Entertainments

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 80, 5 April 1938, Page 9

Entertainments

STATE THEATRE—TO-PAY

“ WINGS OF THE MORNING.'* A vivid and exciting new star, as alluringly different as her unusual name—that’s Annabella, the charming French actress who makes her appearance “Wings of the Morning,” opening at the State Theatre to-day. Henry Fonda and Leslie Banks are starred with her in the Twentieth Century-Fox release, produced entirely in natural Technicolour, and presenting the world famous tenor, John McCormack. Of all the talent and loveliness on the Continent, it was Annabella who was picked to be the first European star to play in a picture produced entirely in Technicolour. For such a role the young and lovely star, already famous in France, where she has been on the screen since 1930, is unusually well suited. Her light gold hair, brown eyes, and fine, clear Skin and complexion are exceptionally valuable attributes for a star of colour films, because of the light make-up required in the Technicolour process. Annabella’s career began unexpectedly one evening when her father, a w r ealthy Parisian, was entertaining a group of friends, among them a film producer. M. Charpentier was taking pains to explain exactly what he thought were his daughter’s deficiencies from a screen point of view, but this merely piqued the producer’s interest. He saw Annabella, promptly decided that her father was wrong, and gave her a small part in a picture. For the screen, Anne Charpentier decided that her family name was not one to trade on. Also, she wanted a single name—euphonious and simple. She finally selected Annabella from the title of one of her favourite poems, Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee.” It was Rene Clair, leading director of France, who made Annabella the leading Continental film star, when no cast her in the leading role in his riotous farce, “Le Million.” Annabella cecame me most sought-after actress in France, ana her films, though they were in French, became popular in England and even in America. For a long time Annabella wanted to make films in English. Although she had learned English at school and could read and write it well, she felt that she was not fluent enough in speech. She decided to live in London for several months, speaking nothing but English during that period. The golden-haired, brown-eyed actress, now in her twenty-fifth year, is five feet four inches in height, and weighs 116 pounds. As the star of “Wings of the Morning,” which was directed by Harold Schuster and produced by Robert T. Kane, Annabella now moves on to new world laurels as Europe’s first colour-film star. METEOR THEATRE—TO-DAY. “ ROMANCE IN PARIS ” The story of “Romance in Paris,” showing at the Meteor Theatre to-day, is as follows: Alfred the Seventh (Fernand Gravet) is so bored by royal formalities that he takes up residence in gay Paris with Count Humbert (Edward Everett Horton) and Countess Anna (Mary Nash), in charge of his household. For days and nights he has remained in an alcoholic daze from whic noting can rouse him. Finally Humbert and Anna interest him in a theatrical performance by an American company, and through half-opened eyes Alfred realises that a chorus girl (Joan Blondell) on the stage is flirting with him. Curious, he invites her to dine with him at his apartment, only to find that the girl spurns his invitation until he personally calls for her and escorts her to his home. Much to his surprise the king finds that the chorus girl is unaffected by his regal bearing and has a decided will of her own. Noting this, Humbert and Anna make the girl a proposition to enter upon a professional romance to keep the king sober. Shortly Dorothy, the chorus girl, has the king at her feet and finds him most companionable. The professional romance develops unexpected sincerity and Alfred proposes marriage to Dorothy. After seeking the advice of Humbert and Anna, Dorothy tells Alfred she cannot marry him, for sho is already engaged to an American. To lend credence to this story she produces “Donald” (Alan Mowbray), a pseudo-fiance. This depresses Alfred no little and he hurries to a cheap cafe to drown his sorrows in drink. Awakened from a drunken slumber when the cafe closes, Alfred recognises the head waiter as the man Dorothy was supposed to marry. With threats, he obtains the entire story of the campaign to assure his continued sobriety. Next day Dorothy and Alfred meet in his home by accident and their tete-a-tete leads to a private supper at which the king again proposes marriage. Dorothy, on the verge ot accepting him, learns that the king knows of her arrangements with Humbert and Anna and, humiliated to the point of torture, she runs out of the house, hurries to her apartment and, packing her belongings, takes the next boat to America. Alfred, however, follows her and obtains a passage on the same ship, and the voyage results in his marrying Dorothy as the jovial sea captain performs the wedding

