Entertainments

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 48, 26 February 1938, Page 7

Entertainments

REGENT THEATRE—TO-DAY “PRISONER OP ZENDA ” Right on the heels of his sensational hit, “A Star is Born,” David Selznick has ushered in another magnifleeit 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 Is now screening at the Regent Theatre, with Ronald Colman, 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. Balderston and , Wells Root based on Edward Rose’s dramatisation of the Anthony Hope novel. Miss Carroll plays the beautiful Princess Plavia 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 evei* 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 tho 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 of Alice Faye, George Murphy, Fi*ank Jenks, William Gargan and other capable members of the cast, the writers filled the story with laugh-px*ovoking situations, and surprise plot twists that gave it the momentum and tempo of an express train in high gear. Those who have seen the lavish production 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. dearth of brilliant film adaptions of story classics. “Les Miserables,” “David Ccpperfield,” "Little Women,” are but three productions 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 have seen an English film that will rank with any previous classic brought to the screen. For sheer entertainment and unexcelled pictorial presentation of the author’s original ideas, “King 1 Solomon’s Mines” takes first place in today’s film world. 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 entertainment. The story of Kamy O’Brien and her diamond-mining father who obtain a wagon lift from a hunter, Allan Quartermain, 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 brilliantly 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 better 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 English star adds but one more characterisation to his successful list. Roland Younj makes Commander Good an interesting! friendly little fellow with brilliance, land the romantic interest is sincerely h andled by Anna Lee and John KOSY THEATRE—NOW SHOWING. “ THUNDER TRAIL.” “Thunder Trail,” the Paramount picture now showing at the Kosy Theatre, is a dramatic story of two orphan brothers, who lose each other and see their father killed in a massacre of a wagon train m the old Wiist. 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 brothers (Gilbert Rc land and James Craig) set out to destroy the murderer and his whole gang, in order to clean the district of its 5 outlaws and gain revenge. In addition to " Roland and Craig, the cast of “Thunder 1 Trail” includes Charles Bickford, Marsha Hunt, J. Carrol Naish, Barlowe Borland f and Monte Blue. ‘On Such A Night.” * Floods—unpredictable terrorist and deIstroyer —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 wealthy planter, and a medicine snow operator—are 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 swife justice to a transgressor who had cheated life and death but couldn’t escape rampant nature. “On Such a Nig] it” is one of the most dramatic pictures of the season. Its excellent cast includes Grant Richards. Karen Morley, Roscoe Karns and many other fine players. METEOR THEATRE. “GOLDEN ARROW ” Bette Davis, with George Brent playing opposite her in the masculine lead, is featured to-day at the Meteor Theatre in the fast-moving First National comedy drama “The Golden Arrow.”. Miss Davis appears in a role quite different from those which won her tho aw’ard of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as the best film ac tress of 1935. In “The Golden Arrow” she gives a light comedy portrayal with a romantic twist, which involves also some dramatic moments. Brent’s role is also largely comedy, he being a shy young reporter, whose chief interest is a book he is writing but who finds time to fall in love with the blonde Bette after a series of misunderstandings and flirtatious entanglements which nearly break the course of true love. Other hilarious complications are caused by the attempt of ;i newly rich oil heiress to break up the love affair and steal her rival’s lover after her retinue of foreign princes, nob les and other fortune seekers have deserted her for the lovely blonde who also is presumed to be fabulously wealthy. Tie picture moves in swift tempo to the hilarious and surprising climax in which the young blonde beauty proves not to be wealthy at all, but a simple American girl whose whole yearning is for a. real romance and the lo.ve of the one man in the world to her. The picture is set; in the lavish background of luxurious ya chts and hotels patronised by millionaires and the rollicking fun is carried on to the tune of popping champagne corks. Michael Arlen, the famous English dramatist, wrote the play. In the cast besides Miss Davis and Brent are included Eugsne Pallette, Dick Foran, Carol Hughes, Catharine Doucet, Craig Reynolds, Lebedeff, G. P. Huntley, junr., Hobart Cavanaugh, Henry O’Neill and Eddie Acuff. Alfred E. Green directed.