AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22712, 26 October 1935, Page 23

AMUSEMENTS

STATE THEATRE Bright, fast moving entertainment, which has the advantage of a well-knit and convincing plot, is provided in “ Roberta,” which is now entering upon the second w'eek of its season at die State Theatre. With Irene Dunne to present the pricipal vocal items, and Fred' Astaire and Ginger Rogers to provide comedy and dance numbers, the film has a cast that gives it distinction among entertainments of this type. The dancing of Astaire and his fair partner constitutes one of the prime features of the production, but these artists are also comedians of note. Astaire proves himself a remarkably versatile performer, for while dancing is his forte, he has a quietly' humorous manner, and is also able to take his share of the vocal numbers and to give novel performances on the piano. Miss Rogers is also a vocalist and, in a role which gives her abundant opportunities, she contributes largely to the humour which gives spice to the story. In contrast is the work of Miss Dunne, whose dignified interpretation' of the principal role is backed by a natural charm of manner and a delightful soprano voice. To her is entrusted the presentation of the most successful of the song numbers, “ Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.” Jerome Kern, the composer of many favourites, wrote the music for “ Roberta,” and the producers of the picture have done their utmost to ensure that it shall be worthily represented. The spectacular side of the entertainment his by no means been overlooked, and there are many scenes which exercise an especial appeal by reason of the magnificent display of trackings presented. There are special parades of manikins who w’ear an extremely varied assortment of gowns designed for all occasions, and these parades are substantially part of the story, which is laid in a Parisian fashion salon owmed by Roberta, who leads in .ier profession. There is an attractively varied supporting programme covering a wide range of topics. The box plans are at the theatre and Begg’s. OCTAGON THEATRE On a welcome return visit to Dunedin is the excellent historical film “The House of Rothschild,” which is being screened at the Octagon Theatre. The famous rise | to power of the great Jewish family of I moneylenders is graphically portrayed : by a large cast headed by the inimitable ! George Arliss as Nathan, the most powerj ful of the five brothers. The story opens with the life of the family in the ghetto at Frankfort, where the head of the family gives his unforgettable advice to the five ' brothers. He urges them to establish banks in the five important centres of troubled Europe, to use their combined power ever in the interests of peace and to bring the Jewish race to be recognised as the equal of all other peoples. The story moves on through the stirring events of the Napoleonic Wars, when the I house of Rothschild, the most powerful banking firm in Europe, is called upon repeatedly to save the allies from bankruptcy. The film deals with the struggle of Nathan to overcome the prejudice against Jews, and tells how the great financier secures freedom for his race. The last scenes show how the courage of Nathan saves the credit of England and allows the allies to gain ultimate victory over “the little Corsican.” The triumph of the family is completed when Nathan is created Baron Rothschild. In the production this scene is shown in brilliant I technicolour. Running through the film is a charming romance in which Loretta Young gives a very fine performance. Others in the large cast are Boris Karloff. Robert Young, C. Aubrey Smith, Alan Mowbray, George Renavent, Helen Westley, Gilbert Emery, Arthur Byron. Ivan Simpson, and Florence Arliss. An interesting travelogue, a fantasy of Ireland with some well-known songs by a pleasing tenor, and a cartoon are included in the supporting programme. The box plans aye at the theatre, M'Cracken and Walls’s, and Begg’s. STRAND THEATRE “ It Happened in New York,” one of the two main pictures showing at the Strand Theatre, provides good material for comedy and romance, arid it is splendidly presented by a cast headed by Gertrude ? Michael, Lyle Talbot, and Heather Angel. Gertrude Michael takes the part of an extremely temperamental movie star whose caprices drive her manager (Hugh O’Connell) to distraction. The plot provides a mix-up in which the movie star, a handsome taxi-driver (Lyle Talbot), his sweetheart (Heather Angel), and the manager become involved in many diverting situations, all brought about by the vagaries of the movie star. There are several others in the cast, and at last the complications are unravelled to the satisfaction of everyone. The dialogue is very smart, and is invested with many of the piquant colloquialisfns associated With the American language. It may be added that the play is splendidly staged. The other leading feature is entitled “Front Page Woman.” It is a newspaper story, and is certainly surrounded with all the rush and bustle associated with the production of a modern news sheet. Bette Davis takes