AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23014, 17 October 1936, Page 19

AMUSEMENTS

EMPIRE THEATRE Romance, stirring scenes of bloodihed and tne unfair war of the avaricious against the simple peasants of California make up the story which is told in “Robin Hood of El Dorado, which, with Warner Baxter at the head of a strong cast, is the new attraction at the Empire Theatre. Technically the picture is one of the most outstanding to come to the Dunedin screen for a long time. The photography is of a standard seldom attained, and, the direction leaves little to be desired. The only word of criticism which may fairly be levelled at the production is that it lacks, for many, the degree of comic relief which might be desired. Its success as-a “thriller,” however, more than balances this slight discrepancy, and the major part of an average audience will be too lost in the -breath-taking scenes of adventure to miss the lighter moments. The tale begins when Southern California is ceded to the United States by Mexico and gold is discovered. The Mexicans, loving their land with passionate loyalty, are forced to suffer the invasion of Americans whose one idea is the gaining of swift riches. There is Joaquin Murrietta, who has already fallen under the displeasure of his countrymen for a deed.of which he was never guilty, and his house is raided by a band of four miners, and his wife is killed. He swears to avenge her by killing the men concerned, and he does so, but his life even then is not to be undisturbed. He is goaded to the point of gathering about him a band of men similarly situated and he wages war on the invaders with such success that-he establishes a secret town in a small valley. He is joined there by the daughter of a noble Mexicali house, and she advises him to take his men to Mexico.- He decides to do so, and to obtain the necessary finance he robs a coach. One of his men kills the fiancee of a young American who had years ago befriended him and Murrietta decides that he himself must take the coach into town. He is. as he knew he would be, attacked, and .this time the fortune of war is against him. . His town is stormed and all his people killed including the Mexican girl. The picture has been produced in a. manner which brings out the whole force of Murrietta’s stirring deeds Warner Baxter, in the title role achieves a triumph, his Mexican Robin Hood comparing favourably with Wallace Beery’s Villa in the film “Viva Villa.” Ann Loring, a new actress to Dunedin atidiences, plays with great ■artistry the part of the daughter of the Mexican grandee, and Margo, as Murrietta’s wife, Bruce Cabot and several well-known players capably fill the other prominent roles. The main picture is supported by an excellent 'selection of short films, including an “ Our Gang” comedy and a colour carloon entitled “ The Early Bird and the Worm-” The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. STRAND THEATRE A vivid and at times horrifying pic--1 ture .of life in some of the penalestab- \ lishfflents in America is painted in “Road Gang;” which received its first screenings at the Strand Theatre yesterday. Whether or not the cruelties and almost barbarous practices whic.i are shown in the 'film actually happen in these gaols does not matter very much, but they certainly lend colour to a dramatic story of a youth who is framed by political gangsters after he has written a story about their methods in a Chicago newspaper. The young man and his friend are arrested on a trumped-Up charge, become involved in a fight in a prison and are finally forced to drive a gangster away from the gaol. An exciting chase follows, the twp young men being caught and their “ companion ” , killed. Back in prison the journalist does,, not take kindly to the restrictions imposed on convicts and his behaviour results in his being sent to the Blackfoot mines where the guards are particularly vici - ous and jthe treatment of the prisoners is of the worst possible nature. At-this point- th'e pace -of-the story quickens, and there are plenty of thrills and excitement before the young man is released, thanks to the efforts of his fiancee. Donald Woods is admirablycast as the much-maligned young man. and he is supported by Kay Linaker, as his-fiancee, Joseph King, Henry O Neill and Carlyle Moore, jun. The support ing picture is “F-Man,” an amusing tale of a young man'who tries to enter the ranks of the famous “G-Men.” Although in the end, after being shot by a gangster whom he helps to capture, he is quite pleased to renounce his desires and go back to the country, he. falls into enough scrapes while m the city ,to provide the audience with continuous , amusement. As the ‘ F.Man,” Jack Haley does not have to do much beyond doing the wrong things at the wrong times, but he accomplishes this with. admirable facility Acting with him is Grace Bradley who takes the part of the country sweetheart, who manages to get captured by the gangsters, and then is saved by the unwitting hero. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C.

