AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21361, 15 June 1931, Page 11

AMUSEMENTS

' ' ’ I REGENT THEATRE | Featuring, Ruth Chatterton in the leading role, “ The Right to Love ” is the principal attraction on the current bill at the Regent Theatre. In “The Right to Love,” which has been recorded by the Western Electric Company’s new noiseless recording process, all trace of any mechanical sound has been completely eliminated, with the result that the whole picture, without doubt, marks a new era i in the history of the talking screen. ! Every word comes out clearly and per- ! tectly, and all extraneous sounds have been completely damped out—truly an achievement in talking picture recording, j The picture itself, which is a screen ; adaptation of Susan Glaspell’s novel. ; ‘ Brook Evans,” is entirely worthy of the honour of being one of the first two productions to be made by the new process, for, added to a powerful plot, it has one of the most perfectly-balanced casts that have been seen here for many a day, and the photography is a thing to wonder at. In every sfcene detail is brought out with a distinctness that is amazing, and figures, landscapes, buildings, and trees stand out with a stereoscopic effect that amounts almost to a fourth _ dimension. Moreover, by an extraordinary feat of duplex photography, Ruth Chatterton is seen as a mother talking to herself (as her daughter), and this, besides demonstrating the star’s, wonderful versatility, shows that such photography can be successfully carried out without giving the slightest appearance of faking. One can pay Ruth Chatterton no greater compliment than to say that her triple role of the girl, the mother, and the daughter is by far the finest piece of screen work she has ever done. Another fine character sketch is that of Caleb Evans, which is played by Irving Pichel. As the dour, uncompromising puritanical stepfather, Pichel gives a most convincing rendering of the part, without at any time displaying 1 any tendency to over-act. Eric, the daughter’s lover, is played by Paul Lukas, who is, next to the star, the outstanding player in the picture. The box plans are at the theatre and the. Bristol. “PLAYBOY OF PARIS.” Maurice Chevalier, Eugene Pallette, and Stuart Erwin are cast as a trio _ of restauranteurs in “ Playboy of Paris.” which will be ■ screened at the Regent Theatre on Friday. 'Chevalier is a singing waiter with dreams of becoming a wealthy and heart-breaking man-about-town. Pallette is the rotund chef. Erwin is Pallette’s kitchen boy. They play for laughs, in the kitchen, until a surprise legacy sets Chevalier up in the world, although a 20-year contract holds him to his job as waiter. The comedy elements of “ Playboy of Paris” are claimed to be almost as strong on the feminine side as they are on the male. Dorothy Christy is cast as an aspiring gold-digger. Cecil Curihingham, who was with Ruth Chatterton in “The Better Wife,” is Chevalier’s blonde pursuer. The story is a joyous, fun-loving farce, with' pretty Frances Dee, the fortunate “extra” girl, playing opposite the star. Chevalier sings several songs, including “My Ideal,” “It’s a Great Life,” “In the Heart of Old Paree,” each of which he sings with the same effective lilt with which he sang “ ‘Louise,” “ Sweeping the Clouds Away,” “ My Love Parade. ’ and “ You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me.” “ My Ideal ” has so far prdved the 'most popular of the Chevalier trio. Added comedy, impetus is given Playboy of Paris” by the supporting cast, which includes O. P. Heggie and other well-known players. “ Playboy of Pans is a Ludwig Berger production. The man who made “The Vagabond King” first achieved prominence in the comedy field before attaining dramatic pre-eminence with his productions with Emil Jannmgs and Pola Negri, OCTAGON THEATRE An historical film of outstanding interest and entertainment value is Abraham Lincoln,” which is now being screened at the Octagon Theatre. As pure entertainment, “ Abraham Lincoln has many features which place it on a much higher plane than the majority of the talking films presented for the amusement and edification of theatre patrons in this city, whilst as a page of American history of the time when that country was passing through one of the most desperate periods of its existence it is an accurate and convincing record. The picture is as simple and unaffected as the man whose life story forms its basis, and in this the hand of D. W. Griffith, perhaps the greatest producer in America to-day, is clearly seen. There is no attempt at exaggeration or over-emphasis to be detected throughout the story, although small incidents are brought out in a manner which provides the theme with the necessary seasoning of, humour and romance. In the principal role Walter Huston’s performance is little short of superb. His portrayal of the lanky young Illinois farmer, who, after years of disappointments and finally finds himself the principal man of the country, is remarkable for.-its restraint and conviction. The quaint, lovable man. on whose shoulders fall all the burden of the American Civil War, and whose indomitable courage and iron will made possible the creation of a 'united country where before had been a number of separate States of all shades of political opinion, is brought back to life in striking fashion, his whimsical humour and unbounded faith in his ideals being reproduced in a manner which gives the story a character and strength remarkable in these days, when so many of the productions shown are of a superficial and rather empty nature. A strong supporting programme is also shown. The Box plans are at the theatre and the Bristol. PRINCESS THEATRE Abounding in humour, and containing a hearty laugh in every sequence, “The Cohens and Kellys in Africa’” holds pride of place on this week’s programme at the Princess Theatre. It must be admitted that the situations which occur in “The Cohens and Kellys in Africa ” are at times a little incredulous, but that detracts not a whit from their entertainment value. George Sidney and Charlie Murray, who enact the principal roles, have a reputation for. fun-making that places them in a class by themselves as film actors, and although they have been seen together times without number there is none of that going back on old jokes which frequently occurs when two comedians are associated for such a length of time. They have travelled the world in their pictures, and they extract the greater hilarity _ from the most unlikely sources. In that lies the secret of their popularity. Vera Gordon and Kate Price, as the respective wives of Cohen and Kelly, contribute very largely to the success of the picture. More than mere foils to the brilliance- of the principals, they carry out a story of their own in a fashion which is calculated to win laughs from the most sober of picturegoers. After many adventures the fun is capped when Cohen and Kelly struggle their way*to freedom, only to fall foul of a powerful sheik, who is holding their wives for ransom, and the excruciatingly humorous situation which ensues in the harem is one that is alone worth paying the price of admission to see. Also on the programme there is an exceedingly laughable comedy entitled “ Oo La La,” in which that prince of comedians, Slim Summerville, is featured. Time cannot efface his inimitable power of causing amusement, and in this picture he is more' entertaining that ever. The Universal talkling reporter explains shots of doings all over the world in an interesting manner, and an “ Oswald the Rabbit ” cartoon rounds off an entirely 1 satisfying bill. The box plans are at the Bristol, the theatre, and Hall’s fruit shop. EMPIRE THEATRE A laughable P. G. Wodehouse story is told in ‘“Those Three French Girls,” which is the principal attraction at the Empire Theatre this week. The production, which takes the form, in some part, of musical comedy, is one long laugh from beginning to end as the story follows the somewhat ridiculous adventures of a young Englishman, two Americans, and three French girls. Denny has the part of the Englishman, Larry, nephew of the Earl of Ippleton, who is played by George Grossmith. Fifi Dorsay is seen in the leading role as Charmaine, and the other two girls are Yola D’Arvil and Sandra Ravel. “Ukulele Ike” (Cliff Edwards) and his “ buddy,” Edward Brophy, are also included in the cast. Up to the present, Denny’s best picture has generally been

