AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22505, 25 February 1935, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS

' ST. JAMES THEATRE Miss Jean Muir, a comparative uewcomer to the screen.who has already won a large circle of admirers by her charmingly youthful personality and her clever acting, makes a welcome appearance in " Desirable," which is the current attraction at the St. James Theatre. She is seen as the growing daughter of a stage actress (Veree Teasdale), who secludes her under another name in a private boarding school in the country in order to be relieved of the embarrassment of having before her a constant reminder of her age. Unforeseen cricumstances bring the girl to town unexpectedly, and, when one of her mother's admirers (George Brent) arrives at the house he finds a charmingly innocent young girl of whose existence ho has been unaware. He transfers his allegiance from the mother to the daughter. Although intensely jealous, the mother dares not make an open rupture, but she seizes with eagerness on the attraction which a personable and wealthy young man, played by Charles Starrctt, exercises on her daughter, and she hurries the girl into an engagement. The girl is bewildered and feeling the need of the more mature _ friendship, _ she calls on Brent to advise her. This precipitates a "crisis and misunderstandings give place to realisations. Veree Teasdale gives a first-rate performance as the selfish and jealous mother, and George Brent and Charles Starrett give pleasingly contrasted portrayals as the two admirers of the unsophisticated schoolgirl. There is a good supporting programme. The box plans for the season will be found at the theatre, M'Cracken and Walls's, and Jacobs's. "RIPTIDE." Startling changes in the trend of fashion are to be disclosed in the new styles secretly designed by Adrian, noted screen stylist, for Norma Shearer's elaborate wardrobe in " Riptide," her new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring vehicle, which will open at the St. James Theatre next Friday. Creations radically departing from conventional lines and including many daring innovations are sa.id to have been designed for Miss Shearer, who is considered one of the beat-dressed women in motion pictures. In "Riptide" Miss Shearer plays the part of a modern young American girl who marries a titled Enlishman, only to find the attentions of a former sweetheart more entertaining than the smug environment she finds among dignified aristocracy. Robert Montgomery and Herbert Marshall share the leading man honours, and the cast includes Mrs Patrick Campbell, noted British actress, Skeets Gallagher, Ralph Forbes and Lilyan Tashman. REGENT THEATRE Gay and simple in theme, but powerful in portrayal, " The Song You Gave Me," which heads the current programme at the Regent Theatre, is notable for the impressive entry into British pictures of Bobe Daniels. As Mitzi Hansen, a tempestous cabaret singer, Miss Daniels is the toast of Vienna. Doing more than their share of the toasting are Claude Hulbert as Tony, Lester Matthews as Max, and Frederick Lloyd as the bibulous Baron Bobo. Mitzi is not much incommoded by the attentions of this amorous trio owing to their sober spells being few and far between. At a party given to celebrate her return from a trip abroad, one of Mitzi's songs is noisily and abruptly interrupted by the clattering departure of a former guardsman, played by Victor Varconi. Infuriated and offended by such behaviour. Mitzi sends out her "three musketeers" to find the man who has so wounded her vanity. Strangely enough, she finds him herself, selecting him from over a score of applicants for the position of private secretary. Mitzi falls in love with this man, but, owing to his financial position and inferior rank, he hides his real feelings under a cold and austere mien. After many unsuccessful attempts to thaw him, the singer plans, in desperation, to marry one oilier faithful suitors. The ensuing story is brimful of scintillating and highly dramatic situations and witty dialogue. The songs in the film are a great attraction in themselves, "Good-bye" and "The Song You Gave Me" being sung by Bebe Daniels; " Don't Ask Me Why," by Walter Widdop; and a delightful comedy number "Going, Going, Gone," by Iris Ashley, a vivacious and attractive newcomer to the screen. Bebo Daniels's numbers are tune-, ful and light, and her voice is quite pleasing. Claude Hulbert, a natural comedian, and Frederick Lloyd provide most of the comedy relief. During one of his rare moments of sobriety, Hulbert performs a most hilarious impromptu dance under the direction of Victor Varconi. There is an excelelnt supporting programme. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. . GRAND THEATRE A pleasantly entertaining double-fea-ture programme is at present being shown at the Grand Theatre. The first film'id " The Dude Ranger " starring that popular Western actor, George O'Brien, and a charming heroine, Irene Hervey. It is the story from the novel by Zane Grey of a young easterner who goes west to claim a ranch left him by his uncle. On arrival he finds that half the stock has mysteriously disappeared and that the foreman is acting in a highly suspicious manner. He is loath to take action at once because of the charms of the foreman's daughter, and his efforts to straighten out the tangle while remaining on thcranch as an ordinary hand result in bringing matters to an unexpected climax. The film is good, light entertainment and contains some comedy touches. The second film on the programme, " She was a Lady,", is of much more serious type. It has a highly dramatic theme, and the full possibilities are realised by a capable cast of actors headed by Helen Twelvetrees and Donald Woods. Miss Twelvetrees gives another of her highly-finished performances" and Donald Woods will surprise those who remember him in his first important role in a film which was screened here less than a year ago. He has very considerably improved and has developed into a capable lead. The story concerns the fight of a remittance man's daughter to win the position which she feels her father's care entitles her to. She finds in England and America that the laws of the social code are rigid, and a tense drama is unfolded before she wins the right to love and happiness, The box plans are at the theatre and Begg'a. EMPIRE THEATRE George Arliss, whose recent screen triumphs include " The House of Rothschild," is seen in another production which gives his particular talents every scope, namely, "The Last'Gentleman," which is now being 6hown at the Empire Theatre. " The Last Gentleman" is pure comedy from start to finish and it furnishes Arliss with plenty of scope for his inimitable gift of repartee. He takes the role of Cabet Barr, a very rich old man of Massachusetts, whose family annoys, irritates and disappoints him. He is imbused with immense pride of family, and his greatest disappointment lies in his only son and a lesser in the fact that his daughter's child is a girl. On an impulse he sends for the various members of his family and his greeting to them is a mixture of insults and caustic humour, to which they react with varying degrees of caution, having in view the old man's will. His son reveals himself as a scoundrel and the old man's hopes for carrying on the line then centre on the despised young girl and au adopted' nephew. The young people, however, meet the old man's commands with a lively spirit of opposition and it.is in the battle of wills witli these two products of the younger generation that Arliss is seen at his best. Affronted and amazed at this flouting of his dignity, and at. heart secretly admiring the young people's independence, Arliss invests in his acting an exceedingly clever two-facedness of expression, a gift which before this had earned him the plaudits of thousands of screen lovers. Supporting Arliss is Edna May Oliver, who provides an admirable foil for her cantankerous brother. Janet Beecher, Ralph Morgan, and Charlotte Henry. There is an interesting supporting programme. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C.

OCTAGON THEATRE Florence Desmond, who will be remembered for the clever impersonations given by her in that fine picture, " Sally In Our Alley," is the star of " Gay Love, which is now showing at the Octagon Theatre. On this occasion she is seen as Gracie Fellows, the star of a popular revue company, who is awaiting the arrival in England of her sister, who has been travelling on the Continent. The first news that the latter has to tell is of her engagement to a wealthy peer, whose name, however, she for the time refuses to disclose. Complications are introduced when Gracie herself meets the peer, and, unaware of his identity, falls in love with him. When she realises the mistake that she has made she decides to sacrifice her own feelings and assist her sister to escape from the financial difficulties in which she has become involved owing to her &t-\ tempts to live a life far beyond that justified by her position. Such a truly noble resolve could not, of course, go without its proper reward. The sister decides that after all she would rather not marry her peer, who then falls to the lot of Gracie. The picture is notable for the splendid impersonations which arc given bv Miss Desmond of such well-, known film stars as Greta Garbo Zasu IMtts, and the redoubtable Mae West. Another member of the cast who gives a fine performance is Sophie Tucker, the well-known music hall artist, who here makes her debut in films and sings a number of attractive numbers. Garry Cooper, Finlay Currie, and Enid StnrftpTaylor are others who are prominently cast. The supporting programme of short subjects is a well-varied and interesting one. The box plana are at" the