Entertainments

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 106, 7 May 1938, Page 7

Entertainments

STATE THEATRE—TO-DAY “DINNER AT THE RITZ.”. In a picture as tensely exciting as she is lovely, Annabella, the girl whose loveliness swept her to overnight stardom, plays the most dangerous game a beautiful girl in love ever chose in “Dinner at the Ritz,” New World picture released by Twentieth Century-Fox, which is showing at the State Theatre to-day. The glamorous actress, whose recent arrival in the film caoital for her Hollywood debut provoked great excitement in the nation's press, is acclaimed as the loveliest thing on the screen. Her performance in her latest picture proves her the sensational star discovery of two continents. Paul Lukas, David Niven and Romney Brent are featured in the cast supporting Annabella, which also includes Francis L. Sullivan, Stewart Rome, Norah Swinburne and Tyrell Davis. A lovely carefree girl one day and a daring adventuress the next, Annabella whirls from the' brilliant salons of Paris through the gambling rooms of Monte Carlo to a luxurious private yacht in the Mediterranean in a daring search packed with thrills. When a Paris banker is mysteriously killed and his bank wrecked, Annabella forsakes her quiet existence to,hunt the men responsible, aided by Romney Brent, an American reporter-sleuth. She masquerades as a gay adventuress, complicating her romance with handsome David Niven, but nothing can stand in the way of her determination to avenge the murder. Brought to a swift-paced, surprising climax, the story comes to an unusual conclusion with “Dinner at the Ritz.’’ Roland Pertwee and Romney Brent wrote the screen play for the Robert T. Kane production, directed by Harold D. SchusMAYFAIR THEATRE. “IT’S ALL YOURS.” With Madeleine Carroll, Francis Lederer and Mischa Auer heading a stellar cast and with a scintillating story competently directed by Elliott Nugent, Columbia has clicked again with a ripping romantic comedy entitled “It’s All Yours.,, The picture shows at the Mayfair Theatre. The screen play is an extremely amusing one, marked by constant high surprises. Featured in the supporting cast are Grace Bradley, J. C. Nugent and Charles Waldron. Each offers a topnotch portrayal, as does Victor Kilian, George McKay, Arthur Hoyt and Richard Carle in lesser roles. The story concerns shy young Jimmy Barnes wh arrives in America from Europe to join in the law firm of his uncle. Jimmy spends months having a good time, and the result is that after a few years young Barnes is the talk of the town. To bring him back to earth the elder Barnes enlists the aid of his mousee-like secretary, Linda Gray. On his death-bed,' he leaves his fortune to Linda, whom he knows to be in love with Jimmy, hoping thus to bring them together. How Linda goes to town, with Jimmy in tow to prevent her spending all the money and with Mischa Auer making a competitive bid for her affections, provides the hilarious comedy denouement. METEOR THEATRE “MINSTREL BOY” Fred Conyngham, whose appearance locally in Esstee’s new production, “Minstrel Boy,” now screening at the Mayfair Theatre, will be remembered as the Irish Tenor in “Rose of Tralee.” In this photoplay ample scope is taken advantage of for his talent. Six songs include “Best Thing in Life,” “Love’ s a Racketeer,” “Minstrel Boy,” “McDougal. McNab and McKay,” “Lovin’'the Moon,’’ “When Loves are so Many,” and the dance tunes include “Sweet Machucha,” “Tango Town” and “Moonlight Madonna.” Assisting Conyngham is Chili Bouchier and Lucille Lisle and a fine band. “Minstrel Boy” Is something quite new in musicals. A gay, tender and intimate romance with sweet numbers, plenty of laughs, a few tears and a delightful story that will appeal to one and all. The title refers to the leader of a popular dance band (Fred Conyngham), who falls in love with the scion of a snobbish County family, marries her, and introduces her to his own rowdy set culled from the purlieus of Archer street. When an old flame (Chill Bouchier) makes a dead set for her husband, the young wife (Lucille Lisle) returns to her ancestral home and the protection of a former suitor. How she discovers she has misjudged her husband and rescues him just in timo from suicide makes a dramatic finish. A particularly fine supporting programme has been compiled for you too. Of exceptional interest are “Our Heritage of the Air” and “Our Heritage of Defence.” The former deals with the conquest of the air, from the earliest days of balloon ascents to our present 400 m.p.h. defence planes. The latter cover all services of our defence line, mechanised units ,, of the army, navy and naval air arm. To top off a fine programme there are some “Highlights from Variety,” the always popular “Aussie News” and a subject dealing with the “Bells of Belgium.” Patrons are advised to make early application for bookings (there is no extra charge) as this programme can be held only for a short season.

