AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22294, 21 June 1934, Page 14

AMUSEMENTS

GRAND THEATRE

During the past two weeks the New Zealand Tourist and Publicity Department's production, ■“ Romantic NeW Zealand,” has been receiving enthusiastic pati'onage at the Grand Theatre, and the final opportunities of seeing this remarkable scenic and historical gem will be afforded to-day. The picture was made by Filmcraft, Ltd., in conjunction with Trucolbur Films, Ltd., both New Zealand enterprises, and the object was to use the production overseas to stimulate interest in this country. No effort was spared to make the film an outstanding one, and if it is accorded the support which is confidently expected the tourist traffic should be advantageously affected. Commencing with the discovery of New Zealand by the Dutch sailors and the subsequent visits of Captain Cook, the picture goes on to deal with the Maoris from many different aspects. Of course, the scenic portion of the production is the most important part, and in this direction little has been left to the imagination. The _ thermal region around Rotorua has given the camera man scope for some colourful scenes, and the most has also been made oi the mountain scenei’y of the South Island. The four main cities are adequately presented, and the progress of both primary and secondary industries Is also fully dealt with. The picture is supported by a list of excellent short films, chief of which is “ Ever Since Eve,” an hilarious comedy featuring Herbert Mundin. The box plans are at the theatre and Begg’s. '■CHANNEL CROSSING.” To a student of ljumanity, the personalities of passengers travelling by steamers plying the English Channel between Dover and Calais would yield a rich harvest, could he be privileged to peep into their private lives, to know their circumstances and, especially, to know exactly what urge caused them to make the trip. Such a realisation is afforded by the opening sequences of the fascinating GaumontBritish drama, “ Channel Crossing,” to be shown at the Grand Theatre to-morrow. There is Jacob Van Eeden, played by Matheson Lang, a financier of world-wide reputation, who has arrived at a crisis in his affairs, and seeks to escape to the Continent. With him goes his secretary, Marion Slade (Constance Cummings), and a lover of Marion’s (Anthony Bushell), who is jealous of the influence Van Eeden apparently exercises over her. There is the newly-divorced pair who meet again at the gangway; the commercial traveller; the representative of a fashionable modiste with his two manikins who are there to display the latest modes to the travellers whilst crossing; the man from Lancashire (Edmund Gwenn), with his wife and family; wives seeking escape from husbands, and husbands from wives. The picture is not only a fine, original entertainment but, in many ways, is a thoughtful contribution to kinematic art. Milton Rosmer, who directed, has used artists and material with a master hand. The camera admirably captures the atmosphere, the excitement of the passengers, 'and the phlegm of the crew. Great attention has' been paid in every, detail, and smoothness of direction is never allowed to degenerate into the merely clever. Apart from the stars and their chief support, there are several delightful studies in the smaller parts, it being an eminently sensible practice of GaumontBritish to ensure adequate distribution of quality. STATE THEATRE The brilliant musical extravaganza “ Flying Down to Rio ” with Dolores Del Rio, Raoul Roulieu, and Fred Astaire in the leading roles, continues to be a popular attraction at the State Theatre. The story opens with a handsome young songcomposer flying about the country seeking a quiet spot to compose numbers for his band. ,He takes his band by air to Rio de Janeiro, where he has been given an important engagement at a big hotel, and whilst there he falls in love with the owner’s daughter. Rivalry springs up between himself and a handsome Brazilian, and they stage a musical duel, in which native and American melodies vie for supremacy. Finally his rival attempts to break up the American’s romance by procuring an injunction against the production of his show, and the young fellow decides to stage his performance