ENTERTAINMENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 27 May 1936, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS

ALEXANDER KORDA’S “MOSCOW NIGHTS’’ AT MAJESTIC TO-DAY

London Films production, “Moscow Nights,” is claimed to be one of the most exciting stories of espionage and romances yet produced. Enthusiastic notices in the London press emphasise the outstanding quality of the picture. According to the London “Daily Telegraph” it is not only the best picture ever directed by Anthony Asquith, but one of the best made in a Britist studio. Its success is due partly to the striking contributions made by the three leading players, Harry Baur, a prominent Continental player., makes his first appearance in British films as Brioukov, a rich Russian peasant and a wartime profiteer, while other good performances come from Laurence Olivier, as Ignatoff, a wounded officer, and Penelope DudleyWard, as Natacha, a hospital nurse. The setting is in pre-revolutionary Moscow. Natacha is engaged to Brioukov, but the marriage is interrupted when Ignatoff begins a love affair with Natacha, his nurse in a hospital. Ignatoff later becomes trapped by a wartime espionage organisation and is court-martialled, his fate depending on a single word from Brioukov, a hostile witness. This scene provides a stirring climax to a strong drama, in which Baur gives a remarkable display of the dramatic ability that has made him so popular on the Continent. The picture has spectacular backgrounds and a delightful musical accompaniment. Less important roles are capably filled by Athene Seyler, Lilian Braithwaite, Sam Livesey, and Robert Cochrane. It sounds impossible that a gripping mystery yarn can be written from a bottle of invisible ink—yet this is exactly what Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer have done with one of the most mystifying of modern thrillers. The picture is “Rendezvous,” based upon the actual happenings of the famous American Black Chamber in world war time. It brings William Powell to the screen again with Rosalind Russell on Saturday.

“CHAN IN SHANGHAI” AT STATE, SPLENDID MYSTERY ADVENTURE. SHIRLEY TEMPLE COMING ON SATURDAY.

Who else could portray Charlie Chan, if not Warner Oland? In all the detective tales of Earl Derr Diggers, the author who first brought Charlie Chan to life, there is no coincidence so strange as the similarity between his famed fictional Chinese detective, and the Swedish actor who brings him to life on the screen. Oland, himself, is a big man with the same tendency to corpulence that Chan is supposed to have possessed, the same straight black hair. All he does to put himself in character is to comb his moustache down, his eyebrows up, and he is Charlie Chan brought to life. For the ninth time in Chan’s variegated motion picture career, Oland brings him to' the screen in “Charlie Chan in Shanghai,” In the new picture Chan returns to his native China to do battle with a band of desperate opium smugglers. From the moment Chan sets foot in Shanghai, his adventures begin with the murder of his host, an English secret service man. Chan’s own life is menaced by mysterious assailants who shoot at him during the night, attempt to kidnap him, but fail to match his Oriental wile. Joining forces with the American secret service, Chan takes up the threads of the crime. The Englishman’s secretary, Charles Locher, is suspected of the murder and held, despite the protests of his lovely fiancee, Irene Hervey. The motives and the positions of the various members of the drama become more and more involved. Until finally, in a thrilling gun fight in a water front cafe, Chan gets his men and uncovers the forces behind the mystery. Keye Luke, prominent Chinese actor, is featured as Chan’s son, and Russell Hicks and Halliwell Hobbes are prominent in supporting roles. Shirley Temple seems to have no limit to her resources for winning and holding audiences. In one picture" she dance's, in another she sings; in some pictures she tugs at the heart strings of her audience, and in stiff others she sends (hem home roaring at her comedj' antics. But her newest starring picture, “Curly Top”, which comes to the State on Saturday, combines all of Shirley Temple’s many talents and adds stiff another. Shirley sings dances, laughs—and plays Cupid in bringing sweethearts together. The preferential plan for this outstanding attraction is now open at Beggs.

CAPTAIN MARRYATT’S “MIDSHIPMAN EASY.” THURSDAY, “DANCING LADY,” WITH UNPRECEDENTED CAST

The exhilirating and vastly amusing screen presentation of Captain Marryatt’s famous naval story, “Midshipman Easy,” which 50 years ago used to thrill every lad of spirit, is due for final presentation to-night. The associate programme includes two Pathe pictorials, a news gazette and an interest subject, “6.30 Collection,” being a survery of activities at the London Post Office, while a clever and amusing colour cartoon is presented in “Balloon Land.” On Thursday and Friday next a cast which reads like “Who’s Who in Hollywood” is assembled in “Dancing Lady.” Never in the annals of filmdom has such a dynamic list of headliners been associated in one picture as in Metro-Goldwyn-May-er’s “Dancing Lady” with Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Franchot Tone, Nelson Eddy, Fred Astaire, May Robson and Winnie Lightner, who are sped on their merry way by 300 beautiful girls. Not only does “Dancing Lady” excel all musical pictures but it has an added entertainment interest in that it combines a thrilling story and brings together again that electrifying screen pair, Joan Crawford and Clark Gable. The story concerns a girl who fights her way to fame as a Broadway dancer, a role in which Miss Crawford has proved herself remarkably adept and has earned her much popularity during her film car eer. The part of a dance director in a musical comedy is well played by Gable, who eventually faffs in love with the chorine whom he has long tried \msuccessfully to browbeat. “Dancing Lady” has dazzling sights to see, merry melodies to heVr. magfc moments to thrill, and splendour enough to give heart warming screen fare. Fred Astaire and Joan Crawford are to be seen in excellent dance numbers while Nelson Eddy makes an appearance to sing “That’s the Rhythm of the Day.” This is a picture which should not be missed.