AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23331, 25 October 1937, Page 13

AMUSEMENTS

EMPIRE THEATRE Combining all the essential elements of romance, intrigue, and whimsical humour, the delightful film, “The Last of Mrs Cheyney,” a former stage success, is now being shown at the Empire Theatre. With three stars of the calibre of Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery. and William Powell, the film could hardly be otherwise than successful, but, strangely enough, it is a fourth member of the cast who gives what is perhaps the most outstanding performance. He is Frank Morgan in a role that was made for him as a man just at the age when life begins. Joan Crawford herself has now definitely discarded her former type of role, in which critics condemned her as merely a large-eyed mannequin, and emerges as a vivacious and charming woman. As the young American widow who crashes into English society to steal a priceless pearl neckless and loses her heart in the process. Joan Crawford has an attractive role. Robert Montgomery is perfectly at home as a well-to-do young lord, as debonair and nlausible as ever, while William Powell has rather less of the limelight than would be exoected of a star of his calibre. The supporting players do their parts nobly. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. GRAND THEATRE Those who delight in the colourful panorama of the wes f of America will enjoy “ Fills of Old Wyoming." which heads the attractive double-feature programme now being shown at the Grand Theatre. This Paramount production is the latent of the “ Hopalong Cassidy" seizes of films, and once again presents William Boyd in this role. The main interest of the film concerns the Indians in a vast Government reserve and a dishonest Government agent who tries to use his position as a cloak for his activities as a cattle rustler. When the ranchers of the surrounding districts rise in protect they discover that they are faced by a band of hostile Indians, who believe that their interests are at stake. All of Cassidy’s brilliant horsemanship, clever gun play, and sagacity and foresight are required to straighten out the complicated situation which results. Ralph Lynn is in his funniest mood in “All In,” the associate picture. Graduating suddenly from the Boy Scouts and the presidency of the Working Girls’ Home to the proud position of sole owner and proprietor of a potential Derby winner and a bunch of wrestlers, Lynn has excellent opportunities for the display of his tdlents as a comedian. The box plans are at the theatre and at Begg's. “BULLDOG DRUMMOND ESCAPES ” E. E. Clive, noted character actor and featured player, makes his latest appearance in a comedy role in Paramount’s “ Bulldog Drummond Escapes,” latest in the popular series of light detective films, which will be shown on Wednesday at the Grand Theatre. Cast as a man-servant to Drummond, played by Ray Milland, Clive is again a somewhat eccentric English servant who, despite his peculiarities, is a great help to his master, the famous sleuth and soldier-of-for-tune. His exaggerated English accent, which made him famous, as well as the droll boredom which he affects, are brought into play to liven up the proceedings. Drummond solves the crimes which he is investigating in eight action-packed hours, in his usual sophisticated and light-hearted manner, to the satisfaction of ail concerned, particularly Inspector Neilson, who discovers that he and his assistants were working on only one angle of the complicated mess stirred up by the master criminal. STATE THEATRE The Olympic skating champion Sonja Henie, who has made a name for herself as a promising young film actress, is seen in many spectacular skating scenes in the Twentieth Cen-tury-Fox production “ Girl in a Million,” which heads the current pro gramme at the State Theatre. The film is of the musical-comedy class, and Miss Henie, in addition to exhibiting her great skill on the skates, is seen in pleasing dance numbers and shows herself to be an actress of much appeal. Comedy is provided by the Ritz Brothers. The romantic lead with Miss Henie is Don Amechc, who takes the part of a reporter inquiring into a mysterious hotel fire and puts up at the small hotel kept by Miss Henie’s father. The part of the father is played by Jean Hersholt with considerable success, and equally satisfying in a prominent role is Ned Sparks, to whom is left the task of providing the bulk of the humour of the story. As a supporter of the reporter, with the inevitable cigar protruding from the corner of his mouth, he sets about shadowing a suspect, employing a line of pungent comment on things in general that add piquancy to the story. There is a good supporting programme. The box plans are at the theatre and at Begg's. REGENT THEATRE A musical extravaganza in the typical Dick Powell style is now showing at the Regent Theatre. Impressive stage settings and a plot centred about the life of a present-day American marine, form a background for the persuasive voice of the master crooner. Dick Powell plays the part of a young and girl-shy marine who is sent fay his friends to appear on an amateur hour programme. He is an instantaneous success, and is continually mobbed by women. This turns his head a little, and it is not before he has “been through it" in more ways than one that a happy ending eventuates. He sings several new songs, which are destined to become “hits." Some of them are “ Song of the Marines,” " You Can’t Run Away From Love,” and " Because My Baby Says It’s So.” As the girl whom the “singing marine” for-

