ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 71, 23 February 1937, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. “THE GREAT ZIEGFELD.” In “The Great Ziegfeld” motion pictures have picked up the torch where tho late Ziegfold laid it down and have succeeded in out-Ziegfelding the greut Ziegfeld himself. “The Great Ziegfeld,” screening to-night at tho Regent Theatre, has everything that a great musical picturo should have. It has, in the life ot Ziegfeld, a most gripping anu perfect dramatic story. In its musical numbers novor beforo produced on such a scale of grandeur, it has many of the most dazzling scenes ever seen in pictures. In entertainment alono it is unexcelled. First, there are William Powell and Ziegfeld, Myrna Loy as Billie Burke, ' and Luise Rainer as Anna Held. Then there are Virginia Bruco as Ziegfeld’s greatest glorified modern girl, Frank Morgan as his rival produecr, Nat Pendleton as Sandow, Reginald Owen ns Ziggy’s manager, F’annie Brice ns herself, Ray Bolger and his amazing dancing feet, Harriet Hoctor, 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 Ziegfeld himself progressed, amassing fortunes, to lose them and build other fortunes. But always in tho 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 tho kings of directors and the photography by Ollie Marsh and George Folsey is an historic masterpiece.

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 F'rcd Mac Murray and the wise-cracking Jack Oakie, the film lifts a page from tho history of the great organisation which made Texas safe for pioneers, and combines it with a lore 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 “Tho 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 “drivo 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” arc shown in the 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 the wild Southwestern tribes. Hundreds of “extra” actors, Rangers and Indians took part in tho filming. Edward Ellis gives an outstanding performance as the leader of tho Rangers unit, and Bennie Bartlett convinces as tho orphaned son of a pioneer family slain by Indians. Elena Martinez, Frank Shannon and a score of skilled players buck up tho principals.