Entertainments

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 160, 9 July 1938, Page 7

Entertainments

STATE THEATRE—TO-DAY “CHARLIE CHAN AT MONTE CARLO ” Arrested for murder—Charlie Chan himself That unbelievable situation in a picture packed with thrills, screens at the ) State Theatre today, when 4 cha "*f Chan at Monte Carlo,” presents the world’s ace detective at the world s gayest playground. It is murder for a million when Death deals a hand at the gaming tables. And Chan takes a million-to-one chance to solve a triple murder. Having portrayed Chan for nearly six years, and with this Twentieth Century-Fox production as his sixteenth characterisation of the sage sleuth, Warner Gland by now is more mystifyingly Oriental than even his Number One Son, Keye Luke. -Chi? time the Prefect of Police, played by Harold Huber, greets the sleuth at the Casino de Monte Carlo, where Death deals a hand at the gaming tables. It S a million to one chance but Chan plays it to solve a murder for a million. The picture shows that behind all of the gaiety and gambling, financial intrigues in the Bourse play for still higher stakes—a million dollars in bonds which wfil ruin one man and make another powerful. A bank messenger and his chauffeur are slain. A Casino bartender who holds a blackmail grip on one banker’s wife, dies with the loot in a valise near his body. “Cherchez la femme” says the prefect of police, ana through an intricate web involving a mysterious Eh* glish girl, Chan achieves his most brilliant case to give the “hoodunit” fans their best mystery bet. There aro laughs in profusion, especially as Charlie sets forth in a taxicab to accompany his son to a Parisian art exhibit. All in all, a splendid cast helps Messrs Oland and Huber through the mystery maze. It includes Keye Luke, Virginia Field, Sidney Field>Sidney Blackiner. Kay Linaker and Robert Kent. “Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo” was directed by Eugene Forde from a screen adaptation by Charles Belden and Jerry Cady of an original istory by Robert Ellis and Helen Logan Sol Wurtzei is producer. KOSY THEATRE “THE CHEROKEE STRIP” “The Cherokee Strip,’’ the First National picture starring Dick Foran, is now at the Kosy Theatre. The actors create especial pleasure in the singing of “My Little Buckaroo.” “The Cherokee Strip” was the popular name of that undeveloped region which was opened by President Benjamin Harrison to anyone who wanted to make a dash for a piece of it. Thousands camped around the borders for days, ready to start at a signal from Army men. Among the pioneers is Dick Foran, as Dick Hudson, a young lawyer eager to hang out his shingle in the new territory. Because of an enemy plot, he is a loser in the race, but 110 has tho satisfaction of seeing the family oi his sweetheart, played by Jane Bryan, obtain a good location. Dick starts hit law practice in one of the boom towns, but his enemy, Link Carter, played by Eu Cobb, controls the town and its courts, and Dick loses his cases. Dick’s resourcefulness and courage, however, enable him to unmask Carter as a crook, a cattle thief and killer, and the climax sees Dick triunipnaiu and Carter on his way to the gallows. ‘•Flight Into Nowhere.” Tack Holt, ever-dependable hero 01 screen adventure tales,, crashes through with another two-fisted, fighting narrative in “Flight Into Nowhere,” now at the Kosy Theatre. The fiim, a tensely dramatic tale set in South American jungles, offers its star a splendid opportunity and one of which he takes full advantage in his role as fighting chief of a transcontinental air line. Columbia has sup plied the star with a charming and talented leading lady, Jacqueline Wells, and an excellent foil in the person of Dick 1 urcell. James Burke, as Holt’s flying teammate, is ideally cast as a comic Lothario. The supporting roles contributed by Howard Hickman, Karen Sorrell, Fritz Leiber, Robert Fiske and Julian Rivero are also well handled. Briefly, the story tells of Dick Purcell, a headstrong, stubborn pilot, who against orders and totally unprepared takes off on a trail-breaking rlignt to Soutn America. VVinie over the jungle country of tho upper Amazon, his plane runs out of gas. He crashes, and is picked up by a primitive tribe of means. Holt ana Burke set out to try to find him. On arrival In South America tney near rumours of a white man being neid captive by head-hunters, so organise an expedition into the jungle country. Exciting adventures follow, when they rescue a white man from head-huncers who have held him captive for nearly threo years. Search for Talent. Those interested are reminded of the Manawatu tap dance contest to commence at the Kosy to-day at 10 a.m.. The contest is designed to give boys and gins an opportunity of displaying their versatility in the intricate and rhytmnic steps of this popular form of dancing, leading, pernaps, to possible stage work in the iuture. On the stage will be the popular “Popeye” himself (through courtesy of tho Dawson School of Dancing, Palmerston xsorth), showing you that popular eccentric Popeye dance. In conjunction with this contest a popular programme lias been specially selected for tne children.

