AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22546, 13 April 1935, Page 19

AMUSEMENTS

ST. JAMES THEATRE Music and laughter combined in the most pleasing fashion are responsible principally for the undoubted success of "Student Tour," which commenced a season at the St. James Theatre before appreciative audiences yesterday. There is nothing serious about the picture at all. It is thoroughly good, light-hearted fun from start to finish, and as such cannot fail to be enjoyed by any section of picture-goer*. The whole thing hinges about the efforts of the Bartlett College rowing einht to qualify for a trip round the world and at the finish to row and beat a crack English crew. It is not so simple as that, however, because in addition to the brawn necessary to pull an oar at high speed for a given time the members of the crew must also have sufficient brains to qualify at philosophy before they may make the trip. The brawn is produced., but it soon becomes apparent that some difficulty will.be experienced in passing the philosophy examinations. When, as has been feared, the crew fails 100 per cent,, Professor Lippincott's niece, Ann, conceives the idea of persuading her uncle to accompany the crew on the voyage and dispense philosophy as the ship progresses. This plan is adopted, and the crew, accompanied by the professor (Charles Butterworth), the coach (Monte Blue), the trainer (Jimmy Durante), and a host of exceedingly attractive girls, sets off on its round-the-world trip. At Hong Kong there is a misadventure with two Chinese prisoners, while the professor acquires a young Chinese girl of whom he finds it difficult to rid himself. India is the next country visited, and queer happenings at the Taj Mahal cause the party to leave hurriedly for Monte Carlo, where there occurs the most. Bpectacular sequence of the film. The coxswain wins several thousands of francs at the roulette tables, and in order to celebrate his good for- . tune stages a party, where a number of men and women perform the "• Carlo," a dance of unusual attraction, to the music of a really fine orchestra. From Monte Carlo the ship sails to England, and all preparations are made for the race with Lethbridge, the ccack English crew. A difficulty arises when it is found - that the cox has-lost his voice, but his place is taken bj; the professor's niece, : and Bartlett wins narrowly after an exciting tussle. Although the honours of the picture undoubtedly go to Jimmy Durante and Charles Futterworth for their comedy work, there is a pleasant strain of romance throughout the film, which is one of the most attractive of its kind that has been seen for a long time. The supI porting programme is an unusually entertaining one. A Laurel and Hardy comedy shows the partners at their best, and there, is also an amusing cartoon and a fine travel talk' dealing with the islands of the South Seas. The box plans are at the theatre, Jacobs's, M'Cracken and' Walls's, and the D.I.C. . "THE BARRETTS OE WIMPOLE • STREET." . • "The Barretts of Wimpole Street," a powerful, absorbing drama, off the beaten track of picture entertainment, and having both the requirements of fine artistry and the characteristics of a great success, will be presented at the St.> James Theatre on Easter Saturday. Norma Shearer. as Elizabeth Barrett,. Chas'les Laughton as the monstrously tyrannical father, Fredric March as Robert Browning, and Maureen O'Sullivan, another of the Barrett sisters, are the principals in a magnificent cast. It is said that Norma Shearer could not be more impressive than in the difficult role of the poetic Elizabeth Barrett, who is brought back, in this' pictorial version, from the verge of death by the miracle of love. She plays with skill and understanding. March enacts the poetic and persuasive lover with fine discrimination and romantic bravado. Charles Laughton adds to his outstanding screen portraits one of the most hateful characters yet filmed, playing the psychopathic father, in his twisted relationship to his family, with devastating reality. .His scenes with Norma Shearer and Maureen O'Sullivan, in which he seeks to stave off their seeking for youthful affection, are said to be done with terrible intensity. Maureen O'Sullivan, it is claimed, shows hitherto unrevealed capacity as an actress of the • first rank. Marion Clayton is comically •good as the lisping Bella. Una O'Connor puts individual distinction into the important part of the maid. Katherine : Alexander has the role of Arabel Barrett, and Ralph Forbes is cast as the guardsman who loves Mnureen O'Sullivan. Commenting upon "The Barretts of Wimpole Street," the critics of. the Billboard wrote:' " Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer have accomplished the impossible. They have transferred