considered to be “ Skinner’s Dress Suit, in which he appeared in the days of the silent film, but even that excellent effort must take second place to “Those Three French Girls,” which can only be described as a riot of fun. Too much praise can scarcely be given to the several players for their excellent work in this production; Miss Dorsay, always one of the most charming of figures, is in her element, and she receives good from her _ two companions. Grossmith is indeed the ideal earl—the English nobleman abroad, and the two Americans are their usual cheerful selves. The dialogue, written by Wodehouse, is far above the usual standard of the talking pictures, and the French atmosphere is well maintained from start to finish. The supporting programme this week is also an outstanding one. Metrotone brings the news of the world to the screen in an entertaining fashion, and several recent happenings in Australia, including the Anzac Day celebrations, are seen on the Fox Movietone news reel. Burton Holmes takes his audience on a trip into Morocco in one of his everpopular travelogues, and Hal Roaches “ Boy Friends ” are to the fore in a high-speed comedy entitled “High Gear,” Mr Leslie V. Harvey’s offering this week includes “Light Cavalry” and‘‘One More Waltz.” The box plans are at the theatre and the Bristol,

“A YANKEE AT THE COURT OF KING ARTHUR.” , Mark Twain, one of the world’s greatest humorists in his day, has his modern counterpart in Will Rogers, who ranks as the greatest living American humorist and comedian, Rogers will appear in Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee at.the Court of King Arthur ” at the Empire Theatre on Friday. In the new version of the famous Mark Twain classic, Rogers starts out as a small town radio dealer. He delivers a battery to a mysterious .mansion on the hill one, stormy night. The owner of the house hopes to tune his huge radio set in on sound waves which have been beating around in the ether since the beginning of time. He tunes in on what appears to-be King Arthur’s Court, There is a terrific flash of , lightning, and Rogers wakes up in the sixth century, right in the middle of the Round Table. He narrowly escapes burning at the stake, and then, through his native Yankee sagacity, becomes the Prime Minister. He introduces many novel improvements in the scheme of life of the ancients, including a service station for armoured knights where they may be washed, polished, oiled, and their rivets checked in a minute’s time. Other novel improvements, too numerous to mention, enliven the kingdom. His improvements bring many screamingly funny situations, and finally, Sir Sagramor, jealous of Rogers’s popularity, challenges him to joust in the big tournament. How Rogers overcomes , the burly knight is entirely too funny to spoil by revealing here. Then Rogers becomes the unwilling hero selected to rescue a fair princess from a wicked queen. He becomes involved in another series of adventures that climaxes in the most side-splitting laugh of the picture. Rogers is surroundeds hy a .capable supporting cast which includes Maureen O’Sullivan, Frank Albertson, Myrna Loy, William Farnmn, Mitchell Harris, and Brandon Hurst,

