Entertainments

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 9, 12 January 1938, Page 9

Entertainments

STATE THEATRE FIGHTING EDITOR MEETS TWOFISTED NEWS LASS IN SPORTS FILM The laugh-provoking story of a newspaper man who thought he knew all about women, until a little spitfire, making good at a man’s job, knocked him for a wedding-ring loop, “Woman-Wise,” the Twentieth Century-Fox production which commencing to-day at the State, moves excitingly through the worlds of news and sports. In roles which demand an unusual range of ability, from drama to romance to comedy, Michael Whalen and Rochelle Hudson gain new stature in the films, in a strong cast which also features such reliable performers as Thomas Beck, Alan Dinehart, Douglas Fowley, Astrid Aliwyn and Chick Chandler. Michael Whalen plays the crusading sports editor of a great metropolitan daily, who finds that unscrupulous fight promoters, led by Alan Dinehart, are victimising both old-time fighters and the public, using the once renowned has-beens as set-ups for vigorous young fighters, and staging betting coups. When Whalen knocks out one of the ex-champs himself, to expose the fraud, the veteran’s daughter, Rochelle Hudson, flails at him with her fists, denouncing him for taking away her father’s only chance of support, intrigued by the spirit of the little spitfire. Michael takes her on as his assistant, giving her the ta.sk of keeping the publsher’s young son, Thomas Beck, on the job at Sports events. She takes so readily to that work tha Michael believes her in love with the lad, and forbears to mention his own feelings. To raise money for the needly ex-champs, Michael demands a weekly cut from ail fight promoters, on pain of banning ring news from his department. Through the momentary weakness of young Beck, the promoters frame Michael and expose him as a “shake-down” artist. Accused of fraud by those he sought to expose, Alichael puts up the best fight of his life, breaks up the fixed-fight ring, and, in a surprising romantic climax, gets jolted himself into a different sort of a ring, this time a gold one, for he wasn’t as woinan-wse as lie thought, and the pretty but determined Rochelle has a few tilings to tell him herself. Executive Producer Sol Al. Wurtzel selected Allan Dwan to direct the screen play by Ben Alarkson. Chills, Suspense and Laughter Highlight Hospital Mystery Death takes a postman’s holiday in “Th,e Great Hospital Mystery” and stalks the morgue and corridors of a great hospital to invoke the year’s most baffling clue-hunt—for who would shoot a dead man? In this terror-stricken setting, thrills, chills and hilarity race side by side to a super-surprise climax as a nitwit nurse turns mystery into hysteria in the Twentieth Century-Fox thriller which commencing to-day at the State. Directed by James Timing, the original story' by Alignon Eberhardt is a remarkably unusual tale of the night superintendent of a hospital, Jane Harwell, whoso customary aggravation with her loony assistant, Joan Davis is quickly forgotten ill the puzzling circumstances of the shooting of a patient already dead; in the bitter feud between the head physician, Sig Rumann, and the morgue-keeper; in the romance between nurse Sally Blane and doctor Thomas Beck, and In the mysterious disappearances of various individuals. To further complicate the corpse’s shooting, several real murders occur and the entire institution is in a terror-stricken uproar, with a suspect in every bed, until the super-surprise climax, when mystery becomes hilarity and the jig-saw puzzle plot finds the jig is up. Running neck and neck at the finish in the police list of suspects is the grimvisaged head nurse who stood for no nonsense but got plenty, the gimlet-eyed "sawbones” whose sinister countenance haunted the dreams of his patients, the handsome young doctor who might do anything for the girl he loves and the scatter-brained night nurse with a shriek like an ambulance siren.

BOBBY BREEN CONTEST In connection with, the forthcoming season of Bobby Breen in “Make a Wish,” to commence at the State Theatre on January 21, entrants are invited to discover Palmerston North’s Bobby Breen. Boys to IX years of age are eligible. Selected entrants are to sing from the stage of the State Theatre at each 8 p.m. session. The winner will be selected by the audience. The first jjrize is £5 ss, the second £2 2s, and there are numerous consolation prizes.