in the air. The effects in this scene are nothing short of marvellous. Occupying an iftimense sound stage, covering approximately 22,500 square feet of floor space, it features such startling things as tables resembling the tail-ends of airplanes, white marble fuselage tapering down to the rudder and elevator, which are made of plateglass, lined with polished silver, and a tete-a-tete nook for couples seeking privacy, which hangs in the air at one side of the dance floor and resembles the cabin of a giant dirigible. The whole affair carries out the dirigible idea. The roof is supported not by pillars but by girders built like the latticed frame skeleton of the lighter-than-air craft. The most notable innovation, however, is a “flying orchestra.” By a clever arrangement of concealed and silently-operated tracks, the band in this remarkable club performs in a huge balloon basket, soaring about over the heads of diners and dancers. The set, referred to in the film as the “Aviators’ Club,” carries out the theme of the production itself, the first aerial musicale ever staged. It reaches a climax in a spectacular all-air show, 100 beautiful girls singing and dancing on the wings of giant airplanes as- they soar over beautiful Rio de Janeiro. A strong supporting programme is shown. The box plans are at the theatre and Begg’s. ■ REGENT THEATRE “ Roman Scandals,” which is being screened at the Regent Theatre this week, is Eddie Cantor’s fourth annual screen musical comedy for Samuel Goldwyn. Ruth Etting, Gloria Stuart, and David Manners, Veree Teasdale, and Edward Arnold are his companions as he frolics among the gorgeous slave girls gathered to please the fancies of a Cfflsar, in and out of prison dungeons or flying oyer dusty roads at the reins of a thundering chariot, with life or death at stake. George Kaufman and Robert Sherwood wrote the original story of Eddie’s adventures. William Anthony M'Guire, responsible for last year’s “The Kid from Spain,” “ Whoopee,” and earlier successes, did the adaptation. Dubin and Warren wrote the songs. Ruth Etting’s song, “No More Love.” and a vivid dance creation by Grace Poggi are details in the production’s panorama. Cantor has two songs. In the glittering beauty court he proves in song that loveliness, like Rome, wasn’t built in a day. His role is that of the water-eyed lad in West Rome, Oklahoma, whose imagination carries him back to the rescue of love in distress in the Rome of the Caesars, to fantastic complications in court intrigue, ending in the stirring chariot race, in which he drives his furious steeds faster and faster as the Emperor’s soldiers gather closer and closer to head him off from escape and from revealing a deathly dangerous secret upon which he has stumbled by accident. Of course, Eddie does escape, back to West Rome, Oklahoma. “ The China Shop,” Walt Disney’s latest Silly Symphony cartoon, and other interesting short subjects comprise the balance of the programme, The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. STRAND THEATRE Cleverly staged and capably acted, “Bombay Mail,” which is being screened at the Strand Theatre this week, is an absorbing mystery story with a singularly ingenious plot. The whole of the action of the picture takes place on a transJudia express train and on station platforms, and against this romantic background is woven an enthralling tale of crime and intrigue. Several persons are suspected in turn of having committed two murders while the train is speeding on its way, and as most of them are cherishing some secret the inquiries oMbe investigator lead to complications. The search for the murderer is ultimately narrowed down to one or two suspects and finally the crime is sheeted home in a skilful and convincing fashion to the real culprit. A beautiful American girl who has difficulty in establishing her bona fides, a man in possession of some valuable rubies, a Brahmin revolutionist who has been expelled from a university, and two rascally Eurasians form the company from whom the investigator, played by Edmund Lowe, is set the task of picking the culprit. Lowe plays his part in a masterly fashion and is ably supported by such well-known screen celebrities ns Shirley Grey, Ralph,Forbes, Onslow Stevens, and