a popular stage play to_the screen in an indefinable manner. They have given the picture a >. cast of names worth a million dollars at the box offices of America, and as .a result The Barretts of Wimpole Street' is a tremendous and outstanding triumph for everyone that played a part in ite making. ,' REGENT THEATRE Light-hearted fare of a type that is refreshingly novel on the screen is presented, in "Mr Cinders," British International Pictures' adaptation of the suc- ' eessful stage farce of the same name. " In its general aspects this production is simply" a musical farce translated direct •to the new medium of display, with the . addition, of course, of a wider field of action, and a consequent enlargement of the possibilities for the presentation of humour. Jn every way " Mr Cinders is highly acceptable entertainment, for not only are there an abundance of bright English humour-and a number of catchy songs, all extremely well presented, but there is a'so a uniformly high standard of histrionic endeavour on the part of the cast that helps to make the picture a successful counterpart of what £he original stage production must be. Every opportunity for the maintenance of the humorous aspect of the story has been thoroughly explored, and with the advantage of excellent direction the principal players carry out their parts in a manner which keeps the farcical side of the production well to the fore, without the dis- ' advantage of undue boisterousness or ' forcing for effect. Most of the humour, indeed, is delightfully subtle, and the ■: situations which lend much of the humour to the story are typically English in their conception and presentation. The principal roles are taken by Clifford Mollison, a comedian with rare personality and an attractive singing voice, and Zelma O JSeal, whose piquant charm and vivacity make her admirably suited to her role, while she also displays considerable talent in the field of comedy. An important part in the humour of the story,is played by the Western Brothers, two blase young • men with extremely "refeened" accents, and a penchant for bursting into the most amusing and nonsensical songs whenever the mood takes them. Esme Church and Edmond Breon, as the domineering .Lady Lancaster and her downtrodden spouse, Sir George Lancaster, give delightful character studies. The cast would be incomplete without the presence of an exceptionally rural policeman, P.C. Merks, played by W. H. Berry, whose division of his time between his official duties and the preparation for an open-air performance of "A Midsummer Night s Dream by the village dramatic society, of which he is a. somewhat recalcitrant member, adds another strong vein of humour to the story. Clifford Mollison is seen as Jim Lancaster, the unfortunate poor relation in a lordly English home, where he is something between a boots and a general messenger and personal attendant to the other members of the family. His uncle, .Sir George, is on his side, but'has little chance against the scarcely veiled hostility of the masterful Lady Lancaster, who, assisted by her two excessively -public school" sons, Lumley and Guy (played bv the Western brothers), does her best to make'the unhappy Jim realise that he should be grateful to the family for having given him a home at all. Aae arrival in the neighbourhood of an American millionaire by the name of Kemp, with a marriageable daughter, sets the house of Lancatser agog with speculation, and the chagrin of the members can be imagined when Jim rescues the millionaire from the river" after he has fallen out of his boat. Finding that he is unaware who had actually saved him. the two brothers, Lumley and Guy, modestly take unto themselves the honour of having performed the noble deed, and soon appear to be in the running for the hand of the daughter, who they have not yet met. In the meantime, by an amusing set of circumstances, Jill Kemp (Zelnia O'Neal), flying from the wrath of the • Paw, as perJonffied.by P. C Merks. whom ihe has knocked into a ditch with her snorts car, seeks sanctuary in the Lancaster stronghold as the new maid, and

