ENTERTAINMENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 17 December 1936, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

CURRENT ATTRACTIONS AT THE MAJESTIC, THE WORLD’S GREATEST ENTERTAINER IN “MODERN TIMES.” SATURDAYS' SPECIAL, RAFAEL SA--15 AT INI’S "CAPTAIN BLOOD.”

After an absence of almost five year:;, the cue and only Charlie Chaplin returned to the screen of the Majestic yesterday in his long-awaited comedy, “Modern Times.” The occasion proved well worth waiting for. Time has not altered his genius. Charlie Chaplin is still the world’s funniest comedian. Far more pretentious than any of his previous pictures, “Modern Times,” is also definitely Chaplin’s funniest and last night’s audience laughed as we have not heard an audience laugh so heartily for many months. “Modern Times” introduces the familiar serio-comic little figure of the tramp in the baggy trousers, derby, and huge shoes into a new world. He is first seen as a worker in a big steel factory, tightening bolts on a moving truck. He gets into all sorts of hilarious difficulties here before the monotony of his work “gets” him arid he goes temporarily “balmy.” Thereafter, his life is a series of adventures and misadventures in the course of which he wanders into and out of jobs (ranging from night watchman to singing waiter) and gaol with an admirable impartiality and manages along the way to play knight errant to a lovely little gamin of the waterfront. This role introduces Charlie’s beautiful and gifted new leading lady, Paulette Goddard, who brings a fresh, radiant young personality to the screen. On Saturday the eagerly awaited and widely discussed “Captain Blood” comes into season. Never before have the words “out of one masterpiece another has been created” been so fully charged with significance as with this glorious romance and gusty adventure story of Rafael Sabatini’s. Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havillancl head a mighty cast. Reservation is strongly advised.

STATE SCREENING “VINTAGE WINE” AND “TO BEAT THE BAND.” JACK lIULBERT ON SATURDAY.

In “To Beat The Band,” RICO Radio presents a comedy drenched in melody, yet powerful of plot as compared with the average run of musical productions. With a cast headed by Hugh Herbert and Helen Broderick and the original California Collegians famous dance band, “To Beat The Band” is well equipped with talent. Aside from the cast, there’s the story—a roli eking, gusty yarn. Then there are tunes and a general atmosphere of hilarity and glamor. “I Saw Her at Eight O’Clock,” one of the song hits, is sung by Fred Keating. “If You Were Mine,” the picture’s theme song, is a lovely ballad. Roger Pryor introduces this one in typical Pryor fashion. “Santa Claus Came in the Spring,” a novelty number, is also sung by Pfyor, and played to a fare-thee-well by the Collegians, who dish out something remarkably new in the way of orchestral gymnastics. “Vintage Wine,” the British Dominions release is an effervescent and bubbly farce, relating, with a crescendo of laughs, the efforts of a middle-aged widower, who has secretly married again, to keep his family in ignorance of the fact. Seymour Hicks plays the role, with Claire Luce as the young and pretty blonde he has married, these two players recreating, for the screen, the roles they played in the stage version. The theme has a piquant appeal as have most marital comedy plays. It becomes at once hilarious and stimulating, not only through the assured urbanity of Seymour Hicks as an old husband with young ideas, but by reason of its wealth of sparkling situations, subtle dialogue and the strength of its supporting characterisations.

On Saturday, the ever popular Jack Hulbert will return in his newest dancing romancing comedy, “Jack of All Trades” which has the reputation of being his very best picture since “Jack’s the Boy.”

REGENT TO-NIGHT AND FRIDAY: REVIVAL SEASON “THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL.”

Leslie Howard and Merle Oberon are co-starred in “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” the Alexander Korda production which comes to the F.egent for a welcome two day revival season, commencing to-night. Based on Baroness Orczy’s famous story cf Sir Percy Blakeney, the Englishman who risked the love of his beautiful young wife to play the fop and fool, while secretly leading the fearless League of the Scarlet Pimpernel in their thrilling rescues of French aristocrats from the guillotine, this stirring filmi-* sation was made by Robert Sherwood, famous American playwright who wrote “Reunion in Vienna,” and other hits, and Arthur Wimpens, noted London writer. Nigel Bruce. Raymond Massey, Joan Gardiner, Anthony Bushell and Bramwdl Fletcher are among those seen in important supporting roles in this lavish London Films presentation. Saturday and Monday’s attraction at the Regent is another outstanding double feature bill. One is “Meet Nero Wolfe,” featuring Edward Arnold as the lovable detective character of Rex Stout’s novel. The second attraction, “Bordertown” features Paul Muni. Owing to unforeseen cir-, cumstances the Popeye party has been cancelled until further notice.