ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 304, 23 November 1937, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. “I MET HIM IN PARIS.” Girl meets boys, l and so begins one of tho yeur’e most uproarious comedyromances, Paramount’s “I Met Him in Paris”—which stars Claudette Colbert in the type of role which she made famous in her two previous smash comedy hits, “It Happened One Night” and “The Bride Comes Home.” “I Met Him in Paris,” which also features Melvyn Douglas and Robert Young, screens finally to-night at the Regent theatre. In “I Met Him in Paris,” Miss ■ Colbert, a young American girl on a vacation in the French capital, runs into two handsome,' romantic fellowcountrymen, Douglas and Young. Both go overboard for the lovely brunette, and each stages his own idea of a whirlwind courtship, which he is so certain will sweep her off her feet. Miss Colbert “fulls’’ for both, but can’t get around to making up her mind which style of courtship she prefers —Douglas’s cool, matter-of-fact, never-speak-of-love technique, or Young’s impetuous affection. This romantic runaround carries tho trio from Paris to St. Moritz, winter capital of the Sjwiss Alps, where the romantic sweepstakes continue amid glorious settings of ski-ing, skating, an'd sledding. Again Miss Colbert is forced to flee from her impetuous suitors, hack to the comparative safety of Paris, where she finally turns the tables on both in an hilarious wind-up “I Met Him in Paris” has all tho elements that make for real /entertainment—a.- clever and humorous story, an excellent cast, first-rate direction by Wesley Rugglos, and magnificent scenic backgrounds, particularly in the rugged winter sports sequences. Ably insisting the principals are Mona Barrie, Lee Bowman, George Davis and Alexander Cross. STATE THEATRE. “lIIS AFFAIR.” Two great stars, Robert. Taylor and Barbara Stanwyck, achieve their , true greatness together in “llis Affair.” at the State Theatre finally to-night. That they should do so is nqt exactly surprising, for Twentieth Cen-tury-Fox, producers of tho picture, the picture the world is talking about, liavo cast as co-stars the screen’s most ialkedahout, real-life sweethearts, regarded ill Hollywood as the film colony’s No. 1 offscreen romance. In “His Affair” both. Taylor and Miss Stanwyck find the most important story either one has ever had, a dramatic account of a love supremely courageous and unashamed, endangering the nation’s highest places and gambling life itself for a higher stake. The exciting events of “His Affair” take place at the turn of the century, when the stability of the nation is threatened by an unprecedented series of sensational bank robberies in the Middle West. In a desperate move, President William McKinley calls upon a young lieutenant, Robert Taylor, who has had a brilliant record under Admiral Dewey. Sworn to 6ccrecy, Tavlor is instructed to disgrace himself in the Navy, to be discharged, and eventually to find his way to the bank robbers. Information turned up is to be forwarded to the Presi.lent in a specially marked envelope which will immediately bo brought to him unopened. No one, not even Admiral Dewey or the head of the Secret Service, is told of the plan. In a mid-Western city known as a criminal centre, Taylor meets a cafe owner. Victor McLaglon; his righthand man, Brian Donlcvcy, and the singing and dancing star of the show, Barbara Stanwyck. Hearing that the men have come into large sums of money through mysterious . channels, Ta}-lor _ notes thattheir absence from the cafe coincides with a bank robbery in another city. Pressing his attentions oil Barbara, to gain entry to tho gang, Taylor falls deeply in love with her, but goes through with his plan. Events mount thrillingly to a dramatic climax which finds Taylor apparently doomed to hanging when, captured with the gang during a bank robbery in which a Secret Service man is killed,- ho learns that the one man who could clear him, President McKinley, . has just been assassinated. The ■ strong supporting , cast includes Sidney Blackmer, John Carradinc, Alan Dinchart, Douglas Fowley, Robert McWadc. Frank Com-ay and Sig Rumann. Darryl F. Zanuck, vice-president in charge of production at Twentieth .Century-Fox, chose William A. Sciter to direct the original screen play by Allen Rivkin and Lamar Trotti. Kenneth Macgowan was associate producer, and Mack Gordon and _in-ry Revel wrote tho music and lyrics tor the three atmospheric songs in the film.

MAYFAIR THEATRE. “A SOUTHERN MAID.” “A Southern Maid,” radiantly beautiful daughter of Sunny Spain, will captivate your heart and set your pukes beating to a gay rhythm of melody and romance. Fiesta scenes, vivid and picturesque; gay romantic sequences afloat, and a story of a runaway love match form a spectaculai background for tho lovely Bebe Daniels, who plays the titlo role in A. Southern Maid,” British International Pictures elaborate picturisation of the world-fam-ous musical comedy romance, at the Mayfair to-morrow. While the world at largo has dropped to old conventions concerning love and marriage in the South American . State of San Giorgio, fathers still arrange their daughter's marriages, and young Jack Rawdon, who has followed the beautiful Dolores all the way to her homeland, finds it hard to behe\e that she was unaware of her parents intentions towards a certain Francesco, superb but impoverished grandee. lhe course of true love does not run smooth, but it eventually “finds a way,’ and a ghost looms up from the past to help the young lovers to happiness. Supporting Bebe Daniels, who is, of course, the "lorious Dolores, is Britain’s stage favourite, Clifford Mollison as Jack, a ro e which eminently suits his inimitable cheery self; Harry Wolchman, who plays Francesco, who is deprived of the woman he loves by both father and son and Morris Harvey, as the martinet of a fath “IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT.” Theatregoers have been waiting with keen delight for the revival of It happened One Night,” which screens at the Mayfair to-morrow. Recognised as one of the finest comedies in years, it stars Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. It tolls tho story v of a young newspaperman, en route from Maimi to New York by bus. One tho road he recognises Ellen Andrews—a runaway heiress—for whose return her falher has offered a huge reward. The girl is totally spoiled and unab’o to care for horsolf so he takes her under his wing, protects her from would-be-sheiks and bluffs off others intent on securing the reward. He treats the girl wi'h indifference, tells her she is spoilt, worthless and helpless but nevertheless assists in taking her to her newlyacquired husband in New York. They lose baggage and money, and are forced to proceed on foot—sleeping in haystacks and pawning their belongings to- provide meals. They fall in love, of course, but that’s the rest of the story.