PALMERSTON PICTURE PROGRAMMES

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7063, 24 January 1933, Page 5

PALMERSTON PICTURE PROGRAMMES

KOSY THEATRE POPULARITY OP WESTERNS NEVER SEEMS TO WANE Styles in motion picturo entertainment have gono through many cycles since the first flickering shadows were, projected on a screen many years ago, but Westerns go on practically without change. Tho Western is the only type of screen entertainment that has held its own through a period of years. • Although cowboys and other “typical’’ Western characters have long since passed into oblivion in Teal life, audiences all over tho world still thrill to the. pictured exploits of cinema plainsmen and cow-punchers. Buck Jones, the Columbia star, is one of the greatest exponents of the Wostern thrillers. Por the past decade Buck’s daring feats of horsemanship (combined with excellent acting ability), have commanded "the admiration of screen audiences. "One Man Law,’’ his newest production, is the attraction at the Kosy- Theatre, screening finally tonight. The supports include two very clever cartoons, "Busy Beavers” and "Black Sheep.” The life story of the beaver has been cunningly and humorously transferred to the screen in the former. A “Monkey Shine” comedy and "Screen Snapshots" are also among the supports, together with Episode 4 of: "Jungle Mystery.”

Sensational Film To-morrow—“ Penalty of Fame, with Lew Ayres.

Not only, morsels of scandal, but tragedy and sudden death, aro incidents in tho life of a New York columnist, as .shown in "Penalty of Fame,’’ Universal’s newspaper drama, •which opens an engagement at the Kosy Theatre to-morrow, with Lew Ayres in the starring role. Ayres is seen in the role of a "chatter writer” on a great New York daily, who supplements his activities with regular ; radio broadcasts, giving items about well-known people and bringing consternation to "playboy” Broadwayites. Ayres, in the character of Larry Wayne, devotes his attention to bits of gossip and news of interest until tho daughter of a millionaire is kidnapped, and he applies himself to the task of finding her. Receiving a tip from an ex-reporter who has been the source of many of his gossipy items, Wayne establishes the fact that the girl has been abducted by a gang, and finally delivers to the gangsters the sum of 100,000 dollars, paid® as ransom by the distracted father. But the girl is not produced, and Wayne learns from the head of all the gangsters that she will not be returned until the authorities dismiss certain indictments against the arch-criminal. By a ruse Wayne confers alone with the powerful supercrook in tho latter’s hotel suite. When he goes on the air that night for his Tegular broadcast, Wayne startles his listeners by saying, "Right now I’ve got a story for you that’s a honey. Tonight between six-thirty and seven o'clock—l killed -—.” No good to tell what happened. You’d never guess; but as Wayne said, “It’s a honey.” Lew Ayres’ supporting cast in "Okay America”' includes Maureen O’Sullivan, Louis Calbern, Edward Arnold, Walter Catlett,' Emerson Treacy, Allan Dincbart, Margaret Lindsey, Henry Armetta, Nance O’Neill, and many other screen favourites.

PALACE THEATRE “ONCE IN A LIFETIME’'—HILARIOUS BURLESQUE ON HOLLYWOOD After to-night this city will have an opportunity to recover from its present fit of laughter, for at that time the run of Universal’s hilarious “Once in a Lifetime” comes to a close at the Palace Theatre. This uproarious satire on Hollywood motion picture production is said to be the funniest thing the screen has shown for a long time, and takes the audience not only into the forbidden precincts of the sound stages, but into the private offices of executives, where the reputedly fantastic methods of conducting a great film plant are handled without gloves. The cast of “Once in a Lifetime” includes Sidney Fox, Jack Oakie, Alina MacMahon, Russell Hopton, Zasu Pitts, Louise Fazenda, Onslow Stevens, and many other favourites, and the pictuio was directed by by Russell Mack. Additional subjects comprise a ‘‘Pooch the Pup” cartoon entitled, "The Underdog"; an item of “The Strangers it Seems” series, and two Grahame McNamee News Reels. A Novel Comedy—“ Ladies of the Jury” is Pilm Departure Those who enjoy reading the newspapers—and who doesn’t? —will take particular interest in RKO-Radio Pictures’ colourful comedy-drama, "Ladies of the Jury,” featuring Edna May Oliver, and opening at the Palace Theatre to-morrow afternoon. Newspapers can print only the court proceedings and human reactions of a murder trial. “Ladies of the Jury” goes much farther and takes the spectator "behind the scenes” into the sanctum of the jurors. Here, in a graphic and entertaining manner, the story deals with the petty foibles, bickerings and personal equations of the jurors; their methods in arriving at verdicts > and persuasions used in changing certain votes. Interpreting this medley of human types, representing • the average American jury, are a number of players right out of Filmland’s blue book. Edna May Oliver, of “Show Boat,” “Cimarron” and. RKO-Radio Pictures’ fame, is the star. Others includo Jill Esmond, stage star; Ken Murray, for the past ten years a vaudeville headliner; Roseo Atcs, dean of stage and screen stammerers; Kitty Kelly, cxFollies beauty; Lita Chevret, Florence Lake, Kate Price, Guinn Williams and others. The starring role is a perfect set-up for the comic antics of Edna May Oliver. She tops even her roles in “Fanny Foley Herself” end “Laugh and Get. Rich.” Jill Esmond plays a very dramatic role reminiscent of Pauline Frederick in “Madame X.” She is a welcome new addition to the screen. The story, adapted from Frederick Ballard’s stage play and directed by Lowell Sherman, is primarily for laughing purposes. It succeeds in a big and hilarious way. A very fine array of short items is also presented. Among these are a comedy, “Stop That Run”;

a cartoon, "In the Bag”; an enthralling mystery drama, entitled "Self Condemned,” and a Nows. REGENT THEATRE A P. G. WODEHOUSE COMEDY—“BBOTHEE ALFEED” The English comedy, "Brother Alfred,” .from the story by P. G. Wodchouse, starring Gene Cterrard, will open this evening at the Regent Theatre. There i 3 a distinct Wodchouso flavour about this nonsensical extravaganza which suggests a sure-fire success with the masses. The story is one of those characteristically happy-go-lucky af--1 fairs in the P.G. manner, presenting as its central situation the predicament of a George who has sloshed a Prince, and therefore decides to become his own. fictitious brother, Alfred. It eventually transpires that the Prince' regards the sloshing ns an act of heroism, and the trouble now is the resumption of his own identity as George, this being made easy finally by the blathcrings of a butler, who had overheard the original plot. Gene Geriard is a tower of comedy strength in the role of George, his resourceful facial play giving amusing emphasis to situation and patter. Ho is excellently supported by Molly Lamont as his bewildered sweetie, Bobbie Comber as his bone-headed pal, Hugh E. Wright as a doleful deckhand, Clifford Heatherley as the burlesque Prince, and Henry Wenman as a wracked butler whose cutio has proved false. On the technical side, the settings merit commendation, as do tho photography and recording, and the production in general docs full justice to the collaboration of P. G. Wodohousc and Herbert Westbrook. The supporting programme includes a Pathctono Magazine, containing a number of entertaining variety items; a Bathe Gazette and a travelogue of tho civilisation of Africa. It tells of the pioneer work done by Cecil Ehodes, the Empire builder, and the building of the Cape to Cairo railway.