theatre, M'Cracken and Walls's, and Charles Begg and Co.'s. STATE THEATRE Chiefly on account of its delightful operatic excerpts, "One Night of Love is drawing exceptionally large audiences to the State Theatre, where the picture is now in its third week. It is, undoubtedly, one of the finest musical films shown in Dunedin. ' This is a striking testimony to the remarkable success achieved by Misa Moore, Metropolitan Opera House artist, who previously has appeared in only two films. For the first time on the screen her glorious voice ia heard in its true beauty, due to the wide range system of sound, which brings out each note with rare clarity. feo natural is her rendering of excerpts from opera that the audience is held spellbound, only to burst into spontaneous applause at the conclusion of each item. The songs are logically introduced into the story, which tells of the struggle tor fame of a young singer who is forced to place everything but her studies from her mind, and, although slight, the plot is an interesting one, and is full of whimsical humour. Tullio Carminati, who at one time played as lead opposite the great Eleanora Duse, gives a first-rate performance as the temperamental maestro who relentlessly drives his young pupil through a long and arduous course of training until his efforts are rewarded by her success. Then it is that he realises, that his work has been a labour of love, but the stimulus that wajkes him is the success of a rival lover,* a young American, played sympathetically by Lyle Talbot. Well-known airs from "Carmen" and "Madame Butterfly" are the chief features of the operatic sequences. It is worthy of mention that in this film the voice reproduction has been carried out by a new method—the use of wax discs — and very satisfactory results have been obtained. The supporting programme is, of a high-class nature. The box plans are at the theatre and Begg'a. STRAND THEATRE Two pictures full of variety and Interest form an outstanding programme at the Strand Theatre this week. The first is " Death on the Diamond," and features Robert Young and Madge Evans. Comedy, a detective mystery, and gripping drama mingle with the excitement of the baseball field in this story, based on the original novel, "70,000 Witnesses," by Cortland Fitzsimmons. Gamblers have % bet heavily against one of tho teams, and when mysterious murders occur in the team suspicion falls on more than SO people. It is not until the final fadeout that the gripping detective mystery is solved. r The action is 1 blended with hilarious comedy, which enlivens the mystery episodes. The fine work of Franchot Tone, Karen Morley, and May Robson makes "Straight is the Way," the second film, one of the most gripping family dramas to come from Hollywood. It is the story of an ex-convict who tries to break away from former associates after his release from imprisonment, and Franchot Tone ably plays the role of the ex-convict, Benny Horowitz. It pictures his struggles to shake off big earlier associates of ill-repute—even the beautiful girl who had loved him before he went to prison. It is while trying to rid himself of her that Benny becomes involved in the most dramatic episode of his life. The solution to his problem, in which he gains his freedom, provides a fitting and gripping olimax. The box plans for the season will be found at the theatre and at the D.LC. MAYFAIR THEATRE "Many Happy Returns," Paramount's new comedy, featuring Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, George Burns, and Gracie Allen, ig the current feature attraction at the Mayfair Theatre. In the supporting cast are George Barbier, Joan Marsh, and Franklin Pangborn. The picture, directed by Norman M'Leod, with, music by Sam Coslow and Arthur Johnston, tells the story of a love-crazy girl, played by Miss Allen, who wrecks; her father's department store to establish a bird sanctuary and destroys valuable radio contracts. Desperate, the father has her "psycho-analysed," but she drives the psycho-analyst crazy. As a last resort to keep her out of mischief the father pays a radio announcer 30,000 dollars to marry her and take her away from the city. The ensuing complications make this a most amusing comedy. On the same programme is being shown Melody in Spring," featuring Charlie Ruggles and Mary Boland. The story involves'Ruggles,' a wealthy dog-biscuit manufacturer, who sponsors the nation's biggest radio hour; Miss Boland, his wife; Miss Sothern, his daughter; and Lanny Ross, a hopeful tenor, anxious to get on the radio programme. Both men have hobbies, which get them into hilarious difficulties, Ruggles being a collector of antiques and souvenirs, while Ross climbs mountains. The director, Norman M'Leod, keeps the action moving at a swift pace throughout. " Ending with a Kiss," "Melody in Spring," and "The Open Road," the feature songs, were written by Lewis Gensler and Keene Thompson.