AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23082, 7 January 1937, Page 2

AMUSEMENTS

REGENT THEATRE Conceived on an almost epic scale, the motion picture version of Harvey Allen’s great novel, “Anthony Adverse” is still drawing appreciative audiences to the Regent Theatre. It is an amazing story that it presents, laid as it is in many different countries, and it demands the closest attention throughout the whole length of its screening. Fredric March makes a great success of the title role, and he receives excellent support from a large cast, including Olivia de Haviland, Edmund Gwenn, Claude Rains, Steffi Dunn, Ralph Morgan, and Luis Alberni. The story of “Anthony Adverse ” is told in clear, bold strokes, and compels the admiration and interest of all who see it. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. “FATAL LADY” An opera singer with whom it is certain death to fall in love is the character portrayed by Mary Ellis in “Fatal Lady,” which will open a season at the Regent Theatre to-morrow In the course of the astounding plot revealed as the story progresses, every man who falls in love with, or pays attention to a beautiful metropolitan opera star, is murdered in a most mysterious fashion. Innocent in any way of the terrible crimes, the singer is forced to flee from country to country. A young American finds her singing in a Paris apache musical show, and, as many others have done before him immediately falls in love with her. When the culprit makes an attempt on the American’s life there is an amazing climax, and the mysterious murders are solved. The audience is kept in the dark all along, and right up to the final stages are not aware of the identity of the villain. Mary Ellis’s performance as the luckless opera star is equal to the highest standards, and the stage star, Walter Pidgeon, is also said to act well in the leading male role. There is promise also of some excellent music in the film, and if Mary Ellis sings as well as she did in “ The King’s Horses ’’ the audience should be well entertained. Others in the cast include Alan Mowbray, Norman Foster. Russell Powell, and John Halliday. ST. JAMES THEATRE

"The Beloved Vagabond” is proving very popular at the St. James Theatre just now, and its season will close with to-day’s screenings. It is excellent entertainment, reinforced by good direction, excellent music and dialogue, and outstandingly good acting by Maurice Chevalier. Chevalier has - handled a wide variety of roles in his time,,but few have been more interesting or appropriate than the title role in “The Beloved Vagabond,” in which he excels himself. Ably assisted by an excellent cast, he makes the old story live again, and provides more than usually acceptable entertainment for every minute of the film. There is a food supporting programme, and the ox plans will be found at the theatre, at the D.I.C. and at Jacobs’s. “WHITE DEATH” Although many of Zane Grey’s stories have been transferred to the “ silent ” and “ talkie ” screen, the brilliant author had not starred in any film until he headed the cast in “ White Death,” the thrilling picture of deepsea fishing off the Great Barrier Reef, which will be commenced at the St. James Theatre to-morrow. In his assuredness of the marvellous possibilities of such a story, set in nature’s own glorious surroundings, Zane Grey devoted much of Tiis busy life to the making of “ White Death,” a film which, with the added prestige gained by Mr Grey’s association and starring appearance, enhances Australia’s bid for recognition in the world of motion picture production. In the cause of s White Death,” Zane Grey temporarily deserted his writing; he denied himself relaxation and pleasure in the fishing grounds, as with a band of Australians he worked to the orders of a film director in bringing to. fruition a unique venture in motion-picture entertainment. Magnificent pictorial effects are said to mingle with drama, romance and comedy as the stcpry moves from the big game fishing haunts of Sydney to the Great Barrier Reef, where Zane Grey journeys in search of White Death, the giant maneating shark which has struck terror into the hearts of the natives, and has been responsible for many deaths, including those of the wife and son of a missionary. Teeming thrills are experienced as Mr Grey, patiently endeavouring to end the days of this scavenger of the deep, catches several other sharks and a great swordfish beford his ultimate triumph pver the White Death in a dramatic night-long battle for mastery. The film is further enriched by the comedy of Alfred Frith, as the representative of the Fish Protection Society, in trying to prevent Zane Grey’s shark-catching. OCTAGON THEATRE Clark Gable, who can always be relied on for a good performance, makes a thorough success of the leading role in “ The Call of the Wild,” the motion picture version of Jack London's story, which is at present being shown at the Octagon Theatre. The principal feminine part is taken by Loretta Young, who is also responsible for a fine performance. The story is set in the gold rush days of Alaska, and the amazing happenings of those hectic times provide a fitting background for this romance which develops from a race for a lost mine. Also on the programme is the entertaining musical confedy “ Transatlantic Merry-go-round,” which features Nancy Carroll and Gene Raymond. The box plans are at the theatre and Beggs. •SANDERS OF THE RIVER” Paul Robeson, known to thousands of radio listeners, will be seen and heard in the picture “Sanders of the River, which will form the new programme at the Octagon Theatre, commencing to-morrow. Based on the popular Edgar Wallace stories of the same title, the film deals skilfully with British rule in Africa, a subject which hitherto has been conspicuously and surprisingly ignored by British film producers. After spending four months i.i the heat of Africa, the director has given some exquisite patterning; spectacular, authentic scenes of native ceremonials, with their delirious and ecstatic dances: unlimited drama in keeping with the author’s reputation; vivid aerial shots of disturbed animal ale; and negro singing which rolls through the theatre, deep, sonorous, and musical. The story sets out to show that the way to control millions of untamed iungle dwellers is not by harshness and violence, but by making it obvious that their welfare is at the heart of the ruler. Leslie Banks and Paul Robeson are superb in the principal paras. Others prominent in the cast are Nma Mae M’Kinney, Tony Wane, Erie Maturin, Robert Cochrane, and Martin Walker. GRAND THEATRE So rarely is real, elemental tragedy allowed to permeate the roseate scenes of Hollywood, that a film like “ Sins of Man," which commenced a season at the Grand Theatre yesterday comes as a shock. For this Twentieth Century Fox production is one of the most conscientious essays in honest tragedy that have appeared for many years. Indeed, it is almost Elizabethan in its sombre insistence. The end has obviously been turned into a compromise with the box office, but if it is not the conclusion that Joseph Roth made in his novel “Job,” from which the picture is adapted, it comes almost as a relief. A simple God-fearing bellringer from the Austrian Tyrol loses his wife when she gives birth to her second son, who turns out to be deaf and dumb. The elder boy causes his father’s displeasure by taking an interest in aeronautics, and he eventually runs away to America, where he follows his heart as an experimenter in aeroplanes. At last there is a reconciliation between the older son and the father, who sails to America, only to see the boy killed when his plane crashes. Within a week war is declared, and the younger boy is reported missing after the terrific bombardment of the Tyrolean villages. The emphasis of all these I calamities is not overdone, nor is their

