ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 48, 25 January 1939, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. “LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY.” “In Love Finds Andy Hardy,’’ screening 10-night at the Regent, the Judge Hardy Family creates alternately humorous and dramatic episodes from the file ol a typical American family. “Love Finds Andy Hardy” has youthful charm, exuberance and scintillating .moments of high comedy. The fourth episode in the life of the Hardy Family is by far the most amusing and entertaining to date. Once more it affords the family, consisting ot Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden arid Betty Ro.-s Clarke with every opportunity for capitalising on the homespun drama of everyday life. In addition, Judy Garland makes her appeal ance us one of Mickey’s three girl friends. In one climatic scene, she grows up for a night, attends the big dance of the year with Mickey anil takes it over with her rendition of three new songs. Mickey Rooney again proves himself one of the most versatile actors on the screen with a characterisation surpassing his host previous efforts. 1 .1 v, is Stone is superb as the head of the “iiiiilv, handling his role adroitly and wuh an innate understanding of the problems of family life. 'Hie stor\ centres around a second-hand ear purchased by Mickey without his father’s knowledge. In order to pay for the ear he becomes entangled in a series of puppy love aft airs that are at once ludicrous and tragic. With the aid of Judy, lie extricates himself fiom a seemingly hopeless dilemma, makes a triumphant appearance at the big dance of the year, and brings forth some of the most spontaneous laughter heard in many a moon. _ ~ ~ As usual with a Mctro-Goldwyn-Maycr programme, the featurctUs that \sill he shown with ibis lealure, arc of an outstanding nature.

MAYFAIR THEATRE. “HOLD THAT KISS.” “Hold That Kiss,” with Maureen O'Sullivan, Dennis O'Keefe and Mickey Roe.no>, provides a mixture of hilarity, romance and intimate hitman touches ai the AJaynui Thiairo to-muhi. i lie ei.me.lv ■ •■■ ■ of smart Now York society presents O’Keefe, Hollywood's latest discovery m romantic leading men, in his first role as_ a modern young American, following lus introduction as a Western hero opposiie Virginia Bruce' in “Bad Mail of Brimstone. Dcftlv directed by Edwin L. Marin, ot “Everybody Sing” fame, the story rcvo.vcs around a clerk and a shop-girl who mistake each other for social celebrities, anil their comical trials and mishaps in trying to keep up their deception. Mickey Rooney plays the heroine's young brother who between his clarinet-playing and threats to expose her secret adds tribulations galore to her life until a dinner party in a fashionable apartment borrowed lor the occasion clears up the deception and a humorous climax clears the path of true love Miss O’Sullivan is charming in her novel black and white wardrobe; O’Keefe is romantically dashing, George Barbier provides comedy as the eccentric millionaire, Jessie Ralph plays an amusing Aunt, and hay Holden Frank Albertson, Phillip Jerry. Edward S. Bropliv, Ruth Hussey, Charles Jndels and Barnett Parker are adequate principals. “Buck,” St. Bernard dog of “Gall of the Wild,” proves an cflectivc canine comedian. The second attraction is I hat funny pair again, Laurel and Hardy in “Beau Ilunks.”

KOSY THEATRE. “PRIVATE NUMBER.” What chance has love between a millionaire’s son and a personal maid? 'Jhats the romantic question propounded in the Fox hit, “Private Number,” showing tonight at the Kosy Theatre with Robert Taylor and Loretta Young starred together for the first time as a screen loveloam. Filled with youthful love-making, gay romancing, and vivid drama highlighted with hilarious comedy by the irrepressible Patsy Kelly, “Private Number is said to be the year’s outstanding romantic hit. Robert Taylor, only son of the wealthy Winfield family, returns home from college and mistakes Loretta Young, his mother’s maid, for a house guest. 11c refuses to permit her to explain her situation and this first chance meeting is the keystone of a romance which culminates when the family go to Maine for the summer. Miss \oung has accompanied Mrs Winfield, and the small confines of the summer resort result in Taylor anu the girl lieing thrown together constant, ly. One moonlit night, while riding in 'J aylor’s motor-boat, they decide to get married. Loretta refuses to admit her husband’s name but tbc marriage is revealed by Pal-sv Kelly. The Winfields are astounded at this revelation and Ralhhone easily persuades them that Miss Young i„ just a gold digger. Taylor returns from college to find hi? wife gone. In desperation, she left the Winfield household and had her baby secretly. “WHITE FANG.”

A woman's love wars against tbc ruthless law of the wild in “White l'ang,’ Jack London’s thrilling sequel to his “Gall of the Wild,” second attraction at the Kosy Theatre.