the part of a reporter who is determined, before she agrees to marry a rival reporter (George Brent), to show him, as she says, that she is as good a reporter as he is. The action moves swiftly, with the girl failing lamentably in her initial efforts to “ scoop ” her male rival, but she at last succeeds, and then succumbs to the persuasions of Brent to marry him. The dialogue of the play is clever and amusing, and Miss Davis and Mr Brent are both responsible for splendid studies of their respective characters. Added interest is given to the story by the introduction of a murder mystery, and it is the work of the two rivals to discover the murderer that provides the climax. The lady reporter is not devoid of physical courage, and she certainly requires it to enable her to carry on her investigations in the manner she does. The box plans arc at the theatre and the D.I.C. GRAND THEATRE A rollicking romance of the South American cattle country, “ Under the Pampas Moon,” which is now being shown at the Grand Theatre, is one of those rare outdoor films that combine excitement with humour. The hero, far from being the traditional unbelievably daring and handsome person who is as much at home' in a dress suit as in the saddle, is quite' olten a .figure of fun. A gaucho who is uncrowned king of the pampas, he mingles, an air of bravado with a complete lack, of self-consciousness, which makes him, a delightful and very human figure. Warner Baxter plays the chief role with zest and ability, and. thanks to his efforts, the film never flags for a moment. The story concerns the change which an aeroplane party, which makes a forced landing, effects in the carefree life of the pampas. The “king of the pampas,” beloved by all the girls in the district, loses his heart to a beautiful blonde singer, played by the French actress, Ketti Gallian, while his horse is stolen from him at the behest of the girl’s manager. He traces his beloved animal to Buenos Aires, where he cuts a comical figure in the midst of the glittering night life of the great city. His naive self-assurance is mixed with a determination and attractiveness which overcomes all obstacles, however, and with the help of his comrades, he sets out to defeat the villainy that threatens to rob him of his horse, which proves as great a performer on the race track ns on the pampas. A series of highly exciting scenes brings the film to a climax. A brilliant specialty dance, “ Cobra Tango,” by Veloz and Yolanda, is a feature of the production. There is an entertaining supporting programme. The box plans are at the theatre and Begg’s EMPIRE THEATRE I Should a man be prepared to sacrifice I everything for his work, and, if such he I the case, where does his wife come into the scheme of things? This is an ageI old problem, and it has received varyj ing treatment in fiction and on the stage , and screen; but despite this fact there ' is a freshness about it which makes it i interesting whenever it is presented. (This problem forms the basis of the enter- ! taining film, “ Oil for the Lamps of China,” which received its initial screening at the Empire Theatre yesterday. A AY arncr Brothers’ production, directed i by Mervyn Le Roy, it is adapted from | the novel of the same name by Alice Tis- ■ dale Hobart, and is characterised by its fidelity to the spirit- of the book. Briefly, it is the story of a young man who joins up with the Atlantis Oil Company in

his youth and is sent to China, where : his life’s ambition is to make good, not only for his own sake or for the sake of the company, but also for the sake of China herself. He aims to bring, as much as is possible, of enlightenment and civilisation to the poverty-stricken, toiling millions there —to provide, literally and metaphorically, "oil for the lamps of China.” His faithfulness to the company which employs him, and his absolute trust in it, is the keystone in his life. It stands by him in the many crises which arise—when his chief commits suicide, when there is a disastrous outbreak of fire in the oil tanks, when famine, cholera, and drought are rampant among the Chinese, when he is compelled to dismiss his best friend from the company, when he very nearly loses his life in Communistic riots, and finally when the company itself seems to have forgotten him. The rather unexpected climax to this thrilling film rounds off the theme very neatly. Although there are no outstanding stars in “ Oil for the Lamps of China,” the cast has been carefully and sympathetically chosen. Pat O’Brien, as Stephen Chase, shows a fine dramatic sense, and carries through a varied and unusual role with great success. This actor lias been seen in numerous roles, all of a virile character, and in some of them there has been a certain boisterousuess, which has detracted somewhat from the characterisations. In this production, however, any' such tendency has been completely subdued, with the result that there is a restraint in his acting which is necessary to the part he has to handle. Josephine Hutchinson, as Hester, his wife, takes an extremely difficult rale with simple dignity and restrained emotion. The