AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22052, 7 September 1933, Page 16

AMUSEMENTS

GRAND THEATRE The Grand Theatre has an excellent double-feature programme this week, including “ Potiphar’s Wife ” and Ihe Perfect Lady,” both of which present entertainment of the most acceptable kind. The former deals with the efforts of Lady Diana Bandford to attract her chauffeur, and of the happenings that follow when he refuses to be caught, ihe leading male role is in the hands of Laurence Olivier, a newcomer to the screen, who bears a remarkable resemblance to Ronald Colman, and indicates by liis performance in this picture that he will be seen in further important roles before long. Opposite him Norma Swinburn gives a very fine characterisation, and the minor roles are in the hands of exceedingly capable players. The most invigorating type of comedy is contained in “ The Perfect Lady,” which tells most amusingly of the complications that ensue when a fascinating "vamp” is let loose among several rather susceptible men. They all fall for the time being, but at the conclusion virtue triumphs, and the film ends happily, as all good pictures should. Betty Amann, Moira Lynd. Reginald Gardiner, and Frederics Lloyd are cast in the leading roles, and all ’ contribute very fine performances. The box plans are at the theatre and at Messrs Charles Bcgg and Co.’s. “ GIRL CRAZY.” The new picture at the Grand Theatre to-morrow will be “ Girl Crazy.” Heading the cast are the inimitable Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey, who start as city “ slickers ” and finish as rough and ready westerners. Eddie Quillan carries the romantic lead of a girl-crazy youth who transforms a respectaole cattle ranch into a “dude” resort. Mitzi Green, Hollywood’s child mimic wonder, plays the part of a pestiferous little sister and the romance and beauty brigade is headed by Dorothy Lee, Arline Judge, Kitty Kelly, and Lita Chevret. Stanley Fields and Chris tin Martin play the shoot-and-run villains. A South-of-the-Border resort, where men are cabaleros and girls are senoritas, is pictured with all of its romantic glamour in “Girl Crazy.” Th's home of the clicking castanets, marimba bands, and gay fandangos, shares atmospheric appeal with a western “ dude ranch as the background for the hilarious adventures of the characters. The musical numbers are all original compositions of George Gershwin. Mitzi Green s careers started when she was three years old. The urge to be something took hold of Mitzi one night when she was watching a vaudeville act from the wings. The act was Whiting and Burt, and Mitzi had watched Sadie Burt every night for a while. On this particular night the cal of the footlights got the best of her and she toddled out in the middle of the act and did an imitation of Sadie. From then on Miss Burt insisted that Mitzi’s mother and father should allow the child to appear in her act. When Mitzi reached the age of seven she branched out for herself and did a “ single ” with great success until Director Wesley Ruggles saw her and gave her a part in “ Honey. Since then she has Been featured in motion pictures. She has an important part in "Girl Crazy.” Mitzi was born in New York on October 22, 11 years ago, and entertainment has been her chief function in life ever since. She weighs 901 b now and is 58 inches tall, and when she grows three more inches she expects to pursue her ambition —that of being a singer. Her 11 years have been packed with perfecting accomplishments swimming, lawn tennis, dancing, and piano are a few of them. She recently won a blue ribbon for horseback riding. ST. JAMES THEATRE “No Funny Business,” the feature of the programme at the St. James Theatre is one of the most genuinely entertaining films that has been seen in Dunedin for a long time. Gertrude Lawrence has the leading role, and she is supported in the narration of the story by Laurence Olivier and Jill Esmond, both of whom nve a very good account of themselves. ho Funny Business ” is a comedy of misunderstandings and complications, and as such offers real, diversion. Ihe second him is “ The Wonderful Story,” m which Eric Bransby Williams and Wynne Clare have the leading roles. It is an unusual type of film, and audiences during the past week have obviously enjoyed it. It deals with the wonderful story of growth and decay, seed time and harvest, the endless cycle of Nature, and its novel theme has been handled with great skill. Ihe box plans for the season are at the theatre, at the D.1.C., and at Jacobs s. “THE MIDSHIPMAID.” The reputation enjoyed by the British film studios for the successful presentation of musical comedy should be enhanced by “The Midshipmaid,’ the tuneful Gau-mont-British production, which will oe presented for the first time at the . St. James Theatre to-morrow. In technique it is said to be a distinct advance on “ Sunshine Susie ” and “ Marry Me, its entertaining forerunners, aiicT there is not a dull moment in the picture. That it provides the second appearance in films of Jessie Matthews, who made a successful screen debut in. “1 here Goes the Bride,” is the production’s principal claim to distinction. Although it washerfirst film, the actress gave a tnoroughly sat sfving performance in “There Goes the Bride.” a performance, which, however, is eclipsed bv her acting in “The Midshipmaid!” Jessie Matthews’s appearance jn the forthcoming “ Good Companions wil be awaited with interest. The Midshipmaid ” is a gay nautical romance most ot the action occurring on board a battle ship. Jessie Matthews is given every opportunity to display her singing and dancing ability, and her training in Mr C B Cochran s revue company stanne ner in good stead. The story was written, by lan Hay and Commander Stephen KiV Hall the joint authors of that entertain inf farce ‘‘The Middle Watch,” and Albert de Courville was responsible for the direction. The supporting, cast includes Claud Albstcr, Joyce Kirby, and A. W. Baskcomb. OCTAGON THEATRE “Walking Down Broadway” and The Infernal Machine” are the features of the double programme now showing at Sc Octagon Theatre. In the tamer Mm the featured players are James Dunn Boots Mallory, and Zasii P 'tt a v all ot whom combine to provide excellent en tertaimnent. In the second production Genevieve Tobin has the. leading femimne role, and Chester Morns makes a very effective and suitable partner for lur. There is a good supporting programme, including another instalment. of the serial production at present running a d. the box plans will he found at the theatre and at the D.I.C. REGENT theatre “ Pleasure Cruise ” has proved very nopular at the Regent Theatre, and its season will close to-night. It is a dueit ing comedy romance of a very sophisticated character, full of clever dialogue and anarkling wit and played by a highly competent cast. Roland Young has the leading male vole and plays the part of a jealous husband who finds that it’ does not nay to be jealous without cause. Genevieve Tobin lias a role which suits her admirably and she makes the most of if Others in the cast are Herbeit Jinn din and Minna Gombcll. The supporting programme is a good one, and includes a delightful Disney cartoon in tcclinicolou . The”box plans are at the theatre and at the D.I.C. EMPIRE THEATRE “Topaze” is the attraction at the Empire Theatre just now and it is enjoying a highly successful season It is the strange tale of a schoolmaster who suddenly finds after many years that life can be very exciting and full of incident one only knows where to look for such things. Myrna Loy is one of the principal plovers, and the chief male role is taken bv 'John Barrymore, who gives a very fine rendering of an interesting pavt Reg na d Slason and Jobyna Howland also figure prominently in the cast. Ihe saPPOitmg programme includes some especially interesting news reels, which deal among other things with recent Ranfurly Shield football matches. The box plan is at tfie theatre and at the D.I.C.

