AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22833, 18 March 1936, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS

STATE THEATRE Revised and modernised, except for the " Stranger ” himself, the famous play, " The Passing of the Third Floor Back,” is proving a popular attraction at the State Theatre this week. The play remains strangely effective as a thought promoter, because the limitations of human nature outlive fashions in dress, music, or diction, and because the poorest nature is capable of some perception of the sublime. Conrad Veidt as the “ Stranger " is every whit as mylsterious and compelling as the author could have desired, and there is a mesmeric quality in his influence on the audience which puts the story through. The “ Stranger ” comes to a typical London boarding house just when everyone is on edge. Vivian (Anna Lee) is about to pledge herself to Wright, the blatantly rich contractor (Frank Collier) to pay her parents’ debts, the waning Miss Kite has no refuge but to appear “ hard-boiled,” while the two young men in the house are at cross purposes with fate, and ’Stasia (Rene Ray), the Borstal girl, is the drudge of all, as well as the mercenary Mrs Sharpe. Wright is the evil genius of the piece, while the “ Stranger’s ” compelling eye and gentle msistence transform the dross of these strangely assorted people to gold. Rene Ray’s 'Stasia is a fine bit of work, and there are plenty of humour and some thrills before the “Stranger” disappears. A feature of the film is the outing the “ Stranger ” arranges for the boarders and ’Stasia on the River Thames, the photography being particularly fine. In the entertaining supporting programme a particularly interesting film is that of the “mile of the century," in which the Dunedin athlete J. E. Lovelock defeats the famous American runner, Glenn Cunningham. The box plans are at the theatre and Begg’s. “THE THREE MUSKETEERS.” Reliving the blazing careers of three of France’s greatest swordsmen, Onslow Stevens, Moroni Olsen, and Paul Lukas add colour and action to RKO Radio’s current film version of Alexandre Dumas s immortal story of “ The Three Musketeers,” which comes to the State Theatre on Friday. They portray the roles, respectively, of Aramia, Porthos, and Athos. Although the dominating figure of the colourful seventeenth-century story ie the hot-blooded d’Artagnau. played by Walter Abel, his Musketeer companions add the swashbuckling, roistering dash So essential to proper presentation of the Dumas classic. Dumas’s great swordsman rode to Paris town on an ungainly farm horse, a provincial youth yearning to join the crack military corps of the day, the King’s Guard. The ambitious lad from the soil, but never a yokel, triumphed over the finest blades in France, outwitted its cleverest sophisticates and the most powerful figure of the time, Cardinal Richelieu, to serve his queen and to win a lovely lady. Although Dumas wrote his tale as fiction, the men pictured as the three musketeers were once actual figures in the life of France. Athoe was a Bearneee gentleman named Armand de Sillegue d’Athos; Porthos was an adventurer from Pau named Isaac de Porfau and Aramis was Henri d'Aramitz, a squire and lay abbot of Bearn. REGENT THEATRE “ Red Salute," which is now being shown at the Regent Theatre, is a pleasant light American comedy into which has been skilfully woven an effective piece of propaganda against revolutionary ideas. Robert Young, a young American whose name has become a trade mark for a certain distinctly pleasing type ol comedy, is at the head of the cast. With him is Barbara Stanwyck, She has appeared in several brilliant parts, but they have been few and often far between, and she is therefore the more welcome. Here she has left the brilliance of the ballroom, her usual haunt, and at large in the open, the scapegoat daughter of a general, wanting to make an impossible marriage with a revolutionary student, but stranded miles from anywhere, heading for Washington, with a soldier to protect her. The marriage suggested in the match with the revolutionary is not at all satisfactory to her father, and she is bundled off from Washington by aeroplane to Mexico, where she immediately begins trying to get back. Fortunately for her. but not for others, she falls into the company of a young soldier, in the person of Robert Young, who takes her on a hazardous but eventually safe journey across the border towards home again. Several days spent in walking and driving in other peoples cars on a 2000-mile journey are enough to make her change hfcr mind about her revolutionary student, and the soldier taken first place. The film ends very satisfactorily ia disgrace for the villain and glorious triumph for the hero. There is a good supporting programme, and an enjoyable musical entertainment is provided by the Regent Orchestra, under M. de Rose. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C.