REGENT THEATRE—TO-DAY LAUREL AND HARDY IN “WAY OUT WEST” When Laurel and Hardy sing a duet with variations, preceded by a swing dance of the gay 90’s vintage, in the Hai Roach-M-G-AI feature-length comedy, “Way Out West,” it represents the most hilariously funny and brilliant entertainment this stellar team of comics have presented during the more than ten years they have been together on the screen. Sad-faced Stan and pompous-jolly Ollie are a riot of fun from the time they enter the picture across a desert stream with their trick donkey until tney rade-out crossing the stream on the way back. It is their first Western and the boys whoop it up as a pair of “tenderheel” prospectors trying to do a good deed in delivering a gold mine deed, only to end up in a series of misdeeds. “Way Out West” has been given an excellent physical mounting of the colour and glamour of the wild and woolly west, and the characterisations by Sharon Lynne, James Finlayson, Rosina Lawrence, The Avalon Four and Stanley Fields are outstanding. Under the direction of the veteran James W. Horne, bright new gags are well-spotted and are spontaneous in bringing out the laughs Charles Rogers, Jimmy Parrott, Jack Jevne and Felix Adler were the staff of writers and gagmen. You have to heat Laurel and Hardy sing and see them do the light fantastic to appreciate the most merry round of mirth they have ever started. KOSY THEATRE. « MIDNIGHT AIENACE.” Fritz Kortner, Continental character actor and star of “Abdul the Damned,’ comes to the screen again at the Kosy in the latest A.T.P. release, “Alidnight Alenace.” Co-starring with Charles Farrell, he is cast as Al. Peters, foreign representative of Grovinia, a tiny European country cut about by the Treaty of Versailles. He attempts to draw England into a European struggle because of his daughter’s death in the hands of some Allied troops during the Great War. In this attempt he would have been highly successful had not Graham Stevens, political correspondent of the Daily World, accidentally stumbled on the plot. Because of his knowledge Stevens, returning to the Daily World, is pushed into a stream and killed, but not before he has warned Brian Grant, a cartoonist on the same paper, that a big story is on its way. He mentions midnight, November 5. It is thought in journalistic circles that Stevens’ death was accidental, but Grant is convinced it was murder. Much against the editor’s wishes Grant attends the Peace Conference at which Al. Peters hints at an attack at midnight. This arouses Grant’s curiosity, and aided by Mar.v Stevens, his fiancee, and the brother of the dead man, he unravels a mystery that provides a thrilling climax. The beautiful Australian, Alargaret Vyner, plays the lady journalist, while Charles Farrell plays Brian Grant. Amongst the supporting cast are Danny Green, Wallace Everett. Dino Gal* vani, Dennis Norton and Terence O’Brien.

“ Deadwood Pass.” A thrilling story dealing with Robin Hood of the Rio Grande—in the early ; West days—with blazing guns and sensational riding, Robin Hood dashes across the prairie to rescue a girl and to save a pal. Get ready for thrills and action when you ride the “Deadwood Pass,” now showing at the Kosy Theatre. MAYFAIR THEATRE Edmund Lowe with Ester Ralston and Jean Dixon in Dashiel Hammett’s thrilling successor to “The Thin Alan” will be the attraction commencing to-morrow. Here is a gripping, thrilling, exciting and romantic drama that should not be missed. The second feature, “Wedding Rehearsal,” features such well-known stage players as Lady Tree and Geo. Grossmith, while Roland Young was never suited better. “Wedding Rehearsal” strikes a new * note in society comedies. It has an artificial gaiety and sophistication with the slight undercurrent of romance and feeling that indicates the ambition of the producer—obviously designed to amuse. That well-known director Alexander Korda has ingeniously weld4d comedy and romance with clever characterisations and witty dialogue. Developments move i smoothly and entertainingly to happyl over-after climax. METEOR THEATRE RIOTOUS ADVENTURE 5 High adventure of the sort that sets ' your pulses pounding; glamorous nights of romance in the tropics; roistering, \ boisterous comedy—those are the elements S from which the suspense-filled action of I“A Alessage to Gorcia,” 20th Century’s s fascinating adventure romance, now at S the Aleteor Theatre, were woven. Bringing together Wallace Beery. John Boles and Barbara Stanwyck in their first roles to-gether, the new picture is an engrossj ing story of adventure that changed the J destinies of three nations. Boles is the j hero of “A Message to Garcia.” Entrusted with a dispatch to Garcia, somewhere in the tropical interior of Cuba, he sets ' out with Beery, a crafty, humorous renegade. In the course of their wanderings, they meet Barbara Stanwyck, whose father lias been executed, and who is willing to lead them to Garcia. Their venture almost fails because of treacherous guides; Miss Stanwyck is wounded in an encounter with the enemy, and left behind by Boles and Beery as they forge ahead to their goal. The climax of the picture is approached when Beery mistakenly lets Boles fall into a trop laid by Alan Hale, and then leads Garcia’s forces in a charge to the rescue that sets tilings right, reunites the lovers and brings the story to a happy close. A rollicking screen story by W. P. LipscomD and Gene Fowler, and deft direction by George Marshall, are two more reasons why “A Message to Garcia” is a jamboree of unadulterated entertainment. In the supporting cast, you will see Herbert Alundin in an irresistibly comic Cockney characterisation; Enrique Acosta, who gives dignity to the role of Garcia: and lovely Mona Barrie as nn enemy spy.