STRAND THEATRE There are two pictures of outstanding interest at the Strand Theatre this week. The first is called “ Hunting Tigers in India,” a magnificent film of big game : hunting in Nepal, while the other is a romantic drama entitled “Men on Call.’': Generally it is the picture shown in the second half of the programme that is the main attraction to the public, but certain it is that the hunting film must draw as many people to the Strand Theatre during the week as “Men on Call" will. “Men on Call” has Edmund Lowe and Mae Clarke in the leading roles. Fundamentally it is the old, old story—a love affair and a misunderstanding, followed by three years of estrangement. “ Chuck " Long, the- locomotive driver, who loves and scorns Helen Gordon, smashes his train up in a moment of absent-minded-! ness, and, after bitter days of starvation, finds a friend in need who persuades him to loin the coastguards—and it is on the sea coast that the rest of the action takes place, Warren Hymer, that delighful Bowery type, contributes an element of humour to the picture, and William Harrigan and Sharon Lynn also play con spiouous ,parts in the picture. ..Of the hunting picture too much cannot be said. Pictures similar in character have been here before, but the suspicion that ail is not quite genuine has almost invariably accompanied their screening. Here, how ever, there is no room and no need for doubt. The film is the record of an expedition headed by Commander D. N Dayott on behalf of. the Museum of Natural History in New York, and every incident is clearly explained by Commander Dayott in beautifully-spoken English. The photography of the ensuing scenes is really wonderful, and the camera man is not daunted even when an infuriated tiger rushes the elephants, inflict ing wounds on their trunks, and, in one case, on the tail. Nor is the picture confined wholly to the jungle. Elephants are seen at work shifting logs, and then some intimate glimpses of life \amoiig India's 330,000.000 arte shown. It is a most realistic film, and the looker-on completely forgets the theatre atmosphere, and lives in India for the nonce. The box plans are at the Bristol. ROXY THEATRE A double-feature programme of more than usual worth is being screened at the Roxy Theatre this week. The pictures are “The Hot Heiress” and “The Widow from Chicago.” “The Hot Heiress ” can be described as a sparkling comedy, played by a great cast. The featured players "are Ben Lyon, Thelma Todd (the, attractite girl of the Charley Chase comedies), and Ona Muns On. The lastnamed is a new comedienne to the screen, and has already become very popular. In a thoroughly original manner “The Hot Heiress ” tells of the amusing romance of Juliette Hunter and Hap Harrigan, a riveter who works on new buildings. The girl has more money than she knows what to do with, and when the pair endeavour to conduct a romance along conventional, lines the parents of the heiress become interested. It is then that the real fun begins. Innumerable comedy sequences follow in quick succes-i sion, and the result is thoroughly good amusement throughout. ( The second picture is “ The Widow from Chicago,” which is a story of mystery, fun, and adventure. The production stars Edward G Robinson, the famous character actor (who will be remembered for his excellent portrayal of the polished Chinaman in “East is West”), Neil Hamilton, and Alice White. In the story thrills and comedy are freely mingled, and the whole plot is well conceived, giving the principal characters every opportunity tu display their talents. There is also an amusing cartoon.

KING EDWARD THEATRE “ Good News,” which is the current attraction at the King Edward Theatre, tells of a romance between Tom Marlowe (Stanley Smith), football captain, and Patricia Bringham (Lola Lane), the college belle. Tom has proposed many times and even, written a note asking her to marry him, and' Patricia has been preserving the note for future use. Two days before the big football game it is discovered that Tom is behind in his astronomy and must take a special examination in order to be able to play on Saturday. He asks Patricia to coach him, but she is too busy and suggests her cousin Constance, thinking it a great joke on both of them, as Constance hag never been much of a success with, men. The inevitable romance springs up between Constance and Tom, and a rival, in the shape of Patricia steps in. Little Bobbie Randall has. been a substitute on the team for two years with no chance to play, and when the coach between halves hears him bewailing his luck he teJls him he can go in for the second half, as he couldn’t be worse than' Tom. How Tom wins the girl of his heart, and how Randall accidentally covers himself with glory make an interesting and intertaining story. A good supporting programme is also shown. SKATING REGAL RINK. Each session at the Regal Skating Rink sees large attendances recorded, and the spacious floor offers a perfect surface for skaters, while the easy-running skates that are provided by the management for the use'of patrons make an hour or two spent at the rink an exceedingly pleasurable experience. The general ap-

pointments of the rink are very attractive, and skaters and spectators alike are provided with every comfort and convenience. A competent staff of instructors is always in attendance, and beginners have every opportunity of becoming proficient under expert tuitions An attractive musical programme adds greatly to the enjoyment of patrons. KING’S RINK. Scores of enthusiasts derive a great deal of pleasure from the sport; of roller skating at the King’s Rink in Dowling street. Patrons are provided with every convenience, and beginners can always be assured of every assistance from compet_ent instructors, who, with the attendants, do everything in their power to make a visit to the rink as pleasant as possible. The spacious floor offers an excellent surface for skaters.