AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22326, 28 July 1934, Page 21

AMUSEMENTS

STATE THEATRE One of the most unusually ; conceived and cleverly executed films that has been seen in Dunedin for some time is "Friday, the 13tb,” which attracted large audiencefe to the State Theatre at its initial; showings yesterday. It is a, rather.; unique type of picture, and for that, reason; alone it should command a good, dehihof attention, but the producers have done an ■ exceptionally fine job with the assistance of a cast which probably contains the names of more “stars" than any previous British picture. It. would be difficult to : say who has the leading role, since- the -action of the film is distributed among :a large number of characters, but'pride of place must be given to the cver-charming Jessie Matthews and Edmund Gwenn, who will be remembered for their very successful work together- in “ The Good Companions " Miss Matthews plays her , prt as usual with a graceful and captivating confidence, while Gwenn is really excellent as the city man who spends an extremely anxious day over a stock market speculation. Another who is responsible for-a really good performance is Gordon Harker, who acta the bore to perfection, thus providing a striking contrast with the underworld_ro!es in which he was formerly seen. The picture is an unusual one, for the reason that it really commences at the nnisii. The audience sees first of all a bus accident, and then the clock is switched bacK for a day and the lives of those who are concerned in ” the accident are followed in the most minute manner. A romance between .a school teacher and a chorus girl' takes its'place alongside the operations of a shady second-hand dealer whom the. police are anxious to catch, and tne affairs of a blackmailer, are associated by a strangely-minded fate with the elation oT a shipping clerk, who .plana a pleasure cruise for Ins wife and bunselt, unaware of the fact that the former has left him,for another man. Ihe only possible explanation of all the unusual but thoroughly credible;, things that h a PP<m is that it is Friday, thirteenth,_and one is inclined very; much to- agree wutu the bus conductor, who had a stranod feeling at the begininng of the all was not .going do Well. - About the same time that tb .® n ?£ eton variety girl, was rising m tne morning to greet school-teacher lover Mr Wakefield, the. city business man V! renroving • his wife for her . forgetful habits, and it must have been t , l a l^d then - also that Joe, , the Second-Hand dealer, was preparing to make J l ’ 3 nMcin his ancient motor car to/the Ca donian Market, where he.nas to meet agents of the police who were already at work on a -plan to sheet-home to him a theft that had- taken place some weeks previously., But while ; Balph. the dogwas preparing to ?ook for a;walk in the park, and-, ..here en countcr 'anyadventure such as he .had never dreamed'.of,.Frank and Mary,.bank clerk and^tyiiistßespectively, were traveb line to their work-in the tube, totally unaware tharin;the: seat behind them was a man who was try nearly to wreck their happiness.: The day s events mo\ c oh, and Mr Wakefield, receives a . tip about a rise that Ts ;to. take place.certain stock. He is unable to take;immediate advantage o'f it. smco it demands a good .deal of .secrecy a at the time he is being;,visited : by an acquaintance who doea tiot know secrecy means. So he gives kl8 I .] v “® j letter - to • deliver to his stockbroker and Hopes forthe; best. Meanwhile Millie is jubilant over a promised engagement in a Parisian theatre, Joe has fallen into the police trap, Ralph has started on his great adventure, the strahger who £-• -threatens the happiness of Frank and Mary is already: at work on his scheme, ami -ihe bus driver and-Conductor have made .{ all their arrangements for an afternoon at llie races, despite .the. reputation pi j: Friday, the thirteeqthSvThq^a^qnJnoycs. swiftly from that time on,-and the audi- ; cnee Is switched . rapidlyy'frcaa' a;lover s ; nuaiTCl to a business man si-cphaternation, # f rom the ChledouiahMarket;to a shipping office, and from an-amusing scene m .the * nark to stark.drama 1 where the^-biaCK-C? mailer piy» his ugljr trade;, t .roes on • until the,':rprißCipaF. Characters f or persons I tlie bus that itsTateful journey. 8 Aithough in• the -accident, two | persons are i the best thing th at :'epfiTd:%aye .Happened, - and one is forced ttfiat I Friday the f; lucky day after Ml.'-.Vshi'si iff really . a, •i striking picture, :? mediate - appeal f entertainment eenorisly. Among,- those v in the strong castrate Robertson Hare, K Sormie Hale. Murieli^ked^Ursula-Jeans,. -g and Frank Lawton,. The supporting pr«:k gramme is also art 'HxceptionalJy; fnie one, ; and includes, besides the;..news,, gazettes. !? the third descrip--Hon-of the -life Wales.I;; In tins instalment, the'-Pruife is shown ft on his many toursivincluding.ajiS'A'isit to k. New Zealand, and jadded lnterest-.13--given, ];■ to the film by the - fact;. that a < commentary is provided to his. Ilojal i, Highness himself. ? -The box pi® a ® \i r. t the theatre and Meiers diaries P e or* and Co.’s. •, ■ .. ; ■; . REGENT THEATRE | “The House on 56th Street,” which ! is the feature of the new programme at ! the Regent Theatre this week, ig. intelli- (;■ cent melodrama, arrestmgly presented and ft colourfully mounted. Passionate admirers 1; 0 f Kay Francis are likely to become i. more passionate still when they have gazed at her first in the seemingly grotesque but actually graceful modes # o the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras and then in the becoming and_rci velatory fashions of our own day. the ■: House on 56th Street