FILM AND STAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 127, 30 April 1937, Page 10

FILM AND STAGE

Lavish Musical Drama. Set in the colourful background of New Orleans in the gay 70’s ‘.‘Rainbow on the River,” Bobby Breen’s new singing vehicle, offers , film patrons a lavish musical drama boasting a strong story plot, a fine cast, elaborate settings and a group of songs by the talented nine-year-old star. It commences a season at the State Theatre with a special session at 10.30 to-night. May Robson heads the supporting east of the young songster who sky-rocket-ed to fame in his (rebut picture, “Let’s Sing Again,” after having won wide popularity as Eddie Cantor’s radio protege. Charles Butterworth, Louise Beavers, Alan Mowbray, Benita Hume,

Clever Plot. “A stage play plot and character tailor-made for Kay Francis, and peculiarly adaptable to the screen, which should make it vastly more effective, even; than the New York stage presentation.” That was the report submitted on Jay Mallory’s stage

Marilyn Knowlden and Henry O’Neill essay important roles. More than a thousand players appear in the several spectacular sequences. Adapted from the novel, “Toinette’s Philip” by Mrs C. V. Jamison, the screen play present® young Bobby as a winsome waif raised in the southland ,by a devoted negro servant, Louise Beavers, until

play, “Sweet Aloes,” which comes to the Regent Theatre to-morrow under the saiho title. When studio experts read the play in manuscript the meaning of ,tlie theatre scout’s report became instantly apparent. Only ono major role seemed to present great difficulties in the casting. It was not the starring, central part, naturally; that

he is taken away to live in New York with a wealthy Yankee gratidmother. May Robson. In this strange environment Bobby yearns for the coloured mammy and tho simple life they led in their humble cabin. Because of her hatred of the South, inspired by tho loss of a Confederate son who died, in the Civil War, the cold-liearted

was for Miss Francis. Rut throughout the story runs one of tho most remarkable feminine characters ever created, that of Rosalind, invalid wife of the man in love with Miss Francis. And after adopting as her own, the child of her rival, at last she meets and becomes friendly with that rival, after the latter, Miss Francis, has met

grandmother is reluctant to claim the southern lad as kin. Bobby, ‘however, finally melts her heart with his. enchanting voice while innocently revealing his loneliness by singing those songs whiih endeared him in the hearts of liis southern friends and playmates. Powerful Theme. Patric Knowles, handsome young British stage and screen actor, plays opposite Kay Francis in the production, “Sweet Aloes,” which comes to the Regent Theatre to-morrow. Helen Flint aiso has an important role. “Sweet Aloes” is a powerful .drama ol mother love and sacrifice, taken from, the play by Jay Mallory. Besides Miss Francis and Miss Flint the ■ cast includes George Brent, Roland Young, Henry Stephenson, and Frieda Inescort. Joseph Schilkraut will have the role of Dreyfus in “The Story of Emile Zola,” starring Paul Muni. Bernard Shaw’s • “Heartbreak House” has been revived in London, with Cecil Trouncer as Shotover. Gloria Swanson is being tested for a leading role in “The Emperor’s Candlesticks,” ,in which William Powell will star. W. S. Van Dyke.has been given a new long-term contract. He is at present directing Spencer Tracy, Franehot Tone and Gladys George in “They Gave Him a Gun.” J. C. Williamson, Ltd., and J. N. Tait have engaged George Gee, Percy Lefre, and Miss Valerie Hay to. appear in the musical comedies, “Swing Along” and “Over She Goes,” in Australia. They will leave England on. the Strathliaver, on May 14, and will open the season in Melbourne on July 10.

another man Brent, and married him. This-part called for a woman of great charm, evident intelligence ; a thorough and convincing lady and at the same time a great actress. Frieda Inescort, daughter of the great English actress Elaine Inescort, was selected. Bing Crosby’s next picture will be “Double or Nothing.”