Trandon Hurst. There ig also an entertaining supporting programme. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C.

“ CROSS COUNTRY CRUISE.”

The young man’s father was trying to keep him away from women, but only succeeded in catapulting him into the greatest romance of his life. This is what happens in “Cross Country Cruise, ’ the fast-moving comedy-drama which takes the audience on the transcontinental trip of a great passenger bus, and which is to-morrow’s new attraction at the Strand Theatre. Lew Ayres, in the custody of a burly superintendent, is being scut from New York City to a lumber camp owned by his father in California, but ho catches sight of a pretty face while on the way to the railroad station, and Ins predatory instincts come to the surface. He learns that the girl is making the trip on a bus, so without further ado he induces his friendly guard to go on the self-same bus. It will be a much better way to sec the country! But he does not know that the girl is “ eloping ” with a _ married man, nor that this man’s suspicious wife will insist on accompanying her spouse. Rollicking fun and ticklish situations give way to tragedy as the bus proceeds on its way across the continent, but the ripening romance keeps pace with the speed of the flying bus. In addition to June Knight, Ayres’s supporting cast in “ Cross Country Cruise ” includes Alice White, Alan Dinehart. Minna Gombell, Eugene Pallette, and many others. 'EMPIRE THEATRE The final opportunity of seeing “ Take a Chance,” Which has been attracting considerable attention at the Empire Theatre during the past week, will be afforded today. The story tells how a small town troupe of entertainers make their way to Broadway and fame. Wanda (Lilian Roth) deserts her companions in the circus booth and succeeds in finding a place in revue. She invites the producer to come and see one of her old friends where she is performing at a night club and the producer immediately falls in love with the girl. He offers her a place in his production but complications arise. Eventually the girl gets her chance when several of the players in the revue are unable to appear and Wanda and her friend are pressed into unaccustomed parts. The story works up to a satisfactory conclusion, with the inevitable happy ending. The leading male roles are played by James Dunn and Cliff Edwards, with Buddy Rogers in another important part. June’ Knight and Lilian Roth prove themselves to be expert entertainers in their respective roles. There is an excellent supporting programme, including musical selections by Miss Iris Mason. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. “SHOULD LADIES BEHAVE.” “Should Ladies Behave.” bas’ed on “The Vinegar Tree,” Paul Osborn’s scintillating comedy of a group of people who get into amusing difficulties at a week-end house party, has come to the screen following its triumphant Broadway run of eight months. Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer made the film version of the play, which starts to-morrow at the Empire Theatre with a sterling east headed by Lionel Barrymore and Alice Brady. The principal trio of the Osborn play, described as a wry commentary on modern life, comprises Augustus Merrick, a touchy but lovable old crab with liver trouble whose picturesque country estate provides the romantic setting for the action of the story; his slightly giddy wife, Laura, who constantly cherishes love affairs of the past but who somehow or other can never remember the names of the men involved; and Max Lawrence, a specialist in amorous adventure. Also involved are Laura’s sister, Winifred, fresh from Europe, and awfully sophisticated, who thinks she has Max in tow; her niece, Leone, who seems so young and innocent but who manages to take Max away from Winifred from under her very nose. Conway Tearle, who contributed a memorable portrayal in the stage version of “Dinner at Eight,” heads the supporting cast of Max. Katharine Alexander, star of many New York stage successes, makes her first film appearance in this picture as Winifred, and the roles of Leone and Geoffrey are filled by Mary Carlisle and William Janney. The pivot roles of Mr and Mrs Merrick are, of course, played by' Barrymore and Miss Brady. Laurel and Hardy make a welcome reappearance in their latest comedy, “ Twice Two,” which is hailed as the best picture they have yet made.

OCTAGON THEATRE. Two pictures which, although widely different in type, both provide first-class entertainment, comprise the new double bill which opened yesterday at the Octagon Theatre, They are “ The Ninth Guest” and "Brief Moment,” and the fact that Genevieve Tobin and Donald Cook are the principal players in the former picture and Carole Lombard and Gene Raymond in the other, is sufficient guarantee of their quality. An engrossing mystery story, constructed around a novel plot, forms the basis of “The Ninth Guest,” and the producers have chosen as the setting for the film a penthouse high up on one of New York’s mighty skyscrapers, and in unusual surroundings and an atmosphere of tense drama a sequence of incidents seemingly at first bavins: no bearing on one another, but as it transpires, all interconnected, is played out. A mysterious summons to a supper in a room on top of the skyscraper results ill eight guests assembling, and the first thrill comes when a voice, proceeding apparently from nowhere, announces that each one will die that evening. Consternation ensues, but electrified doors and barred windows frustrate all attempts at escape, and with the nearest assistance 40 storeys below, the terrorised guests arc thrown into a panic. In a series of dramatic and gripping incidents the mysterious prophecy of wholesale death looks like being fulfilled, and it is not until no fewer than five out of the eight inmates of the room have been murdered or have committed suicide that an unexpected climax provides a solution to the puzzle. “ The Ninth Guest ” is unquestionably one of the most remarkable mystery films that have yet been screened locally, and it loses nothing in the telling by an unusually competent cast. Although the theme of “ Brief Moment ” is by no means new, the artistry and ability of Carole Lombard lift it out of the class of mere ‘romance. As a cabaret performer who is also the wife of the son of one of New York’s wealthiest families, he finds considerable difficulty in keeping track of her irresponsible husband’s many amours, and realising that his mode of living is gradually undermining his manhood, she makes a strong endeavour to prevent his becoming ruined socially as well as morally. Raymond has the role of the husband, who, thoroughly spoiled by his parents, thinks of very little but keeping up with the ultra-fast set into which he has been drawn. After she has tried every means she can think of to steady him down, his wife at length becomes desperate, and as a last resort appeals to his father. Her efforts prove in vain, and it is not until she leaves her husband and goes back to the cabaret that the young fellow sees the error of his ways and turns over a new leaf. Reconciliation follows, and the picture reaches n happy ending. As the young wife Carole Lombard gives an outstanding portrayal, and from beginning to end she dominates the picture. With sure, dcit strokes she sketches a realistic portrait ot the disillusioned young wife, and appealin,though she is in the romantic passages, she displays when necessary a very real talent for dramatic acting. Raymond is convincing as the husband, and another fine character portrayal is given by Monroe Ouseley, who has the role ot a young man-about-towu. Some acceptable comedy is introduced by Arthur Stohl. The box plans are at Begg a, McCracken and Walls’s, and the theatre. ST. JAMES THEATRE To-day will provide'the final opportunity of witnessing “ On the Air,” which for the past week has proved a popular attraction at the St. James Theatre. Nearly every British star of note does a turn in the production, the result being s sparkling variety show presented by a company much more talented than can usually be assembled for such an entertainment. There is a slender plot, but it is sufficient to connect in logical sequence the various incidents, in the film. Dave Burnaby and Reginald Purdell are first seen bidding farewell to their listeners and going off from the 8.8. C. studio on a quiet holiday in the country, during which they propose to forget all about broadcasting and everything connected with it. At the first inn they visit, however, dalliance with a coquettish barmaid spoils their plans, for they are

