ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 49, 26 January 1939, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

MAYFAIR THEATRE. “HOLD THAT KISS." “Hold That Kiss," with Maureen O'Sullivan, Dennis O’Keefe and Mickey Rooney, provides a mixturo of hilarity, romance and intimate human touches at the Mayfair Theatre to-night. The comedy romance of smart New York society presents O’Keefe,. Hollywood’s latest discovery in romantic leading men, in his first role as a modern young American, following his introduction as a Western hero opposite Virginia Bruce in “Bad Alan of Brimstone.” Deftly directed by Edwin L. Marin, of “Everybody Sing" fame, the story revolves around a clerk and a shop-girl who mistake each other for social celebrities, and lltc-ir 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 for 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 l<’ay Holden, Frank Albertson, Phillip Terry, Edward S. Brophy, Ruth Ilusscy, Charles Judds and Barnett Barker are adequate principals. “Buck,” St. Bernard dog of “Call of the Wild,” proves an effective canine comedian. The second attraction is that funny pair again, Laurel and Hardy in “Beau Hunks.”

REGENT THEATRE. “LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY.” “In Love Finds Andy Hardy,” screening to-night at. the Regent, the Judge Hardy Family creates alternately humorous and dramatic episodes from the life of 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 of Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Cecilia Parker, Fay Holden and Betty Ross Clarke with every opportunity for capitalising on the homespun drama of everyday life. In addition, Judy Garland makes her appearance a 6 one of Mickey’s throe girl friends. In one climatic scene, she grows up for a night, attends the big dance of the year with Mickey and 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 best previous efforts. Lewis Stone is superb as the head of the family, handling his role adroitly and with an innate understanding of the problems of -family life. The story centres around a second-hand car purchased bv Mickey without his father’s knowledge. In order to pay for the car he become.-; entangled in a scries of puppy love affairs that are at once ludicrous and tragic. With the aid of Judy, he extricates himself from 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-Mayer programme, the feuiurettee that will be shown with this feature, arc of an outstanding nature.