ENTERTAINMENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 30 December 1938, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS

CURRENT ATTRACTIONS STATE: NOW SHOWING ASTAIRE-j ROGERS IN “CAREFREE.” MID- j NIGHT MATINEE AT 10.30 I O’CLOCK TO-NIGHT. Bubbling with romance and comeoy and Irving Berlin’s catchiest songs, j RKO Radio’s new “Carefree" reunites! Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in what is hailed as the most delightful screen i vehicle of their brilliant careers. Bright-j lv modern in theme and treatment, the; picture deals with the triangular romance between a popular actress, a distinguished psychiatrist and a sue-; cessful lawyer. • Astaire portrays the' medical man and Ralph Bellamy is the j attorney, whose uncertain love affair; with Miss Rogers leads him to call on Astaire for help. Like all AstaireRogers vehicles “Carefree” sparkle? i with charming melodies and arresting I dances. “The Yam.” scheduled to be ! the popular dance hit of the season and J which almost any amateur dancer can perform, is featured by the two wing- j looted stars, as is the “Change Part- j ners” routine, a spectacular dance i rivalling their “Cheek to Cheek” and j “Night and Day" routines in earlier films. An ingenious Golf Dance in which Astaire solos, and a fantastic dream sequence by the two celebrities, comprise the other dancing specialities. Besides the songs of “The Yam” and "Change Partners." the musical features include “The Night is Filled With j Caught by The Teacher in Class j "Come here. Jones!" cried the teacher suddenly. ‘ What are you chewing?” ! "Just Pulmonas. Sir. to keep off the ’flu!” “That's all right,” replied the I teacher, ’there’s nothing like them!” ; The antiseptic vapours soothe the i breathing system and keep it free from I germs—guard you always. Try Pul- 1 monas! Only 1/-. 1/6 and 2/6. All chemists and stores. J

! Music” and “I Used to be Colour Blind,” I Irving Berlin numbers that are said to I be among his greatest. Jack Carson is hailed as a real “find” in “Carefree ' with his work as Astaire's young as- | sistant. Luella Gear, noted Broadway comedienne, as Miss Rogers’ aunt: Clarj once Kolb of the famous Kolb and Dill i team as a testy judge, and Walter * Kingsford and Franklin Pangborn have other principal supporting roles. 1 MIDNIGHT MATINEE TO-NIGHT ' Patrons’ attention is drawn to the /midnight matinee to-night at 10.30 i o'clock, at which Astaire-Rogers in , the dazzling musical “Carefree" will be : screened. As last Friday’s late session proved so popular by drawing a capacity house it is safe to surmise that another large audience will be present. 1 The doors open at 10.15 and to avoid / the crush patrons are requested to be ‘ i early. , j MAJESTIC FINAL 1938 ATTRACTION AT 8 O’CLOCK TO-NIGHT: “MY DEAR MISS ALDRICH." AT 2 I P.M. SATURDAY, NEW YEAR 1 j ATTRACTION, “MERRILY WE I LIVE.” ; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s attraction “My Dear Miss Aldrich” attracted a { large and enthusiastic audience to the , Majestic last night and intending patrons are advised that the final screen- . ing of this exceptionally entertaining 1 production is scheduled for 8 o’clock - this evening. The sprightly story has 1 j been ably directed with an appreciation of its many farcical situations. These j result in some hilarious episodes that ■ lend strength, to a sometimes richly ? 1 amusing narrative. Edna May Oliver — ; , who is given the wittiest lines in the ’ , dialogue—is a sheer delight as the i i school teacher's cynical aunt, a puzzle 1 ; addict and a sarcastic commentator. The | | surprise of the film is the performance jof Maureen O'Sullivan as Martha Al-

