FILM and STAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 96, 21 March 1940, Page 10

FILM and STAGE

Marx Bros. Laugh Hit. Jn the wildest and most uproarious comedy of tlieir careers, the Marx Bros, return to the screen after a year’s absence in “Marx Bros, at the Circus,” opening on Saturday at the Meteor Theatre. This time the Mad; Marxes invade the world of the Big Top for their riot of merriment and are assisted by the. strangest aggregation ever assembled for a carnival

of comedy. They include a gorilla., an Upside Down Girl, a Midget, the Strongest Man in the World, a trained seal, a symphony orchestra adritt on the ocean, a herd of elephants, African lions and lieautiful ballets that sing and dance atop of horses. “Marx Bros, at the Circus’’ is the story of two circus rouscabouts. Harpo and Chico, who engage a jobless lawyer, Groucho, to save Kenny Baker, circus owner, from losing his show. Through a series of typically Marxian hysterical Sequences, the show -is saved j Baker wins the love of Florence Bice and Groucho fades out in the arms of Margaret Dumont. I “No Limit” To Laughs. George Formby, famous English comedian, is featured in the uproarious production "No Limit,” which comes to the Kosy Theatre today. He has a great role, that of George Sliuttlewortti, a mere chimney sweep s help, whose unromantic position was enhanced somewhat by Ins great ambition to win the famous Isle of Sian Tourist 'Trophy it ace. But lie only had an ancient machine with various additional gadgets constructed by himself. At last he takes his fortune in hand, borrows sufficient money, and sets off to ride in the big race. On the journey he meets with Florrie Dibney (Florence Desmond), who at once recognises George’s helpless nature and- determines to mother him. During a trial on the track some clays■ before the big contest, George, by i some remarkable chance, manages to] break a record. The officials and on-j lookers tire amazed and George is I looked upon as something in the] nature of a certainty. Exciting Mystery Thriller. When Bob Hone, starred appropriately enough as a wise-cracking radio] comedian, becomes involved in tracking down a fearsome creature called i “The Cat,” the result is a I'ctuie which yields place to none for thrills and fun.' The picture is “The Cat and the Canary,” which comes to the Regent Theatre on March 29. with Paullotte Goddard co-starred with Bob : Hope. The chills and fun get under i way—as they did in the great stage : play on which the picture is based—when seven people go to a mansion in the Louisiana marshes to hear the will :

of the deceased owner. All but one of them are potential heirs. When Paillette Goddard becomes the heiress, she is immediately menaced by a hairy, murderous creature called “The Cat,” and it is all Hope can do, his courage bolstered bv his verv best gags, to save M. iss Goddard from the clutches of “The Cat.”

Successor to Deanna Durbin. i A new personality given a. debut similar to that of her predecessor, Deanna Durbin, in “Three Smart i; Girls,” will reach the. screen when ] Gloria Jean appears in the title role ; of “The Under-Pup,” which comes to ;,the .Regent Theatre to-night with a i special late session at 10.30. 'The 11- | vcar-old singing actress shares starring 1 honours with Robert Cummings and

Nan Grey in the new film. Gloria. Jean plays the title . role, that of ‘Pip-Emnui.” a poor girl from the Fast Side of New York, who wins a trip to an exclusive girls’ camp. There her troubles begin. Faced with the animosity of the wealthy girls, “PipEmma” nevertheless wins not only their ' friendship, but their envy

through her lovable personality. “PipEinma” also plays a part in arranging the love match of Miss Grey and Cummings, upsetting the iron-handed rule of the “Penguin Club’s” youthful president. No effort has been made to push Gloria’s fresh soprano tones to their utmost range. She sings five songs, carefully chosen for their sim-

plicity and wide appeal. They are “Annie Laurie” (not the swing version), Sousa’s “High School Cadets” march, Reinke’s “Choir Song,” “Mozart’s “Shepherd’s Lullaby, and “I’m Like a Bird,” a French bergerette. Virginia Field has l>cen borrowed for “Waterloo Bridge,” with Vivien LcighRobert Taylor co-starred.

