Entertainments

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 121, 23 May 1940, Page 9

Entertainments

REGENT THEATRE—TO-MORROW “GULLIVER’S TRAVELS' 1 Max Fleischer, Paramount's -wizard of the cartoon short subjects, comes to tne tore as a major film producer with the release of his first full-length animated cartoon, the Technicolour GulliveTs Travels.' 1 The screen version of Jonathan Swift's classic story, which shows To-morrow at the Regent Theatre, has been ■in production for more than two years, represents the continuous work of several hundred artists and ranks as 1 aramount’s A-l feature of the new season. (Deviating only in the slightest from the original Swift story, the screen Gulliver” contains all the bright fanta-y, broad humour, and romance that made the English classic one l of the best-loved land most widely read books of all time. ■Following the well-remembered adventures of the English seaman in the land of miniature people, the picture shows how •'Gulliver” wins tho confidence of natives, becomes their leader through his amazing feats of strength, promotes a romance between a love-struck prince and princess and averts a war that threatens the peace of the land. Eight new songs—three of them vocalised by Lanny Ross 'and Jessica Dragonette—are featured in the production.

METEOR THEATRE—TO-DAY ”A WOMAN IS THE JUDGE” Brilliant characterisations by Frieda Inescort, Otto Kruger and Rochelle Hudson make Columbia’s ”A Woman is tne Judge,” which heads the new programme at the Meteor Theatre Theatre to-daj, one of the most convincing dramatic films of recent months. The engrossing story shows problems confronting a woman jurist who is called upon to J* e * cide the fate of her own daughter who is before the Court accused of ™urder. This character, played with dignity, tempered with quiet humour and sincerity, by Frieda Inescort, is honoured in hei community for the fairness, courage and intelligence with which she interprets the law. At the height of her brilliant legal career she resigns to conduct the defence of her daughter. Her speech provides some of the most dynamic and intensely moving drama ever depicted on tne screen. Beginning wtih a straight-for-ward recital of Ih'e legal facts of the case, the speech takes on a dramatic momentum until at its conclusion Frieda inescort is pleading as a woman and a mother with all the emotional resources at her command. Rochelle Hudsons performance as the girl is marked by sincerity and appropriate naturalness, while Otto Kruger is always convincing as the prosecuting attorney in love with the woman judge. “Queer Cargo.”

The second attraction on this excellent double-feature programme is an exciting drama, “Queer Cargo,” starring John Dodge, Judy Kelly ami Keneth Kent.

STATE THEATRE—TO-MORROW “OF MICE AND MEN” No one who had read the book when it was first published ever expected to see John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” appear as a film. It was too daring 1 a subject, treated with a stark reality that was unheard of in films. And yet a film Version, true to the very spirit of Steinbeck’s finest novel, shows to-morrow at the State Theatre and -proves once again that the screen is more powerful than the printed word. “Powerful” described "Of Mice and Men” accurately. Directed by Lewis Milestone with his genius of getting the most out of his material. “Of Mice and Men” brings with it a cast that is, without exception, unusually excellent. Burgess Meredith, Betty Field, I Lon Chaney, junr., Charles Brckford, I Roman Bohrnen are the top names in this cast. “Of Mice and Men” was considered dangerous film material because it treats [of an aspect of American life that is known to few—the lives of the “bindle stiffs,” or migratory ranch hands, who wander from ranch to ranch doing seasonal work, always hoping that, some day they will have ranches «of their own. Specifically, the story is of an abiding friendship between two of these homeless, friendless men—Lennie, huge, hulking and not too bright, and George, small, alert, and the protector of his large companion. Their fellow ranch hands are a motley crew, cast with a consummate skill by Milestone. Charles Bickford as the understanding leader upon whose wisdom the others depend; Roman Bohnen as the one-armed oldster with a pathetic wish to live on his own. away from the ranch; these are just two of the many unusually excellent lesser performances in “Of Mice and Men.” But it is the three leading characters that make this picture one that will win applause throughout the country. Betty Field—a rißing star who has only played schoolgirl roles in films until now—turns in a performance as the puzzled, unhappy wife of tho ranch owner’s son that is startling in its depth and intensity. Burgess Meredith, as George, the protector of Lennie, has topped all his previous stage and screen characterisations with the realism he gives this orle, and Lon Chaney, junr., proves himself a true son of his gifted actor-father. Taken all in all. Hal Roach's “Of Mice and Men” is an experience that no film fan should miss. MAYFAIR THEATRE—TO-DAY “TOO HOT TO HANDLE” Thrills of war and aviation, hairbreadth escapes in the South American wilds, and a love story of two thrill-crav-ing souls combine in an action packed piece of entertainment in "Too Hot to Handle,” co-starring Clark Gable and Myrna Loy at tho Mayfair Theatre. Gable plays a newsreel cameraman, Miss Loy an aviatrix. She pilots him in an ancient “crate” while he films a blazing liner from the air. There is a hoax expose and out of it a romance. . Walter Pidgeon plays Gable’s principal rival, Walter Connolly and Leo Carrillo the two important comedy roles “Block-Heads.” In “Block-Heads,” new Hall Roach-M-G-M comedy starring Laurel and Hardy, now showing at the Mayfair Theatre, the comedians find themselves in a swank, modern apartment house. The dignity of the surroundings, however, offers no bar to their continuous merriment, and the current comedy contains an abundance of side-splitting incidents, in addition to the active imaginations of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, who can endow tho most trivial of incidents with laugh-compelling qualities either in real life or before the camera, they have been assisted in the new venture by a group of Hollywood’s best known comedy creators. The supporting cast 'lncludes Patricia Ellis, Minna Gombell, Billy Gilbert, one of fllmdom’s outstanding dialect comedians, and James Finlayson.

KOSY THEATRE—TO-DAY “MAD HOLIDAY” That perennially popular form of entertainment, the murder mystery, takes its first real “kidding” in M-G-M’s thriller, “Mad Holiday,” which, despite the fact that it pokes fun at the Philo Vances and the S. S. Van Dines and even at previous mystery pictures, winds up as a real mystery itself, full of suspense and melodrama. The picture is the first for both Edmund Lowe and Elissa Landi and both of them, curiously enough, practically impersonate themselves in their roles. Lowe plays the part of a movie star who specialises In detective roles. Miss Landi plays a writer of detective fiction, the creator of the character, Selby Janies, in which Lowe has starred. “General Spanky.” If you enjoyed Jackie Cooper in “The Champ” (and legions of grown-ups and children did) this reviewer recommends that you go to the Kosy Theatre, where tho latest juvenile star, Spanky McFarland scores a complete triumph in the Hal Roach feature-length comedy, “General Spanky.” Spanky as the “Little General” in the war between the North and South is in full command of the thrilling action, romantic interludes and hilarious fun of a most enthralling “boy and his hero” screen play. The other youngsters from Hal Roach’s famous “Our Gang” also distinguish themselves in the picture. Billy Thomas, a little four-year-old coloured lad, carries the comedy relief with a portrayal of a tiny slave that is outstanding. Carl' Switzer adds to his reputation of the boy with the funniest face and weirdest voice on the screen. The talented juveniles are the centre of grand, wholesome entertainment billed for the whole family.