there meets Jim, who is busy polishing the boots and doing odd chores. She is intrigued with what she sees, and determines to continue the impersonation, a climax coming when the family is summoned to her father's house for a reception in honour of her birthday. Jim, in the role of a male Cinderella, is left behind, but Jill gives him a blank invitation card, which she signs with the name of an absent earl, and clad in a large and clanking suit of armour he duly arrives at the scene of festivities and is an immediate success. The village dramatic society, which has been urged to produce "A Midsummer Night's Dream," in an al fresco setting for the occasion, is scarcely under way in what promises to be one of the most unusual Shakespearean productions ever seen, when a daring robbery is carried out in the house and all of Jill s presents are stolen. This is Jim's chance, and his apprehension of the thief, which is followed by some embarrassing disclosures in the Lancastrian family circle, provide an hilarious conclusion to a delightful production. The supporting programme is of a varied and interesting character. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. EMPIRE THEATRE Will Hollywood ever learn that a foolish title may easily prove fatal to a good film? Apparently the Universal studios have yet to realise it, having fallen into the national error of handicapping a genuinely arresting and intelligent film with a name like "The Man Who Reclaimed His Head." This film holds pride of place on the new programme at the Empire Theatre this week, and it is to be hoped that no one will be dissuaded from enjoying its unique qualities by the absurdity of its titling. There is a lot in a name, when it comes to films, and one would have thought that American producers would by now have found by bitter experience that in their business a rose by any other name does not smell as sweet. " The Man Who Reclaimed Hi s Head " is too good a production to be spoilt- so unnecessarily. Actually it is one of those rarities, a film that may well be expected to accomplish a useful'purpose. Its content is topical enough in all conscience, since it treats of a subject which occupies more space in the press of the world at the present time than any other. Disarmament and the development among nations of a will to peace is its theme and its methods are gripping and compelling. In presenting as one of the hitherto immovable obstacles to world peace, a freemasonry of munitions and armament manufacturers so lost to the ordinary principles of patriotism and humanity that they are prepared to sacrifice the lives o f even their own countrymen for bigger profits and higher dividends, the film may be accused of doing a little too ri.uch violence to the laws qt probability, but its excuse is that . it adopts a policy of dramatic - exaggeration to compel public attention to one of the root causes of war. Perhaps the greatest virtue the picture has is that it deals with a grim and serious subject grimly and seriously, without tolerating any of Jhe lrl-zome digressions and side-issues which so irequently mar otherwise notable films. The producer has contrived to make romance and melodrama consort more than happily with one of the major problems of our times, and in doing so he has succeeded in presenting something definitely unusual and outstanding. The characterisations are uniformly good throughout. Claude Rains. whose claims to fame are based on his performance in that startling picture, The Invisible Man," makes his second bow to a local audience in a role of great depth and intensity. He is, no immaculate studio Apollo, but an actor, and 6hows it in his work as the man whose keen and penetrating mind and enthusiasm for peace are used in the most unscrupulous fashion by a political and commercial mountebank. He gives colour and vigour to the part, and by discriminating cleverly between. sentiment and sentimentality preserves the right atmosphere which he himself more than anyone else, not excluding the producer, creates. Joan Bennett is a trifle out of her depth in the opening stages of the story, but finds an admirable use for that distinct flair she has for precise and effective dramatics in email doses. As ft the young idealist's wife she gives a very satisfying performance. Lionel A twill, as the infamous Dumont who steals the brains of another man and finally betrays him in every, way which his evil mind can conceive,'manages to present so real a Eortrait that his audience must detest im heartily. The casting in the dramatic scene in which the international vultures, the armaments combine, rub their hands in glee.at the approach of a world war is one of the cleverest thing* in the film. Everyone is suitably predatory villainous-looking, and the impression created is very realistic. "The Man Who Reclaimed His Head " is a film that should not be missed. The. supporting programme is an entertainment of great variety and interest, including a Universal newsreel of topical interest, a_ delightful travelogue subject entitled "Going Places," and a sort of vaudeville show which bears the intriguing name of " Well, By George." The box plans 'for the season will be found at the theatre and at the D.I.C. . , STRAND THEATRE The new programme at the Strand Theatre, which had its first" screenings yesterday, contains two bright and attractive feature productions which together make up a very acceptable evening's entertainment. One