supporting cast is a particularly large one, and it is due in no small measure to the fact that each character handles his or her part to perfection that the film reaches a very high standard. Jean Muir, John Elclredge, Lyle Talbot. Arthur Byron, and Donald Crisp are all excellently cast, while Willie Fung as a Chinese servant, provides some delightfully; humorous touches. Interest is added by the fact- that the action takes place in various parts of China, from Manchuria to the very south, and the photography and the technical details are outstanding. The supporting programme ;s more than usually interesting, and includes a short item entitled “ Kings of the Turf,” which gives some entertaining glimpses in the life of a raeehorse before he reaches the track. Two topical newsreels are also shown. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. ST. JAMES THEATRE Based on the novel by S. S. Van Dine, “ The Casino Murder Case,” which commenced a season at the St. James Theatre yesterday,' is entertainment with an appeal for all. Not for some time has there been a really good mystery story on a Dunedin screen, and this production comes as a decided change from the type of film which ha* been prevalent during the past few months. Not only is the acting of the principals and those who fill the subsidiary roles of a high standard throughout, but the story itself is as good as any from the pen of this accomplished writer, and the solution of the mystery is so well guarded right up to the final’ scene that the air of suspense retains the undivided interest of the audience from beginning to end. Philo Vance, the detective created by Van Dine, is the central figure in the Casino murder, and the role is excellently played by Paul Lukas. Alison Skipworth plays the part of Mrs Llewellyn, the mad old woman, and Donald Cook, Rosalind Russell, and Louise Fazenda are all cast in prominent parts. The mystery is based on family jealousy. There are old Mrs Llewellyn, her son Lynn, and his wife Virginia, whom, no one likes; Doris, Mrs Llewellyn’s secretary and companion; Mrg Llewellyn’s brother, whose hobby is chemistry; and other connections of the family. Vance receives a note suggesting that he should go to the Casino, a cabaret and gambling house conducted by the old woman’s brother, in order that he may avert a tragedy to Lynn. He goes there, and, despite all precautions. Lynn is taken seriously ill immediately after drinking water ; from big uncle’s carafe. At the same time, hie wife, with whom the old lady has had a violent quarrel, dies at home,; apparently because of the same poison which lias affected Lynn. Vance finds that the water bottle in her room is empty. Then news is received that Mrs Llewellyn is dead. She has shot herself and left a note confessing to the murder of her son’s wife. Vance is not deceived by this confession, however, and he follows a difficult and dangerous trail which leads to Lynn’s uncle, but he is convinced that he has been misled. At this istage he guesses the identity of the murderer, but this kept well covered until all tile proof is found. The main picture is supported by several excellent short films including a comedy featuring Thelma Todd and Patsy Kelly, and one dealing with the game of Rugby football in America. The box plana are at the , theatre, the D.1.C., M'Cracken and Walls's, and Jacobs’s. REGENT THEATRE Noel Coward makes his appearance on the talking screen in a most unusual picture. Perhaps it is typical of the most remarkable figure.connected with the English theatre of to-day that he should seek in 'his first film appearance to break newground. The production deals with two phases in the life of a man. The line of, separation is his death, and the latter please is that of his hungry search for someone who will shed even one tear for him. Although there is no break in the continuity of the story, there is a marked change in the atmosphere of the two phases. The first is light, modern, and flippant; the latter breaks into tragedy and ends on a tensely dramatic note. “The Scoundrel,” which opened at the Regent Theatre yesterday, is what its name indicates. It is the story of a scoundrel, a man who wrecked the lives of ■ many women, rode roughshod over their affections, and, considering only his own feelings and pleasure, treated life ag something which was in duty bound to amuse and entertain him. To this point the story keeps its feet well on the ground. It is when this man goes to his death in an aeroplane crash that the element of the unearthly enters. The combination of hard modernity and unashamed /mysticism come as rather a shock, but it has been introduced as a means of driving home a moral. Coward is seen as Anthony Mallare, a New York publisher. whose office is thronged by authors ; seeking to interest him in their efforts. ■ He is a man entirely incapable of understanding the deeper realities of life. The novels that interest him are those which glide lightly and brilliantly over the surface of things. Nevertheless he is possessed of a real flair for publishing, so that even his most bitter detractors have to acknowledge his