ENTERTAINMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22917, 21 December 1937, Page 11

ENTERTAINMENTS

PLAZA THEATRE The brilliant vaudeville film "Calling All Stars" will be again presented today at the Plaza Theatre. Among the large cast of favourites of the radio and screen are*Turnef Layton, Larry Adler, Flotsam and Jetsam, Billy Bennett and Ambrose and his orchestra. The popular child actor Bobby Breen has the main role in "Make A Wish," which is to be the Christmas attraction at the Plaza Theatre. He sings several songs in the production.

MAJESTIC THEATRE William Boyd has the title role in "Hopalong Rides Again," the Clarence Mulford story at the head of the programme at the Majestic Theatre to-day. He makes an interesting character of the writer's light-hearted and chivalrous cowboy. Also screening is the comedy film "Partners In Crime," with Lvnne Overman and Roscoe Karns. A comedy story that gains interest as a skit on the present movement in Great Britain toward the raising of the standard of health is "Keep Fit," which will open a season at the Majestic Theatre on Friday. An English comedian who has been responsible for many previous successes, George Forinby, has the leading role in the production and he is even funnier than in his last picture, "Feather Your Nest." His role as an exceptionally strong man among a crowd of weaklings promises many opportunities for humour.

CIVIC THEATRE Frances Farmer has a new role as the girl reporter in "Exclusive," the dramatic newspaper story showing again to-day at the Civic Theatre. The film centres, round the exposure of the methods of yellow journalism, which are often the cause of untold suffering. Charlie Ruggles and Fred Mac Murray have important parts as the girl's father and the editor of the opposition paper respectively.

REGENT THEATRE Ralph Lynn and Tom Walls have the leading roles in "For Valour," the hilarious story of a long episode of swindling screening to-day at the Regent Theatre. Both appear in dual roles, as father and son, and the tale deals mainly with the effect of a bad character on a good one. As might be expected, the Walls family is the corrupting influence which overcomes the food, but weak, influence of the Lynns, he revelation of this disastrous progress is kept for the last scenes of the picture and is one of the best for pointedness and brevity. On the stage at the matinees only is the interesting Christmas pantomime "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

EMBASSY THEATRE A dramatic story pf a mother's fight for the custody of her child against the forces of money and a prejudiced public opinion is told in "Midnight Madonna," the current attraction at the Embassy Theatre. A newcomer to the screen from the New York stage, Mady Correll, has the principal role, and she gives a moving performance. The well-known novel by Anthony Hope, "The Prisoner of Zenda," has been brought to the screen under the same title and will commence a season at the Embassy on Thursday. Ronald Colman has a difficult dual role as Rudolf Rassendyll. an adventurer who closely resembles King Rudolf. When the king is prevented by plotters from attending his own coronation the men who want the dynasty to continue put the adventurer in his place. The king, however, is captured and held prisoner in the castle of Zenda, and the false monarch has perforce to remain on the throne. Raymond Massey and Madeleine Carroll also appear in the production. *- .

ROXY THEATRE James Dunn is seen as a talented but unscrupulous salesman in the comedy "Come Closer, Folks," which will. be screened to-day at the Roxy Theatre, in conjunction with the Western film "Riding Wild." The salesman visits a small town, where he ruins a business in which he is working by his unpopular methods. He falls in loYe with the owner's daughter, played by Marian Marsh, and, in an to recoup the losses, brings a horde of his salesmen friends to help him. Tim McCoy has a leading part in the second film.

MAYFAIR THEATRE Two strong films, "Rose of Tralee" and "Interrupted Honeymoon," will be shown again to-day *at tho. Mayfair Theatre. On Friday the popular screen detective, Charlie Chan, returns in "Charlie Chan on Broadway," the latest of the series of pictures that Warner Gland has made, and in this role he is fully up to the standard of former productions. TIVOLI THEATRE The popular actor James Dunn has the leading role in "The Daring Young Man J' which will head the guest night programme at the Tivoli Theatre tnis evening. Mae Clarke has the main feminine part in the film. A second attraction will be the western picture, "West of the Pecos," in which the wellknown Richard Dix has an adventurous role. Cleverly blended entertainment is promised with these two films. STRAND THEATRE Barbara Stanwyck and Herbert Marshall contribute most of the humour of "Breakfast for Two," the farcical film now showing" at the Strand Theatre. The story deals with the tempestuous romance of an heiress and a playboy and provides many laughable 'sequences. Eric Blore also is prominently cast. BERKELEY THEATRE The brilliant Australian picture "It Isn't Done," with Cecil Kellaway in a leading role, will be the first attraction at the new Berkeley Theatre, Mission Bay, which will open to-morrow night. There will be an entertaining associate programme. PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE A well-balanced double-feature programme comprising the films "Jealousy" and "Living Dangerously" will bf screened at the Prince Edward Theatre to-night, when guest-night concessions will be available. "

CRYSTAL PALACE AND RIALTO The musical comedy "Now Faces of 1937" will be presented at the Crystal Palace and Rialto Theatres to-night, together with "King of Gamblers. STATE THEATRE The brilliant comedy "Call It A Day" will be screened at the State Theatre to-night in conjunction with "The Bride Walks Out." STAR CINEMA Joseph Calleia heads a strong cast in the drama "Man of the People." which will be presented to-day at the Star Cinema. Ihe second attraction is "Adventure in Manhattan." LONDON CINEMA "Steamboat Round the Bend" and "The Westerner" are the chief attractions on the programme at the London Cinema to-day. TUDOR CINEMA Greta Garbo and Robert Tavlor give brilliant portrayals in "Camille, which will be presented to patrons of the Tudor Cinema to-night.

, . ~ r • 11 ■ *n 111 '■ !!■■■■ ST. JAMES' THEATRE The comedy pair Laurel and Hardy are seen in a new type of picture in "Way Out West," which will again b0 showing to-day at St. James' Theatre. On a mission for a dead friend they wander into a lawless border town of the United States in the closing years of the nineteenth century £ It is not long before they displease the sheriff, and in addition to having handed over the deed to a valuable gold mine to a band of thieves they are forbidden to return to the town. Undaunted, the pair return under cover of night and recover the deed. Their laughable antics have never been shown to more ad- , vantage than against the background of border characters.