effect cheapened by false sentiment. The audience is simply shown the effect of circumstances fighting against a brave individual, and the showing is done with the greatest truth and restraint. The conclusion is reached when, as a doddering old man, the father meets his younger son, the great Italian maestro, who, with his hearing restored by the crash of bursting shells, has been raised and educated by an Italian soldier. Jean Hersholt, as the father, has never before acted so brilliantly. In the last stages, when he is seen as an old poverty-stricken man, his pathetic defencelessness recalls some of the characterisations of Emil Jannings. He never rants, nor does he slip into the laziness of too much restraint. His part is a masterpiece of emphasised understatement. Don Ameche, as the elder son, is a newcomer with a pleasant manner, and an honestly youthful charm. Altogether “ Sins of Man ” is an outstanding film, made with a truthful realisation of human values that is all too rare. The supporting picture is “ Border Patrolman,” a comedy-drama featuring George O’Brien and Polly Ann Young. The former is cast as a fighting border man who is given the task of checking the wilful, spoilt daughter of a millionaire. A stolen necklace complicates matters, and there is plenty of excitement before things are finally straightened out. The box plans are at the theatre and at Begg's EMPIRE THEATRE ■ Craig’s Wife ” is the current attraction at the Empire Theatre. It is a domestic drama with a far more serious purpose than usual and a climax which presents a moral- as effectively as u adorns the tale of a woman who learnt by bitter experience that those who live to themselves are sooner or later left to themselves. The principal players in the production, which was directed by Hollywood’s one and only feminine producer, Miss Dorothy Arzner, are John Boles and Rosaline Russell. Boles actually is only a symbol in the story. The dramatic burden of the film is carried entirely by Rosalind Russell greatly to the advantage of the film and even more lo her own credit. The film is one that should be generally appreciated. Its last screenings will be to-day. There is a good supporting programme and the box plans will be found at the theatre and at the D.I.C. "THE SUICIDE CLUB” Based on the brilliant stories written about The Suicide Club by Robert Louis Stevenson, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s film version starring Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell will open at the Empire Theatre to-mor-row The production is marked by excellent detail, and there is a lighthearted charm about it which comes only with fantastic tales about the princes and princesses of mythical kingdoms travelling incognito For in this film Montgomery is a Crown Prince and Miss Russell, whose meteoric ascent to stardom has amazed the screen world, is a Princess. The picture is also outstanding because of a remarkably pleasing cast, headed by Frank Morgan, whose delicious comedy sparkles throughout the piece; Reginald Owen, in one of the weirdest make-ups ever seen on the screen (Lon Chaney included), Louis Hayward in an intriguing role as The Young Man With the Cream Tarts, Robert Greig, E. E, Clive, and others. The thrilling climax is a fast and furious rapier duel between Montgomery and Owen, which equals any such combat ever screened: and the mystery with which Miss Russell invests her part through the first half of the story is particularly amusing. Montgomery himself is very much up to* standard and Rosalind Russell easily advances her popularity by her work in “The Suicide Club.” STRAND THEATRE “The Big Noise,” Warner Bros.’ latest comedy-drama, which deals both with a personal romance and the thrill and glamour of big business, is now being shown at the Strand Theatre. Guy Kibbee has the featured role of a business man who is ousted jpm the presidency of a concern whidWioe has founded, as the result of his financial backers discovering that a subordinate can make more money for the stockholders by manufacturing an inferior product. Having been active all his life, idleness irks him, so with a young chemist he buys an interest in the Checker Club cleaning business. Unknown to himself, however, the cleaning and dyeing business is controlled by a gang of racketeers, and the subsequent occurrences are both amusing and exciting. The second picture is a romantic comedy entitled “And So They Were Married,” featuring Mary Astor. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. “THE CASE OF THE VELVET CLAWS” "The Case of the Velvet Claws,” a murder mystery drama, will be commenced at the Strand Theatre to-mor-row. This is the fourth of the popular novels by Erie Stanley Gardner to be brought to the screen by the same producers, with Warren William starred as the brilliant amateur detective, Perry Mason. The plot of “The Case of the Velvet Claws” is unique, baffling, and the suspense is maintained up to the moment of . the amazing climax. There are two possible motives for the murder —to cover a love scandal and to gain possession of the wealth. Perry Mason’s problem is to find which is the real cause of the crime. Eight persons are suspected, one of whom believes herself to be the killer. Circumstantial evidence points to the probability that Perry Mason himself did the deed. The hero is injected into the case by the pistol method—just as he is starting on his honeymoon—by the wife of the man who is marked for slaughter, and who has laid herself open to suspicion through a secret love affair. Winifred Shaw plays the wife suspected of the murder, while Claire Dodd is the bride. “ Roaming Lady,” described as a gay, thrilling adventure story of the China seas, will be the associate picture, in which Fay Wray and Ralph Bellamy are the featured players. STATE THEATRE The romance, misfortunes and successes of a typical American couple of the prosperity and subsequent depression periods of the last 10 years form the basis of “To Mary—With Love,” a charming film which is now being shown at the State Theatre. It begins where most pictures end, with confetti; and in the unfolding of the story there is drawn a portrait of married life that is both sympathetic and believable. Distinction is lent to the film by the manner in which individual lives are blended with the wider life of the nation. Newsreel records of events which reflect the changing moods of the American people during the years between 1925 and 1935 are worked into the story. Such scenes as the Dempsey-Tunney fight and the triumphal return of Charles Lindbergh to America have been skilfully used to add point to the behaviour of the chief characters. Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy, last _een together in "Broadway Bill,” play the leading roles. There is a good supporting programme. The box plans arc at the theatre and at Begg’s. “SECRET AGENT” “ Secret Agent,” which will begin a season at the State Theatre to-mor-row, is a gripping adaptation of Somerset Maugham’s novel, “ Ashenden," and is the story of a Secret Service man who, under the assumed name of Ashenden, sets out to thwart a German spy during the Great War. Fluent staging swings the action from London to the Swiss Alps, thence to midEurope, where suspenseful events culminate in a realistic train smash, following bombing by British planes. A piquant romantic slant and deft comedy touches relieve the engrossing canvas