Conflict of Temperaments. Behind the entertaining fooleries of the new technicolour production “Over the Moon,” which comes to -the State Theatre on Saturday, there lies a serious problem, or rather, two problems. Firstly, can a successful marriage be built upon incompatible temperaments? Secondly, can a man retain his selfrcspcct when he depends upon his wife’s excessive fortune? Merle Oberon. portraying Jane Benson, a young woman become suddenly immensely rich, and Bex Harrison, portraying Dr ] Freddie Jarvis, her sweetheart, a country doctor concerned principally with his professional standards, have to fight it out. There is a real tem'peramental distance between the two. Jane; gay, charming, slightly flirtatious, drawn to luxury and wanting the good things in life; Freddie, modest, intellectual, sincere, contemptuous of hangers-on, indifferent to wealth, and profoundly concerned with his job. A marriage of elements so obviously incompatible would hardly seem to augur well for the future. - And yet, it is just such incompatible, often fiercely opposing temperaments that arc drawn to one another. Brilliant Characterisation. A new and more sympathetic Edward G. Robinson, giving a brilliant irerformance in a vivid theme of blazing oil well fires and a prison camp, is seen in “Blackmail,” which comes to the Meteor Theatre on V ednesday. Jn it Robinson, although again in the toils of the law, is not tile gangster, the killer, or the racketeer. l-eut to prison nine years before the story opens for a crime ho did not commit, Robinson, as an escaped convict, is returned to a prison camp through the hypocrisy and treachery ot a former shipmate. His tortures in the swampy jungle of the prison camp, his treatment at the hands of a hitter prison guard, his burning desire for revenge, and his escape and tensely dramatic means of avenging himscll on his betrayer combine to project Robinson upon the screen in a characterisation as stark and vivid as any he has ever done. The heavy role is admirably played by Gene Lockhart, and Ruth Hussey is convincing in the sometimes light. sometimes tragic role of Robinson’s wife. Rooney as “The Scrapper.” "With Ihreo stars, headed by young Mickey Rooney, in the title role, “The Scrapper,” which comes to the Kosy Theatre to-day, is marked with sin cere performances, a rustic simpTcitx

and plenty of laughs, action and thrills. The story concerns two social outcasts in a small- niiddle-Western town, a shell-shocked war veteran and his young son, “Shockey,” who has earned for himself the nick-name ot “The Scrapper.” by virtue of his evorreadiness to fight anyone who says anything about “bis dad.” Just because they “live on the other side of the tracks,” young Shockey is ignored in school by teachers and students alike. However, with the- aid of a new teacher, Mary Evans, and the young wealthy son of the town’s cooperative dairyman, father and son oppose the town and finally will its respect. Mickey Rooney as Shockey turns in one of the finest performances of liis brilliant career. As the father. A Star’s Biography—No. 53. June Lang tried to do a favour fora friend—and wound up in the movies. “I just wont along for the ride and to give a girl-friend a little moral support,” says the blonde good-look-er who has the featured feminine role in “For Love or Money.” June luing’s girl friend, a brunette, asked her to go with her to the studios where the brunette was to- have a screen test. The casting director took a look at June Lang, and made a test of her. The test was for a role in “Young Sinners.”. Miss Lang handled the part so satisfactorily that she was given a contract. “That’s all there was to it,” Miss Lang modestly declares. But June Lang’s biography proves that she worked hard to make a success. While she was still going to school, she took dramatic lessons. Later, she was coached in special subjects by the studio’s talent school. June Lang has played in a number of important pictures, including “Nancy Steel is Missing,” “Meet the Girls,” “All Baba Goes to Town,” “It’s Spring Again,” and “Captain Fury.” 'The player is of Bohemian-Swedish parentage. She was born in Minneapolis, the daughter of Clarence Vlasek and Edith Olson Vlasek. At an early age she showed marked ability as a dancer.