Entertainments

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 180, 2 August 1938, Page 9

Entertainments

STATE THEATRE-TO-DAY " GO CHASE YOURSELF." Criticised as one of the season’s funniest offerings, "Go Chase Yourself,” Joe Fenner’s now starring vehicle, shows at the State Theatre to-day with an ingenious story, a notable supporting cast and a wealth of hilarious situations which give the famous radio and film funster his best opportunity for mirthmaking to date. Fenner enacts the role of a small town bank teller with two peculiar habits: he fancies himself as a crooner and sings while working, and can't resist buying raffle tickets. As a result of this latter habit he wins a luxurious trailer, for which he owns no automobile, and tows the vehicle home himself. His wife, disgusted, makes him sleep in the trailer that night. During the night his bank is looted and the bandits appropriate Fenner and his trailer, which they attach to their car, to throw the police off the scent. The next morning Fenner finds himseif with h.a striinge companions many miles from | home. The ensuing complications come ; in rapid succession, developing in the kidnapping of a beautiful heiress, wrecking I her marriage to a titled fortune-hunter, ! and getting Fenner’s wife arrested. The 1 climax, with Fenner and his friends trap--1 ped in the trailer running wild down a steep mountain road, is said to constitute one of the most exciting and hilarious sequences ever filmed. Fenner, who has the sole starring role in “Go Chase Yourself,” is supported by Lucille Ball as his sarcastic wife; Richard Lane as a bandit; juno Travis as the heiress; Fritz Feld as the fortune-hunter, and Tom Kennedy as another gangster. Edward F. Cline directed "Go Chase Yourself,” an RKO Radio picture and a production by Robert Sisk, with other screen favourites including Bradley Page, Granville Bates, George Irving, Margaret Armstrong, Arthur Stone, Jack Carson and Tom Keni nedy. Paul Yawitz and Bert Granet adapted a scenario from Walter O’Keefe's original story. "Condemned Women.” En route to a women's prison, Sally Eilers tries, to commit suicile. A doctor, Louis Hayward, saves her life. At the prison, Sally and Anne Shirley, a young convict, are assigned to a cell with Lee Patrick, a leader among tho pi-isoners now planning escape. Sally makes no effort to chum with Other convicts, ana Leo tries to frame her. Later, Louis Hayward arrives, delegated to study the inmates. Louis has Saliy transierred to the prison hospital to help aim. Constant meetings enable them to fall in love. Learning oi the couple’s affair the head, matron informs the warden, who explains to Saliy she will ruin Louis' career. Heartsick, Sally joins Lee in her attempt to escape, hoping to end Louis interest in her. The plotters capture a matron and take her keys and revolver. They reach the prison heating plant anct cut the smoke pipe to give an effect oi fire, and the convicts are released. The head matron opens fire and kills Anne and wounds Lee. Saliy and Lee manage to escape in a car. Lee dies from her wounds. Sally continues with her flight Saddened by this affair, Louis resigns his position and accepts a post in a city hos pital. Later Saliy is captured. At the trial she refuses to defend herself, but Louis calls the warden, who admits she cautioned Sally against marrying Louis and confesses she advised her to keep silent at the trial to save Louis’ reputation. In view of this new testimony, the judge waives additional punishment and orders Sally to serve the balance of her original term—at tho end of which she will join Louis. METEOR THEATRE—-TO-DAY “ MICHAEL STROGOFF " Bringing to life on tne screen the exciting adventures and desperate struggles of Juies Verne’s immortal hero, “Micnaei Strogoff,” now snowing at the Meteor. RKO Radio is said to nave produced one of the. most Unusual films of modern times in its picture ot that name with the new Continental sensation, Anton YVaibrook, in the title role. Leafing with the efforts of Strogoff, a courier of the Czar, to reach a besieged Russian army at Irkutsk during a sudden rebellion of the Tartar hordes, the picture abounds in breatn-taking occurrences. Tnese include the snadowing of the courier by a woman spy; nis rescue of the spy from the attack of an enraged bear; ins meeting wain the traitor commanding tne Tartar rebels; his romance with the Russian giri who accompanies him on his perilous journey; his nght with Tartar pirates on a Siberian river; his capture by a Tartar patrol as he tries to reach the Russian lines; the intensely dramatic moments wnen he is conuemned to be blinded by Having a white-hoc sword passed before nis eyes; tho death of the spy; and ins tnumpnant revenge on tne Tartar leader in the palace at Irkutsk. as a counterpoint to tnese gripping scenes, “Mus Strbgoft” shows vvnat nas been accia.r-_„ as two ot tne greatest, battle sequence., ever recorded oy tne camera, namery, uic dereat of tne Russian Army by two Tartar cavalry regiments, and the rinai anniniiation oi me reoels as tne courier leads tne Grand Dunes forces on tnem irom Irkutsk in a surprise sortie. Tnese sequences empioy tne services of j.0,00v picked troops wno represent uie Russian and far Lai armies, m the film tney are led by their own generals in tne intricate military tactics piescrioed bv juies Verne in his story. Ten camera crews were necessary to record the various charges and retreats, so far-reacning were tnese manoeuvres. "MicJnaef atrogolf” marks Anton vVaibrook s American debut, ana lor this occasion RKO Radio Fictures nas surrounded tne international star with i galaxy of Hollywood iavourites. In the leramme leads are LiizaDetn Allan ana Margot Graname, Akim Tamiroff, fay .tsaincer and Brio Bruce are aiso cast un der George Nicnoiis, jr.’s direction.