of espionage. The tragic element enters with the cold-blooded killing of a suspected spy, ultimately revealed to be innocent. The plan is to put “paid” to a German spy who is about to visit Palestine to buy Arab support with the Fatherland’s money. First, Ashenden suspects a completely innocent man, who is sent to his doom. Later he discovers the true spy is an alleged American who has been paying attention to “ Mrs Ashenden. The chase begins, culminating on the Constantinople express, with British planes causing a wreck with well-aimed bombs. -The enemy agent is killed by the Mexican, and Ashenden and his “ wife ” set about a genuine marriage, for their association has resulted in love. The cast includes Madeleine Carroll, Robert Young, Peter Lorre, famous Continental actor, and John Gielgud, one of the finest actors on the English stage and screen. MAYFAIR THEATRE A young actor who has achieved outstanding success in recent years, Robert Donat, gives a particularly sound performance in “The Ghost Goes West,” which heads the programme being presented at the’ Mayfair Theatre. A mixture of sparkling English comedy and satire on America, the picture makes first-class entertainment. The plot is most ingenious, and lends itself admirably to the introduction of bright dialogue and smart action. The relations of three people—Murdoch Glourie, a ghost haunting the ancient Glourie Castle, his descendant, Donald Glourie, and a modern American girl —are the central theme. The close resemblance between the ghost and Donald—both parts are played by Robert Donat—causes the girl some misgivings, especially when the ghost is very forward with his affections, and Donald, her true lover, appears rather backward. All is solved in the climax, however, and the interest is maintained until the last scene. The supporting film is an exciting mystery drama entitled “ Guard that Girl.” The leading roles are taken by Robert Allen and Florence Rice. The box plans are at the theatre sweet shop and the D.I.C.