, and make Texas a reasonably safe place in which to live” are shown in tho course of the story. One of the most thrilling scenes is the final war of Rangers and marauding Indians, which led to complete submission of tho wild Southwestern tribes. Hundreds of “extra” actors, Rangers. and Indians took part in the filming. Edward Ellis gives an outstanding performance as tho leader of the Rangers unit, and Bonnio Bartlett convinces as the orphaned son of a pioneer family slain by Indians. Elena Martinez, Frank Shannon and a score of skilled players buck up the principals. REGENT THEATRE. “THE GREAT ZIEGFELD.” In “The Great Ziegfeld” motion pictures lia\o picked up die torch where the late Florenz Ziegfeld laid it down and have succeeded in out-Zicgfeldmg the great Ziegfeld himself. “The Great Ziegield,” screening to-night at the Rogoiit Theatre, has everything that a great musical picture should have. It has, in the life ot Ziegfeld, a most gripping anu perfect dramatic story. In its 'musical numbers, never before produced on such a scale ot grandeur, it fias many of the most dazzling scenes ever seon in pictures. In entertainment alone it is unexcelled. First, there are William Powell and Ziegfeld, Myrna Loy as Billie Burke, and Buise Rainer as Anna Held. Then there aro Virginia Bruce as Ziegfeld's greatest glorified modern girl, !' rank Morgan as his rival produecr, Nat Pendleton as Sandow, Reginald Ovvon as Ziggy’s manager, Fannie Brice as herself, Ray Bolger and his amazing dancing feet. Harriet Doctor, and hordes of the most beautiful girls ever to smile at you from the screen. The story opens in Ziegfeld’s youth in the dazzling Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. It progresses as Ziegield himself progressed, amassing fortunes, to lose them and build other fortunes. But always in the foreground are the spectacular Ziegfeld productions and his amazingly beautiful showgirls. The dance numbers never before have been equalled. The direction of Robert Z. Leonard places him among the kings of directors and the photography by Ollie Marsh and George Eolsey is an historic masterpiece.