Entertainments

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 88, 15 April 1939, Page 7

Entertainments

REGENT THEATRE—TO-DAY “JEZEBEL” “Jezebel” wasn’t written for Bette Davis. But it might have been. It’s the story of a fatally fascinating woman, who lived and loved recklessly. Few actresses would dare to play such a role, but Bette Davis was delighted with it. and she plays it as no other actress of to-day could. In “Of Human Bondage,” in which she played opposite Leslie Howard, she gave a brilliant and merciless characterisation of Somerset Maughan’s beautiful and vicious Cockney waitress. In “Dangerous,” which won her the Academy Award for the year, she played a drink-sodden beauty who ruined the lives of all her lovers. “Marked Woman” showed her as a haril-boiled night club hostess, part of an underworld mob. But these characters were heroines of sweetness and light compared with Julie, the “Jezebel” of preCivil War New Orleans. Heartless, selfish and spoiled, she delies all the traditions of the day—sends away the man she loves because of a silly whim. Next she proceeds to break the heart and spirit of another dashing cavalier. His life ends in a duel fought over her. When her former beau marries another woman, she exerts all her old charm to win him away from his wife. That’s tho kind of gal “Jezebel” is. And that’s the kind of acting that Bette Davis excels in. In “Jezebel” Henry Fonda and George Brent play opposite Miss Davis. KOSY THEATRE—TO-DAY “PIRATES OF THE. SKIES” Fast action played against a unique background, a novel love story and more thah the ordinary quantity of thrills and suspense are the high-light features <*.' Universal’s "Pirates of the Skies” now showing at the Kosy Theatre. Featuring Kent Taylor and Kochclle Hudson, the picture embraces the newest branch of the stato Jaw-enforcement departments, the air police. Taylor is seen as a flying officer, an “air-copper.” The thrills and suspense arrive when lie unwittingly stumbles on the solution of many bold and mysterious robberies wnich have mystifled the stato police. Photographed over some of the roughest terrain In Southern California, tho Sierra Mad re Mountains, and presenting a spectacular air-combat. One of the ’planes used was a Lockheed Orion, with a top speed of 250 miles an hour, and coasting 450 horsepower in its single motor, is the ’piane which piloted by Paul Mantz, noted California aviator, linished third in the recent Bendix race. The other, a Spartan, is the fastest type of passenger-carrying sports ’plane, in the supporting roles are seen Lucien Littlefield in an excellent characterisation as the chief of the outlaws, and Marion Martin, Stanley Andrews, Guy Usher and Kegis Toomey complete tVie roster of players. “Gambling Ship”

Finding unlimited thrills beyond the three-mile limit, Universal’s "Gambling Ship” proves a timely and effective drama which is now at the Kosy Theatre. A convincing cast iieaded by Robert Wilcox, Helen Mack, Ed Brophy, Joseph Sawyer and Irving Pichel is reatured in the action-lilled picture. The story combines an expose of gambling racketeering with a romance between a girl gambiing-ship operator and a special investigator assigned to probe the racket. Miss Mack is the girl, and Wilcox portrays the undercover man who poses as a crook to gain an inside spot witn a gambling syndicate headed by "The Professor,” scholarly gangland chief played by Pichel, who plots racketeering methods mathematically. Brophy scores on the comedy side with Ills role as the thug. "Innocent.’ Sawyer has a virile part as the expugdist and gambling ship captain, and Selmer Jackson, Sam McDaniels and Dorothy Vaughn are also seen to advantage. Wide experience in the field of action films is evidenced in the direction of Aubrey H. Scotto, and production by Irving Starr, producer of Universal’s famed “Crime Club” series. MAYFAIR THEATRE—TO-DAY “A STAR IS BORN” Npw showing at the Mayfair Theatre is a short return season of easily the greatest technicolour film yet to come to Palmerston North—namely, "A Star Is Born,” starring Janet Gaynor, Fredric March, and co-starring Adolphe Menjou, May Robsori, Andy Devine. Lionel Slander. Now, for the first time, the emotionaiy thrilling truth about Hollywood is dramatically told in this unforgettable picture. Here is the Hollywood of fierce ambition—with all its bitterness and jealousy. Here is the Hollywood of hilarious comedy and mad talent. Step "behind the

scenes.” —A United Artists release. On the same programme Mickey Mouse displays his adventures again in the colour cartoon, “Mickey’s Circus”—a great show for .tho whole family. .

