Palmerston Picture Programmes

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 157, 6 July 1936, Page 12

Palmerston Picture Programmes

REGENT THEATRE World Saviour is Theme of Paul Muni Film To-day. Brilliant biographical drama, rich in human interest, intelligently and realistically based on the career of .Louis Pasteur, France's famous chemist and bacteriologist, arc the elements of the longheralded film "The Story of Louis Pasteur,” Spectacular emotional highlights are cleverly worked into the theme, thereby reducing scientific technicalities to a comprehensive perspective, while there is a tender conventional love interest further to engender appeal. The star, like tho character he is called upon to portray, has been long in finding the recognition genius deserves, but such is the high quality of the entertainment wrapped up in this pieturo that there is now no doubt that his artistry will receive full acknowledgment. If a finer and more significant picture that "The Story of Louis Pasteur” has been made, it is difficult to recall. Much could bo written about the dramatic power, absorbing situations and masterly direction and magnificent acting of this film, but the impression it makes on those who have seen it tells a much more vivid story. The picture has received the kind of tribute —applause from deeply-affected audiences—that would surely gladden the hearts of its producers even if it had not been the great success that it is proving at the box office. Paul Muni’s picture of Pasteur should win for him a special and exclusive award for cinematographic art. His eyes and his lips; his fingers and his dragging feet; the suffering in his face and his reluctance to accept the laurels when at last they rest upon him. stamp him as on© of the master actors of his age. Forget his "Chain Gang”; forget his other fine portrayals; it is his future triumphs that audiences will be looking for. Humanity can never pay the debt it owes to Pasteur, for on his shoulders rests tho responsibility of having saved millions born after ho himself was dead. Pasteur’s life and work, his triumphs in tho face of petty jealousy, prejudice, and, above all, ignorance, possess drama the most inspired of scenarists generally concoct from the imagination; it gave Pierre Golfings and Sheridan Gibney the thing for which all scenarists search —natural drama based on facts. This story of the fife and work of a fine man can bring a tear to a man’s eyes, and he is unashamed. Yet no dramatic story for years has been less sordid or harrowing. Josephine Hutchinson is tender and understanding as his loyal wife; Anita Louise and Donald Woods create conventional love interest unobtrusively as Annette and Jean Martel; and Fritz Leiber is excellent as th© sceptical, vindictive Charbonne t.

KOSY THEATRE “SONG IN THE SADDLE'' “Song in the Saddle,' 1 Warner Bros.’ now Western thriller with music, went over with a bang at tho Kosy Theatre on Saturday, where it was shown for the first time locally. Dick Foran, the flaming haired "singing cowboy,” is again starred in this picture. Tho picture opens with a wagon train of pioneers moving across the prairies to the West, a boy with a golden voice and a girl w r ho worships him, being among them. The two are separated when tho boy's father is waylaid and murdered by three cut-throats dressed as Indians. The boy has recognised the men, however, and when he grows to manhood, ho sets himself the task of avenging his father. Dick Foran, the .gigantic former Princeton football star, makes a romantic figure in the saddle. Tho former Easterner knows his West thoroughly and gives a fine performance as tho youth bent on avenging his father’s murder. Ho also has a fine voice and sinys two songs specially written for the production by M .K. Jerome and Jack Scholl. These are “Vengeance” and “Underneath a Western Sky.” In the latter song he is accompanied by the noted radio quintet known as tho “Sons of tho Pioneers.” Race Against Death, Climax of New Film. Out of tho black night the radio voice warned him that the woman he loved wad in danger. Racing against time with thundering motors and shrieking sirens—he risked his life—dared the unknown—lo save her from the murderous vengeanco of an escaped convict. This is the thrillladen climax that brings “Police Car 17,” Hie new feature on the Kosy Theatre bill,

STATE THEATRE "MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN” ANOTHER TRIUMPH FOR CAPRA Onco again tho matchless genius of Frank Capra has asserted itself and brought to the screen a triumph of the highest calibre. To his last three films —"Lady for a Day," “It Happened One Night’ and "Broadway Bill,” each of them fine enough to warm the heart of an ordinary director for the duration of his professional life—is added now ::Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,” which opened to huge and enthusiastic audiences at the State Theatre with Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur in the important roles. It is an enchanting film, merry, human, romantic, intelligent, in tho inimitable Capra manner. It brings a new and charming Gary Cooper to his Innumerable'fans, and it finds in Jean Arthur a star of the first magnitude, lovely, clever and sparkling. “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” tells the fascinating story of a young man in a small town—Mandrake Falls, if you’re curious—who falls heir to 20,000,000 dollars left by an eccentric uncle. Longfellow Deeds, the hick, does not give a hoot about the money; he wants to be left alone in Mandrake Falls, where he is having a good time playing tho tuba in tho village band and serving as a volunteer fireman. However, he is brought to New York by his late uncle’s attorney and dropped in the midst of a bunch of grafters—the attorney among them —who are one to leave Deeds as little of the fortune as possible.-Of course, his advent into the metropolis is a field day for the newspapers. One clever editor assigns Babe Bennett, a sob sister, the task of getting the story on Longfellow; she does, but she also succeeds in falling in love with him and allowing him to fall for her. Her. stories bring Deeds such unhappiness that he decides to give the 20,000,000 dollars away to needy folk. Immediately the attorney, who sees visions of the money getting away from him altogether, has Deeds arrested for insanity, and then the fur flies with a vengeance. Assisting Mr. Cooper and Miss Arthur in this task that' they must have found so delightful, is a cast of such capable character actors as George Bancroft, Lionel Stander, Douglass Dumbrille, Raymond Walburn. Mme. Margaret Matzenauer, H. B. Warner, Warren Hymer, Muriel Evans and Ruth Donnelly.

MAYFAIR THEATRE "THE BOHEMIAN GIRL” The screen's funniest man, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, who scored such hits ill “Babes in Toyland,” have returned to the Mayfair Theatre in their latest lulllength feature “The Bohemian Girl,” The general theme of Balfe’s famous operetta has been retained, but the work has been adapted to fit the talents of its stars. All the Balfe music has been retained, and one new number, "Heart of a Gipsy,” has been added. Laurel and Hardy are members of a gipsy band. Hardy’s wife (Mae Dusch) falls in love with Devilshool (Antonio Moreno), of whom thd gipsy queen is also enamoured. He decides in . order to raise funds for his elopement with Mrs. Hardy to rob the castle of Count Arnheim. He is caught red-handed and whipped. Inspired by thougnts of revenge, Mrs. Hardy abducts the count s little daughter, the princess, and introduces her to her husband as her own child. Later she elopes with Devilshoof, leaving Stan and Ollie to rear the princess as best they can. From this point the film changes to a period 14 years later and there is an exciting climax before tho princess is finally restored to her father. Included in a strong supporting programme is a short subject entitled "Basketball”; also an extremely timely short, “The Hit and Run Driver.” Every dav accidents of this nature are reported and the film is most opportune, depicting the horror of smashed bodies and lives abruptly ended through carelessness and callousness on the road. Cherry blossom time in Japan and newsreel complete a first-class programme. '

to its exciting conclusion. Dynamic Tim McCoy, in the starring part, discards his familiar cowboy togs for the. natty blue radio police uniform and retires his faithful steed for a powerful 100-horse-power automobile.