is literally ner V film. No one arises to challenge her right ’ to the principal laurels, and it must be admitted that she earns them. She gives a ' sterling performance in an attractive roie, and by”word and movement gives.a graphi- ■ cally lifelike' portrait of that inevitable creature, the -woman who is the victim ot circumstances. There is something extraordinarily fascinating about the handling, shuffling and dealing of cards on the screen* • and when-Kay Francis, takes a 'deck in - >5 her white, .slender hands, one is even more intrigued than usual especially when one she', has just too many Etrings to her, bow for the very facile ? and ’smugly 1 : confident,young man who sits 'J opposite her-.with visions of transferr.ng 4 her - “bank-roll” to his own deflated | wallet. Of course, there is nothing new 4 about the professional gambler who lives > on credulous rich, and the greater the fiction about these gullible “ money-bags the better most audiences seem to like * it. bub' what is original and genuinely V. attractive' about “The House on 66th Street” is the adroit way iu which the producer’ contrives to blend the age-old gambling lure with a drama of maternal affectiofi; Perhaps even the most accomplished producer would • fail in this were - it not for the-.unerring talent of-such ft a player aS.Kay Francis. It is a difficult 1 task; for any actress, to fessay to commence i in one age arid finish in another, particul larly when the two ages are .so widely i separated as are the eras depicted in this ■3 f,] m But Kay Francis does it, and docs I j t well. She us fortunate in the supporti- ing cast which has been selectee to assist i ] !er Gene Raymond is an attractive sort ?.■ of performer., with an engaging style and 1 a real flair for.youthful romance. He rc- " produces it here, and then fades away to leave the stage to Ricardo Cortez. Others who find prominent parts in the tale are Margaret Lindsay, William Boyd, and Frank M'Hugh. "The House on 56th Street” is a welcome change from the .Visual run of recent productions, and for that I .;reason is well worth a visit- One - of its chief charms is undoubtedly its admirable ' presentation and the wide variety of modes and fashions which it afl; fects, creations which cannot fail to catch ; ; and hold feminine attention. .The supporting 'programme is a'good one, nicludi. jug Jack. Denny and his band, a musical extravaganza, “Around the-Clock,” a Cine--1? sound News, a musical review, and another 0 { the absorbing “ Strange As It Seems ” f genes. The box plans for the season will be found at the theatre and at the D.x.C. i GRAND THEATRE ■ . I*? Rosemary Ames, a charming new addin' tiou to the list of screen celebrities, takes V the leading part in “ I Believed in You,” C an intriguing and absorbingly interest"A mg story of a young girl’s transition from the stage of complete unsophistication to ’ f - that (of worldliness and disillusionment, u; which is at present being'shown at the ft Grand Theatre. Miss Ames is seen as W True Merrill, a romantic young girl, whose \meeting with Jim Growla hot-headed Labour agitator, brings the first stage of

her transition. In her innocence she is fired by his stories of what he proposes to, dp for the down-trodden working men, and gradually pity for him is replaced by something amore akin to affection, and she agreed t° join him in his campaign against the forces of capitalism. They set out for his headquarters in Greenwich, and here the girl is thrown into the company of a motley assembly of Bohemians, who, in defiance of all convention, are living together under species of communal rule. Despite the fact that it is all strange to her, the girl adapts herself to her new surroundings, gradually fear and doubt of the unaccustomed conditions being overcome.* .A tone of reckless good fellowship pervades her associations with her new acquaintances, but events take a more dramatic turn when the household receives notice of eviction for non-payment of rent, and when the Bohemians hold a street auction of their effects, romance enters , into the girl’s life for the first time. Michael Harrison, a wealthy young man-about-town, who happens to be passing, is subjected to the abuse which characterises the hatred for those in more substantial circumstances, and When True Merrill eventually strikes him in the face the whole party of Bohemians is arrested. Harrison follows the party to the police station to; intercede on her behalf, and the girl is released on probation. A touch of stinging'satire is introduced .into the story when Harrison offers to provide the other Bohemians with money for six months in order to give them a - chance, indicating that for all their alleged sympathy with the masses, Growl and his friends are primarily concerned with their own welfare and comfort.' The story sweeps on to an .intriguing and unusual climax, which provides an attractive conclusion to a most entertaining production. A good programme of supporting short subjects is also shown. The box plans are at the theatre and Messrs Charles Begg and Co.’s. ~ OCTAGON THEATRE Anyone who is advised to go and see (and hear) “ Sorrell .and Sou” at, the Octagon Theatre should regard the counsel as goqd, and go. When a highlyimaginative story like “ Sorrell and Son is transferred to the screen one goes to it, as a rule, with a certain amount of trepidation. In the present instance all fears may be set aside. It is idle to say that one has seen the silent version of the film , and has no need to go again. This is an entirely new “ Sorrel! and Son” which the sound studios have turned out, and only now with graphically pathetic and effectively colourful dialogue has the best been made of Warwick