recognised by the local vicar, who persuades them to perform at a village concert. The result is an exceptionally good performance, for with such stars as Clapham and Dwyer, Teddy Brown, and a dozen others to keep the ball rolling the concert goes with a swing such as has never before been experienced in the village hall. To the performers’ dismay, howver, they find that their show has been put on the air, and that their holiday vows have tliug been broken. The supporting feature, Tembi,” is a magnificent picture of wild life in Africa, which shows some remarkable studies of lions, cheetahs, elephants, crocodiles. and giraffes, and also gives some “close-up” studies of ants building their nests and huge swarms of locusts. The box plans are at the theatre, Tacohs’s, M'Crackcn and Walls’s, and the D.I.C . “ THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY.” Yet another brilliant stage star has been captured for the screen—lrene Vanbrugh, whose glittering career reads like a page from the history of the British stage during its most glamorous era. She was born in Heavitree, near Exeter, the daughter of the vifiar of that parish, and, like her sister Violet, developed stage aspirations at an early age. When she hud completed her education —at Exeter High School and in Paris, she determined to make a bid for histrionic fame. Her progress was rapid, and before long she was playing principal roles opposite some of the greatest actors of the time—-George Alexander, Arthur Bourcher, Beerbohm Tree, and John Hare. She created many characters in a number of the most famed plays of the time, and the older generation will at once recall her triumphs as Sophie Fullgarney in “The Gay Lord Quex ” and Mary Lazenby in “ The Admirable Crichton,” amongst others. In her first screen production, “ Head of the Family,”'which comes to the St. James Theatre to-morrow. Miss Vanbrugh has the role of the head of a family whose inspiration and courage successfully steers her husband and her children through the storm of domestic and financial difficulties that overcome them at a moment when their security seems most assured. The drama concerns the rivalry of two great steel magnates—-Fowls Porter, whose conservative ideas precipitate his ruin, and Stanmore, of the newer school of business, up to date in his methods and ruthless in his determination for success. Even after Stanmore has accomplished Porter’s downfall he cannot complete hie victory of buying him out. Porter refuses to sell the valuable process that once brought his success, despite his straightening circumstances. Guided by his wife, he successfully weathers the storm,, but not before incidents of the most dramatic kind have brought the story to its thrilling climax. KING EDWARD THEATRE Ann Harding, who, in the course of a fairly long career in talking pictures, has contributed some outstanding performances to the screen, has the leading role in “The Women in His House,” which opened a season at the King Edward Theatre yesterday. Miss Harding usually makes a brilliant success as a woman of the world, possessed of real character and with a wealth of experience of life behind her. In this latest picture of hers she is able to give such a presentation as the mistress of a man she loves and one able to be his true companion. Playing opposite her in, the leading male role is Leslie Howard, in whom discerning critics see one of the most brilliant actors of the moving picture world. With these two players, a strong supporting cast, and a story which presents a searching study of modern life, “The Woman in His Home ” can hardly fail -to hold the attention and the intelligent interest of audiences. In addition, in the main picture there is a strong supporting programme, including a comedy entitled “Good Housewiving,” a cartoon, “Jolly Fish,” and a Pathe gazette. , ,