Drama of Seventies. The tragic aftermath of war is vividly reflected in the lives of the characters airpearing in Bobby Breen’s current starring picture, “Rainbow on the River,” which begins its season at the State Theatre at 10.30 to-night. The dramatic musical film is laid in the period directly following the American Civil War, when the strife-torn South was courageously undergoing rehabilitation. Against this background is painted a heart-touching picture of a young orphan boy. An old coloured mammy takes the child under her care and brings it up ill a simple, yet care-free life. Gifted with a natural and remarkable singing voice, the lad merrily sings his way into the hearts of all until a sudden turn of events drags him from the side of the faithful servant to place him in the inhospitable atmosphere of a stern grandmother’s mansion in the North. But his enchanting voice and personality finally win the old woman’s affection, and he establishes a link of friendship between his Yankee and Southern benefactors. A Celebrated Quartette. With so prepossessing an array of talent at its disposal as that offered by the brilliant stella foursome of Jean Harlow, William Powell, Myrna Loy and Spencer Tracy, it was a foregone conclusion that “Libelled Lady” would be a picture far above ordinary standards. It comes to the Regent Theatre on Saturday. May 8. Played to the hilt by its celebrated personnel in roles which couldn’t have been more becoming if they had been made to order, directed with dash, spirit and unfolding a plot which keeps its audience constantly interested and amused. As its title indicates, the story of “Libelled Lady” concerns a <drl~who is put on the headlines and sues for damages—five million dollars worth, to be exact. It is this role which Miss Loy plays and, it is one of the best she has ever attempted. Miss Harlow is equally well cast as the sweetheart of the newspaper’s managing editor, Spencer Tracy, while Powell has a humour-packed characterisation as the suave star reporter hired to block the libel suit. Comedy And Excitement. Romance, comedy and exciting melodrama provide the backdrop for Alary Astor’s starring debut in the title role of “Lady from Nowhere,” which will open at the Kosy Theatre to-morrow. This film marks Miss Astor’s first important starring role following her remarkable performance in “Doasworth.” Opposite Miss Astor in the leading male role is Charles Quigley, a new screen “find.” Others in the cast are Thurston Hall, Rita La Roy, Norman Willis, Gene Morgan, Victor Kilian and Spencer Charters. The story concerns a pretty manicurist who is witness to a gangland murder and as a result has to flee for her life. She lands in a small town and is taken in, charge by a local reporter. She tells him she is an heiress who has run away to escape an unpleasant marriage. Things begin to pop', when the gangsters, tlje real heiress’s father and the police all converge on the town. The Lawless West. “Calamity Jane,” famous frontierwoman of the early ’7o’s, joins the glamorous array of gorgeous women who made history, and whose lives were glorified in “The Plainsman,” a saga of the West, which comes soon to the State Theatre. “Calamity” packed a pair of six-guns like the best of them and handled a six-horse stagecoach over what then passed for roads in the W r est. “Calamity Jane” is played by beautiful Jean Arthur, and it is her romance with “Wild Bill” Hickok, famous peace officer in the lawless wild, portrayed by Gary Cooper, which forms the basis of the broad and sweeping film of America in the making. It has been ascertained that “Calamity Jane” received her name from a troop of soldiers who found her as a babe, beside her dead parents after an Indian massacre —a true child of calamity. A real product of the West, she was “tough and hard-boiled” only in the sense that all women of the west were hardened to suffering and toil. In this she was the typical woman of the West and is thus glorified by DeMille

Jane Withers's next film, ‘'‘Angel’s Holiday,” will also have Robert Kent and Frances Drake as principals. 1 Title changes are: “Satisfaction Guaranteed” -to “Too Many Wives” ; “Skidding” to “I Stand Accused.” Sa.rah Gertrude Millin, the South African authoress, has refused to allow Hollywood companies to film her biography of General Smuts. She claims that they take too many liberties with history. Dorothy Lamour. who made her debut in “Jungle Princess,” will bs starred for the first time in “Artists and Models.” Jack Benny has the masculine Dad.

Cecil Kelleway. the stage comedian who has accepted an offer from one of the leading American film companies to go to Hollywood under a year’s contract, told a Sydney pressman that he did not know exactly when he would leave Australia. It would certainly not he until August because he had committed himself to Messrs J. C. Williamson, Ltd., until then. “On Your Toes,” an American musical comedy which was recently withdrawn from the Palace Theatre, London, cost its backers £IO,OOO for a run of six weeks. “It cost about £OOOO to put on,” said Mr Lee Ephraim, who presented the show. “The remaining £4OOO was lost during the run. We needed to take £2400 a week to make it pay.” Mr Ephraim said that he ranked it the best of all the shows he had put on.

New A'ork Melodrama. The popular Irish film star, Pat O’Brien, lias the title role in “The Great O’Malley,” a melodrama of life in the colourful East Side of New York. In the film, which will begin on Saturday at the Mayfair Theatre, O’Brien plays the part of a hardheaded “hard-boiled” policeman, who is guided in everything by liis rule book. Then lie meets a little cripple girl and a school teacher who, between them, manage to humanise him. Tho setting of the East Side of New York is particularly impressive. A seven-year-old South African, Sybil Jason, plays the part of the cripple girl, who wins her way into the heart of tho policeman. Ann Sheridan, who at the age of twenty-one is appearing in her second big role, plays opposite O’Brien. Humphrey Bogart, the screen’s ace “bad man,” is the villain

were the air manoeuvres in which Ace Drummond tries every known flying trick to dodge a squadron of attacking ’planes. It is a high point in the chapter play- which is showing at the Kosy to-morrow. She enjoyed her busman’s holiday, witnessing thrills which have since then made their way to the screen. During the flying stunts she displayed much enthusiasm.

