ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 154, 1 June 1937, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. “BORN TO DANCE.” “Born to Dance,” the eagerly-awaited • smash musical suceccssor to “Broadway Melody of 1936,”’ with Eleanor Powell, “Queen of Taps,” in the stellar role surrounded by practically all of the stars and the executive, production and technical crew of the earlier hit, conics to the Regent screen tonight as one of the outstanding pictures on the new Mctro-Goldwyn-Maycr schedule. Two favourito's not seen in the previous musical are featured ifi “Born to Dance’” in the persons cf tho jaunty James Stewart, who plays .Miss Powell’s leading ntan, and lovely Virginia Bruce, making Iter first appearance since her huge success in “The Great Zicgfcld.” Familiar faces from “Broadway Melody” who sing and dance their way through “Born to Dance” include Una Merkel and Sid Silvers, now recognised as otto of the screen’s most hilarious comedy teams. Frances Langford, of radio fame, and tho long-legged Buddy Ebscn. The 'musical hits from “Born to Dance” were written by Colo Porter, known as the most sophisticated composer and lyricist in America. “Born to Dance” is a picture with a navy background and a swift, delightful story by .Jack McGowan, Sid Silvers and Buddy do Sylva. There is a lively plot—but this brilliant group of players gives you the story largely in music and dancing and laughter. Folks, you’ll love it —at the Regent Theatre to-day. STATE THEATRE. “CAN THIS BE DIXIE?” Laughs from the land of cotton, songs with Southern charm and Harlem pop and romance under the moonlight and magnolias highlight Jane Withers’ hilarious and tuneful Twentieth Century-Fox triumph, “Can This Be Dixie?” screening at the State Theatre to-nglit in conjunction with the Coronation film. With the irrepressible, peppery and ever dramatic Jane demonstrating her versatility and winning new laurels in a picture that surpasses even the best of her past hits, tho flint is a combination of hilarious fun, lilting music, fast-moving dances and rollicking comedy and the fun really shines all the time. Slim Summerville heads the outstanding cast and the picture opens with Slim and his niece, Jane, putting o.i a medicine show for the darkies on Claude Gillngwater’s run-down plantation. They are selling a hair-straightener which goes over big, but tho darkies have no money with which to purchase it. Gillingwater saves Slim and Jane trom the sheriff and they, in turn, save.him from Donald Cook, who holds a mortgage 0:1 the plantation which he threatens to foreclose unless Helen W’ood, Gillingwatcr’s grand-daugh-ter. marries him. There on the scene Thomas Beck, a young Northern lawyer, and he and Helen go for each other in a big wa. Gillingwater expects to recoup his fallen fortunes by winning (ho fortcoining 50,000-dollar Derby with his racehorse. Stonewall Jackson, But Cook orders the sheriff to attach the horse, Jane persuades Slim to draw a phoney cheque on the “Bank of England” for a supposed interest in the horse, which Cook accepts. In order to raise money to cover the cheque Jane takes tho plantation darkies to. New York where they click on an amateur programme. In the meantime Helen despairingly agrees to marry C'ook and the ceremony lias started when Jane rushes in with the money to cover the cheque. Beck replaces Cook as the bridegroom.