REGENT THEATRE—TO-DAY "BLUEBEARD’S EIGHTH WIFE” Claudette Colbert and Gary Cooper form Hollywood’s newest comic-romantic part- , nership in Paramount’s "Bluebeard’s * Eighth Wife,” now at the Regent Theatre, i With Edward Everett Horton and David I Niven prominent in the supporting cast. ! the picture shows what happens to a girl who man-ies a man for money and then falls in love with him. Miss Colbert, who 1 during the past few years has done as 1 much as any other actress to popularise the gay, youthful, true-to-life brand of screen comedy, achieved her first Hollywood fame in a number of pictures with that mastei of the French touch, Maurice Chevalier. "This production makes two of my dreams come true,” says the vivacious star. "I have always wanted to be teamed with Gary Cooper, but we were never able to get together until now. A.nd I have always wanted to play the part of a French girl, since that Is what I really am.” In this comedy of a much-married financier who is tamed in u most unusual manner by his eighth wife. Cooper divorces seven wives, upon each of whom he settles an income of £IO,OOO a year. When his eighth wife begins to get in his hair, he prepares to divorce her and give her a yearly stipend of £20,000. ; This means an outlay by the husband of j nearly £IOO,OOO a year. No wonder the gay philanderer has a tough time balancing his budget and decides to remain married to Miss Colbert in spite of the hectic life she leads him. Supporting in the programme of "Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife” are some outstanding shorts, including Paramount Paragraphies, "Gold”; a Popeye cartoon, “Let’s Celebrate”; a Special Novelty; a fascinating "Popular Science” (in colour); and tho latest "World News,” etc. KOSY THEATRE. " SHE COULDN’T TAKE IT ” Now showing at tho Kosy Theatre is "She Couldn’t Take It,” starring Joan Bennett, and George Raft who plays an ex-big-shot racketeer who, on his release from prison, finds himself sole trustee and guardian of the “Mad Van Dykes,” so named because of their front page escapades. The lovely, tantalising Joan Bennett is the wildest of the clan, a spitfire debutante who refuses to submit to the humiliating dictation of tho handsome ILaft. It finally resolves itself into a battle of wits between the girl and the man, with the fun and thrills tempered by a blossoming romance. A cast that reads like "Who’s Who in Hollywood” sujjports the two stars. There is Walter Connolly, as patron of the mad family; Billie Burke, his giddy, frivolous wife; James Blakely, the son and sot in the household; Wallace Ford, the loudmouthed ex-gangster who remains wita Raft as his vale*.; and Lloyd Nolan, DdTiald Meek, and William Tannen in lesser roles. As to be expected from such veterans, their gallery of characterisations adds immeasurably to the genex-al excel lenco of the production. George Rait and Joan Bennett as a screen team are a revelation and a dellgni. Their boisterous antics will keep you howling with glee; their hearty, belated romance will have you sighing with sympathy. "Let’s Live To-night." Now showing at the Kosy Theatre "Let’s Live To-night,” starring Tuliio Carminati and Lilian Harvey, a grand musical comedy hit. MAYFAIR THEATRE. "BULLDOG DRUMMOND’S PERIL.” Man’s age-old search for synthetic dla monds forms the piot background of the latest H. C. (Sapper) McNeiie auventure ’ story to be brought to the screen Paramount, “Bulldog Drummond’s Peril,' at the Mayfair Theaure to-day. When a great English chemist discovers a wa> i to manuiacture perfect diamonds in his laboratory, the world’s largest diamond trust makes desperate and criminal ei forts to save its skin. The trust’s hench men kidnap the enemist and try to pr\ his secret from him, but their plans are foiled when one of the professor’s close friends enters the case. In a series ot exciting adventures, during which both he and his beautiful fiancee are captured by the gang, Drummond, aided by Colonel Nielson of Scotland Yard, tracks down the criminals and prevents their campaign of intrigue and murder from spreading. Seasoned players of previous "Bulldog Drummond” stories, John Howard, John Barrymore, Louise Campbell, Reginald Denny, Nydia Westman and E. E. Clive, head the cast, while newcomers include Porter Hall, Elizabeth Patterson and Michael Brooke. Lioyd Noian, last seen on the side of the Jaw in the recently released "Tip Off Girls, ’ does a complete turnabout and plays a cold-olooded killer in his new film, Paramount’s "Hunted Men,” the second attraction. Nolan is seen us an unaerworld lord who is driven from his customary haunts by the police into taking refuge in a quiet suburban home until the chase grows coid. There ne is idolised by Lynne Overman's young son, Delmar Watson, who does not suspect his real identity, and it is the boy who, unknowingly, teaches him wha>. a rotten life he has been leading. Animated Cartoon. A new thrill for followers of Paramount’s Popeye the Sailor and all lovers of animated film cartoons is now on the screen of the Mayfair Theatre today, when Max Fleischer’s sensational double-length, full-colour featurette, “Popeye the Sailor Meets Aii Baba’s .borty Thieves” is part of the bill. “Bluto,” Popeye’s arch enemy of the screen, appears as Ali Baba, the famous bandit leader of the Forty Thieves. Popeye is called upon to rid tne desert of the villains, and aiter IS minutes of hilarious situations he finally captures tne desper ado and his men, regains the stolen loot and rescues Olive Oyi wno has been kidnapped by the bandits. Popeye’s famous spinach and “twister punch” are at their best in the big fight scene in Aii Baba’s cave which Popeye has entered by using his own ingenuity as the “Open Sesame.” The super-cartoon is produced in the recently developed Fleischer system wliicn adds third-dimensional depth to screen cartoons.