Palmerston Picture Programmes

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 174, 26 July 1935, Page 3

Palmerston Picture Programmes

REGENT THEATRE “THERE’S ALWAYS TO-MORROW"— FINALLY TO-DAY Tliere should be a strong appeal in the merohandisiug of this picture in the fact that it is taken from a more or less recent novel by the notable Ursula Parrott. Particularly in the larger situations, her name and the title of the film, the same as that of the book, should be known to many. In that it is a simple story of an ordinary family, simply told, lies an indication of comparatively wide appeal, though chiefly to adults of .all ages. It is essentially a human story, and its basic premise, at least, might bo duplicated in almost any home where there are several children. By reason of the continual and tumultuous demands which have completely occupied and engulfed the mother, father is the forgotten man of the household, someone to look to when things need doing but otherwise to be considerably ignored. A good part of the effectiveness or the adaptation is due to the work of Frank Morgan as the father, a sympathy-exciting role which Morgan handles in an intelligent manner. The right of a husband and father to seek elsewhere, when opportunity offers, the companionship which he cannot find at home is the question posed by the picture. • To be found in support of Morgan are Binnie Barnes and Lois Wilson. A completely' average, father staid misiness man, Morgan is by the way of being a man-servant in bis own home, to his five children. His wife completely ignores him, so great is the pressure of attention required by lier grown but demanding offspring. When the young folks 'have a party on his anniversary, Morgan finds Ills .wife much too busy to use the tickets be has purchased for a show. Pushed about in the tumult, he finds himself on the porch with his newspaper: Miss Barnes, whom he recognises as a former secretary, asks information of him, obvious to everyone but Morgan as a mere pretext to talk with him. She readily learns the conditions under which he lives, and the two use tlio tickets he purchased.' A ritualistic Thursday night appointment is Morgan’s attendance at lodge meeting, and one of those nights, during the winter, the children take the car for a.party, the father takes the street car to his lodge. Accidentally the children see their father, follow him and discover he is visiting a woman. They wait outside until he leaves, find the car frozen and arc invited inside by the woman. Miss Barnes. Realising who the children are, she tells them the story of her love for Morgan, using no names, pretending she does not know who they are. The children, bitterly disillusioned and upset, plan drastic action the following Thursday evening if the father attempts to leave the house. As he does, Miss Barnes enters, is introduced. and on a pretext, conveys the thought to Morgan that she is going away, since a continuation of their meetings will endager the happiness of too many lives. To-morrow —“All the King’s Horses.’’

Fresh as a sea breeze and. as sparkling as a champagne cocktail, a musical romance in the royal court of Eaugenstein,the Regent Theatre presents this picture with the rhythmic' title of “All the iving’s Horses,” for a season which commences on Saturday. Carl Brisson plays a. double role, bearded and otherwise, as the King of a small kingdom and as a matinee idol who lives in perpetual persecution from feminine autograph hunters. Elaine (Mary Ellis), Queen of her kingdom, beautiful and unhappy, finds that the first anniversary of her wedding is just another day of state affairs for her husband, and besides, his beard 1 annoys her. He will not cut it off, neither will he depart from the established order of things or waive the ceremony of his closing speech at a conference. So the Queen leaves the palace and seeks romance. A year passes, and King Rudolf invites Carlo the film' star to the castle, to consult him as to ways of winning back the Queen. Under Carlo’s direction he shaves off his beard, becomes possessed of adventurous ambitions, and changes identities 'with the filmster, w’ho makes an impressive job of his sovereignty. Then comes trouble. The Queen returns, enraptured by a beardless photograph of the King. Carlo, being a man of honour and integrity, realises that she must not know of the substitution, rushes off to find the King, and ends up by dancing the "Viennese” with' Rosita, a Continental cabaret star. He finds the King in the nick of time, and there is a royal reunion in a Grinzing garden. Mary Ellis, a Metropolitan Opera star, lends a charming grace to her songs, and Carl Brisson shows a keen sense of humour and effective singing in the four attractive musical features. Edward Everett Horton and Eugene Pallet make a perfect comedy team to support the stars.

