Palmerston Picture Programmes

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 67, 21 March 1935, Page 10

Palmerston Picture Programmes

REGENT THEATRE “BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET - ’ Three Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Award winners head the cast of “The Barretts of Wimpole Street," which shows again to-day at the Regent Theatre. Norma Shearer, in the role of the poet Elizabeth, is starred opposite Fredrick March, as the ardent Robert Browning—the same team which broke all records in “Smilin’ Through.” Charles Laughton, most recent Academy Award winner, appears in the grim and powerful role of the elder Barrett, his first American picture since the international hit, “Henry the Eighth.’’ Sidney Franklin, director of many of Miss Shearer's greatest successes, including “Smilin’ Through,” was the genius behind the megaphone in filming the famous stage play. The performance of each is so finished, so smooth and rich that comparison. is impossible. Never was there a more tender Elizabeth, a more poetic Brpwning, or a more demoniac elder Barrett than these three present. Miss Shearer, as the star, naturally carries the brunt of the film—and carries it with all the grace and charm and polish that made “Riptide” and “Smilin’ Through” the successes they were. As-the invalided Elizabeth, she brings a poignant wistlulness to her characterisation that reaches deep down into the hearts of the auditor. The film, as a production, deserves unre-' stricted praise. The thought, staging and nicety of detail characteristic of all Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer producticns are even more in evidence than usual. LMrector Sidney Franklin shows the touch of the expert craftsman, seen before in “The Guardsman” and ‘‘Smilin’ Through,” In the compelling tempo maintained throughout the, performance and the masterly way in which the characters are handled. Besides such titans of the dramatic arts, there is also a long string of excellent supporting players, each adding his able touch to the glittering whole. They are Maureen O’Sullivan, who plays spirited Henriette; Ralph Forbes as Captain Cook; Una O’Connor as the obsequious Wilson; Katharine Alexander portraying the reverent Arabel; Marion Clayton as’ Bella, the flirt; Leo Carroll and Ferdinand Munier as JDrs. FordWaterlow and Claytop; and lan Wolfe in the part-he created-on the stage, Bevan, the elegant English gentleman. If you see “The Barretts of Wimpole Street,” you will see a famous play made into a brilliant picture. “Blossom Time." Franz Schubert, probably the loveliest melodist of all time, is the central figure of “Blossom Time," Richard Tauber's first all-English picture, which comes to the Regent Theatre on Saturday. Richard Tauber is said to play the role of Schubert as though he were Schubert himself. His. portrayal is masterly. In addition, his magnificent voice has never before been so gloriously recorded. “Not the least interesting feature of “Blossom Time’,” says the critic of the English Cinema in his enthusiastic review of the film, characteristic of the entire English Press, "is the amazing resemblance Richard Tauber bears to Franz Schubert” — and who better than the world’s greatest tenor of to-day to re-create the tender romance of this great composer of yesteryear? The story, which opens in. gay Vienna, In 1820, finds Schubert a bighearted schoolmaster, hopelessly in love with “Vicki,” the beautiful daughter of the dancing instructor, Wimpassinger. But “Vicki” has eyes for none but the dashing “Rudi,” Count von Hohenberg, a handsome young officer destined to wed a baroness at the order of an imperious archduchess. Schubert asked permission of Wimpassinger to tell “Vicki” of his love, and the girl’s father, to pacify, tells him, “later, when success comes—when you have made a great name as a great music composer.” Schubert triumphs, hut all his hopes are dashed to the ground when he discovers that he has entirely mistaken “Vicki’s” feelings for him. All honour, too, goes the way of her director, . Paul Stein. The big cast also includes lovely Jane Baxter as Vicki; Carl Esmond as Rudi; Paul Graetz, Lester Matthews arid Athene Seyler. ROSY THEATRE “BIG HEARTED HERBERT”A new stellar team of gay comedians in Aline MacMahon and- Guy Klbbee is keeping audiences in gales of laughter at the Kosy Theatre when Warner Bros.’ novel and hilarious fun film will be shown on the screen for the first time locally. Warner Bros, have the knack of finding the most unusual themes for comedy material. Certainly the play by Sophie Kerr and Anna Steese Richardson, upon which this picture is based, provides a plot so different from the or-’ dinary as to be outstanding, as well as being one of the most mirth provoking screen vehicles of the year. No happier choice of players could have been selected than Aline MacMahon and Guy Kibbee for ’the principal comedy roles, heading an all star cast. As a team they are Invincible, while individually they are excruciatingly funny. In the picture they are middle-aged persons, warm and human, who have battled life together and are still very much in love even though their children are nearly grown up. The wife keeps abreast of the times, but the husband, while a man of warm nature, loving his family, is a bit chesty about having .risen to affluence from.