STATE THEATRE Ann Harding and Herbert Marshall are two stars who have large individual followings, and together, in “ The Lady Consents,” now at the State Theatre, they are likely to challenge in popularity such famous teams as Charles Farrell and Janet Gaynor, and John Gilbert and Greta Garbo. This is the second picture in which they have collaborated in co-starring roles, and they each show every semblance of a thorough understanding of the other’s qualities. .In “The Flame Within,” their first appearance, they won wide acclaim, .and now with Miss Harding playing a part more ideally suited to her talents, they should, create even more enthusiasm. The plot 'is a glorious and bizarre adventure in which a wife proves to her husband that he is in love with her. Though the story at first glance may appear to be another version of the well-worn eternal triangle theme, it is redeemed from this class bv the original handling and superb acting. The strength of the cast, unlike that of some productions, maintains an even standard of excellence throughout, for following the .names of the two stars come those of Margaret Lindsay, Walter Abel. Edward Ellis. Hobart Cavanaugh and Ilka Chase. In the story Michael Talbot (Herbert Marshall), a New York society doctor, married to Anne Talbot (Ann Harding), meets and falls in love with an athletic and attractive girl, Jerry Mannerly (Margaret Lindsay). He asks his wife’s consent to a divorce and to this she agrees. He then marries Jerry, but an accident to his father brings him once more in .contact with Anne, and he * realises, as does she, that he is still in love with his first partner He then asks Jerry for a divorce, but this she refuses him. The situation reaches its climax when all three meet in Michael’s hunting lodge under circumstances well calculated to arouse Jerry’s jealousy of Anne. Walter Abel appears as a young engineer infatuated with- Anne and proves that his personality’ is as well suited to modern roles as to the more dramatic costume period of “The Three Musketeers, in which he scordH such a success recently. The drama is treated in a highly sophisticated manner which makes comedy the keynote of the whole production, and £ a °tu. maintains an unusual brilliance. The supporting programme includes a varied assortment of Australian and overseas newsreels. an amusing comedy, “Last Will and Testament, and a coloured cartoon, Tooneyville Trolley.” The box plans are at the theatre and at Begg’s. REGENT THEATRE One of the most delightfully funny films to be screened in Dunedin tor some time past opened a season at the Regent Theatre yesterday. Its title, is “One Rainy Afternoon,” the first picture released by the new organisation headed by Mary Pickford and Jesse L. Lasky. This bright entertainment * certainly expresses the outstanding taste and experience of its well-known producers and it is to be hoped that It is a herald of further brilliant pro-

ductions from their studios. With its gay French story, “ One Rainy Afternoon" has an outstanding characteristic—it is refreshingly new. In its ever-changing scenes there is farce of a divertingly amusing type, and there is satire with a generous measure of burlesque. But above all, perhaps, the film is notable for being so refreshingly human, an attribute no doubt that accounts largely for its great popularity with theatregoers wherever it has been screened. The screen play is from a French story, “Monsieur Sans-Gene," and its central figure is a struggling Parisian actor. The important event of the story takes place “one rainy afternoon ’’ in a darkened picture theatre. Two romantic young people are ushered into the kinema —one a handsome young actor, the other a married woman. Needless to say, the pair are carrying on a clandestine flirtation, and so they are shown to their seats separately to avoid scandal. A particularly tender scene is shown on the screen and the young man bestows an equally rapturous kiss on his neighbour. And there begins the fun in earnest, for the romantic young actor has kissed the wrong girl. Of course, she is beautiful but apparently equally respectable, and there follows the shortened kiss, a shriek, a slap on the face and a public scandal. The happening is related to a Parisian Purity League which creates such a stir that the young man is brought before a court of law. Perhaps one of the most delightful episodes of the picture occurs when the scene in the theatre is re-enacted in the court, the judge contributing largely to the humour of the situation. The “ victim ” of . the theatre “ attack ’’ apparently enjoys the repetition of the scene and a hectic romance follows, with its setting mainly an ice skating rink. It is an amusing romance with newspapermen and photographers recording every move, much to the delight of the audience. The young actor, through the continued publicity, finds himself an overnight success, and.it is in the theatre that the attractive climax of the film is staged. In the leading role, Francis Lederer gives a brilliant performance as a light comedy player, and it is to be hoped that more will be seen of him in the future. Ida Lupino plays the part of the heroine with great promise, and gives a charming performance. There is a brilliant comedy team headed by Hugh Herbert. Roland Young, Erik Rhodes, Joseph Cawthorn, and Donald Meek. The supporting programme is fully up to the Regent Theatre’s usual high standard. There is a bright musical interlude, “ Rhythm of Paree, an outstanding Silly Symphony, Broken Toys,” an aerial travel film of South America, and interesting newsreels. The Regent orchestra also contributes to the entertainment of the evening. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. ________ ST. JAMES THEATRE