“WHEN KNIGHTS WEHE BOLD." “When Knights Were Bold,” the first of the Associated Distributors product to be screened in the Dominion, will have its New Zealand premiere on Friday at the Regent Theatre. Many of the scenes in this production were “ shot ” at and around Warwick Castle, the ancestral home of the Earls of Warwick. Jack Buchanan, whose forte is as a light comedian, has the role ,of a young-nian-about-town who continually scandalises his tradition-loving family, who are always holding up his ancestors as an example to him. The girl he is in love with also compares him unfavourably with the knights of the Golden Age, and his suit suffers considerably in consequence. A severe bump on the head transports him in dreams back to the Middle Ages, where he is the sport of the bold, bad knights of that age. High comedy handled in the polished Buchanan manner, which has brought so much popularity to the English star, should keep the audience continually laughing. As no Buchanan picture would seem complete without music and dancing, special songs and dances were arranged to feature the star and add new and livelier touches to the clever theme of the well-known English stage farce from which the picture is adapted. Fay Wray, whose work in many pictures has earned her a large public, plays opposite Buchanan, and is said to make a great impression in one of the few comedy roles, which have come her way. Heading the supporting cast are Gary Marsh Kate Cutler. Martita Hunt, Moore Marriott and Aubrey Mather. ST. JAMES THEATRE Something out of the ordinary in the way of light entertainment is provided by “ The Bishop Misbehaves," whiftn heads this week’s programme at the St. James Theatre. The film is set in rural England, and the action takes place in the diocese of the Bishop of Broadstairs, who, having read most of the published detective fiction, has a secret passion to bo a Sherlock Holmes. The result is not a dull moment, and some of the situations provide plenty of excitement as well a ; S a good share of humour. The bishop s great chance conies when a simple country girl risks highway robbery to right a wrong which her father has suffered. She enlists the aid of a wandering Amen can. but it is the arrival of the bishop just at the •psychological moment which starts the fun. From this stage on the plot develops with amazing rapidity, and provides plenty of scope for the leading plavers, all of whom were selected with care. As the bishop, Edmund Gwenn gives an excellent performance. Maureen O’Sullivan and Norman Foster are seen as the chief plotters, and they also provide the love interest. Supporting “The Bishop Misbehaves ” arc several good short features. and the box plans are at the D.T.C., Jacobs’s, and M'Cracken and Walls’s. “AGE OF INDISCRETION.” Another great problem of to-day has found its way to the screen in “Age of Indiscretion,” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s drtimatic story of a millionaire mother-in-law’s fight for the custody of a child of divorce. Dealing with a situation often echoed in the courts to-day, the new picture opens on Friday at the St. James Theatre with a large cast of featured players, including Pan] Lukas. Madge Evans, Helen Vinson, May Robson. Ralph Forbes. Beryl Mercer, and David Holt. Miss Robson plays the battling mother-in-law who goes to court and uses’ her millions in an attempt to wrest guardianship of his son from Lukas, following the divorce of a philandering wife. 'The dramatic climax in the courtroom, where the veteran actress addresses the judge, is stated to be the most gripping courtroom episode since Lionel Barrymore’s

