ENTERTAINMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20986, 24 September 1931, Page 13

ENTERTAINMENTS.

: REGENT THEATRE. The talented actress, Miss Tallnlah Bank head, will be seen for the last time at the Regent Theatre today in the Paramount tilrn, "Tarnished Lady." There is a splendid supporting programme, including items by Mr. Paul Cullen, the " singing organist.on the • grand organ. "Tarnished Lady" is also notable tor the excellence of the acting of Clive Brook, who plays the part ot a wealthy broker, whose more callous traits of character are bared when financial ruin coincides with his unhappy wife's separation from him. '• THE LOTTERY BRIDE." The spectacular musical comedy romance, "The Lottery Bride," in which tile charming Jeanette Mac Donald takes the chief role, will succeed "Tarnished Lady" at the Regent Theatre to-mor-row. the production was in the hands of Arthur Hammerstein, the noted New York manager, and although it was his first work for the screen, the success has been even greater than any of his Broadway productions. "The Lottery Bride" has many exquisite songs by Rudolf Friml, the foremost living composer of light ipera, whose best-known work was in "Rose Marie." The cast includes, in addition to Miss Mac Donald, the popular young actor, John Garrick, Joseph Macaulay and Robert Chishohn, while abundant comedy is provided by Joe E. Brown. Miss Mac Donald, whose most notable previous musical successes include "The Love Parade," with Maurice Chevalier, and Erust Lubitsch's "Monte Carlo," with Jack Buchanan, not only has a wonderful voice, but is an actress of engaging charm and exceptional talent, as was evidenced by her performances in "Don't Bet, on Women" and "Annabelle's Affairs.'' Mr. Garrick, who was recently seen in Elissa Landis "Always Good bye," brings a delightful freshness to fai3 part of a romantic youth temporarily | estranged from hits lover by her self- j sacrifice for the sake of a dissolute brother. Lavish bat artistic settings, which swiftly shift from the tranquil quietude of the Swedish countryside to | the forbidding icy wastes of the frozen j Arctic, characterise the tilm throughout, j j There are a realistic dirigible crash and ! j the rescue of the survivors of the disaster |by dog team as well as a "vision" i sequence in technicolour which gives a j composite impression of pageants,, fetes | and processions in various picturesque ; European countries. ST. JAMEri' THEATRE. Ihe success of the present double-fea- | ture comedy programme at St. James' i Theatre has caused its extension for a | week. In the first picture. "Pardon i Us," the inimitable comedians, Stan j Laurel and Oliver Hardy, are seen for I the first time in a full-length film. The I story is an amusing burlesque on ! recent American films portraying prison | life, and it provides the incongruous pair ; with a series of adventures in which I their delightful type of comedy is exJ ploited to the greatest advantage. The I second attraction is; ''Shipmates," a light | romantic comedy of naval- life, in which ' Robert Montgomery is seen as an ! able seaman who, tlirough a combination j ot unusual circumstances, attends the ball j given by the admiral of the fleet, and ! there commences an extraordinary series ; of adventures. I CIVIC THEATRE. i The final screenings of the delightful . | comedv-romance, "Annabelle'o Affairs," with Jeanette Mac Donald and Victor McLaglen in the principal roles, will be given at the Civic Theatre to-day. Tomorrow. William Haines will appear in "Dancing Partner," an adaptation of the i David Belasco play, which enjoyed a long i season on Broadway last year. The ; story deals with the attempt of a "Beau i Brurnmell" to hnd out the real character i of the giri his wealthy uucle iias chosen j for his bride. The ingenious methods ! used by the young man to prove the girl I unworthy of him so that he can i be free to choose his own bride, make , the picture one of William Haines' most | amusing productions. Whimsical comedy j is blended with a story of romantic in- ' terest, and while Haines "clowns" i! cleverly in some scenes, ;n others he | does some of the finest dramatic acting : of his career. MAJESTIC THEATRE. Booth Tarkington's well-known story J of boy-life, "Father's Son," will bo ! screened for the last time at the Majestic S Theatre to-day. Based on the dif- | ficulty of a father who is too much im- ! rnersed in business worries to be able i to enter into the innocent pranks of his j high-spirited boy, the picture appeals by j its simplicity and its truthfulness. Lewis j Stone gives an excellent portrayal as the j father," and the 14-year-old boy actor, i Leon Janney, is splendid as the mis--1 chievous son. To-morrow, Sheridan's j sparkling comedy, "The School for Scan- | da!," will be presented by a prominent English cast in the British International Pictures production of the same name. 1 All the wit °f t.hi> 18t,ii century original, ' which has become more popular with each revival, is captured by the picj ture. The. farcical comedian, Leslie i Fuller, will be seen in the comedy, "What | a Night," which will precede the main LYRIC THEATRE. | " Min and Bill," in which Mario Dress- ! ler and Wallace Beery appear, will be I shown with Laurel and Hardy's "Be Big." at the Lyric Theatre this evening. || TUDOR CINEMA. } Comedy is the keynote of "Six-cylinder J Love," to head the programme ah the I Tudor Cinema this evening. Norma j Shearer's "The Divorcee" will be shown j to-morrow. GREY LYNN CINEMA. Winnie Liizhtner's "She Couldn't Say ! No" and "The Other To-morrow," with ' Billie Dove, will be shown at the Grey Lynn Cinema this evening. $ BRITANNIA THEATRE. j Marion Davies' "It's a Wise Child" and I i "The Road to Paradise" will be shown j |at the Britannia Theatre this evening. i I VICTORIA THEATRE. I " Under a Texas Moon," filmed in j j colour, and "Playing Around" will he j I be the main films shown at the Victoria | j Theatre this evening. j i I I PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE. j Joan Bennett and Warner Baxter are splendid in the drama, "Doctors' Wives," which will be shown at the Prince Edward Theatre to-day. CRYSTAL PALACE THEATRE. Drama is raised to a high level in "Doctors' Wives," to be shown with "Behind Office Doors" at the Crystal Palace Theatre this evening. EMPRESS THEATRE. Betty Compson's "The Lady Refuses" and "Borrowed Partners" comprise the main portion of the entertainment at the Empress Theatre to-day. EPSOM REGENT THEATRE. "Present Arms," a musical comedy, and "The Lady Refuses," with Betty Compson, will oe screened at the Epsom Regent Theatre this evening.