REGENT THEATRE. " BEG, BORROW. OR STEAL.” King laughter reigns in all his glory at Regent Theatre, when “Beg. Borrow or Steal," with Frank Morgan. Florence Rice and John Beal in the featured roles, will screen. Merry and mad, it is a ribtickling story in the key of “Libelled Lady,” “My Man Godfrey” and others ol that popular cycle of motion pictures that has found high favour with audiences. As Ingraham Steward 11., an American who is making his living as a “steerer” oi rich tourists in Europe, Frank Morgan is at his funniest. Florence Rice and John Beal, seen together in “Double Wedding,” have another opportunity to display their gift for humour and provide the romantic interest in “Beg, Borrow or Steal.” Comedians abound in the picture, among them being Reginald Denny, George Givot, Herman Bing, E. E. Clive, Erik Rhodes. AH, with the exception of Clive, play comedy crooks and are excellent. Others in the cast are Vladimir Sokoloff, Janet Beecher, Cora Witherspoon, Tom Rutherfurd and Harlan Briggs. The story centres around Ingram Steward (Frank Morgan), living a bluff in Europe and keeping it from his estranged American family. When his daughter, Joyce (Florence Rice) is to be married, he cables congratulations and expresser regret that there is not time to have the wedding at his chateau oa the Riviera. The family decides to make time, postpones the wedding and notifies Steward that they are coming to Europe for the ceremony. Steward, in a stew promotes a chateau from Bill Cherau (John Beal), whom he believes to be only the caretaker. Then, surrounding himself by his crook pals, each of whom poses as some sort of nobility, he receives his family, the bridegroom-to-be and the future inlaws, with one eye on the police. The old habits are too much for his bogus noblemen and complications arise fast and furiously. They are made more complex when Bill falls in love with Joyce and decides to prevent the wedding and marry her himself. It is all grand, madcap comedy and swell entertainment. William Thiele has done a fine piece of directing and the picture is set in a lavish atmosphere of which the Riviera itself would be proud. KOSY THEATRE DAN FOLEY, THE IRISH TENOR. Dan Foley, the Irish tenor now concluding a tour of the South Island In the course of a farewell tour of New Zealand prior to leaving to fulfil radio engagements in South Africa, has charmed audiences with his golden voice, so that everywhere return seasons are demanded of him. Palmerston North will be privileged with the appearance of the Irish tenor at the Kosy Theatre to-day (matinee and evening) and Monday (evening), when he will sing all the Irish melodies so well loved, including the famous rebel song, “Shall My Soul Pass Through Ireland?” as well as “Smiling Irish Eyes,” “Does Your Mother Come From Ireland?”, “Father O’Flynn,” etc. Terrence McSwiney’s great rebel song, “Shall 'My Soul Pass Through Ireland?’ should send Irishmen into a frenzy of patriotic fervour. “The Plough and the Stars.” Based on one of the most dramatic events in Ireland’s history, the “Uprising” of Easter Week, 1916, “The Plough and the stars,” now showing at the Kosy Theatre, Is a romantic drama of great emotional power splendidly balanced between tragedy and comedy. Barbara Stanwyck, who is starred, and Preston Foster and Una O’Connor, in featured roles, head an exceptional supporting cast. This picture Is taken from the celebrated play of the same name by Sean O’Casey, the Irish dramatist, and was widely acclaimed when first produced some years ago at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. Since then it has had a triumphant reception in the United States, where it was presented, first by an American troupe, and, later, by the Abbey Theatre players on their second American tour. The screen script was prepared from O’Casey's drama by Dudley Nichols, who similarly prepared the scenario for “The Informer”; and the production has been directed by tne experienced John Ford, who directed “The Informer,” and who, with Nichols, won the award of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences for supremacy In their respective fields of endeavour, tffr their work on that other picture of Irish life. What is more, the same producing force which turned out “The Informer” under the RKO Radio banner, embracing Cliff Reid and Robert Sisk, produced “The Plough and the Stars.” Taking Us title from the emblem on the flag of the Irish Citizen Army, the story Is uncompromising and borders always on the tragic. Yet, as in the play, fresh, typically Irish comedy stirs the audience to uncontrollable laughter throughout the film. The blending of the nnarious with the tragic is one of the characteristics that won Sean O’Casey the reputation of being Ireland’s greatest living playwright. Barbara Stanwyck and Preston Foster appear as a young Dublin couple whose romance is tragically Interrupted wnen, despite his wife’s pleas, the idealistic husband accepts a command in the Irish Citizen Army. Neither Miss Stanwyck nor Foster have ever delivered finer performances. Their tender romantic. Beenes and moments of fierce, unleashed emotion stick long in the memory. Others who appear In important roles are J. M. Kerrigan, Bonita Granville, Erin O’BrlenMoore, Moroni Olsen, Neil Fitzgerald, Cyril McLagen and Brandon Hurst. On the whole, the screen play presents a remarkable picture of the reaction of a small group of middle-class citizens to ths havoc wrought in their lives by the sudden coming of civil warfare. It is a spirited, living drama of emotions under the stress of impassioned action—and it i 3 well worth seeing, to be stored in the memory of the better things of stage and screen.