ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 198, 22 July 1937, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. “LAST OF MRS CHEYNEY.” “The Last of Mrs Chevnoy” screening at tho Regent Theatre to-night brings togothcr for tho first time three stars who, singly, havo recently contributed to the screen throo of tho year’s most successful and outstanding pioturcs. Joan Crawford, direct from “The Gorgeous Hussy’’; William Powell, from “After the Thin Mao”; Robert Montgomery, whose “Pictad illy Jim” still remains one of the high spots of 1936 screen entertainment. To thia triple-star cast Mctro-Goldwyn-Mayer also has added an outstanding supporting cast that includos Frank Morgan, Jessie Ralph, Nigel Bruce, Colleen Clare, Benita Hume, Ralph For bee, Aileon Pringle and Melville Cooper. Lawrence Wcingarten, who was at the producer's holm on “Libelled Lady,” is fhe producer of the now picture. Basod upon tho famous Frederic Lonsdalo play of a fow years ago, Leon Gordon, Samson Raphaelson and Monckton Hoffc completely modernised the story with a deft adaptation that promises to establish the screen version as an outstanding riot of laughter and complicated situations. To Miss Crawford falls the title rolo of the lovely American woman in whose hands gullible English socialities bocorao easy victims of a plot to trick them out of a fortune of jewels. William Powell, as Mrs Choyney’s butler, Charles, is revealed as the brains of the group of international thieves, Montgomery appears as romaniic young I<ord Billing who uncovers tho plot to fleece his British friends and who learns the true character of Mrs Cheyney when she chooses exposure as a thief rather than submit to bus amorous advances. Frank Morgan is scon ns Lord Kelton and other assistants in weaving the hilarious plot are Miss Bruce, as tho Duchess of Ebley; Nigel Bruce, as Lord Wynton; Benita Hume, as Lady Wynton; Rulph Forties, as Cousin .John: and Lumsdon Hare, as Inspector Mitherspoon. Adrian designed new and startling costumes for Miss Crawford whicli promise to set the fashion world agog, and Cedric Gibbons and his assistants provided some of the most lavish settings yet to be seen on the screen.

STATE THEATRE. RACING LADY.” A drama of the turf, “Racing Lady,” which drives home the moral that too much emphasis is laid on winning and too little on the way the game is played, is showing to-night at tho State Theatre Ann Dvorak, Smith Ballew and Harry Carey are co-featured in" the thrilling screen play of tho race track. Smith Bal.ew plays a liandsome financier who manufactures automobiles and deals in the “sport of kings” merely as a publicity aid to ins business ventures. He hires u girl trainer, Ann Dvorak and temporarily converts her to tlie doctrine that “winning” is tho only thing worth while. But her father, Harry Carey, a veteran horse breeder, lias so inculcated in her the principles of fair play, that slio finally rebels at her employer’s philosophy. The principals are supported by an exceptionally strong cast, including Frank M Thomas,. Berton Churchill, Ray Thomas, Hattie McDaniels, Willie Best, Harry Jans and Lew Payton. “THE PLOT THICKENS.” Revolving about the activities of an international gang of jewel thieves and two mysterious and seemingly unrelated murders, RKO Radio’s “Tho Plot Thickens,” which is tlie associate feature at the State Theatre to-night, offers considerably more suspense and complication than its predecessors in tlie popular Inspector PiporHildegarde Withers series or Stuart Palmer comedy-mysteries!” Tlie new offering again presents Jumes Gleason as tlie redoubtable inspector, but lias a new “I-lil-degardo” in the person of Zasu Pitts, whoso fluttery stylo of mirth-making adds greatly to tho laughter of tlie film. Screen fans will recall that Edna May Olivor and Helen Broderick severally enacted Gleason’s unofficial assistant in the earlier pictures of the series. Due to ingenious weaving of tho plot, tho deaths of a wealthy collector and a museum guard seem to offer no clues to the police, nor is there apparently any connection between them and tlie disappearance of tlie famous Cellini Cup from its case in the museum. But Hildcgarde's curiosity, and tlie energetic, if often mistaken, _ actions of tho inspector, finally bring to Jiglit the underlying motives of an organised gang of crooks who are responsible for both killings. An important romantic element is also contained in tho story, with two youngsters who arc having a lovers’ quarrel finding themselves innocently involved in one of tlie murders, thus adding to the baffling list of suspects in the double killing. So tangled are tho threads of the affair that not until tho very last scenes is tho mystery clcarod up by tlie detective duo.