ENTERTAINMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22971, 24 February 1938, Page 11

ENTERTAINMENTS

. PLAZA THEATRE Edgar Wallace's famous story "The Squeaker" provides the basis of the film of the same name which will conr tinue its season at the Plaza Theatre to-day. Edmund Lowe takes the part of a former Scotland Yard inspector. An attractive musical picture entitled "The Minstrel Boy," which has been selected as an appropriate entertainment for Centenary week, will have its first screenings at the Plaza Theatre to-morrow. Fred Conyngham, who had a leading part in several earlier British films, sings a number of songs in attractive style. Others in the wellchosen cast aro Lucille Lisle and Chili Bouchicr. MAJESTIC THEATRE A double-feature programme, comprising "Outlaws of the Orient" and "Behind the Mike," is being presented to patrons to-day at the Majestic Theatre. Jack Holt, who portrays the loading male character in "Outlaws, of The Orient," gives a virile performance, and William Gargan, who heads the cast of "Behind the Mike," is responsible for much of the comedy of this fast-moving film. Admirers of the famous cowboy character, Hopalong Cassidy, should not miss " Texas Trail," which begins at the Majestic Theatre to-morrow. Hopalong Cassidy is better than over in this exciting .and invigorating pioture, a feature of which . is the exquisite natural settings in which it is framed. William Boyd appears as Hopalong, other members of the cast being George Hayes, llussell Hayden, Judith Allen, and Alexander Cross. The associate full-length feature is "Night Club Scandal," featuring John Barrymore, Lynne Overman, Evelyn Brent and Charles Bickford. CIVIC THEATRE " Wife, Doctor and Nurse," a thoughtful and entertaining film, concludes its run at the Civic Theatre today. 'Warner Baxter,' Loretta Young and Virginia Bruce give interesting performances in this 20th Century-Fox production. "Victoria the Great," with Anna Neagle in the role of the Queen, and Anton Walbrook as the Prince Consort, will have its gala premiere at the Civic Theatre to-morrow. In this great film the life of Queen Victoria is superbly and movingly presented. The portrayal of historic characters and the vivid glimpses of a great chapter in England's story are as moving as they are oustanding. Anna Neagle's Victoria is a brilliant performance in all its phases of ago and mood, and shows that she has the restraint and depth of a really great actress, whilo Anton Walbrook's Albert is a complete, faithfullyobserved portrait of a charming charactor. REGENT THEATRE An amusing comedy, "The Awful Truth," supported by an interesting associate programme, is being screened at tho Regent Theatre to-day. Irene Dunno and Cary Grant are cast as a young married couple who decided to separate, the only difficulty in the way of this measure being "Mr. Smith," their wire-haired terrier, of which both want the custody. A great deal of genuine comedy is extracted from this situation. EMBASSY THEATRE A tensely dramatic film, "Between Two Women," begins to-day at the Embassy Theatre. Francnot Tone, Maureen O'Sullivan and Virginia Bruce head a strong cast, and do more than justice to an excellent story by Erich von Stroheim. A Metro-Goldw\yn-Mayer . production, "Between Two Women" is a narrative of life, death and romance in a great metropolitan hospital. Maureen O'Sullivan has the part of a nurse who Is unhappily mai> ried to a brutal surgeon and is secretly in love with " an ambitious voung doctor, , portrayed by Franchot Tone. Virginia Bruce has the part of a beautiful heiress who comes to the hospital as a patient and goes out of it as the intended bride of the doctor, who, when their marriage proves unsuccessful, is faced with a choice between love and duty when he is summoned to operate on the husband of the nurse he really loves. CRYSTAL PALACE AND RIALTO Paul Muni maintains his reputation as a great artist in "Tho Life of Emile Zola," which is being shown at the Crystal Palaca and Rialto Theatres. His portrayal of the famous French writer must rank among his best performances. "Hot Water," a comedy featuring the Jones family, is the supporting picture, and an additional film is "The March of Time." MAYFAIR THEATRE "Stage Door" is the chief attraction at the Mayfair Theatre, Ginger Rogers, Katharine Hepburn, Adolpe Menjou and Gail Patrick heading a strong cast. The humorous and the serious are cleverly blended in "Stage Door," which concerns the fortunes of a group ,of stage-struck young people who live together in a dingy New York boarding house. There is a good supporting programme. STATE THEATRE A brilliant film set on tho NorthWestern border of'lndia, "Wee Willie Winkie," heads the programme to bo screened to-night at the State Theatre. The leading roles are taken by Shirley Temple and C. Aubrey Smith. The comedy "Fifty Roads to Town" will also be shown. STAR CINEMA Rudy ard Kipling's famous story "Wee'Willie Winkie" forms the basis of a film of the same name which will be presented to-day at the Star Cinema, liette Davis gives a clever portrayal in the second attraction on tho programme, "Marked Woman."