is " Big Hearted Herbert,'' and the second is "Letting in the Sunshine." Brilliant acting by Aline MacMahon and Guy Kibbee i raises " Big Hearted Herbert" to a high level of entertainment. It is a story of an arrogantly uncouth bathtub manufacturer, whose wife decides to give him a "dose of hie own medicine." Miss MacMahon's impression of a, genteel woman who overnight into a garrulous housewife is a splendid piece of acting. The opening of the story shows her as a gracious wife and mother, doing her best to make light of her husband's domineering nature. Although Miss MacMahon and Mr Kibbee dominate the film, good performances are contributed by Helen Lowell, as the woman who helps with the housework once a week, and is recruited to serve dinner; Patricia Ellis and Phillip Reed, as the young lovers; Robert Barrat, Henry O'Neill, Marjorie Gateson. and Trent Durkin. When a fascinating parlourmaid and a romantic window-cleaner put their heads together to outwit a gang of crooks something unusually entertaining is bound to happen, especially when their escapades, are synchronised with a novel musical score and appropriate sound effects. That is the plot of "Letting in the Sunshine," the latest British International Pictures' production. It is an uproarious " slap-stick " comedy, typically British, and yesterday's audiences were convulsed. Albert Burdon, who became instantly popular with his comical performance as the bandit in the film version of "The Maid of the Mountains," is even funnier as the romantic window-cleaner who succeeds in breaking more windows than he ever cleans. Renee Gadd and Molly Lamont have the leading female roles, and there is an excellent cast of supportnig players. The box plans will be found at the theatre and at the D.I.C. STATE THEATRE Warner Baxter, who has been seen in many enjoyable pictures in the past, is associated with Madge Evans in the leading roles of "Grand Canary," which opened its season at the State Theatre yesterday. On this occasion Baxter is cast as a doctor, and Madge Evans as the wife of a wealthy planter in the Canary Islands who falls in love with the medical man—they all seem to fall in love with Baxter, for before the story is finished a second lady appears who confesses to an undying affection for him. Such a situation is one that requires something out of the way in handling, hut Baxter does not seem* to be a bit perturbed, for he submits to the wooing of the first and calmly ignores the second —a model which other screen heroes might adopt, with satisfaction to most of those concerned, including the audience. The story really hag to do with the regeneration of a doctor who has been hounded by his medical associates on account of the fact that he attempted to save the lives' of some patients by using a serum nf his own which had never previously been tried on human beings—and failed, the deaths of all three patients resulting. He is sent almost against his will on a vovage to the Canary Islands in the hope" that during the voyage he may regain his sanity of outlook, which has been shattered by the bitter experience through which he has passed in the days when press and public alike were calling him a quack and a murderer. On the voyage he at first refuses all attempts at advances by the other passengers, but

he at last succumbs to the charms of Lady Fielding (Madge Evans \, who is on the way out to rejoin her husband in the islands. That fact does not prevent her from indulging in very personal talks with the doctor, in the course of which one learns that she is far from looking forward to her meeting with her husband. The inevitable happens, and the course of events is quickened by the fact that when they reach the Canaries they hna that yellow fever is raving. The doctor responds to the call of duty; Lady luela : ing falls a victim to the scourge; he, ot course, saves her life, despite the fact that she is carried off during her illness by her husband, who seems to resent the doctor's attentions. But the doctor does not stop there, for he also arrests the plague, principally by the use of his serum, and partly with the assistance of a nurse who falls in love with him. In the closing scenes of the picture he is shown returning to London, a famous man and with the knowledge that Lady Fielding is to join him as soon as she can return to England. The supporting roles are well filled, and Roger Imhoff gives a fine portrayal as an expugilist and whole-hearted Irishman. The supporting programme is more than usually good, a special feature being an excellent travel picture. The box plans are at the theatre and at Messrs Charles Begg and Co.'s. GRAND THEATRE . So popular has Grace Moore's beautiful singing proved to be in the enchanting musical picture, " One Night of Love," that