“LUXURY LINER" A dramatic cross-section of life aboard a magnificent transatlantic steamship is presented in the Paramount talkie “Luxury Liner,” which will start to-mor-row at the Empire Theatre. The film takes a number of very different people in various walks of life, sets them down in a confined space, and then observes and records in vivid flashes the most dramatic incidents of their reactions. The advantage of this kind of treatment is that it provides unflagging interest, because, with the swift switches of the dramatic searchlight, no scene need be prolonged beyond its climax, and the result is close-packed drama. Branching from the main theme are several subsidiary interests. There is a chilly 'but beautiful singer who attracts the fickle financier; there is a goggle-eyed thirdclass typiste who reaches the summit of her ambitions by dining in the first class; and there is an impoverished nobleman in the steerage, who saves all the poor people’s money after thev have pooled it to invest in a stock tipped as “ hot ” by the strange telegraphy of ship’s gossip. STRAND THEATRE Patrons of the Strand Theatre will have their last opportunity to-night of seeing “The Devil is Driving,” which has been attracting large audiences during the week. Edmund Lowe and Wynne Gibson have the leading roles in this swiftly moving story of motor car thieving as an organised business, and they receive able support from Lois Wilson, Allan Dinehart, James Gleason, and little Dickie Moore. There is an entertaining supporting programme. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C, “WILD HORSE MESA.” A new Zane Grey picture comes to the Strand Theatre to-morrow, _ and brings with it all the thrilling action that invariably attends any screen play made from a story by the prince of Western writers, This one is called “ Wild Horse Mesa,” and, both pictorially and dramatically, it - is easily one of the best of recent Western dramas. “ Wild Horse Mesa ” tells a story of the great herds of wild horses of the West, which became the prey of bad men and dishonest traders. The land on which the last remnants of these herds took refuge was Indian land, and any horses that were captured and sold belonged to the Indians. Chance Weymer (Randolph Scott), who has spent many years with the Indians, deals in these horses legitimately, sharing his captures with the Indians. On the other hand, Rawlins (Fred Kohler) not only takes horses that do not belong to him, but catches them with barbed wire, a barbarous method .which always succeeds in killing or tearing some of them to pieces. It is Chane’s earnest wish to bring Rawlins to justice. The supporting cast is an excellent one. KING EDWARD THEATRE George Wallace, the well-known Australian comedian, has the leading role in “ Harmony Row,” which opened to a large audience at the King Edward Theatre last night. This picture, which is a product of the Australian studios, is full of humour of the most entertaining kind, and those who have seen Wallace on the stage will find that he is just as ludicrous on the films. He has the role of a very diminutive policeman rejoicing in the name of “Dreadnought,” and as the story progresses he becomes embroiled in the most laughable situations, with the result that “ Harmony Row ” is a scream from start to finish. He is first stationed, in a somewhat rough district, and when he finds that his duties there are likely to be more arduous than comfortable, he asks to be transferred to a more respectable suburb, only to find adventures of a more terrifying kind.