VICTORIA THEATRE "Mary Burns, Fugitive," and "Two for To-night" are the films at the Victoria Theatre. TUDOR CINEMA "The Thirteenth Chair," featuring Madge Evans, Lewis Stone, Dame May Whitty and Ralph Forbes, is being screened to-night at the Tudor Cinema. ASTOR THEATRE A double-feature programme, containing "When Thief Meets Thief" and "My American Wife," is being presented to-night at tho Astor Theatre. BRITANNIA THEATRE Tho attractions at the Britannia Theatre aro "Nancy Steele Is Missing" and "She Had to Eat." CAPITOL THEATRE A double-feature programme, containing "New Faces of 1937" and "Midnight Court," is the attraction tonight at the Capitol Theatre. BERKELEY THEATRE An amusing comedy, "Take My Tip" is being screened at the Berkeley Theatre. There is an excellent associate programme. REGENT, EPSOM Two excellent films, "Camille" and "The Lady Escapes," will be shown to-night at the Regent, Epsom.

ST. JAMES - THEATRE "Maytime" continues its successful season at St. James' Theatre, and the principal players, Nelson Eddy _ and Jeanette Mac Donald, are still' delighting patrons with their fine singing. Jcanette Mac Donald, who first appears as an old lady in 1905, attempts to solve the romantic problems of a young couple by telling the girl the story of her life, the events of which are shown when the film flashes back to the time of her own girlhood. ROXY AND TIVOLI THEATRES "Forty Naughty Girls," an exciting mystery film, is the chief picture at the Roxv and Tivoli Theatres. The popular Stuart Palmer characters, Inspector Piper and Hildegarde Withers, aro portrayed respectively by James Gleason and Zasii Pitts, and never with more success than in this fast-moving film. This is the sixth time that Gleason has appeared as Inspector Piper, and the second time that Zasu Pitts has taken the role of his assistant. The story deals with a double backstage murder in a Broadway Theatre, which takes place during the performance of a popular revue. While Inspector Pipor ami Hildegarde are dealing with this murder, a second one takes place on tlio stage before a thousand spectators.. From this point onward the adventures of Inspector Piper and Hildegarde, sometimes amusing and always gripping, hold the attention, The romantic leads are played by Marjorie Lord and George Shelley, who appear as a pair of juvenile artists in the revue. The supporting picture, "Streamline Express," features Erin O'Brien Moore, Ralph Forbes, Esther Ralston and Sidney Blackmer, and concerns exciting happenings aboard a transcontinental express, travelling in which are a number of passengers whose conflicting desires and various purposes produce excellent entertainment.

STRAND THEATRE "The Hurricane," an exciting story of the South Seas, in which Jon Hall has the leading role, will end its season to-day at the Strand Theatre, and will be followed to-morrow by _ a doublo-feature programme, comprising "Sparkles" and "Borrowing Trouble.' Jessie Matthews, who appears in "Sparkles," has a part that does full justice to her talents, and particularly to her versatility. The story introduces her as Pat Wayne, assistant film critic on the Daily Journal, and from the moment of her appearance "Sparkles" increases in interest and excitement until an unexpected climax is reached. "Borrowing Trouble," a film in which the Jones Family makes its appearance, is full of comedy.