ENTERTAINMENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 25 November 1938, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS

CURRENT ATTRACTIONS STATE, NOW SHOWING: FRED ASTAIRE IN P. G. WODEHOUSE’S RIOTOUS STORY “A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS.” Sparkling from start to finish with a merrily romantic story, a group of spectacular dances and captivating Gershwin tunes. Fred Astaire's and Burns and Allen’s new starring vehicle for RKO Radio, “A Damsel in Distress,” opens to-morrow at the State Theatre. The story is based on one of P. G. Wodehouse’s best-known humorous tales of English life, with Astaire in the role of an American dancer who seeks to rescue a titled British girl from her impending marriage with a man she detests. It is complicated in uproarious fashion by the activities of a half dozen other principals. Much of the tangle evolves from the conflicting loyalities of the servants, of whom a stately butler and a romantic young page-boy are the most active, while Astaire’s press agents endeavour to free him from the affair and get him off to Paris to fill a dancing engagement. And the result is a continuous panic for the audience. Burns and Allen, as the busy publicists, are at their hilarious best, and Miss Fontaine is both lovely and convincing as the distressed damsel. Montagu Love, Constance Collier. Ray Noble, Reginald Gardiner, Young Harry Watson and Jack Carson help to make the film a brilliant piece of screen fare. The catchy Gershwin songs, Attaire’s several spectacular dancing routines, and the picturesque settings, including a huge reproduction of T"R.r castle, are big features of the production. Producer Pandro S. Berman’s handling, and the telling direction of George Stevens, contribute to the picture’s excellence. In their deft screen play, Author Wodehouse and Ernest Pagano and S. K. Lauren have added the final touch to make “A Damsel in Distress” a really notable offering. MAJESTIC, NOW SHOWING: DANIELE DARRIEUX IN “THE RAGE OF PARIS.” With an all star cast in support, under the baton of one of Hollywood’s ablest directors, and in a story by the authors of Deanna Durbin’s successes, Danielle Darrieux, sensational French screen star, make her Nelson debut in “The Rage of Paris” at the Majestic this afternoon. Luminary of both the French stage and screen, this twentyone year old beauty has appeared in some of the most successful European films in recent seasons. Starred opposite Mile. Darrieux in “The Rage of Paris,” is Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., while featured parts are played by the owl eyed Mischa Auer, Helen Broderick noted comedienne and Louis Hayward portraying the third side of the romantic triangle in the film. “The Rage of Paris” was directed by Henry Koster from a script by Bruce Manning and Felix Jackson. It presents the petite Danielle as a little French girl who lands in New York, penniless and

nude for a famous artist. But in her excitement at landing a job she snatches up the wrong address and begins to pose in the office of Fairbanks, a young advertising executive. Then he walks in and from there on the situations develop with speed and comic impact. Five months of preparation and two months of active filming were spent in making “The Rage of Paris” ready for its debut. An excellent supporting programme includes news services, “Stranger T/an Fiction,” “Going Places,” “Music and Flowers,” a musical and the latest New Zealand Review, “The Golden Coast” depicting the West Coast of the South Island. With plans rapidly filling intending" patrons are advised to make early reservation over the season. REGENT TO-NIGHT AT 7.45: “CASSIDY OF BAR 20” AND “TIP-OFF GIRLS” Another Clarence E.. Mulford western with William Boyd in his original role of Hopalong Cassidy, Paramount’s “Cassidy of Bar 20,” follows the usual adventurous paths of this series, although this time the hero’s activities set him riding along the “Camino Real,” the King’s Highway—of the old ,New Mexico cattle country. A number of fine “shots” of the latter made the mustering scenes doubly fascinating. With Lucky and a new off-sider in old Pappy 1 (who takes the place of the popular Windy ; n this production). Hopalong Cassidy solves a couple of mystery murders and routs the rustlers led by the perpetrator of these crimes. Nora Lane, as an attractive ranch owner, and Robert Fiske, as a dour and ruthless killer, lend good support. The veteran Gertrude W. Hoffman is a rugged and colourful Mr Caffrey, and Frank Darien an amusing Pappy. A fifty-million-dollar-a-year racket, which uses beautiful young girls to trap its victims, Is exposed in “Tip-Off Girls.” With Lloyd | Nolan, Mary Carlisle, Roscoe Karns and Larry Crabbe heading a talented j dramatic cast, the picture tells an exciting story of what happens when a detective tries to break up a gang of highway racketeers by becoming one of them but becomes more entangled than he expects when he loses his heart to the boss’s beautiful secretary. Chapter 7 of the serial, “Radio Patrol,” will conclude another of the Regent’s outi standing week-end entertainments. A matinee will screen as usual on Saturday at 2 p.m. PICTURES AT RICHMOND j To be screened at Richmond on Satj urday, is “The Mighty Treve,” based on j the novel by Albert Payson Terhune, ian appealing human story, with beautiful outdoor scenes. “Tuffy,” the Australian sheep dog, plays the title role.