A seemingly prosperous business man who is really a reformed forger, a sponging brother-in-law with a passion for bananas, and an assorted gallery of relatives all burdened to a greater or lesser degree with the inevitable frailties of human nature, are some of the delightful characters one meets with in “ Laburnum Grove, the film version of J. B. Priestley’s sparkling comedy, which had its. Dunedin premiere yesterday at the St. James Theatre. With his inimitably subtle touch the author presents a brilliant but gentle satire on tho ways of suburbia, and with superb conviction shows the humour, romance, and drama that form the background of almost any suburban family. Apart altogether from the story, which is logical and well connected, the film is remarkable for its character studies, which at every turn reveal the genius of Priestley for seeing people and things as they really are It not infrequently happens that a first-class play or a good novel become me.eiy mediocre when adapted for the screen, but emphatically this is not the case with “ Laburnum Grove, which, due to unusually skill 1 direction and really brilliant acting, has suffered nothing through being filmed. laburnum Grove” is one of the new garden suburbs which have sprung up in such numbers throughout England during recent years, and in the opening scenes the audience is introduced to George Radfern, ostensibly a prosperous business mr who. with his wife, family, and several anything but welcome guests, is living, a more or less uneventful existence in this peaceful retreat. Pestered by his wife s sister and her husband, and a good-for-noth-ing young waster who is a suitor for bis daughter’s hand, Radfern becomes tired of extending what looks like becoming indefinite hospitality, and to bring matters to a head be announces one evening at the tea table that he is a forger with the police on his tracks, and adds such realistic details that thev all shudder at the mere sight of a policeman. Obviously this is a situation fraught with unlimited possibilities for hilarious comedy, and author, directors and players alike make the most of them. So much success attends the old man s stratagem that at one stroke he rids himself of his unwelcome relations and his daughter of a decidedly ineligible suitor. Radfern’s bombshell, however, has its repercussions, and the story takes an unexpected twist when the visit of a Scotland Yard detective reveals to the audience, though not to the other members of the menage, that he actually is a forger. He hastily makes arrangements for his family to escape, and after packing them off to Holland, he prepares to leave the country himself. Again there develops one of the unexpected situations which make me picture such delightful entertainment, for •as he is leaving the house, he meets at the door a representative of law and order in the shape of the local constable. Immeasurably relieved to find that all that is wanted is a subscription to the local club, Mr Badfern, forger and gentleman, walks peacefully out of the picture, and the story ends on the happiest of notes. In selecting Edmund Gwenn to play the leading part, the producers could hardly have made a happier choice. As George Radfern, he is the mosl loveable old rascal ever to grace a screen, and his performance is marked by that perfect mergence of character and player which is the hallmark of the artist. Never at any time does he succumb to the ever present temptation to over-act; he is oust George Radfern, as Priestley has depicted him—shrewd and unscrupulous, but kindly withal, and very human. A perfect gem of comedy is Sir Cedric Hardwicke’s sketch of Baxley Radfern s brother-in-law. It is boldly drawn, but exceedingly deft, and, as one sees the lazy, sponging banana-eating Baxley as if he were before one in the flesh, one cannot help but marvel at the skill with which the player portrays such a character with such naturalness. It is one of the finest studies of its kind that have, been seen on the screen for a long time. Victoria Hopper, as Radfern’s lovelorn daughter: Ethel Coleridge, as the henpecking Mrs Baxley, and KaLie Johnson, as Mrs Radfern, are all excellently cast, and dovetail their roles into those of the principal players with perfect harmony. A strong supporting programme is shown. The box plans are at the theatre. Jacobs s. the D.1.C.. and M'Cracken and Walls’s,