REGENT THEATRE “TOPPER” The astounding adventures of Mr. Cosmo Topper, sedate Wall Street bank president, who was destined to take part in hilarious escapades with madcap gentry of another world, is transcribed from Thorne Smith’s sensational novel to the screen in the new Hal Roach featurelength comedy, "Topper,” which is the attraction showing at the Regent Theatre. Constance Bennett and Cary Grant are C9~starred as the young married couple who, upon meeting a violent death, find themselves imprisoned in spiritual space and who can only advance to a higher plane (presumably heaven) by achieving one good deed. Their idea of a good deed is reconstructing tlie staidly moral life of Cosmo Topper. Roland Young as “Topper” finds the ethereal couple a source of constant embarrassment in their material and invisible efforts on his behalf. They upset his henpecked life with his domineering wife, played by Billie Burke. How they flit in and about astounded natives, how they pursue an incredible series of adventures across a bewildered countryside, lifts “Topper” from the rut of his smug existence and makes of him a disreputable but happv human being. Thomas Smith, the author, dedicated one of his ”Topper’' books, “Topper Takes a Trip,” to Roland Young, which corroborates the studio's Idea of casting young for the role in the new picture. A supporting of well known players is headed by Alan Mowbray and Eugene Pallette, and also includes Arthur Lake, Hedda Hopper, Virginia Sale, Theodore von Kltz, J. Farrell. McDonald, Elaine Shepard, Doodles, Si Jinks and the “Three Hits and a Miss.” The gamut of trick photography is run in the produc“Topper.” Roy Seawright, special efteets man with the Hal Roach studios, accomplished the camera magic in collaboration with Norbert Brodine, the cameraman. MAYFAIR THEATRE—WEDNESDAY. “ EASY LIVING.” Tlie current “smart comedy” cycle in Hollywood is a direct contradiction of that old maxim of the movie business, “the customers were born young ana they have never gotten over it.” In fact, insists Arthur Horn blow, producer of Paramount's “Easy Living,” the comedy coming to the Mayfair Theatre on Wednesday, it’s proof that the much-maligned picture public is actually becoming sophisticated! For evidence, the young Paramount executive and husband of Myrna Loy, points at the box office ratings of such films as “MiDeeds Goes to Town,” “My Man Godfrey” and “The Princess Comes Across.” "All comedies of the smart, semi-sophisticated type five years ago would have flopped everywhere but in the big cities. And today they’re packing ’em in—even in the whistle-stops,” he says. “The success of ‘lt Happened One Night,* which astonished tlie whole industry, started the cycle,” Hornblow says. “Now the studios just can’t get enough comedies to go round. If they’s good, they coin money, because they’re just what the people want.” Hornblow has several to his credit, among them “The Princess Comes Across,” “Ruggles of Red Gap” and “Swing High, Swing Low.” “Easy Living,” with Jean Arthur, Ray Milland and Edward Arnold is his latest. And he says he’ll keep on making them just as often as he can get the scripts. The “smart comedy” cycle, incidentally, has been a boom to writers with a flair for dialogue among them Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, PrestonP .Sturges, who wrote “Easy Living,” Frank j Butler and Don Hartman, Gene Fowler [and the great Robert Riskin. “Three on the Trail.” I Thundering along with the surging sweep of a cattle stampede, punctuated with the bark of six-guns. Paramount’s “Three on the Trail,” fifth in the series of “Hopalong Cassidy” adventures to reach the screen, opens to-morrow as the second attraction. Based on the popular Clarence E. Mulford stories, “Three on tlie Trail” brings William Boyd back in the role of "Hopalong Cassidy,” and Jimmy Ellison as his faithful side-kick, •Johnny Nelson. The story shows I “Hoppy’s” efforts to free himself and [Johnny from a false charge of robbery land murder fastened on them by Pecos | Kane, crooked gambler, and their thrilling : adventures in ridding the country of Kane ‘ and his desperadoes. “Three on the Trail” is an action-filled thriller, with deft comedy touches and a tender romance woven expertly into the story by the capable direction of Howard Bretherton. The beautiful country ©f the West forms a background of scenic splendour that will linger in the minds of the audience. Every member of the cast handles :-his assignment perfectly—Muriel Evans is , lovely and demure as the schoolma’am for twhom both Johnny and Kan© have fallen; ? George Hayes brings sympathy and i understanding to his role of “Windy,” the misanthropic old-timer who “hates wimmin like pizen”; and Onslow Stevens deserves special mention for his masterful portrayal of the difficult role of Pecos Kane, suave, cultred killer and gang leader. KOSY THEATRE—TO-DAY. “ MURDER IN THE FLEET.” Thrills and mystery against the quickly shifting panorama of life aboard a warship, provide gripping entertainment in •‘Murder in the Fleet,” unique detective thriller now playing at the Kosy Theatre. The new Melro-Goldwyn-Mayer production uses a cruiser during manoeuvres, as a locale for the baffling crimes, and the work cf a young naval lieutenant in ferreting out a criminal amid tlie civilian visitors, government officials, and naval crew marooned on tlie vessel until the murderer is brought to light in the final scenes of the engrossing story. The cruiser is installing a new firing control gear against time. Certain influences are established trying to halt the work, then the murders commence, and the navy men turn detectives, while at the same time working frantically io complete tneir task of installation. Amid ligntning-like successions of thrills, suspense and drama, comical interludes are deftly inserted in a unique blend of entertainment; Jean Parker plays the feminine lead, is beautiful to look at and an accomplished actress, opposite Robert Taylor, who recently leaped into fame. Taylor plays the detective lieutenant, in a fine piece of characterisation and a big dramatic climax. Jean Hersholt plays the principal character role as Hanson, the civilian government inspector. The comedy interludes are in the capable hands of Ted Healy and Nat Fendielon, una Merkel and Marj “ Vagabond Lady.” Action, comedy, beautiiul settings, gorgeous gowns and splendid acting makes "Vagabond Lady," the Hall Roach-M-G-M. leature, now at the Kosy theatre, one of the best motion pictures of recent months. Robert Young as the irresponsible •Tony,” son of a millionaire department store owner, has the time of Ins young life providing delighliul comedy and considerable romance to the plot of the story, which revolves around the beautiful daughter of the store’s janitor, Spiggs. Evelyn Venable, as the daughter “Miss JSpiggiiis,” turns in one of tlie best performances of her screen career. A dilhcult role in the film, "John,” the dignified brother of “Tony,” is portrayed by Reginald Denny, as usual, this veteran of the

stage and screen acquits himself creditably. in fact, tlie entire cast is par excellence. The supporting players, who number in their list such outstanding character actors and comedians as iierion Churchill, Frank Craven, Forester Harvey, Dan Crimmins and Ferdinand Gottschaik are well cast. With rare skill, Director Sam Taylor has put these players through their parts with an understanding of comedy values and human emotions that explains why he is among those on the top rungs of cinemaland's directorial ladder.