Entertainments

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 47, 25 February 1938, Page 9

Entertainments

REGENT THEATRE—TO-NIGHT. “PRISONER OF ZENDA" Right on the heels of his sensational hit, “A Star is Bona," David Selznick has ushered in another magniflceit piece of entertainment. The picture is “The Prisoner of Zenda,” Anthony Hope’s swashbuckling tale of love, Intrigue and adventure in the Courts of Europe, which commences at the Regent to-night at the 10.30 session, with Ronald Coolman, Madeleine Carroll and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., in the leading roles. Colman plays the dual role of King Rudolf V. and the adventurous Rassendyll in this tale of love and intrigue among the courts or Europe, which John Cromwell directer from a screen-play which John L. Baldersxon and Wells Root based on Edward Rose’s dramatisation of the Anthony Hope novel. Miss Carroll plays the beautiful Princess Flavia and young Fairbanks is seen as the dashing Rupert of Hentzan. Lavishly mounted with some sixty-odd breathtaking sets, Including a cathedral, a castle and the sumptuous castle ballroom, designed by Lyle Wheeler, “The Prisoner of Zenda" offers some of the most impressive and beautiful scenes ever filmed, notable the Coronation ceremony and the Coronation ball. John L. Balderston and Wells Root have made a grand scene play, and all the members of the imposing cast turn in uniformly fine performances under the expert direction of John Cromwell. The eye-filling costumes were designed by Ernst Dryden, and the splendid photography is credited to James Wong Howe. MAYFAIR THEATRE “YOU’RE A SWEETHEART” Alice Faye, more glamorous and beautiful than ever before, singing the hit songs of the year, and for the first time on the screen dancing, the art which brought her to the screen in the beginning. George Murphy, in the hilarious role of a waiter who becomes a millionaire for a week, wins the love of a Broadway star and figures in the headline romance of the century! He dances as he never danced before. These two favourites of the screen, together with an all star cast of the world’s most brilliant entertainers, were swirled together in a lavish cocktail of melody, laughter and grandeur to produce Universal’s smashing musical triumph. “You’re a Sweetheart," which starts to-morrow at the Mayfair theatre. Costing more than a million dollars, the B . G. “Buddy" De Sylva production reveals Ken Murray and Oswald at their funniest, together with Frank Jenks and Frances Hunt, two new comedy discoveries of the year. Leading a dancing chorus of more than a hundred beautiful girls is Edna Sedgwick, famous ballerina of two continents. Andy Devine is seen as the comical bodyguard who wants to get back into prison so he can play on the football team. These and a dozen other elements make “You’re a Sweetheart" a top-notch musical that stands in a class by Itself. Seen in a dancing role for the first time on the screen, Alice Faye and George Murphy form a new team of dancing stars, backed by a chorus of pretty girls, that will litterally take one’s breath away as they spin, whirl and glide to the newest song creations of Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson. Hollywood critics, acclaiming the picture at its premiere, wrote glowing compliments for the dazzling dialogue and comedy scenes. Capitalising on the talents o? Alice Faye, George Murphy, Frank Jenks. William Gargan and other capable members of the cast, the writers filled the story with la ugh-provoking situations, and surprise plot twists that gave it the momentum and tempo of an express ti'ain in high gear. Those who have seen the lavish px-oduction declare that there is more solid entertainment, more laughs, more spectacular dance routines and beautiful song numbers woven into the picture than in any other musical that was ever shot.

STATE THEATRE—TO-DAY “KING! SOLOMON’S MINES. During the last six months or so there has been a 6 earth of brilliant film adaptions of story classics. "Les Miserables,” “David Copporfield," “Little Women," are but three pi'oductions that come to one’s mind. Strangely enough, England has contributed but little to the really excellent classic productions to date, but now at last we ha.ve seen an English film that will rank with any previous classic brought to the screen. For sheer entertainment anc, unexcelled pictorial presentation of the author’s original ideas, “King Solomon’s Mines” takes first place in today’s film w orld. ' H. Rider Haggard has been responsible for adventurous, imaginative tales that have thrilled readers since the 'eighties and will continue to do so for years to come. These stories have all the glamour and romance that appeals to any imagination, and '‘King Solomon’s Mines" is probably the best of these. It is ideal film material, and as adapted and presented by G.-8.-D. under the direction of Robert Stevenson, it is definitely Britain’s film triumph and intense, exciting entertainmen t. The stoi*y of Kathy O’Brien and her diamond-mining father who obtain a wagon lift from a hunter, Allan Quartormain, and who are later joined by Commander Good and Sir Henry Curtis, explorer and adventurer, with the powerfully built Umbopa for driver and guide, makes interesting material. O’Brien then disappears with a map he has obtained, supposedly locating the fabulously rich diamond mines—King Solomon’s Mines-—and the party, following in the wake of Kathy who has gone in search of her father, takes an interest in the proceedings. From the moment they are captured by Zulus and Umbopa reveals himself as their rightful king, the story builds up to a thrilling and powerful climax that involves fierce tribal wars, gruesome mischief by witch-doctors and an enormous volcanic upheaval. These scenes have been bi illiantly and realistically produced, and the tribal war and celebration scenes in which thousands of natives take part are both impressive and spectacular. As Umbopa, Paul Robeson has never been seen to bettor advantage. He sings three songs during the action of the film In glorious voice, and acts with conviction. Sharing all honours is Cedric Hardwicke as Allan Quartermain, adventurer. This convincing Flnglish star adds but one more characterisation to his successful list. Roland Young makes Commander Good an interesting, friendly little fellow with brilliance, and the romantic interest is sincerely ha idled by Anna Lee and John Loder. KOGY THEATRE—NOW SHOWING. “ THUNDER TRAIL.” “Thunder Trail," the Paramount picture now showing at the Kosy Theatre, is a di-amatic istory of two orphan brothers, who lose each other and see their father killed in a massacre of a wagon tram in the old Wes;t. Their paths do not cross for nearly twenty years, and their father’s death goes unpunished. Finally they meet in a little mining town, where the man responsible for killing their father is “boss’* of the district. The bi’others (Gilbert Roland and James Craig) set out to destroy the murderer and his whole gang, in ore er to clean the district of its outlaws and gain revenge. In addition to Roland and Craig, the cast of “Thunder Trail" includes Charles Bickford. Marsha Hunt, J. Carrol Naish, Barlowe Borland and Monte Blue. “On Such A Night." Flood—unpredictable terrorist and destroyer—is the background against which the powerful motion picture drama, “On Such a Night,” the second feature at the Kosy Theatre, is laid. In this story, six persons of divergent classes and interests —a beautiful actress, a convicted murderer, a racketeer, a newspaper reporter, a wealthyjgjjariter, and a medicine show operator—caught in the flood. And the flood, wrecker of lives, and harbinger of destruction, irons out for these people their tangled fates!—it mends the broken lives of the accused murderer and the actress, and brings swlfe justice to a transgressor who had cheated life and death but couldn’t escape rampant nature. “On Such a Night" is one of the most dramatic pictures of the season.' Its excellent cast includes; Grant Richards, Karen Morley, Roscoo Karns and many other fine players.