REGENT THEATRE “HER JUNGLE LOVE” A thrilling earthquake, trapping Dorothy Lamour, Ray Milland, Lynne Overman, J. Carrol Nalsh and hundreds of native extras provides a smash climax to the tropical romance, “Her Jungle Love. Miss Lamour returned with Ray Willand in this jungle film that combines all the elements of romance, thrills, mystery, and a riot of blazing natural colours. Miss Lamour, a white “goddess,” is discovered by Milland when his plane crashes after an encounter with a typhoon, on an otherwise deserted island. Both he and his mechanic, Lynne Overland, are befriended by Miss Lamour. who at first tried to kill them, the fear of white men being instilled in her by tho power-mad J. Carrol Naish, ruler of hundreds of superstition-ridden natives. Milland falls in love with the beautiful “goddess,” hut their romance renders the position of the two stranded fliers doubly dangerous. Naish not only hates white men himself but loves Miss Lamour also and fears, too, that loss of the "goddess” would break liis control over the natives, when the mad ruler brings his savage horde to the island for their annual sacrifice. Milland and Overman secretly watch the ceremonies and determine to make one last effort to reach civilisation, to take Miss Lamour away from the hypnotic powers of Naish. Before they are able to carry out their plans, however, the mad Eurasian returns to the island to take Miss Lamour to share his fearful throne. Terrified, she flies to Milland’s arms, thereby dooming herself and the white men As tho trio are being led to the sacrificial altar, a terrific earthquake rocks the underground temple, trapping Naish and leaving him to the fate he had condemned so many white men to. Emerging into the open, the throe find a searching yacht off-shore. MAYFAIR THEATRE—TO-DAY “ MELODY FOR TWO.” Warner Bros, musical comedy, “Melody For Two,” haa its local premiere at the Mayfair Theatre to-day, and features James Melton. Of course, there’s something to the fact that Melton, whose voice has long been a favourite on the radio, is a 6-footer and handsome and is a much better-than-average Sort of actor. This was Melton’s third venture before the cameras. His first was “Stars Over Broadway.” Then he worked in “Sing Me a Love Song.” Each was a success. This promises to be more than a repeater. “Melody For Two” is a musical comedy with a new angle—based upon the stiff competition between musical organisations and individuals, especially lor the lucrative spots on the nation-wide broadcasts that everyone hears daily or nightly. That’s quite fitting - for Melton, who has been on several of them. Tho star has high class support again in this one, as he had before. Ho plays the part of a bandleader and master of ceremonies. Patricia Ellis is the blues-singer who is in love with him. Patricia is splendid in this part, and reveals, for the first time, a sweetly agreeable singing voice. She sings a hit promise number called “A Flat in Manhattan.” Winifred Shaw is

“the other woman,” and a dangerous one, too. She has two numbers, “Jose O’Neill, the Cuoan Heel,” and “An Excuse For Dancing.” Melton himself, soloing or leading choruses, is at his very best, particularly in the 'title song, “Melody For Two” and “September m the Rain.” Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Young co-star in tho second attraction, “Red Salute,” which gives Barbara her first opportunity to doff tho familiar garments of tragedy as a pretty, modern co-ed, blessed with a quick tongue, a venturesome spirit, and a rollicking sense of fun. From the moment when this headstrong maiden, Drue Van Allen, is tricked by her Army General father into flying across the Mexican border to save her from harmful publicity arising from her association with a young campus agitator of a decidedly “pinkish” cast, the story moves swiftly from one thrilling and laugh-provoking adventure to another. In her efforts to get back she involves not only a wise-cracking young buck private on furlough, in the person of Mr. Young, but a henpecked husband (Cliff Edwards) and his pursuing wife (Ruth Donnellv). the Border Patrol, and even the Federal authorities. Barbara proves herself an admirable comedienne, and Robert Young 13 swell as the holidaying private who gets himself into tho most unexpected jams because he is such an obliging soul The uke-strumming Edwards and Ruth Donnelly make a grand new comeay team, and Hardie Albright as the agitator, Gordon Jones, who made an auspicious det a "■ L, , et ’ Em Ha V e It.” and Paul otanton also lend admirable support. METEOR THEATRE. “ WINGS OP THE MORNING.” The sun doesn t shine very often around London, and when it does, the aviators all rus.i to take their 'planes up. Therebv hangs a few prematureely grey hairs oil the head of Harold Scha.ster, young fiim director, whose “Wings c%’ the Morning, starring Annabella, Henry Fonda and Leslie Banks, and presenting the world - tamous tenor, John McCormack, is now showing at the Meteor Theatre. “I hadn’t been there long before I realised that one good, bright day a wek wa3 all we coulu expect, recounts Schuster, who went to from tlle Twentieth Century-Fox studios. “The natives assured me that It was unusual weather, but I had learnea all about that in Hollywood. The outside shots had to have plenty of light, lor Wings of the Morning’ was done in colour—-the first all-colour picture to be made in England. When finally the sun broke through, we Went on location a few ° ut low »* Then, from a near-by ,\/^!o= Al +.* t ° rce i ! ans;ar - 'P J anes kept taking off, their motors making a fine roar that had no place on our sound track. I here wore plenty of wings of the morning, but not the ones wo were interested m. Alter half that week’s supply of sunshine had gone without a foot of film being shot, I called on the local air-force commanding officer. We worked out a schedule whereby I could have severai noise-free hours during the day. After ‘hat, all I had to worry about was the sun “ After more than five months of work —partly consumed waiting for the sun, and partly by the English custom oi having tea in mid-afternoon on tho set Wings of the Morning” was completed’ Anxious not to let the precious negative out of his sight, Schuster accompanied it back to Hollywood, where the final colour processing was effected. Starred in the colour film are Annabella, the lovely Continental actress making her Englishspeaking debut, Henry Fonda, the American screen star, and Leslie Banks, star oi the British and American stage and screen. The Twentieth Century-Fox releaso was produced by Robert T. Kane.