ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 116, 17 April 1939, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

KOSY THEATRE. “PIRATES OF TIIE SKIES.” Fast action plnyod against a unique background, a novel love story and more than the ordinary quantity of thrills and suspense are the high-light features of Universal’s “Pirates of the Skies” now showing at the Kosy Theatre. Featuring Kent Taylor and Rochelle Hudson, the picture embraces the newest branch of the state law-enforcement deportments, the air police. Taylor is seen as a flying officer, an “air-copper ” The thrills and suspense arrive when lie unwittingly stumbles on the solution of many bold and mysterious robberies which have mystified the state police. Photographed over some of Ilic roughest terrain in Southern California, the Sierra Mail re Mountains, this picture features a spectacular air-combat. One of the ’planes used, a Lockheed Orion, with a top speed of 250 miles an hour, and boasting 450 horsepower in its single motor, is the ’plane which piloted by Paul Mantz, noled California, aviator, finished third in the recent Bendix race. The other, a Spartan, is the fastest type of passenger-carrying sports ’plane. In the supporting roles are seen Lucion Littlefield in an excellent characterisation as the chief of the outlaws, and Marion Martin, Stanley Andrews, Guy Usher and Regis Tuomey complete the roster of player*?. “GAMBUNG SHIP.”

Finding unlimited thrills beyond the three-mile limit, Universal’s “Gambling Ship,” which is now showing at the Kosy Theatre proves a timely and effective drama.

STATE THEATRE. “PYGMALION. The few who perchance have lingering doubts as to the genius of Mr George Bernard Shaw, critic, author, playwright, satirist, and most penetrating and amusing writer of dialogue should make point of seeing the screen version of his “Pygmalion,” for pictures of such quality are not produced every year. Those who have ail acquaintance with the play will not need to bo told that “Pygmalion ’ is an extremely entertaining document, but even such good folk, with all their devotion to Shaw as a playwright, will be stimulated by the manner in which the play comes to life on tlio screen: the faithfulness of its transformation; the vivid preservation of character, and tin* facile manner in which the subtleties of Shaw have l>con presented for the consumption of everyone. Pygmalior. of mythology fashioned a statue of his ideal woman so wonderfully that ho fell in love with it. and prayed the gods to breathe life into the marble. The gods were kind, and did so. Jhe ancient legend was transmuted into a farce under the title of “Niobe,” played with surpassing excellence by the Broughs some 40 years ago. Shaw made his theme one for an intensely human play, lie does not deal in wet clay or cold marble. Ihs Professor Higgins, crazy on phonetics and the dominating part speech plays in the social scale, seized upon Lliza Doolittle m tin; Covunt Garden markets for his raw material. Becoming interested in her raw Cockney dialect, lie wagers with his friend. Colonel Pickering, that within six months he would make her a duchess; meaning, of course, a person capable of associating with the higher strata of society.

MAYFAIR THEATRE. “A STAR IS BORN.” Screening to-night at the Mayfair Theatre is a short return season of easily the greatest teclmieolonr film yet to come to Palmerston North —namely. “A Star Is Horn,” starring .Janet Gaynor, hredne March, and co-starring Adolphe Menjou. May Robson, Andy Devine, Lionel Standcr. Now. for I lie first titiio, the emotionally thrilling truth about Hollywood is dramatically told in lliis unforgettable picture. Here is the Hollywood of fierce ambition—with all its bitterness and jealousy Here is the Hollywood of hilarious coinedv and mad talent. Step “behind the scenes."”—A United Artists re’.oaso. On iho same programme Mickey Mouse displays his adventures again in the colour cartoon, “Mickey’s Circus a great show for the whole family.