Deeping’s inimitable story. No doubt unctuousness and treacly sentimentality, have frightened many people away from film pathos and sentiment, but “ Sorrell and Son ”‘ inay be relied upon to win all suen back. It is an artistic achievement in every sense of the word, dramatically complete and fundamentally sound in every detail. .. It has, been- produced on an attractively imaginative note. It does not move to too subdued a tune, but bursts .every now and then into an appropriately exuberant spirit which ,is . never;t out of place. The cast is an; excellent one hut notwithstanding the - highly satisfactory' .performances of such young players as Winifred Shelter and, Hugh Williams the palm must, be given to H. B. Warner for an intense and vividly dramatic reproduction of the character of Sorrell. He is a player of sufficient experience and talent to avoid the melodramatic pitfalls in which the part abounds, and,from first to last, he is vigorously lifelike and entirely natural. He acts all the. way through but never over-acts, yet the part is one which seems to offer the most ; alluring temptations to let restraint go. Warner has an expi-essive style which gained him wide popularity in the silent version of. this film, but with the added attraction of a good speaking voice and conversational style which makes the fullest possible use of .the dialogue which comes his way, the characterisation ,is greatly enhanced. Much ot the , success of the film is due to hitn. ; Hugh Williams,- however, as Kit Sorrell, the son,iu the partnership' which gives the film its name, is.rvcry convincing and : very , natural. He is a young player -with a, ..vivid'.personality and a style all his .'own, and he uses /it to ./excellent -1 / advantage- in this role. Winifred Shotter is. -always charming ,and, as Molly. ■ finds-, ample ’ opportunity, for the; display of;, hCr charms. Photo,graphically deal to recommend' it't6-.the discriminating filmgoer.i' Its glimpses ofThe : English countryside are delightfully interpolated and its backgrounds. are in eyeryi, instance so 1 obviously right that one, feels that this drama of.an English faniily;is being.played out ;in the. right- atmosphere and in just the ■right’.surroundings. “ Sorrell and Son ” is. one of the comparatively few films that come along- which should not be . missed by any class of /theatregoer. There ’ iri it that Tifts it out of the ■ruck of ordinaryl.filnis.more than tlie delightful 'sentiment 'which envelopes it. But that sentiment is healthy and wholesome from start'to'finish and is the sentiment 1 of; everyday .riormaj life' and not tire .'eroticj creation ; of sonic /morbid niind ;which is more concerned about a striking, scenario, than the possible violation of every law of probability and-possibility. •'There is ;au excellent- supporting programme of short,subjects,-vviiiclr have been Selected with great care, and with special reference to the quality of the major attraction. They fit it admirably arid with the -principal feature make up a programme of well balanced entertainment which cannot fair to give general satisfaction, The box plans,nre at the theatre, at the D.1.C., and at M'Cracken and Walls’s. ■ ST. JAMES THEATRE Thrilling entertainment is provided in “ Spy,” which ' had its initial screening at the St. James Theatre yesterday.' Its theme, as the’ title suggests, is the operations of a woman spy, but, although those mysterious people are in themselves interesting enough, it is the extremely intricate _ story whic|i the picture unfolds, combined with the deftness of ’touch with which a charming romance has been incorporated with it, that gives the film its special appeal. It has, furthermore, a specially strong cast, and the producer has, achieved a. degree of realism that enables the audience to live through the scenes and to share with the players all the emotions that they experience while they pursue the most dangerous of wartime tasks. The events which the story relates arise from the military operations on the Russo-German frontier during 1915, and. although there are stirring scenes which depict the actual hostilities, they, form only; a background for the battle of wits that is carried on by the espionage services of Russia arid Austria. The central figure is Maria, who is first seen as a nurse caring for Captain- Franck, an officer who has -beeri wounded while engaged in an aeroplane attack following his investigation of an enemy ammunition dump., Franck falls m love with her, and upon his recovery they are married. On his return home Franck is posted to the Secret Intelligence Department, which at the time is bent upon breaking up a dangerous gang of spies working in the interests of Russia- in Vienna. The audience follows with increasing interest the battle between the rival intelligence departments, and events move even more rapidly when suspicion turns on Maria, who actually has been working with great success in the interests of Russia, She makes her escape, but her parting is difficult, for she has fallen m love with the man whom she married merely to serve the ends of her country* Her escape, however, is only the beginning of a series of events as < exciting as those which have preceded it, and tne audience follows with breathless, interest the unfolding of a story which .shows how love triumphs even over duty. Miss hay Wray was an ideal choice for the leading role, and there are several others whose performances are also outstanding. Uje supporting programme includes a hrstrate comedv. a film of the “ Strange as it Seems” series, an exceedingly funny cartoon, and news reels of special interest. The box plans are at the theatre, Jacobs s, M'Cracken and Walls’s, and the JJ.J.G.