STATE THEATRE TO-DAY—“MEN OP THE HOUR" “Men of the Hour.” a thrilling story woven round the adventures of daredevil newsreel cameramen, and "His Majesty and C 0.,” a merry musical comedy, will have their final screenings at the State Theatre to-day. To-morrow—“DADDIE.” ' Gene Stratton-Porter’s Characters Live Again. ' Those privileged on Thursday to preview "Laddie,” the. RKO-Eadio adaptation of Gene Stratfon-Porter's beautiful story, which -is' to screen at the State Theatre to-morrow, were greatly impressed by the sincerity with which a widelyknown subject has been created into a picture of rare merits It is a film of laughter and ready sympathies, with a theme that cannot fail to commend itself, rendered by thoroughly accomplished actors. There is rich drama in the conflict between wholesome American ideals and English class prejudices, a drama that moves rapidly to a climax when Laddie pays court to his “princess,” Pamela Pryor, and encounters the unpliant hauteur of her father, an Englishman who thinks his manorial superiority will impress no less in a new land than in the old one he has forsaken. Caste and personal pride are stern opponents, and only after a story pregnant with interest. lias unfolded, can Laddie> .combat them. The action is patterned against a delightful background or rural life, and the scenes are filmed with such art that no whit of the natural beauties has been lost. Pathos, humour, and all the deep emotional qualities of Gene StrattonPorter's literary creation nave been preserved, so that those for whom a film failing in any degree short of -.excellence would be a disillusionment need nave no fear that the tenderness of the original has been lost in the cinema transcription. Heading an understanding cast is John Beal, and his originality in the title role is tonieally refreshing. With Gloria Stuart he offers a romantic portrayal whose equal lias seldom been seen. The.ii performance is one that must make an appeal to the most staid of lilmgoers. Virginia Weidler renders immortal the naive wonderment and wisdom of "Little Sister,” living on-tho screen a very incarnation of that delicately beautiful child character. Not a touch of winsomeness escapes this talented young person, and she shares very generously the encomiums that must bo the portion of this group of players. Prejudiced people will forget their antipathy to an American accent when they hear it rendered from the gracious lips of this young Miss America. “Laddie” is coming! A story that has thrilled millions, conveying as it does so much of the riches of human experience, rendered now with a new polver, a new veracity in its new medium, it must charm everyone with its fragrance, delight them with its qualities-of freshness, and astound with its fidelity to the classic original by which it will - inevitably be judged in public esteem. It will commend itself to the eternal youth that is harboured alike in young and old.