famous trial scene in “A Free Soul.' Lukas, as the father fighting for the cubtody of his child, has one of the most dramatic roles of his career, and Miss Evans is cast as the secretary whose position in Lukas’s business is misunderstood. Some of the sensational scenes in the picture are the crisis in Lukas’s publishing linn, the aeroplane flight, the dramatic moment in which Lukas learns of his wife’s surprise divorce, the scene in wdiich he breaks the news to the child, Miss Robson’s plot to gain custody of the child, and the bitter legal fight. Interspersed among the dramatic scenes are a number of comedy moments, among which the famous spaniel Flush, of “ Barretts of Wimpole Street,” has a large part, OCTAGON THEATRE “ Phar Lap’s Son,” the Dunedin-made talking picture at the Octagon Theatre, is still attracting widespread attention at the Octagon Theatre. It ha 3 been a definite box office success in its opening season, and those who have not already seen it should not miss the opportunity of studying the progress that has been made locally. The story round which the action is woven is slender, but no effort has been spared to keep the ball of fun rolling merrily, and on the few occasions when one or other of the comedians is not before the camera, there is a bevy of girls, chosen from all parts of -New fand for their personal charm, to retain the attention of the audience. Mr H. V. Smith, whose name is well-known in Dunedin, has the principal role of Colonel Drijakwater. a horse owner, and gathered round him are some choice comedians. There is the Emu. a lady whose facial contortions must be seen to be believed, an eccentric dancer who provides several minutes of extremely funny work, a Maori girl who dances expertly, and Jolly Kellie, the fat girl, who provides a couple of vocal numbers. In a cast of about 50 there are other humorists too numerous to mention. The climax is arrived at in the savin# of Colonel Drinkwater s io r ’ tunes by the victory of his horse in the President’s Handicap at Wingatui. tor which some scenes were shot_ at a recent race meeting there. The main picture is supported by a number of amusing and interesting short films. The box plans are at the theatre. GRAND THEATRE In all the detective tales of Earl Derr Biggers, the author who first brought Charlie Chan to life, there is no coincidence so strange as the similarity between his famed fictional Chinese detective and the Swedish actor who brings him to life on the screen. Warner Gland, himself, is a big man -with the same tendency to corpulence that Chan is supposed to have possessed, the same straight black hair. All he doe 3 to put himself in character is to comb his moustache down, his eyebrows up, and he I 3 Charlie Chan brought to life. For the ninth time in Chan’s motion picture career, Gland brings him to the screen in “ Charlie Chan in Shanghai,” which commences a season at the Grand Theatre to-day. In the new picture Chan returns to his native China to do battle with a band of desperate opium smugglers. Before Gland launched into the Chan characterisation, he baa already gained a theatrical reputation tor his playing of Oriental roles, often villains. When Fox Film began to cast around for a man to fill the role for the first Chan picture, 20 prospectives were rejected in favour of Oland. Irene llervey, Charles Locher, Russell Hicks, and Hailiwell Hobbes assist Oland in his latest series of Chan adventures. Ibe box plane are at the theatre and Begp s. EMPIRE THEATRE A thrilling peace-time story of the United States Navy. “Murder in the Fleet,” heads the current programme at the Empire Theatre. The plot deals with the experimentation on board the huge warship Carolina with an electrical fire control apparatus and the schemes or various agencies to bring about the failure of the experiment. The apparatus is late in arriving on board the ship, and, when it does, mishap follows mishap. Two or the assembly experts are murdered, despite the fact that a large guard is placed over the apparatus. The audience is given no chance to solve the mystery surrounding the two murders, as suspicion shifts from person to person in bewildering style. The climax is a satisfying one, and is an excellent ending to an entertaining and exciting film. The cast is a notable one. and every character is capably portrayed. Robert Tnylor_ i* excellent as the lieutenant supervising, the installation of the apparatus, and it is he who solves the mystery. Jean. Parker is charming in the leading feminine role, and Nat Pendleton and Ted Healy, as a pair of quarrelsome friends, are excellent, and provide much laughter. A very entertaining supporting programme is hoing screened with Murder in the Fleet. The box plans will be found at the theatre and the D.I.C. “ HONEYMOON FOR THREE.” Stanley Lupino needs no introduction to New Zealand audiences, for ms clever comedy performances in sle SP'f s » Nights’’ and “You Made Me Ixive You are still popularly remembered. Consequently film fans should be pleased to hear of another hilarious film featuring this comedian. It is entitled moon for Three.” and patrons of the Empire Theatre will have an opportunity of seeing it next Friday. It is the hilarious story of Jbck Denver, the nephew oi a famous banker who is ordered by his uncle to go to work. But on the veiy eve of his entry into the great commercial world, he upsets things by getting into such a state that he wanders into somebody else’g flat and falls asleep. lh e “ somebody else ” happened to be a pretty oirl, and when her fiancee and father arrive next morning and find him there, there is trouble, which grows in volume anti fervour when Jack’s uncle, arrives. What happens afterwards is said to he extremely funny. STRAND THEATRE An excellent double-feature programme is at present attracting good houses to the Strand Theatre. It comprises two excellent films, “ I’ll Tell the World,, and “Law Beyond the Range, which together make up well-balanced and enjoyable entertainment. In the first pro Auction Lee Tracy gives a sound performance in the characteristic role of a gogetting " newspaper correspondent. After a brief Arctic adventure he is despatched to Central Europe, where he becomes involved in an intrigue to lure an exiled princess back to her country and there to assassinate her. Tracy falls in love with the princess, and even the discovery of her identity does not cause him to lose hope. Tim M‘Coy, in “Law Beyond the Range” should increase his wide popularity by this latest performance. He appears as the editor of a small-town newspaper on whom has developed the responsibility of pursuing a feud in which hi a father and the previous owner of the paper had . engaged. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. DOUBLE-FEATURE PROGRAMME. Harry Stephen Keeler, the author ot “ Sing Sing Nights,” coming to the Strand Theatre on Friday, is the most prolific writer of to-day's mystery stories. What Edgar Wallace was to England, Keeler ia to America. His schedule calls for a new book every 120 days. Hie plots are of the most unusual nature. “ Sing Sing Nights ” tells the story of three men, each of whom has confessed to the murder ol a famous newspaper war correspondent. They arc about to die for their selfacknowledged crime, when aroused public opinion declares that three men should not pay the penalty for a crime which only one of them could have committed. The Governor summonses Professor Varney to use his lie-detecting machine in one last effort to save the two who arc innocent. The cast includes Conway Tearlc, Hardie Albright, Boots Mallory, Mary Doran, and Berton Churchill. The attempt of a waitress to play the role ol a society girl is described in “Alias Mary Dow,” which is the second him. bally Filers is said to show herself to be particularly well suited to take the part of a young waitress who gives up her identity to save the life ot a woman she docs not know. As is usual in film 6 in which this actress appears, there is an attractive mixture of drama, romance, and subtle comedy, and also that rapid action necessary to an unusual type of S | o ry. Supporting the star is Raymond ATi 11 and her young lover, while others in (he picture include Henry O’Neill. Chicle Chandler, Addison Richards, and Baby Jane.

MAYFAIR THEATRE

Alice Tisdale Hobart’s best selling novel, “ Oil for the Lamps of China,” opens to-day at the Mayfair Theatre. Mrs Hobart spent a large part of her life m China, and after years of collecting her data, spent five years in writing her story of the romance, sacrifice and hardship endured by the pioneers in introducing American oil into the Orient. Cameramen were sent to Manchuria early in 1934 to make atmosphere shots, more than a year before the picture was started at the studio, and Director Mervyn Le Roy also spent some months in China studying the country and customs of its people before casting the picture. Pat O’Brien. Josephine Hutchinson, and Jean Muir head the cast which includes John Eldredge, Lyle Talbot and Arthur Byron, while several Chinese work in the picture in roles from important speaking parts to extras.