Entertainments

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 162, 12 July 1939, Page 7

Entertainments

REGENT THEATRE—TO-DAY “HEART OF THE NORTH" High adventure along one of the world’s last frontiers is thrillingly depicted in “Heart of the North,’’ the Warner Bros, production in technicolour of a tale of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Authentic in every detail, the picture “debunks’’ many a wide-spread misconception of the operations and daily existence of the Canadian “Mounties," but the actuality, as vividly portrayed in “Heart of the North,’’ turns out to be even more thrilling and certainly more interesting than the popular delusions. The country in which the story is laid is that wild stretch which borders the Mackenzie River in the far north-west of Canada just below the Arctic Circle. And the impressive outdoor scenes of the production show this scarcely populated outpost of civilisation in technicolour for the first time. Based on a novel by William Byron Mowery, the plot revolves about the hold-up of the Arctic Queen, a little 1 steamship loaded with trappers’ priceless j furs and with miners’ gold. Heading the j cast are Patric Knowles, Gloria Dickson, | Gale Page, Allen Jenkins, Dick Foran and | Janet Chapman. There is a three-corner- j ed romance with Foran torn between the • charms of Gale Page, city girl visiting in the Great North-west, and Gloria Dickson, o true daughter of the North. The picture builds to an absorbing climax, packed with thrills. “A Star is Hatched,” technicolour cartoon; “Hold That Bull,’’ musical revue; a pictorial revue and news items form part of the same programme. METEOR THEATRE—TO-DAY "STRANDBD IN PARIS’’ Jack Benny and his hungry song-and-dance act are stranded in Paris. Application to the American embassy doesn’t help, and Jack, clad in a cowboy outfit, walks the streets in search of an idea At a sidewalk cafe, Joan Bennett, fourth richest girl in the world, is surrounded with difficulties. She has had an argument with her aunt Mary Boland, who is trying to force her into a marriage with G. P. Huntley, Jnr., of the embassy What’s more, she has walked out of the hotel without her purse, and she owes five francs. At this point our hero, complete with chaps, strides by, Joan hails the obvious fellow-American and gets him to pay her check. Jack misunder stands, thinks Joan is in the business o. picking up men, and offers her a job wit. his troupe. Joan accepts. Meanwhile, her father, Charley Grapewin, formei cattle king and now an oil millionafre, arrives in Paris with a twofold purpose. He wants to meet Huntley, and he also is anxious to wind up a deal with a Dutc syndicate which is planning to buy his 01. land. Grapewin finds Joan, and, intrigueu by her masquerade as a down-and-outer, agrees to let her have some fun. Jack—he brags about his ability to read character—thinks Grapewin a dead beat and a crook, but one of the girls in the banc takes a liking to the old man, so Jack allows him to join the troupe. “Risky Business’’ Frances Robinson sat before a still camera to begin her role In “Risky Business,” Universal's action-filled radio drama with George Murphy and Dorothea Kent, now showing at tho 2,1 teor Theatre. The young actress is inti eed In tho story through a series of « . -to-

graphs. A« the kidnapped daughter of a film financier, she. is a key figure in the drama of a movie commentator’s oneman war against a gangster mob. Miss Robinson does not actually appear until the latter part of the picture, although her photographs are seen throughout the story. Eduardo Ciannelli, Leon Ames, El Brendel, Grant Richards, Richard Tucker and others are in tho cast. Arthur Lubin directed. “The Lambeth Walk”—Friday Next Seldom before has any British film had so ready-made a market as “The Lambeth Walk.” Based on one of London's greatest musical successes, “Me and My Girl,” and titled from the song which has become world-famous, “The Lambeth l Walk” stars Lupino Lane, of the original stage presentation, at the head of a cast including Sally Gray, who with this film i springs to instant stardom, and that fine old stage actor Sir Seymour HickS. The film was directed by Albert de Courville and the producer was Anthony Havelock Allan, noted for “This Man is News.”