STATE THEATRE “THE BATTLE,” FAMOUS NOVEL BROUGHT TO THE SCREEN Occasionally the screen gives us “something different” —the outstanding picture that leaves a deep impression on thu mind and the desire to see it again. Such a picture is the tense drama and magnificent spectacle, “The Battle,” a Gau-mont-British pictures now screening at. the State Theatre. The production has been given a strong cast of wellknown players, all of whom shine in thenfinest screen performance to date. John Loder is excellently cast as a British naval attache with the Japanese Fleet; delightful Merle Oberon, the clever Tasmanian girl who made such a hit in “The Private Life of Henry VIII,” gives a perfect characterisation of the dear little Marquise Yorisaka puzzled and unhappy; Miles Mander proves his versatility in the role of an artist; Betty Stocklield is charming as the wealthy owner of a pleasure yacht; and then wo have that great artist, Charles Boyer, who gives one of the screen’s most sympathetic portrayals as the Marquis Yorisaka, a captain in the Japanese navy, who tramples on his honour as a husband and an officer in his desire to discover the secret of British naval success. One scene lingers long in the mind for its restrained emotion. It is where Captain Yorisaka admits to his weeping wife that he has deliberately encouraged her friendship with the British naval officer in the hope that he ■ would learn the officer’s report to the British Admiralty, on the recent Japanese naval encounter. The knowledge that he has lost her love proves the more bitter because in serving his country he has sacrificed his honour. “The Battle” is emphatically not a purely naval subject. It possesses a particularly strong triangular theme and is a subtle essay in. Eastern psychology. The.realism of the furious battle scenes and the prominence given to them might easily, in less skilful hands, have been permitted to dwarf the development of the emotional tenseness of the story. But Farkas has not lost his sense of values for one instant. The war between love and duty, the conflict of national armaments, the clash of temperaments and struggle of racial prejudices—all are woven with care and masterly skill into this brilliant piece of screen-craft. “The Battle” is emphatically a great picture. “Anne of Green Gables" —State Saturday Next. With all the gaiety, whimsical imagination, tempestuous moods and lovable nature that has endeared her to fiction readers for a quarter of a century, “Anne of Green Gables” has coino to life on the motion picture screen. In this picture, which has been proclaimed the screen’s worthy successor to the memorable “Little Women,” wo see come to life the orphan heroine whom Mark Twain once described as the "dearest and most moving and delightful child of fiction since the immortal Alice." As a novel, L. M. Montgomery’s “Anne of Green Gables” has won world-wide recognition as a classic of childhood and early youth. The picture is said to fall into the same classification. Directed by George Nicholls, junr., and portrayed by an ideal cast, including Anne Shirley, Tom Brown, O. P. Heggie, Helen Westley, Sara Iladen and others, the picture is one of great charm and strong heart appeal. Powerful in its very simplicity, and so human that, it strikes a responsive chord in every breast, it should find universal favour. Anne Shirley, who adopted the name of the character she portrays in the film, gives a superb performance as the orphan heroine. She has made good in a most Impressive manner. Tom Brown proves that lie was the perfect choice to play Gilbert Blythe, Anne’s schoolboy beau. O. P. Heggie and Helen Westley, two of the finest character players of the stage and screen, add new laurels to their already impressive records by their portrayals of Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. poverty and loves to boast about the family being plain people who never put on airs. He carries this idiosyneracy to such an extreme that it leads to many highly humorous situations and family rows. When it appears that the man’s peculiarities will estrange his children, the wife decides on a scheme to bring her husband to a realisation of his absurd fancies, knowing that underneath ho loves the children as much as she. When her husband telephones he is bringing his best customer and his wife homo to dinner, she appears in her kitchen clothes, serves a cheap stew and has her once-a-week maid sit down to the meal with her arms covered with suds. She boasts of poverty and derides “stuck-up” people until the uncomfortable guests leave in dismay. But she makes her crotchety spouse see the error of his ways, and having gained the whip hand she proceeds to rub it in on her obstreperous lord and master until he gives in to every demand. While the picture is a lively comedy for the most part, there also Is a delightful romance in which the fascinating Patricia Ellis and the handsome Phillip Reed are the lovers, who, after a stormy courtship beset by paternal wrath, are made happy by the Ingenious plot of the mother. The supports are of a high standard and comprise comprise the latest news reel, “Sea Legs” (musical comedy), a cartoon, a radio novelty and comedy, entitled “Dizzy and Dagy.” Mae West in “The Gay Nineties” will be the attraction commencing on Saturday at 19 o'clock. Y-'