success. Mallare’s interest is not confined to lighter literature. His successes with women are quite as marked as are those which distinguish his business career, and to his many feminine admirers he preserves the same attitude of detachment. They attract him for six months and then he forgets them — oblivious of any feeling -whether they can forget him. And so when a young girl enters his office with a book of poems, it is not only her verse which commends her to him. For a few months he makes persistent love to her, aware of the transitory nature of his feeling for the girl and regardless of the fact that he is coming between her and a man who loves her deeply. She disregards all warnings and for a few months she succeeds in holding Mallare’s attention, But the inevitable happens. A new face appears on the scene, and she is deserted. She realises too late that she has given her affections to a man with no redeeming features in his character, a man who is quite incapable of understanding either loyalty or self-sacrifice. In a scene of fierce reproaches she flings at him her curse that the aeroplane journey he is -about to take in pursuit of another woman may end in his death. Next day the New York newspapers are full of the news that the Bermuda plane has crashed in the Atlantic and that among her passengers was the celebrated publisher Anthony Mallare. His friends, or rather those who once knew him, have discussed the fatality and dismissed it, when the figure of Mallare again appears among them. But it is a changed and pathetic Mallare. For I this is but the ghost of the former man which has been given a month in which to find some person who will shed a tear for him to save hipa from the damnation of those who die unwept. The desperate search for that one person with the faintest feeling of sympathy for the man who never showed any himself is graphically depicted. The climax is reached in a dramatic scene in which the figure that was Mallare meets-the girl whom he had once loved and left to suffer. Repentance and sympathy come to the man, who forgets his own plight in that of the girl and her newly-reunited lover, and with that sympathy he begets the tears which save him from his doom. Coward gives

au excellent performance in an unhkeabie role, and in the final scenes reaches a high dramatic level. Julie Haydon is splendidly cast ns the girl, and others who are prominent are Stanley Ridges, Ernest Cossart and-Martin Sleeper. There is au excellent supporting programme. Patrons of the theatre will appreciate the display of tulips which has been staged in the lounge. Some very choice types of these exceedingly beautiful flowers are included and they are artistically arranged for exhibition. The bos plans for the season will be found at the theatre and the D.I.C. MAYFAIR THEATRE “Fashion Gaieties of 1934” and “Murder in the Clouds ” combine to from the entertainment at the Mayfair Theatre to-day. “ Fashion Gaieties of 1934 ” has been hailed as a highly amusing comedy drama in which William Powell, as a high pressure promoter, corners the Paris and New York fashion marts. The picture also carries spectacular numbers, chief of which is a fan dance with 200 beautiful girls. There also is a glamorous fashion show with beautiful models displaying the latest in women’s gowns. Such popular players as Frank MTlugh, Yerree Teasdale, Reginald Owen, Hugh Herbert, and Henry O’Neill are cast in the more important featured roles. Other character parts are enacted by Phillip Reed, recently recruited from the Broadway stage, Gordon Westcott, Etienne Girardot, William Burress,, Dorothy Burgess, and Nella Walker. “Murder In the Clouds ” is an unusual and baffling mystery drama, involving several strange murders in the air and the kidnapping of a beautiful girl by aeroplane. The blowing up of an aeroplane with its passengers and crew far up above the clouds and the subsequent chases after the air robbers and murderers by army planes, involving machine gun battles, the shooting down of airships, thrilling parachute jumps from burning and falling ships, add to the intensity of the dramatic situations. Lyle Talbot, Miss Dvorak and Gordon Westcott head the cast in a triangular romance, while others include Robert Light, George Cooper, Charles Wilson. Henry O’Neill and Russell Hicks. GREEN ISLAND KINEMA “The Blue Squadron,” which will be presented at the Green Island Kinema to-day. is described as being something entirely new in aviation narratives. In fact, the thrills which abound in this' spectacular drama of daring and selfsacrifice are at times completely overshadowed by the tense and gripping love story, A parachute jump in the frozen wastes of the Alps, leakage of fumes which overcome the pilot, and a descent in a spot where chances of rescue seem* negligible serve ns incidents which build up an enthralling love interest to greater and greater degrees until the powerful denouement in the final fade-out. In “The Blue Squadron” John Stuart is a.n inventor whose talents have earned him the rank of colonel, while Esmond Knight s courage and daring have carried him to the rank of captain.