ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 238, 5 September 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. “BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940.” Entertainment extraordinary shows at the Regent Theatre. The picture is “Broadway Melody of 1940.” and a more recital of what it has is more of a sincere recommendation for it than all the descriptive phrases in tho English langu : age. First, it teams Fred Astaire and Eleanor Rowell, world’s greatest dancers in the masculine and feminine field. It has the personable Goorgo Murphy dancing with thorn. It includes Frank Morgan, and what comedy. It has beauty in Florence Rice and Lynne Carver. It lias the likeable lan Hunter. It includes a bevy ot clover dancing girls. And that isn’t all. Tho music is by Cole Porter, who can rightfully claim the title, “Master Cbmposer.” ’ He has written five now tunes and thrown in his sensational “Begin a-nd Beguine,” which the dancing stars do on mi’'" or P- Tho picture has astoundingly colourful sets, one of which tops any ever built for a musical. It has a new kind of story fir a musical. And it had Norman Taurog as director and Jack Cummings as producer—both experts in this field ot entertainment. Now what more can be said? These aren’t all of the delights the picture has but they arc enough to show that anyone who misses “Broadway Melody of 1530” misses the entertainment high point of the year. A featurettc on the same programme deals with tho way in which - emergency medical cases are dealt with on ships which carry no doctor and are far from port. The call “Medico” is sent out, taking priority on the ether to all calls except SOS. When a ship or port, where a doctor is available, is picked up, tho operation is carried outunder instructions from the doctor. MAYFAIR THEATRE. ■ “TEST PILOT.” A motion picture now tells the story of the test pilot-, the- most Taring of modern heroes who wager their lives the strength of an untried airplane. ‘Test Pilot,” now showing at the Mayfair Theatre is the sto(y of a man whose life is a constant gamble with death. It is strong drama, but so realistic and so authentic in all flying sequences that every aviator in the land will undoubtedly point' to a milestone in the progress of pictures. Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Spencer Tracy ana Lionel Barrymore bead the cast. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, .in bringing their first aviation picture in more than two years to the screen, spared noth ing to make it the true story of modern aviation. That it contains thrills, dangerous dives and spectacular flying is due to the very nature of a inan whose life is a daily bout with death. Gable handles his part superbly, returning to the type of characterisation -which has made him the number one star of the world. Myrna Loy, as an unsophisticated yet brilliant country girl, is the central figure of an unusual triangle. Spencer Tracy, as Gable’s bosom pal and severest critic, has another powerful and dramatic role. . Lionel Barrymore, hero given his biggest role in years, once again proves an artistry which iias made screen history. KOSY THEATRE. “CHARLIE CHAN AT MONTE . CARLO.” Death deals a hand at the gaming tables and “Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo” gives you your best mystery bet in his most brilliant case, which shows at the' Kosy. Theatre to-day. The world’s ace detective at the world’s gayest playground lakes a million-to-onc chance to solve" a triple murder as he mingles with the millionaire , playboys, bejewelled beauties ana gay adventurers. Into all of the gaiety and sinister seething counterplot of this.latest and best Twentieth Century-Fox’s Chan thriller comes Charlie Chan and his Number One Son ICeye Luke. The first rumblings of Death’s roulette are under way at a table where Paul Savarin and "Victor Karnoff aro playing fortunes on the flip of a card. These two men, rivals at chemin de for as well as on the Bourse, later aro to provide Charlie Chan with another annoying interruption in his quest for a peaceful vacation. KarnotFs wife liis brother-in-law, a mysterious English girl and one of the bartenders at the Casino soon become involved in a weird series of events. The associate feature at tho Kosy is “Sweet Devil;” a comedy amazingly full of incident, and every incident is mirthprovoking. The story concerns the calflove of a pretty typist (Jean Gillie) for her rather pompous employer (William Kendall), and the dilemma into which she gets when her harum-scarum partner (Bobby Howes) comes along and captures her heart.