STATE THEATRE—TO-DAY “ PYGMALION.” The few who perchance have lingering doubts as to the genius of Mr George Bernard Shaw, critic, author, playwright, .satirist, and most penetrating and amusing writer of dialogue should make a point of seeing the screen version of his “Pygmalion,” for pictures of such quality are not produced every year. Those who have an acquaintance with the play will not need to be told that ’P’ygmaiion” is an extremely entertaining document, but even such good folk, witn all their devotion to Shaw as a playwright,, will be stimulated by the manner in which the play comes to life on the screen; the laithfulness of its transtormation; the vivid preservation of character, and the facile manner in which the subtleties of Shaw have been presented for the consumption of everyone. Pygmalion of mythology fashioned a statue of his ideal woman so wonderiully that lie foil in love with it, and prayed the gods to breathe life into the marble. The gods were kind, and did so. Tho ancient legend was transmuted into a laree under the title of “Niobe,” played with surpassing excellence by tlie Broughs somo 40 years ago. Shaw made nis theme one for an intensely human play, lie does not deal in wet clay or cold marble, llis Professor Higgins, crazy on phonetics and the dominating part speech plays in the social scale, seized upon Eliza Doolittle in the Govern Garden markets for his raw material. Becoming interested in her raw Cockney dialect, he wagers with his friend, Colonel Pickering, that within six months he would make her a duchess; meaning, of course, a person capublo of associating with the higher strata of society. The colonel agrees to pay all the expenses ol tho experiment if Higgins wins, and (lie professor starts in on Eliza. Gradually, and with infinite patience, and many headaches, Higgins forces on her the niceties of English as spoken In Park Lane. Then comes tho test, a wonderful scene witii Violet Vanburgli as the duchess. Eliza sails through, an automaton, but with perfect speech, carriage and manners, to win the attention and admiration of glittering Mayfair. Having won nis wager, by turning out the perfect specimen from the roughest material, what becomes ol Eliza? How does Professor Higgins treat the clay he has moulded? This is, perhaps, the most Shavian incident in this deliciously whimsical screen play, so very reasonably produced, so rationally acted. Leslie Howard has never been seen to such advantage as in the part of Professor Higgins; Wendy Hiller, as Eliza Doolittle, is a treasurable discovery as an actress (apart from her natural charm as a woman); and Wilfred Lawson, as Doolittle, the reputed father of Eliza, goes close to stealing the honours in a character study treacly with unction. One would have to search a long time to find a bet-ter-written screen play ever produced anywhere. Gaumont-Britisli gains prestige by this picture. METEOR THEATRE—TO-DAY “DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES” Now showing at the Meteor Theatre for a three-day season is “Dead Men Tell No Tales.” Not long ago a film called “Night Must Fall” created quite a sensation in the motion-picture .world. In the fii’st place it introduced an entirely new technique both from an acting and a production point of view. On top of that, it was a gripping psychological drama of a type rarely seen on the screen m lore. “Night Must Fall” was a stage sensation lo»g before it was adapted ro me screen, it was written by a very gifted English actor-dramatist, Einlyn Williams, a young man who, while at present not very well Known in this part of tire world, is easily one of the greatest character-actors of the day. Not only did he write “Night Must Fall,” but he originated the never--to-be-forgoLteu part oi Danny, the cunning murderer, which was played on the screen by Robert Montgomery. It was after seeing Williams’ amazing performance in tire London stage part, that Montgomery was determined to play the role on the screen. This is a long way of going about telling you that Emiyn Williams appears in another extraordinary role, reminiscent of his “Night Must Fall” part, in the new British Empire Film’s sensation, “Dead Men Tell No Tales,” the screen adaptation of Francis Beeding’s thriller, “The Norwich Victims,” which was previewed last week to an intensely interested audience. This is, without doubt, one of the most extraordinary and gripping psychological murder dramas yet produced. Emiyn W illiams plays a double role, and is so unbelievably impressive in potn parts Liut you could swear two different men were performing. We will not enter runy ihto the plot here. It will be sufficient for most patrons of the best in thrilling detection drama to know that “Dead Men Tell No Tales” is a faithful adaptation of Francis Beeding’s most notable thriller, “Tho Norwich Victims.” The associate programme is specially selected to please the picture patron—firstly “The Columbian Singers” again bring to you melodies of yesterday—the latest news flash of Jack Wilson and Joe Hall in fast featherweight contest at the N.S.W, Stadium—plus musical comedies, etc., etc. Be sure and secure your reserves now.