Entertainments

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 270, 2 November 1940, Page 9

Entertainments

REGENT THEATRE—TO-DAY ERROL FLYNN IN "VIRGINIA CITY" "Virginia City,” which heads the new bill at the Regent Theatre, has a theme story centring round the no-roaring days of the sixties in America, and tnere is not a dull moment throughout the full length of the film. The action of this melodrama has been woven into a true story of the several conflicts between the rival factions in the Civil War when the North fought the South in a stirring struggle for supremacy. At the time the length of a man’s life depended upon the quickness of his trigger-finger, and naturally enough the film embraces a great deal of action and quick-moving drama. The story itself concerns the endeavours of the South to transport five millions in gold nuggets from Virginia City to Nevada. The Confederates were desperately in need of finance, and the daring plan of freighting the substantial sum of gold was laid, the money being donated by Virginia sympathisers of the Southern cause. The final climax, when the little band of men is forced to withstand a challenge from rebels, is truly exciting, but everything turns out well for all concerned when a final pact is signed between both the North and South factions. Errol Flynn, .Miriam Hopkins, Frank McHugh, Alan Hale and Randolph Scott head a large cast. There is a strong supporting programme. MAYFAIR THEATRE—TO-DAY "SANDY IS A LADY” AND "HONEYMOON DEFERRED” In a drumfire of explosive laughs, Universal Studios launches Baby Sandy into stardom in “Sandy Is a Lady,” now showing at the Mayfair Theatre. Designed for laughing purposes, “Sandy Is a Lady” fulfills its mission thoroughly and vehemently, for the story is pure comedy and farce from the opening scene. It could hardly be anything else, for the major part of the cast embraces the best comedians in Hollywood. The principal action of the picture, aside from Baby Sandy, centres around Mischa Auer, Eugene I’allette, Billy Gilbert, Edgar Kennedy and Fritz Feld. Two others could easily be called comedians—eight-year-old Buddy and nine-year-old Butcb, those astonishing young musicians and mischief makers who appeared with Gloria Jean in “The Under-Pup.” They are seen as Billy Gilbert’s Impish sons and their contribution to “Sandy Is a Lady” is as effective as it was in the earlier picture. Nan Grey and Tom Brown have the only “straight” roles in the offeiing as the mother and father of Baby Sandy. Sandy, herself, motivates the entire story and precipitates the situations. The story revolves around the baby star who wanders away from Butch and Buddy when she is left in their care. Sandy innocently gets into all kinds of situations; she saves a restaurant from a bomb explosion; she blythly walks along the high steel girders of an unfinished building while ambulances and fire equipment scream to the rescue on the street below. It is Sandy who saves tne day for her father, gets Billy Gilbert a new job *nd finds a partner for Mischa Auer in financing some of his loony inventions. The subject was directed by Charles Lamont, past master of comedy. The photography is by MUton Krasner. Associate Feature. Mystery and laughs are combined in "Honeymoon Deferred,” in which Edmund Lowe and Margaret Lindsay are starred. Heading a strong supporting cast is that famous character comedian Chick Chandler. Episode Bof “Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe” is also screening. METEOR THEATRE—TO-DAY “THE HOUSE OF SEVEN GABLES” That no Hollywood producer has ever ' placed Nathaniel Hawthorne's “The House of the Seven Gables” before the Camaras until now is somewhat surprising. The picture is now at the Meteor Tneatre. When Universal discovered that the Hawthorne tale had never before been filmed it quickly began preparations for Its production. Jack Otterson, the studio’s art director, was sent to inspect, photograph, and draw pians of "The House of the i>3ven Gabies” of Haw thorne’e dramatic masterpiece. It was not until sets were ready lor the cameras that the studio announced that, the pic-, ture would be made. The cast includes George Sanders, Margaret Lindsay, Vincent Price, Nan Grey and Dick. Foran. Miss Lindsay appears as Hebzibah; Sanders as Jaffrey Pyncheon; Price as his brother Clifford; Nan Grey as Phoebe; and Dick Foran as Matthew Maule. Three of Universal’s stages were crowded with sets representing interiors of the illfated and forbidding mansion in which most of the action takes place and drawings resulted in the creation of replicas of the main living rooms of the hous-e, the upper and lower hallways, and the construction of a duplicate of the mansion on the studio’s back lot. Only slight changes were necessary in Hawthorne’s story. Hepzibah and Clifford, brothar and sister m Hawthorne’s original tale, will appear as distant cousins in love with each other. Jaffrey, Clifford's uncle in the book, will be seen as his cruel and grasping brother. The associate programme is outstanding. For reserves ring Miliar and Giorgi, phone 6182, or theatre, ’phone 6763.