drich, the school teacher who becomes a newspaper proprietor. She acts with unexpected vivacity and aplomb, and handles her vole with subtlety as well as charm. Walter Pidgeon gives the part of the managing editor a robust individuality that keeps it well in the audience’s eye. The supports include Laurel and Hardy in “A Perfect Day”. Pete Smith on “Romance of Radium”, a musical “Annie Laurie”, and the news services, the whole combining to give another of the Majestic's outstanding programmes. NEW YEAR ATTRACTION Patrons are advised that the New Year attraction. "Merrily We Live." commences at 2 p.m. on Saturday. This film ran for nine weeks in Auckland and has enjoyed sensational seasons everywhere. “Merrily We Live,” in which brilliant performances are given by a cast headed by Constance Bennetf and Brian Aherne, is an amusing romantic comedy. The Kilbournes are a carefree family who have formed the habit of accepting tramps as guests—a policy which does not meet with the approval of the eldest daughter, Jerry (Constance Bennett 1. When a young novelist, Wade Rawlins (Aherne), returning from a fishing trip, calls at the house to use the telephone, he is accepted as a tramp and allowed to stay. At a party given to a visiting senator Rawlins is made a butler, but is introduced to the party as a guest. He makes friends with the senator and succeeds in forcing him into agreement with a scheme of Mr Kilbourne’s. Rawlins disappears for a few hours and is reported dead, and when he returns ; discovers that Jerry, who had formerly j scorned him. was in love with him. 1 Other roles are taken by Alan Mow- ! bray, Billie Burke, and Patsy Kelly. ; The supporting programme includes | “Glimpses of New' Brunswick,” a colj oured travelogue; “Come Across,” one 1 of the “Crime Doesn't Pay” series; the j Cinesound Review and the British Air i Mail News.

REGENT TO-NIGHT AT 7.45 O’CLOCK —TWO OUTSTANDING FEATURES “HAWAIIAN BUCKAROOS” AND “PRISON BREAK.”

Smith Ballew', the singing cow-boy star of the screen, blazes new trails to new thrills in a film of roaring outdoor adventure sweeping from Arizona’s borders to Honolulu’s shores. The crash of rustlers’ gunfire mingles with a cowpuncher's melodies in “Hawaiian Buckaroo.” For the first time the virile action drama of the great Southwest has been transplanted to the romantic setting of Hawaii, paradise isle of the Pacific. Ballew is the hardriding, trigger-quick Westerner who comes to the great pasturelands of the tropical islands for a fresh start, only to encounter a ruthless band of crooks. The desperadoes, driven out of the American cow country by vigilantes, have transplanted their banditry to the shores of Waikiki. Ballew’s reward for wiping out the rustlers is romance in Hawaii, He introduces three new songs in the film, entitled “Hawaiian Memories,” “1 Left Her On the Beach at Waikiki,” and “Riding to [the Rhythm of the Round-Up.”

The associate feature is “Prison Break,” which is woven round the struggles of a paroled convict to rehabilitate himself, while the influences in society surrounding him conspire to prevent him from earning an honest living. Barton Mac Lane gives a thoroughly convincing display as the skipper of a tuna clipper, who goes to gaol to protect his sister’s fiance, whom he believes to have been guilty of murdering his own fiancee’s brother. His father-in-law is bitterly opposed to his intending marriage. Prison politics, among convict cliques, attempted escapes and riots, are high-action points in a faithful delineation of prison life, while in the background is a continuous friction between MacLane and the leader of the gangs, who eventually turns out to be responsible for Mac Lane’s self-imposed crime. Many of these incidents are inspired by the official records of the California state parole board. At sea the scenes are cast in a modern tuna clipper operating off the coast of Santa Catalina Island. An unprecedented run of tuna and magnificent scenery provide the opportunity for some excellent photography, which is every bit as interesting from an instructional point of view as it is exciting in the story The final chapter of Radio Patrol will conclude a very outstanding holiday programme. Reservations are advised and may be made at R. A. Thomas’s. ’Phone 590. A matinee will screen as

usual on Saturday at 2 p.m. RICHMOND PICTURES At the Richmond Town Hall on Saturday the rifles crack, the tribesmen stream from Khyber Pass, the bagpipes skirl as the regiment charges in Rudyard Kipling’s famed “Wee Willie Winkle,” a lively story of thrills packed adventure on India’s untamed frontier. Shirley Temple and Victor McLaglen are starred in the spectacular Twentieth Century Fox production.