ENTERTAINMENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 30 June 1939, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS

CURRENT ATTRACTIONS STATE: NOW SHOWING “THE COWBOY AND THE LADY” WITH GARY COOPER PLUS BRILLIANT FIRST HALF. With a story as intriguing as its title suggests comes United Artists’ excellent film “The Cowboy and the Lady,” starring two of Hollywood’s best known stars, Gary Cooper and Merle Oberon. Successful runs throughout New Zealand have brought big acclaim to this grand entertainment and the Nelson public, too, will enjoy to the utmost a pleasing performance. Contrasting the glitter of smart society in Washington and Florida with adventure of Cowboy Land in the Golden West, Samuel Goldwyn has lavished his unusual showmanship talents on his first major production of the new film season—“ The Cowboy and the Lady,” a comedy romance for modern-day life starring Gary Cooper, and Merle Oberon. Cooper is cast as a cowboy who rides the range alone—until he comes East for a rodeo show and meets Oberon, spoiled and petted society darling. As the story opens, Merle Oberon is rushed out of Washington to Florida to avoid a scandal involving her in a night-club raid. Merle becomes bored with the quiet out of season Florida life, and impetuously decides to go out on a blind date with—of all the people in the worldlier maid and her cook. Misadventure follows when she is partnered with Cooper. Not suspecting that the lady is just seeing how the other half lives, it is love at first sight for the cowboy. Afforded an opportunity to display again the talents which first brought him screen fame, Cooper is seen not only as a fast riding, cow-punching bronco-busting cowboy, but arouses additional interest by singing for the first time on the screen. Miss Oberon, who proved herself a master of the co iedy technique in recent pictures, plays her most romantic role to date ir. her always effective and versatile manner. “The Cowboy and the Lady” reveals the pictorial brilliance of the great outdoors in the East and the West in a story that has romance, numour and drama. Supporting the new “girl-meets-boy” team of Cooper and Miss Oberon, are such notable players as Patsy Kelly, Walter Brennan. Fuzzy Knight and Henry Kolker. The direction was in the capable hands of H. C. Potter, and th? picture is a United Artists release.

More brilliant than has been offered for some time, is presented a scries of featurettes. Listed for screening are “The March of Time,” with two current day topics, a world-wide window (excellent new travelogue series), a Pathe Pictorial (an Andre de la Varre’s popular travelogue) and finally the interesting Fox Australian News. Box plans are now on view at Begg’s and immediate reservation is necessary. MAJESTIC: “HOUSEMASTER.” TRIUMPH OF BRITISH PRODUCTION “Housemaster” —lan Hay’s brilliant comedy which opened a Ihree day season at the Majestic this afternoon, is every bit the triumph of British film pioduction that has been claimed for it. Few films, British or otherwise, have had the wide appeal to general tastes that “Housemaster” has, for it is a film that everyone can thoroughly enjoy. The predominating note is comedy, but there are some excellent dramatic scenes, particularly between Otto Kruger, as the housemaster, and Kynastorv Reeves, as the Rector of the English public school in which the action of the play takes place. Although Otto Kruger plays the difficult part of the “Housemaster” with consummate ease, and has justly earned the highest praise

| of the most eminent critics, the margin ; of difference between his characterisa- ! tion and that of the other members of a very big and well chosen cast, is very small indeed. Kynaston Reeves as the sinister, cold unyielding headmaster, is one of the most convincing portrayals seen, and the muttered expressions of dislike which escape the members of the audience each time he appears is a wonderful tribute to the excellence of this hitherto little-known actor’s splendid work. The three girls, Diana Churchill. Rene Ray, and Rosamond -Barnes, who play the parts of the .flighty irresponsible nieces of Donkin (Otto Kruger) are perfectly chosen and it seems incredible that they could at any time be well-behaved young ladies and not confirmed tomboys. Among the younger masters, who are secretly in sympathy with the pupils, verging on revolt as the result of the iron and unreasonable rule of the headmaster, Phillips Holmes as a young shy science master stands out. He has played in a number of Hollywood productions, and gives a finish to his part ci nervous bewilderment that is one of the highlights of a splendid show. No one could possibly bo disappointed with this picture which does everything required to make clean, wholesome entertainment. The short subject “Youth Marches On” traces the formation of the Oxford Group, and is entertaining as well as interesting. Photographers, artists and people artistically inclined will find much to interest them in “Master of the Camera.” which shows America’s most renowned art photographer at work in his studio. REGENT: COMMENCING TO-NIGHT, BORIS KARLOFF IN “MR WONG, DETECTIVE,” AND “SERGEANT MURPHY” A new series of detective stories will be introduced at the Regent Theatre tonight. as “James Lee Wong,” in the person of Boris Karloff, makes his bow in Monogram’s “Mr Wong, Detective.” Joining the company of Charlie Chan. |Mr Molo, the Saint, Philo Vance, and others, James Lee Wong, newest screen sleuth, is a fugitive from “Collier’s Magazine,” and a creation of Hugh Wiley, because for many years Mr Wiley’s “Wong” stories have been appearing in that publication. James Lee Wong is a native of San Francisco, an educated, cultured Chinese. He is a scientific “test tube” detective who revels in intricate cases. The more baffling the mystery, the more intrigued is Mr Wong. “Mr Wong. Detective,” is the story of a rare poison gas, and the murder of three men who tried to steal its formula. Outstanding in the cast are Evelyn Brent. Grant Withers, and John St. Pclis. “Mr Wong in Chinatown.” ‘Mr Wong at Headquarters.” and ‘ The Mystery of Mr Wong” are to continue the adventures cf the screen’s new sleuth. The associate attraction, “Sergeant Murphy,” a melodrama of army life, stars two good-looking newj comers, Ronald Reagan and Mary Ma- : guire. It was made by Warner Bros, and concerns a cavalry horse that failed to pass inspection for fitness of an army post, yet under the training of his cavalryman master was developed into a great steeplechaser that was good enough to win the famed Grand National jumping race in England. Young Reagan plays the part of the soldier who loved his horse so well that he bought and trained him after both left the army. This is Mary Maguire’s fourth picture, the most recent of the others being with Kay Francis in “Confession.” She plays the part of a Colonel’s daughter at an army post. Donald Crisp pla3 - s her father. Most of “Sergeant Murphy” was made at the Presidio of Monterey, Calofornia, with the aid of 2.000 regular soldiers. The picture was directed by B. Reeves (“Breezy”) Eason, a master of fastaction.