STATE THEATRE—TO-DAY “STAR DUST” Boasting what has been called the most original entertainment idea in years, the 20th Century-Fox film “Star Dust” stars lovely Linda Darnell at the State Theatre to-day is a thrilling story that well might be the story of her own exciting rise to fame. Linda is cast as a plucky small-town girl in Hollywood scrapping for her place in the sun. In the great adventure that is the mecca of young screen hopefuls, she mets handsome John Payne, another young hopeful. Together they share heartbreak and happiness—and find out about love. With the odds a thousand to one against them, they won’t take no for an answer. They enlist the help of talent scout Ronald Young and dramatic coach Charlotte Greenwood. And when things look darkest they stage a stunt that stands Hollywood on its ear. Gay and charming, it has moments of strong drama and suspense. Previewers agree that Linda outdoes herself, while 20th Century-Fox Production Chief Darryl F. Zanuch awarded John Payne a long term contract as a result of his work in the film. Others featured in tho star-studded cast are William Gargan, Mary Beth Hughes, Mary Healy and Donald Meek. Mary Healy sings “Star Dust,” the lovely Hoagy Carmichael-Mitchell Parish ballad that inspired the film, while the popmar Mack Gordon wrote two new hit tunes for the picture, “Secrets in the Moonlight” and “Don't Let It Get You Down.” Waiter Lang directed “Star Dust” from a screen play by Robert Ellis and Helen Logan, based cm a story by Jesse Malo, Kenneth Earl and Ivan Kahn. Kenneth Macgowan was associate producer. KOSY THEATRE—TO-DAY "SHIPYARD SALLY” With a highlight of tho film showing the queen of comedy of tho Continent singing and dancing to a number called “I’ve Got the Jitterbugs!” Gracie Fields shows on the screen at the Kosy Theatre to-day. Tho picture is her latest hilarity hit, “Shipyard Sally,” and a hit it is! The inimitable, hoydenish Gracie sings a number of other tunes in the film, ail old favourites such as “Annie Laurie,” ’’Danny Boy” and others, to rich delight. For when Gracie sings, she puts a song over like no one else can- Starred witn her in the 20th Century-Fox release is Sydney Howard, while prominent in the cast is the engaging young Oliver Watte field, British comedian who recently won i fame on the American radio with his ”uouble-tolk,” a verbal feat which soon was complimented by a host of local imitators. m “Shipyard Sally" Wakefield introduces a new conversational trick tnat promises to be as popmar as his first and is even tunmer, if such can be. You might call it “contused speech” for want of a better term, but it’s unforgettable. Directed by Monty Banks, the screen play by Karl Tunberg and Don Ettlinger is set in the great shipbuilding centre of Great Britain—Clydeoank. These are the yards where such great liners as the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth were constructed. In fact, the film opens with Queen Elizabeth christening and launching tne huge ship named for her. But soon, for reasons of economy, the Government puts a halt to the building and with idle yarns distress visits the once prosperous town. The workers send Gracie to London with a petition and this em Danes her on a series of adventures teeming with hilarity. If you like comedy, you shouldn't miss this one! “Daughters courageous” “Daughters Courageous cast includes every principal of me 'Tour Laugnters” cast, its director, Michael Curtiz, is the same, ana tne screen piay was written by the same scenarists, o ufius Lpstem, witn his brotner, x-niilip. Mr. Ruoson hurried bacit from an interrupted vacation witn ,ner son and grandson in i\ew sfork in order to resume her ffim wora with the rest of the cast. Lola Lane broke off a profitable personal appearance swing around America. Jeffrey Lynn conceded uis trip to be the guest of honour at a sports carnival. Dica Foran postponed one of his cow Doy pictures lor another screen producer; Claude Kams wired his wife to come on from FailadeJphia and visit him, instead of going to that city lnmseif as scheduled; ana Frank AicHugu unpacaea the old biaca derby which he wears in his occasional roies as a steadygoing young business man. Roseifiary and Fnsciua Lane revelled in three weeks oi advance wardrobe fittings with Designer Howard Bnoup; and Gaie Fago hurried » vacation so that she. too. oouid join them.