ENTERTAINMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24038, 8 August 1941, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS

Civic Theatre.—Produced by James Roosevelt, soil ol ! the I'nited States President, the film "Pot o] Gold" continues to attract large audiences to the Civic Theatre. James Stewart, tamed for his Academv Award winning role in "The Philadelphia Story." is east as the, impulsive nephew of an eccentric millionaire who sells vitannsed food. Paillette Goddard portrays a, pretty girl who assists tin; nephew to carry uiii a scheme destined to enliven a notoriouslv dull radio programme sponsored hy his uncle. When the millionaire is annoyed h.v the practising ot an impecunious dance hand, represented hy Horace Heidt and his .Musical Knights, the nephew sees a chance to further auger the old man and at the same time to introduce an element ol' liveliness into the radio programme. He engages the hand. and. unknown to Ihe uncle, he and the hand take part in the programme. Paillette Goddard announces over the air that in future 1000 dollars will he given away to some fortunate citizen at the conclusion or every session. This makes the programme famous overnight. The picture is }>a%'d upon the immensely popular weekly "Pot, o' Gold'' American radio programme which features Horace Heidt and his hand. At the conclusion of every session a number is drawn from a telephone directory covering the whole of the country. This number is immediately rung and the person who answers is informed that he is the winner of 1000 dollars, ff, however, the call is unanswered, the person whose telephone number is drawn receives 100 dollars only. Charles Winninger is spiendid as the millionaire uncle, and the picture is released through Lnited Artists. Plaza Theatre. —Charles Bonner's novel "Legacy" is admirably adapted to the screen' in the Columbia picture "Adam Had Four Sons.'' which enters the second week oi its season at the Plaza Theatre to-day. An actress who has a prominent part is Ingrid Bergman. who is cast as Einilie, a talented foreign girl who arrives in America early in the century to take up the position of governess to tue four sons of Adam Stoddard, portrayed by Warner Baxter. .\ moving dramatic production deals with the life ol the Stoddard family and the fidelity of the governess, who. in her own quiet way. helps Warner Baxter in his '2O-year struggle to bring up four motherless sons. The part ot Hester, a young woman who marries one of the boys but is determined to capture the love of the whole iamily, is taken hy a voting player, Susan Hayward. a comparative newcomer to the screen. At one stage ]\liss Hayward was chosen by David O. Selznick as a prospective Scarlett O'llara for "Gone With the Wind." finally being rejected as she was deemed to be immature. In this production she is required to play a part remarkably similar to that of Scarlett- O'Hara, and the three years which have elapsed since her tests have j given her much of the maturity which she then lacked. Ihe film is a contest between the two women, one trying to j ruin the family and the other keeping i hy thfin through all adversity, the failure of the father's business and a sharp domestic crisis provoked bv the unfaithful Hester. Miss Bergman convevs her devotion in a constrained and understanding way. The supporting cast includes Fay W ray, Richard Denning. Johnny Downs and Robert Shaw. Embassy Theatre. —The brilliance of Barbara Stanwyck's acting in her dual roles of a beautiful card-sharp and a titled F.nglishwoinan is the outstanding feature of "The Lady Eve. ' current attraction at the Kmhassy Theatre. Kmhodying the same style of humour as "French Without Tears." the picture surpasses in wit and lively dialogue anything seen in Auckland for sometime. Henry Fonda, the male lead, plays an unaccustomed part as Charles Pike, the handsome son of a millionaire brewer. Returning in a luxury cruise liner from an expedition up the Amazon, he falls in love with the unscrupulous .Jean Harrington, head of a clever gang of card-sharps, who are resolved to make a fortune out of the rich young man. There are complications, however, when Jean falls in love with her victim, promptly reversing her opinions concerning the acquisition of his wealth. She exerts all her efforts in checking her fellow tricksters' promess. with better card tricks. Her decision to inlorni Pike of her past pursuits is forestalled by his butler, who. with the aid of the ship's purser, finds out all about the trio. The romance is shattered, but Jean, out of a desire to get. even, and a growing love for Charles, enters his circle of society masquerading as the Lady F/ve, a rich noblewoman from London. The unfortunate predicaments in which the flabbergasted Charles is placed until the final reunion and explanations oi the young pair provide hilarious entertainment. Supporting players are Charles Coburn, Kugene Pallette. William Demarest and the promising voumi Martha O'Driscoll. St. James' Theatre. —Introducing Judy Garland in her first adult role. "Little Nellie Kelly," the film version of the famed George M. Cohan musical success will have its initial presentations at the St. James' Theatre today. The story centres around the life of an Irish girl who marries against the wishes of Tier father. Judy Garland has the dual role in the picture as an emigre Irish wife who dies when her daughter is born and as the daughter who" falls in love and marries Dennis an Irish-American. Both mother and child are dominated by the selfishness of the former's father who wants all the love of his child and later of his grandchild. The old man's granddaughter for her part finds herself torn between love for her father and love for her grandfather. Eventually through her efforts the two men who have been hitter enemies, are brought together. Judy Garland sings many songs, including "It's a Great Day for the Irish," "Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow," and the more modern, "Singiuin the Rain.'' A strong supporting cast is headed by George Murphy, who plays the part of the young Irish husband. Murphy, who was last seen in a singing and dancing role in "Two Girls on Broadway." neither sings nor dances in this film, but has a. straight dramatic' role. Charles Winninger appears as the grandfather and his interpretation of the old man who has a horror of work is masterly. The film is a Metro-Goldwyn-Maycr production and is directed hy Norman Taurog, wh'o won success with "Boys Town." Oxford and Avon Theatres.—The famous love story of Emma Hamilton, wife of the British Ambassador to Naples, and Horatio Nelson, naval hero of Kngland, is vividly unfolded in the remarkable Alexander Korda production "Lady Hamilton," which commences a season at the Oxford and Avon Theatres to-day. Vivien Leigh, who won the Academy Award for her performance in "Gone With the Wind," plays the role of the irresistibly beautiful Lady Hamilton, who defies the prejudices and conventions of her day in her love for Nelson. Laurence Olivier gives an impressive performance as the famous Nelson and expresses timely opinions about those who would invade England. He warns the House of Lords that peace with a dictator is impossible as it will lead to further bloodshed. and he lives to see his predictions fulfilled. The story concerns the life of Fmina Hamilton and is set against a broad historical outline of the time. Vivacious Lady Hamilton at an early age was under the protection of Charles Grevill and later married Sir William Hamilton. While she was at Naples she used her influence with the Queen of Naples to enable Nelson's ships to be provisioned. By her outstanding beauty she captivated Nelson and for her the famed victor of the Nile risked his personal reputation and at one stage his career. The film culminates in the Battle of Trafalgar and the sequence representing the death of Nelson is exceptionally movjng.