ENTERTAINMENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 18 April 1939, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS

CURRENT ATTRACTIONS MAJESTIC, NOW SHOWING: TOM WALLS IN BEN TRAVERS’ MARITAL COMEDY. “SECOND BEST BED" Commncing a season to-day i* | ,he riotous marital comedy, “Second Best Bed.” Written by Ben Travers in | his most piquant style, the film afford* : the popular Tom Walls with an excel- | lent vehii • for his talents. Walls is seen as a desirable batchelor who so far ; forgets himself as to criticise the footwork of a beautiful young contestant in a tennis tournament. Hitherto ad- | mired and pampered by all the males l in the vicinity, the girl, brilliantly played by Jane Baxter, is swept off her fee♦ by the Walls cave man tactic* i and marries him only to discover that he has very decided ideas concerning a wife's place in the home. The film unfolds its hilarious plot against the most j varied backgrounds ranging from the tennis tournament where they first clashed in a luxurious hotel in Monte Carlo. Travers has written a modern i version of “The Taming of the Shrew." Even the title has been borrowed from ! Shakespeare—from his will. The I clause reads . . and I leave unto my wife my second best bed.” The Travi ers translation plus the Tom Walls ar- : tistry provides hilarious entertainment. An excellent selection of featurette* • include the Majestic news services | showing world events, a Pathe variety, and pictorial interest, and a travelogue, j "North of the Sahara.” REGENT TO-NIGHT: “WEDDING PRESENT” AND “SPENDTHRIFT” Two exceptionally outstanding attrar- | tions have been selected for our popular guests nights, “Wedding Present." with Joan Bennett and Cary Grant in starring roles. The film is a fast-mov-ing romantic comedy set against a background of newspaper life. Heading the stellar supporting cast are George Bancroft, Conrad Nagel. Gene Lockhart, Inez Courtney. Edward Brophy and Damon Ford. “Wedding Present’* introduces Grant and Miss Bennett as reporters on a metropolitan daily. Their ability and pranks make them the joy and despair of their hard-boiled city editor. Bancroft. As the story opens, one of these pranks puts a halt U a profjsed marriage of the two reporters. Bancroft resigns as city editor and Grant succeeds him. Intent on becoming a success, ho forgets his playful nature and becomes as hard-boiled as his predecessor. An argument with Miss Bennett results in her running away to New York, where she convince* herself she is in love with Nagel, a writer of inspirational books. Grant, quitting his job and following her, prepares t) give her the most impressive wedding present of all time. The associate attraction. “Spendthrift,” features Henry Fonda, Mary Brian and Pet Paterson. Fonda runs into domest: ■ trouble when he marries a Southern lass, Mary Brian, only to discover that she is a gold-digger and a fortune hunter. Their married life is one row after another until she leaves him and Fonda find 1 : real romance with Pat PaterSTATE: NOW SHOWING “BLIND ALIBI.” ENTHRALLING DOG STORY. FRIDAY. RETURN SEASON OP SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS.” Starring Richard Dix in one of the most unusual roles of his career, RKO Radio’s “Blind Alibi” has a plot in which a sculptor who essays burglary as an amateur detective, and pretending to be blind, has a well-trained dog to aid him, and finally becomes involved with a gang of killers and goes to gaol—all in the name of brotherly loyalty. The purpose behind all these adventures is the recovery of a packet of letters written by the sculptor's sister, which have fallen into the hands of blackmailers. With Paris and Los Angeles as the locales of the story, the settings range from French studios and hotels to a huge California museum, for which thousands of rare tapestries, paintings and statues were assembled. Many sequences between Dix and his dog vividly reveal the methods used to train blind men and their canine companions in working together. Dix. who has specialised in powerful dramatic roles is supported by Whitney Bourne as his romantic interest and by Eduardo Ciannelli as the blackmailer-in-chief. An important role is played by “Ace. the Wonder Dog.” Paul Guilfoyle. Frances Mercer, Richard Lane, Jack Arnold, Frank M. Thomas. Solly Ward, Walter Miller and other noted players are in the cast. The associate feature is one of the most hilarious mysteries ever made, as it has no clues, no suspects, no corpses. “One Wild Night” is just one wild time of two self-appointed sleuths who mess up a crime wave. The management announces that in response to hundreds of requests, the wonder production. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” has been secured for a return season commencing on Friday next. Many have already reserved. and it is predicted that plans will again be heavily booked, so the public are urged to make early reservation.