Entertainments

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 110, 12 May 1939, Page 9

Entertainments

REGENT THEATRE—IO.3O TO-NIGHT “THE SHINING HOUR" If Chopin lived to-day he could be one of the world's greatest exponents of “hot music.” So declared Franz VVaxman, Viennese composer, who offers as proof the dance sequence filmed in “The Shining Hour,” with Joan Crawford and Tony Do Marco. Wiuh no otner music than Chopin’s, th 9 dance includes a classical waltz, the rhumba, the tango and “swing.” Waxtnan arranged and conducted the number, an adaptation of Chopin's Waltz in C Sharp Minor. Instrumentation was varied, tempo was changed, but otherwise Chopin's music was untouched. The number opens with the music played in traditional style on live pianos as Miss Crawford and De Marco go into a traditional classical waltz. Almost imperceptibly trombones are introduced and the tempo is altered as the dance goes into a tango measure. Then, as maraccas ana such percussion instruments are added, the dance becomes a rhumba, Anally goes into modern “swing,” then returns to the classical waltz with traditional music for the finale. “Not a note of Chopin was altered,” explains Waxman. “But altering the tempo makes the music fit any aance step perfectly.” The picture is an adaptation of the New York stage success by Keith Winter. Appearing with Miss Crawford are Margaret Sullavan, Robert Young, Melvyn Douglas and Fay Bainter. METEOR THEATRE—TO-DAY “ST. MARTIN’S LANE” In “St. Martin's Lane” Charles Laughton succeeds admirably in blending comedy and pathos with real dramatic rorce. The atmosphere of the glamorous London theatreland is a novei setting, two famous centres of entertainment being reproduced with remarkable fidelity. A dullwitted, Cockney entertainer, ruil of arrogance and sublime belief in himself, is a role that Laughton obviously enjoyed to the full -when playing, and he has imparted his own gusto to the character, creating a role somewhat larger than life it is true, but one nevertheless ruli of vigour and meticulously drawn contrasts. The story is a hopeless passion in a low-life frame, its hero uncouth and illiterate, Its heroine a guttersnipe with a one-track mind—her own betterment, lie taxes ner from the streets, builds her into a central figure in his “troupe,” but withholds a declaration of his love until it is too late and she has a foot firmly on the ladder ol success and fame. Laugnion is superb as ho bawls his hackneyed poems to an unresponsive audience, us he cadges a cup of coffee from a “toff,'’ as he is brought face to face with feminine complexities. His biggest moments are when, shocked when the girl repels his honourable advances, he bitterly marenes out of her sight, and when ho recites Kipling’s “If” at a stage audition, realising how its words apply to his own ease. Rich comedy, on the other hand, is his appearance in the dock after a drunken brawl outside a stage door. While Laughton commands the utmost attention, he does not have to carry the complete burden of the well knit story of “St. Martin’s Lane.” The part of the girl, Libby, is played bs Vivien Leigh. Others in the cast include Gus McNaughton, Tyrone Guthrie, Rex Harrison and Larry Adler, the harmonica wizard who renders a nnumber on his mouth-organ in his own inimitable manMAYFAIR THEATRE—TO-MORROW “THE HOUSE OF ROTHSCHILD” George Arliss’ Nathan Rothschild in “The House of Rothschild” stands as a lovable character beside the distinguished actor's many unforgettable creations. "The House of Rothschild” is beautifully mounted and handsomely produced and authentic in every detail. The story is an ideal subject for Arliss, tracing as it does the fascinating history of the Rothschild family, whose devotion and unity resulted in their sensational rise to wealth and power, and providing for Arliss the role of Mayer the founder, and later, his son Nathan, the head of the family. Although the film focuses on the manner in which Nathan enabled the allies to conquer Napoleon and gives a splendid picture of the period, it also stresses the intimate side of epoch-making events and the joys and heartaches of the people who were the leading actors and actresses in them. Thus, the family life of the Rothschilds—the love of Nathan for his wife Hannah and their lovely daughter Julie, and Julie’s beautiful romance with Fitzroy, the Duke of Wellington’s aide, play a major role in the picture and imbue it with added warmth and life. The cast is large and imposing. Boris Karloff as the villainous hedranty, Loretta Young as Julie, Robert Young as Fitzroy, C. Aubrey Smith as Wellington, Helen Westley as the mother of the Rothschilds, Florence Arliss as Hannah, eßginald Owen as Herries and Alan Mowbray as Metternick all deserve special mention. •

STATE THEATRE TO-DAY “TRADE WINDS” Walter Wanger’s “Trade Winds” tells the story of a detective chase that leads half way around the world, and the variety of its far-flung scenic backgrounds has seldom been equalled. Beginning in San Francisco, when Miss Bennett tleeg a.-*.'. having apparently killed a man, the action shifts to Honolulu, Hawaii, where she pauses long enough to buy a fakepassport and have her hair dyed black With Detectives March and Ralph Bel iamy always in close pursuit, Miss Bennett next escapes to Kobe, Japan, and shortly afterwards proceeds to Shanghai. China, later to go from there to Saigon. Indo-China. Here Ann Sothern, March's secretary in his San Francisco office, reenters the story and adds to the complications. As the flight of tne fugitive is resumed, the story moves to Singapore, Malaya, and from there to Colombo, Ceylon. With the excitement continually Increasing, the next jump is to Bombay, India, where March spirits his quarry away from another detective working under the orders from the San Francisco police. After an action-filled sequence in the Laccadive Islands, off the coast of India, the story shifts back to San Francisco, where a startling climax brings the picture to a close. In each of the places visited, there are many scenes in wellknown, interesting and picturesquely colourful localities. KOSY THEATRE—TO-DAY “OVER THE WALL” A gripping yarn that packs all the wallop of other similar stories turned out by Warner Bros.’ studios in “Over the Wall,” a Warner Bros.-Cosmopolitan production, now showing at the Kosy Theatre for the first time. Written by no less an authority on the subject than Warden Lewis F.. Dawes, Sing Sing’s own fearless head, the fast-moving drama smacks of an authenticity never yet reflected on the screen in any former treatise. That convicts don’t always “go over the wall,” because they are eager to return to their former associations when the l#w caught up with them, is strikingly illustrated. The original story, written by Warden Lawes, of Sing Sing,, tells the story of the conviction of an innocent young man and his bitter resentment at the injustice. Through the efforts of his sweetheart and a friendly chaplain he becomes a model prisoner who is trusted outside the walls. But when the urge comes to escape, he takes it. His purpose, however, is not to get revenge on the men who “framed” him but to establish beyond all doubt that he was not guilty of the crime for which ho was unjustly punished. “The Kid Comes Back” Wayne Morris’ new picture, “The Kid Comes Back,” brings to the screen something new in the way of prize fight pictures. And this is not strange considering that Morris has made something of a name for himself as a tradition breaker. This is the third featured part which Morris has had and his second role as a boxer. The first was in the title spot of the Bette Davis-Edward G. Robinson picture, “Kid Galahad.” “The Kid Comes Back” is a fight picture, but a new kind of fight picture. For once the hero does not win the championship. And what i£ more he is knocked colder tnan an iceberg by his biggest rival. This would seem to be variation enough rrom the accepted rules of picture making, but “The Kid Comes Back” employes a few other revolutionary changes of procedure. One is the grade of actual boxing which is shown on the screen. The villain of the picture is portrayed by Maxie Rosenbloom, ex-light heavyweight cnampion of the world. In most cases it would not be possible to film the hero In actual combat with such an experienced fighter, but with Morris it was different. Wayne had been on the boxing team in college and had done considerable amateur work since then.