AMUSEMENTS

Northern Advocate, 9 March 1936, Page 2

AMUSEMENTS

“FIRST A GIRL.” “First a Girl” the feature now at the Regent is a musical comedy at its best and brightest. It is a story of a girl’s masquerade as a female impersonator, and the subsequent complications. A scintillating performance by Jessie Matthews embraces piquant romance, saucy innuendo and merry masquerade. She is finely supported by Sonnie Hale in light-hearted quip and zest ending in riotous impersonation of impersonator in an unabashed laughter climax. The entertainment bid also includes a finelystaged mannequin parade and a superbly fantastic scene in which Jessie Matthews sings from a suspended gilded cage prior to presenting a whirlwind dance. The narration is spiced throughout by sparkling dialogue and diverting comedy incident.- Scenes in “back-stage” theatre surroundings are skilfully interwoven with the exotic atmosphere of the French Riviera. Just, as sophisticated is the blending of the cast. Jessie Matthews and Sonnie Hale are the ideal team. “The other Couple” played by the beautiful Anna Lee and darkly handsome Griffiths Jones, lends added romance and the necess:ary balance to the clever story. “First a Girl” appeals also for the song hits —“It’s Written All Over Your Face,” “Everything in Rhythm With My Heart,”' “I Can Wiggle My Ears,” “Half and 1 Half” and “Little Silkworm.”

“ESCAPADE” AT THE PLAZA. Stars, romance, music, gaiety, laughter and drama all mingle in a new and unique blend of screen entertainment in “Escapade,” a new romance of Vienna at the Plaza Theatre. It captures Continental flavour and music, and puts them on the American, screen in a story with unusual dramatic twists that keep the audience in a constant state of surprises. Through the deft handling of the story every entertainment value from laughs to tears, from drama to music, is packed into a single evening’s . divertissement. “Escapade” stars William Powell and introduces Luise Rainer, brilliant Vienna stage star. Frank Morgan plays the jealous doctor and blonde Virginia Bruce, hifs flirtatious wife, who gets Powell into a multiplicity of comical complications. Mady Christians is his jealous sweetheart, and Reginald Owen plays the absent-mindea musician lover.

The story - deals with a debonair and lionized artist, played by Powell, who falls in love, through complications over a painting of another man’s wife, with the demure companion of a countess. With a jealous doctor, a former sweetheart and a flirtatious wife on his hands'he trifes to balance the whole structure while progressing on a rocky road of true love.

Through flirtation he paints an unconventional picture of the doctor’s wife. Through mistake it goes to the publisher. He hunts a model to pass for the original as an alibi, falls in love with her, and a jealous former sweetheart interferes.

Though not a musical picture, there are some elaborate musical sequences. The most important is the opera premiere in which the voice of Enrico Caruso amplified from records made during the tenor’s life, with augmented orchestration, recreate his golden tones to actual reproduction of his voice ever achieved. An extra attraction is a Laurel and Hardy comedy.