ST. JAMES THEATRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22101, 3 November 1933, Page 11

ST. JAMES THEATRE

The principal item on’ the new programme at the St. James Theatre to-day will be “Up For the Derby,” featuring Sydney Howard. Last year’s Derby was specially photographed, and is prominently shown in this excellent comedy, adding considerably to its interest. Appropriately enough, the Derby was won by that other great comedian, Tom Walls, with his horse April the Fifth. Sydney Howard gives an , attractive comedy performance in this picture, and makes the most of the many, excellent comedy situations. The story introduces the star as an unsuccessful punter wno eventually trains a Derby winner. He is starred with that other famous English comedian, Mark Daly, while Frank Harvey and Dorothy Bartlam supply much added interest and fulfil difficult roles with the ease of veteran stars. Much of the atmosphere of the production, which has that English race clasic, the Derby, as its background, was captured for the film by the fact that British and Dominions actually had camera men on the great course to photograph portions* of the race itself. The supports will be of equal merit. The box plans are at the theatre, the D.1.C., M'Cracken and Walls’s, and Jacobs’s. OCTAGON THEATRE “The Warrior’s Husband” will be shown at the Octagon Theatre to-day. It is an extravagant and brilliant burlesque on the kingdom of the Amazons in the year 800 B.C. In this kingdom, where woman is dominant, man is relegated to performing the household duties. The story is based on the legend that the power of the race reposed in the girdle of Diana, which was worn by the Queen, Hippolita, and the film tells of the efforts of Hercules to capture the girdle. Elissa Landi is charmingly boyish as Antiope, the queen’s sister, while a feature of the production is the army of beautiful Amazons who engage in fierce war with the Greeks. Helene Madison, the Olympic swimmer, appears as captain of the queen s guard, and Ernest Truex as the timid prince consort. “Those We Love will also be shown. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. EMPIRE THEATRE “Rain,” Somerset Maugham’s famous story of some aspects of life in the tropics, will come to the Empire Iheatre to-day. In this film two players of great prominence, Joan Crawford and Walter Huston, do a great deal to enhance their already considerable reputations. As Sadie Thompson, a girl whose life is certainly unconventional, to say the, least, Joan Crawford has a characterisation calling for sympathy and talent, as well as extremely careful acting. As the reformer, Walter Huston is required to meet substantial demands upon his ability. The setting of “ Rain ”is merely a background for a parade of human emotions, and the figures flit across a bizarre screen in a way which must captivate the average audience. The reformer’s condemnation of Sadie, his show of almost brutal power in an outpost of civilisation, and the climax, where the reformer is shown to be very like other men, ridden by human impulse, are all things lifted much above the ordinary. The box plans are at the theatre and at the D.I.C. KING EDWARD THEATRE Two films of a widely different nature, but of equally high entertainment value, are at present being shown at the King Edward Theatre. The first picture is “The Face at the Window.” featuring Claude Hulbert, which tells of the efforts of Paul de Gros, a famous detective, to discover a gang of criminals responsible for the murder of several bank watchmen. At one stage circumstances point to the murderer being Lucien Mdrtier. who is in love with the bank manager’s daughter, but the story is carried on to a surprising and startling climax. The other film is”" Come On, Danger,” featuring Tom Keene.