The actual filming of “A Star is Born,” the teclinicolour production, co-starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, lias been completed, and the picture is uow being cut and edited.

Shakespeare’s play, “A Merchant of Venice,” was staged by the Canterbury Women’s Club at Christchurch, recently. Bonita Granville has been given a part in “Zola” as a little English girl who befriends tho author during his troubles. Dick Powell has just played in “On the Avenue,” an important musical film, with Madeleine Carroll. Now lie is busy on the picture scheduled for him before he married Joan Blondell, “The Singing Marine.” Hugh Herbert, Doris Weston, Allen Jenkins, Jessie Ralph and Joseph Crehan are in the cast. Charles Boyer and Jean Arthur come to the screen in “History is Made at Night.” This smart, fastpaced romance casts Boyer in a totally new type of role as Paul Dumond, dashing man-about-town and the most popular head waiter on the Continent, while Jean Arthur is seen as a lovely New York mannequin. They meet in Paris under thrilling circumstances. Leo Carrillo and Colin Clive are featured in the supporting cast, which also includes Ivan Lebedeff, George Meeker, Lucian Prival, Georges Renavent and others.

A Simple Romance. "The Mighty Treve/’. which opens at the Kosy Theatre with a special session at 10.30 to-night; is a dramtic story in a simple, forceful- direct manner. It is based on a novel, “Treve,” from the brilliant- pen of Albert Paysou Terhune. in this offering Noah Beery, junr., portrays a young fellow who meets terriffic obstacles when he is suddenly compelled to make his own way'in the world. During his adventures he meets a beautiful young girl, played by Barbara Reid, who becomes interested in him romantically. Noah owns a sheep dog, Treve, and Barbara's uncle has' a sheep ranch. That would seem to make everything wonderful, but Uncle is obsessed with the fear of dogs. He • orders Noah and Treve off his ranch. The dog later saves Uncle’s life, rounds up flocks of lost sheep and, for good measure, wins prizes at a dog

of the piece, and the conflict between show. Further trouble follows when all him and O’Malley provides tho spice the sheep owners accuse Treve of beof the film. A new actress, Frieda ing a sheep killer and want to execute Inescourt, after a successful stage him. How Noah saves his dog, wins the career, acquits herself well in one of j admiration of tho uncle and the love the minor roles. lof the girl, provides an interesting Adventures In The Air. j climax to the story. When the world’s most noted avia-I Thrills In Drama, trix drives miles on a hot day to see | Right before one’s eyes one sees tho a movie company making aeroplane j vengeance of a maniac and the wreck scenes, that should be news. Mrs lof a submarine. Then the drama of Amelia Earliart Putnam, hearing that | trapped men, and finally the thrill of a spectacular aeroplane sequence was ' modern science in their escape. A cornbeing filmed for Eddie Rickenbacker’s [ bination of studio sets, and the use “Ace Drummond,” drove out to a re-j of a diving bell taking scenes of men mote section of the San Fernando Val- leaving a submarine in practice, make ley to watch the ’planes go through | a thrill that has never before been their paces. The scenes being made equalled on the screen. Patrons see

the men trapped in a crippled submarine, their frenzy of the moment, and then the calm organised preparation for the escape. At the same time, the drama of an absorbing story adds to the thrills. Those who see it and marvel at the achievement of modern science, see it and thrill to the gripping drama as played in “Devil and the Deep’’ by Gary Cooper, Tallulah Bankhead Charles Laughton, the new English character actor and Cary Grant. It is the attraction at the Mayfair Theatre next Wednesday. An excellent programme, including news, comedy, and novelty will appear in support of “Devil and the Deep.”

“Call It a Day ” a comedy by Dodie Smith, was ' read by the W.E.A. at Invercargill recently.

“The Squeaker,” an exciting play by the late Edgar Wallace, has been revived very successfully in London. Ruby Keeler is to he starred in “Broadway Mutineers,” a musical film to he supervised by her husband, AI Jolson. Jane Darwell lias been assigned an important character role in “Slave Ship,” co-starring Wallace Beery and Warner Baxter. The supporting cast includes Elizabeth Allan, Mickey Rooney. George Sanders, and Minna Gombell. Charles Laughton and Erich Pommer have joined forces in organising an independent British company which will make lour pictures a year. Laughtoil will star in two of them. The new company, which is as yet without a name, will start production when Laughton’s contract with Alexander Korda expires upon completion of “I, Claudius.” The Laiigliton-Poinmer films will he made at the Denham Studios, where Pommer recently produced “Fire Over England” and “Troopship.”