gets when he becomes famous, Doris Weston scores a great success. Larry Adler, who is well described as the “ mouth-organ wizard,” appears to good advantage. Hugh Herbert turns in a performance up to his usual high standard of eccentric clowning. Others in the cast are Lee Dixon, Jane Darwell, and Allen Jenkins. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. ST. JAMES THEATRE “The Road Back,” Erich Maria Remarque’s famous novel of the aftermath of wai, is showing in its screen form at the St. James Theatre. Magnificent as a novel, tnis inspiring p r '-‘- duction is even greater as a film. It depicts with tragic realism the strue and internal trouble in post-war Germany. The disillusioned boy-soldiers returning from the trenches find that the Armistice has brought no lasting peace. Their friends and relatives are isolated from them by a mental barrier. They are forced to return as men to the schools which they have left as boys. The box plans for this excellent drama will be found at the theatre, the D.1.C., and Jacobs’s. "NO LIMIT” George Formby, the well-known English comedian, will be seen on Friday at the St. James Theatre, on its return season to Dunedin, in the amusing comedy, “No Limit.” In the role of a chimney sweep’s help, whose one ambition is to win the famous Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Race, Formby is in his element. His amusing antics as he makes his way to the scene of the great race are jusy a gay prelude to the hilarious events that follow He is greatly assisted by the charming Florence Desmond, with whose cooperation he at last lines up for the trial race. After one of the most amusingly spectacular races filmed, Formby pushes his machine over the finishing line to win the coveted trophy and the love of his charming assistant. One of the most compelling of present-day problems is presented in entertaining fashion in “The Dominant Sex.” the screen version of Michael Egan’s record-breaking play success, which is the associate feature. OCTAGON THEATRE The Criterion Films’ production, "When Thief Meets Thief” is now being shown at the Octagon Theatre. The outstanding feature of the film is the dramatic performance of Douglas Fairbanks, junior, who is cast as a rum-runner in America in the days of prohibition. He quarrels with a confederate and in a fight the other man is killed. The leader of the gang, portrayed by Alan Hale, is the only one who knows that the criminal was killed by falling on a broken bottle and this he k<;eps a secret, blackmailing Ricky, as Fairbanks’s character is named, to force him to remain in the gang. The crisis of the film comes when both men compete for the affections of one woman, played by Valerie Hobson. The supporting picture is “ Marry the Girl, ’ an hilarious riot of nonsense, featuring Hugh Herbert, Alan Mowbray, Frank McHugh, and Mary Boland. The box plans are at the theatre and at Begg’s. STRAND THEATRE A characteristically well-mixed programme is presented at the Strand Theatre this week. The first of the two features is “Roaring Timbers, a tale of the Canadian backwoods, and the second is an Edward Everett Horton comedy, “ Oh, Doctor! ” Jack Holt has a role in which he is well at home in the backwoods film story. There is romance, treachery, and action. with a spectacular forest fire for good measure. Grace Bradley and Willard Robertson are prominently cast. The man who wrote “Ruggles of Red Gap” was responsible for the story of “Oh, Doctor!” which gives Horton an excellent opportunity for his peculiar brand of foolery. He appears as a hypochondriac whom a gang of genial crooks persuade to sign over his impending inheritance in return for a sum of money which he can immediately enjoy in what he believes is the short life before him. The supporting cast is a strong one. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. MAYFAIR THEATRE “Theodora Goes Wild,” the sophisticated comedy which heads the current programme at the Mayfair Theatre, has as its co-stars Irene Dunne and Melvyn Douglas. Miss Dunne has the part of a “small-town” girl who writes a sensational and ultra-sophisti-cated novel. She finds that she nas to live up to the false reputation she gains, and so she goes to New York. There she “ goes wild ” and enters Into a whirlwind pursuit of a young artist, played by Melvyn Douglas. The second feature is entitled “ Gentle Juha, and it features the two child stars. Jane Withers and Jackie Searl. Jane has a perfect role in this quaint story of an unofficial Cucid in a sleepy mid-west township. The box plans are at the theatre sweet shop and at the D.I.C.