.'OSY THEATRE THRILLS OP ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE IN ‘‘UPPER WORLD” FILM “Upper World,” the Warner Bros, picture based on the smashing story on “how the other half lives," by the celebrated novelist and playwright, Ben Hecht, is scheduled as the feature attraction at the Kosy Theatre to-day. After contributing “Under World” to the screen, I-lecht decided to write a story about the other side of life with the reverse 'side. He has shown in this story that the two worlds are not so far separated as far as human characteristics are concerned, and that adventure, philand-' ering, bloodshed and crime are as likely to be found in high society as in the world of crooks and gangsters. , Warren William heads a strong cast of talented players in the role of a multi-millionaire railway magnate who longs for the society of his beautiful wife, a part played by Mary Astor, who neglects him shamefullv to foster her social career. This neglect leads him into an affair with a burlesque show chorus girl, enacted by Ginger Rogers, which laison culminates in a double murder with the millionaire being arrested for the crime. Andy Devine is cast in the role of a comedy ghauffeur and is said to lend a laughable touch to an otherwise thrilling drama. Dickie Moore' pluys the part of the son of the wealthy couple, neglected by his mother and humoured by his father. Sidney Toler is the police officer, demoted through the efforts of the millionaire, to whom ho later proves a nemesis. Others in the cast include Henry O’Neill, J. Carroll Naisli, Theodore Newton, Robert Barrat, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Robert Greig, Frank Sheridan, John Qualen and Willard Robertson. The picture is set in the colourful background of a palatial Long Island estate, with scenes in a love nest and a burlesque theatre. A yacht and an aeroplane also play important parts in some of the thrilling. incidents of the picture. Roy Del Ruth directed the production from the screen play by Ben Markson. Joan Blondell, Pat O’Brien, Glenda Farrell in “I’ve Got Your Number” is also on the programme. Blondell Comes to the Kosy Theatre With Telephone Film. “I’ve Got Your Number,” the widely heralded Warner Bros, picture dealing with the romance of the telephone, which is showing at the Kosy Theatre to-day. The screen play by Warren Duff Sidney Sutherland pictures in sweeping panorama the vital activities of telephone employees in their contacts with the public, and with each other. It dramatises the colourful incidents of everyday' life to the throbbing pulse of human emotions. The picture is said to touch on every phase of life behind the scenes of telephone operation, rvealing its laughter, and love, its tragedy and thrills. The story' is in fast tempo and the dialogue unusually snappy with plenty of action and a great deal of suspense, winding up with a smashing climax in a terrific battle with a band of robbers and kidnappers. Joan Blondell heads a large and talented cast of players in the role of a telephone operator who is used as a cat’s paw by the crooks and lands in gaol as their accomplice, only to be extricated by Fat O’Brien, who plays opposite her as a trouble-shooter for the telephono company, a- self-confident, swaggering person equally successful in smashing the hearts of fair., ladies and gangsters' heads. Glenda Farrell. Eugene Pallette, Allen Jenkins and Hobart Cavanaugh, comedians par excellence, supply much of the comedy angle, aided and abetted by Miss Blondell and O’Brien. Gordon Westc.ott is the master mind of the confidence men. To-morrow —Mystery Thrill in Action Film by Zane Grey.

> The new Zane Grey adventure picture, "Rocky Mountain Mystery,” produced by Paramount and coming to-morrow t.o the Kosy Theatre, is a blend of the famous Grey, rip-roaring outdoor action with the added element of a gripping murder mystery. Adapted from Zane Grey's "Golden Dreams,” “Rooky Mountain Mystery” features Randolph Scott and Ann Sheridan in the romantic leads and a supporting cast that includes such well-known actors as Charles "Chic” Sale and Mrs. . Leslie Carter, who makes her debut in ‘this film. The action of “Rocky Mountain Mystery” is set in a deserted mining town in the West where an aged recluse has summoned his family to distribute his wealth before he dies. Sole owner of a fabulously wealthy radium mine, he hires Randolph Scott, a mining engineer, to start operations. The caretaker of the estate is mysteriously murdered and an unknown rider connected with his death. Shortly afterwards, one of the old man’s nephews is murdered under strange circumstances and Scott turns his efforts to uncovering the murderer. Assisted by Charles “Chic” Sale, who plays a deputy, Scott begins to track down clues that will lead to the criminal. Suddenly, Ann Sheridan, the girl he loves, disappears. Then a series of startling rapid-fire events lead to the rapid climax and the surprising disclosures of the real criminal. Charles Barton, director of Paramount’s , “Wagon Wheels,” was responsible for the direction of “Rocky Mountain Mystery.” Kathleen Burke and George Marion, senr., are featured in the supporting cast. “One Hour Late.”

Joe Morrison, youthful tenor, who first introduced the song- “The Last RoundUp,” plays Ws first leading role for the screen in the Paramount film, “One Hour Late,” coming to-morrow to the Kosy Theatre. In addition to Morrison, the film features Helen Twelvetrees, Conrad Nagel, Arline Judge, Toby Wing, Edward Craven, Raymond Milland ; and Gail Patrick. The film was directed by Ralph Murphy. Morrison is cast as a young clerk who wants to marry- the girl of his dreams. But she puts him off while her boss, the victim of. unrequited love, tries to find companionship; .and- his- wife tries to find freedom. -Then, in one dramatic hour, the Jives, the loves and the plans

of these unusual people are changed completely.' How this is brought about is entertainingly told in & dramatic finale.