STATE THEATRE—TO-DAY “MADE FOR EACH OTHER" The tense and thrilling story of John and Jane Mason, an average, modern-day couple, deeply in love but hounded by opposing economic conditions, is unfolded in the new film drama, “Made for Each Other,” a David O. Selznick production. Co-starred, for the first time, and as a romantic team, Carole Lombard and James Stewart play principal roles, while prominently featured In an unusual supporting cast are the screen notables Charles Coburn, Lucile Watson, Ruth Weston, Donald Briggs, Eddie Quillan, Harry Davenport, Esther Dale, Alma Kruger and Tully Marshall. Among the other members of the cast is Julia Faye, one-time star of silent films, who played in the last silent picture ever made, “The Godless Girl,” and is now making a comeback on the screen. Also present is Jack Mulhall, one of the few silent stars to continue successfully through the sound era. “Made for Each Other,'*’ an original story by Jo Swerling, noted film author, draws Its characters and plot from the wealth of material in life’s every day parade. Thousands have faced the problems entertainingly and dramatically presented in this film. While it is first and last an exciting story, it brings many questions into tho open and discusses them frankly and honestly by means ol motion picture drama. Carole Lombai'd plays her first straight dramatic role in years, forsaking her chair-breaking, somewhat mad cycle of characterisations. Miss Lombard plays a contemporary young modern who marries for love and dedicates her life to helping her lawyer husband over the rough spots of their married life. Briefly, the story concerns the joys and sorrows, the comedies and tragedies of John and Jane Mason, who marry on slim economic ice, support a mother-in-law, have a baby, and cling desperately to their love and romance. When the child becomes ill with a serious case of pneumonia the picture rises to a poignant climax. KOSY THEATRE—TO-DAY “THE GENTLEMAN FROM LOUISIANA” Now showing at the Kosy Theatre is the story of Tod Mason, an unknown jockey with a new technique in riding, . who, although scorned by fellow jockeys, rides an old crock for “Deacon Devlin”— and wins! Tod continues with his “monkey on the stick” style of riding, and wins every race in the United States—establishing an all-time record for jockeys. Devlin and Tod join forces with the Costigan stables where a beautiful two-year-old “Lucky Linda” excites Tod’s fancy. But another Linda also causes him sleepless nights, and this is Mrs. Costigan’s daughter. Leland Rogers, owner of a rival stable, attempts to bribe Tod to wear his colours, but meets with a refusal. The Epsom Cup arrives and the rival stables meet on the track. Mason, although riding another horse, cannot bear to see "Lucky Linda” whipped, and tries to snatch the stock from her jockey, with a result that both fall from their mounts. Tod Mason, barred from the tracks, returns to the United States —and how he stages a terrific come-back is told m a stirring, blood-tingling, pulse-racing drama!

“London Melody." Tantalising tunes—unforgettable dancing—laughter and happiness In a sparkling story that transports you on the magic wings of entertainment from Soho to Mayfair, with melody, gaiety aJid romance all the way. That’s “London Melody," the sparkling screen romance, costarring Anna Neagle and Tullio Carminati, now showing at the Rosy Theatre. In vividly colourful manner it presents London in all its varying aspects from the slums of SOho to the glittering world that is Mayfair, and traces the adventures or Anna Neagle as the poverty-stricken daughter of an Italian immigrant, from her abandonment of her barrel-organ to the moment when she becomes the toast of London as a cabaret star. Tullio Carminati, playing opposite her, has one of the finest roles of his career as a foreign diplomat who is attracted by the turbulent beauty of the little Soho waif. “London Melody" is a film to please all the senses, for Herbert Wilcox, the director, has not only an absorbing story to tell, but has Introduced spectacular song and dance numbers, with the music writ ten by Sigler, Lerner, Goodhart and Hoffman, and delightful dances arranged by Ralph Reader.