OCTAGON THEATRE Two outstanding films in “ The Eagle and the Hawk ” and “ Trouble in Paradise ” comprise the double-feature programme which commenced a season at the Octagon Theatre yesterday. Each is a complete night’s entertainment in itself, and there is an attractive blending of drama and comedy which should satisfy the most particular screen audience, “ The Eagle and the Hawk” has a distinguished cast, headed by Fredric March, Cary Grant, Carole Lombard, and Sir Guy Standing, and tells in dramatic fashion of the adventures of an air pilot whose horror of war and the necessity of slaughtering human beings results in his losing his nerve. After' trying hard to overcome his feelings and being continually at war with his gunner, whose temperament is more phlegmatic, he eventually commits suicide. The gunner, *n order to save his pilot from being branded as a coward, takes the body up in a plane, riddles it with bullets, and pretends that the death was an honourable one. caused during a fight with the enemy. It is a tragic story, beautifully told by the principals m the

cast. “Trouble in Paradise” is essentially a bright, sophisticated comedy of two crooks, a man and a woman, who band together to rob a beautiful French widow. But th'' man falls in love with the victim, and the situation is further complicated by the female crook falling in love with her partner. How the two women solve the problem of who shall become a wife forms an excellent climax to a delightful film. Miriam Hopkins, Kay Francis, and Herbert Marshall are the three concerned in this entertaining triangle, and each gives a masterly performance. Charles Ruggles and Edward Everett Horton provide some laughable moments in minor roles. The hox plans are at the theatre and at Begg’s. GRAND THEATRE A picture starring Will Rogers now has a double attraction, and “Doubting Thomas,” showing at the Grand Theatre this week, represents this grince of American comedians at his est. Any picture with Rogers in it can be safely guaranteed as a comedy of the highest class, but those of his pictures' now coming to New Zealand will be appreciated also as the last in which the whimsical Rogers will ever be seen. They are, in effect, memorials to one of the greatest film comedians of all time. “ Doubting Thomas ” finds Rogers as a prosperous manufacturer. The theme of the story is his tactful handling of a stage-struck wife. He realises that as an actress she is hopeless, and he sets out to prevent disappointment and disillusion by inducing her to abandon her ambitions. His efforts result in some hilarious situations, and it can be truly said of the picture that there is not a dull moment. The outstanding supporting cast includes Billie Burke and Alison Skipworth. The short, programme is an entertaining one. The box plans are at the theatre and Begg’s. MAYFAIR THEATRE An entertaining film built round the training of cadets for the American Navy is “Gentlemen of the Navy, featuring Sir Guy Standing and Richard Cromwell, which is to be shown to-day at the Mayfair Theatre. These two players created a memorable impression as father and son in that military epic, “ Lives of a Bengal Lancer" and in this production they give performances of equal merit. Sir Guy appears as a retired naval officer who lives near a training academy and finds in watching the young generation the comfort of his declining years, Cromwell has the role of a young midshipman. The film was made with the co-operation of the United States Government, and the facilities thus made available have given the film an unusually sound foundation on which a lively story has been constructed. Rosalind Keith has the leading feminine role. There is a good supporting film in “ She Couldn’t Take It,” which has George Raft, Joan Bennett, Billie Burke, and Walter Connolly in the leading roles of a fast-action gangster story. The box plans are at the sweet shoo next to the theatre and the D.I.C.