full houses are still the rule at the Grand Theatre. This indisputably gives the film the record for "talkies," and approaches dangerously close to the record for silents, held jointly by " The Covered Wagon" and The Ten Commandments." Grace Moore's glorious voice is heard on the talking screen in its true beauty, due to the Widerange system of sound, which brings out each note with rare clarity. Another reason for the excellent quality of her singing is the " hill and dale " system of recording, a new method which earned a joint award by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arte and Sciences as being one of the two finest technical achievements of the year. In " One Night of Love " the songs are logically introduced into the slight but fascinating story, which tells of the struggle for fame of a young singer who is forced to place everything but her studies from ner mind. An excellent characterisation of a temperamental impresario is given by Tullio Carminati, while Mona Barrie and Lyle Talbot also act with distinction. " One Night of Love " represents all that is best on the screen. It has a delightful, and at times an amusing story, the plot is well handled by the producer, the casting could not have been better, and the music is marvellous. Grace Moore sings as never any star of an American film has sung before. Her voice is golden and her singing effortless, and gloriously full-voiced. What she sings is also excellent, being the cream of grand opera, and including such old favourites as "One Fine Day," from "Madame Butterfly," "Habanera," from " Carmen," and " Funicula, Funicula," as well as the theme song, "One Night of Love." The supporting programme is one worthy of association with the principal picture. The box plans are at the theatre and Begg's. MAYFAIR THEATRE The wealth of detail'that a historical motion picture production demands to ensure its authenticity is revealed in " Operator 13," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's co-starring vehicle for Marion Davies and Gary Cooper, which opens to-day at the Mayfair Theatre. The production is based upon the thrilling spy story. " Operator 13," the last best seller novel written bv the master story-teller, Robert W. Chambers, before his death last year. It centres around the earlier years of the Civil War, when the South seemed certain of winning the conflict and at a time, with the Confederate forces dangerously threatening Washington, D.C., when the labours of spies, both Union and Confederate, provided many of the dramatic incidents of all military history. Bing Crosby sings more songs in his latest Paramount # picture, " We're Not Dressing," which is the second film on the double-featured programme, than in any picture' in which he has previously appeared. Featured with him in the tilin are Carole Lombard, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Ethel Merman and Leon Errol, an Australian who is enjoying fame in Hollywood. Catallina Island, rfatural beauty setting, was used as background for the filming of many thrilling and amusing sequences with which the film abounds. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. OCTAGON THEATRE "The Green Pack," which commenced a season at the Octagon Theatre la6t night, is the main -feature of a notable programme. It is the screen version of the last story written by the late Edgar Wallace, who was perhaps the most widely-read mystery story writer the world has ever seen. John Stuart, the star, is presented in a role different from that in which he usually appears, and he makes the most of his opportunities, contributing a convincing characterisation. Ailene Marson appears opposite him, and her interpretation of a very difficult part is excellent. The supporting players have been well chosen, and commendable performances are given by Hugh Millar, Garry Marsh, Michae] Shepley, and I. M. Roberts. The story tells of three friends who have the misfortune to fall into the hands of a ruthless financier. He robs them of a gold mine, and they decide that he shall be murdered. As a method ol choosing the one to commit the crime they agree to draw cards in turn from a pack, the ace of spades to be the fateful card. For the sake of secrecy they decide that they will not disclose who draws the ace. ' The audience is kept in keen suspense throughout this gripping drama, for it is not until the closing scenes that the thrilling and entirely unexpected denouement is reached. The supporting picture, "Without You," is a film of a completely different, type, for while " The Green Pack " is not without delightful flashes of humour, this production abounds in mirth-provoking situations. A notable cast is headed by Wendy Barrie, Henry Kendall, and Margot Grahame. The box plans are at the theatre.