NATIONAL THEATRE. The U.F.A. production, "The White Devil," in which the famous Don Coscask3 Choir and the equally famous Imperial Russian Ballet take prominent parts, will conclude a season at the National Theatre to-day. Walter Huston, acknowledged to be one of the finest character actors on the screen to-day, is given a dramatic role in the Paramount . tilin, "The Virtuous Sin,"' which will be shown at the theatre to-morrow. His characterisations in "Abraham Lincoln" and "The Criminal Code,"' are said to ,be surpassed by bis work as the Russian general who was faced with a conflict between love of his country and love of a beautiful woman. The story is an unusual one and holds the interest throughout. The cast ia a particularly fine one, including Kay Francis and Kenneth MaeKenna, in addition to Mr. Huston and several promising but lessknown actors. STRAND THEATRE. "Captain Applejack" and "His Friend's Wife" will be shown for the last time at the Strand Theatre to-day. To-mor-row, Herman Melville's fine story of the sea and whaling, "Moby Dick," will bo the chief film on the new programme. John Barrymore gives a wonderful characterisation as the dynamic Captain Ah.ib, who drives his men and his ship madly in an endeavour to outwit a titanic whale, which gives the picture its title. Joan Bennett plays the part of the heroine. The second attraction will be "Party Husbands," with Dorothy Mackaill in the lead. TIVOLI THEATRE. Just as Mr. Frank Capra's "Flight" and "Submarine" were epics of particu lar aspects of modern achievement, so his "Dirigible," which will be presented at the Tivoli Theatre this evening, surpasses any previous film of its type. With the active co-operation of the naval and aviation authorities, a remarkable degree of | realism has been attained. There is I also the vital human drama of the rivalry of two men of contrasting temperaments (Jack Holt and Ralph Graves)' for the love of the same woman (Fay Wray). » i ! RIALTO THEATRE. Joan Crawford, who is rapidly coming | I to the forefront among dramatic actresses, | \ gives a superb portrayal of a woman i i made the victim of cruel circumstance in 1 ' "Within the Law," which is the main j j film on this evening's programme afc the j I Rialto Theatre. I i I BOHEMIAN ORCHESTRA. A well-chosen variety of items will be | j given at the third concert oi the season j of the Bohemian Orchestra, to be held 1 j in the Town Hall this evening. The soloists will be Mr. Frank Parsons, violinist, j who will play Mendelssohn's Concerto, and Mr. S. Sly, trombonist, who will play \ the "Am Meer" of Schubert. The St. I Cuthbert's College choir will be heard in | a numbeV of songs. ! ; I MARGHERITA ZELANDA. Great interest has been aroused in the j ! season of three recitals to be given in j I Auckland by Margherita Zelanda, one j ; of the most gifted singers the Dominion j has produced. The first performance will j ! take place m the Town Hall concert j I chamber this evening. Concerts will also I ' be held on Saturday and Tuesday even- i ' ings, the final one raking place in tho j main Town Hall. This evening's pro- \ i gramme will include "Caro Mio Ben," by j j Giordani; "Ave Maria," from Mascagni's i I "Cavalleria Rusticana"; Liza Lehmann's j I 14 'Oh, Bother,' Sang the Thrush," the I "Philosophy" oi Shaw and "The Tell-tale i Stars" (Tcherpnin). i I j j NAVAL CHARITY ENTERTAINMENT, j ' j An attractive and novel programme will ; be presented by the band of the warship j 1 j Diomede, assisted by a conceit party of i ' men from the warships Diomede and j j Laburnum and the training ship Philo- j | mel, in the Town Hall to-morrow evening, j j Proceeds ivill be devoted to tho funds of j i the Auckland City Mission. The band j | is a splendid combination and should prove : l popular. The assisting artists are among j ' j the most talented in the New Zealand j j Division of the Royal Navy. j COMMUNITY SINGING. Old favourites as well as more modern i songs were sung at the successful community singing gathering held in the | Town Hall during the lunch-hour vesterday. Mr. Vernon Drew was song leader and Mrs. Barrington Snow played tho accom paniments. j COLLEGE OPERETTA POSTPONED. The light opera of Japan, "Oh Hara San." to be staged in Scots Hail by students of the Auckland Training College, will not be presented until Thursday anil Friday, October 1 and 2. Pleasant entertainment is promised.