AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23369, 8 December 1937, Page 4

AMUSEMENTS

REGENT THEATRE A dramatic incident in the Spanish War a few months ago has served as the basis of the story of "The Last Train From Madrid," the film which heads the currrent programme at the Regent Theatre. The story opens with a bombardment in Madrid, amid which the nine characters in thr story make their fateful contacts in four groups. When the loyalists have managed to reopen the railway communication with Valencia, it is decided to despatch one train with the refugees. Only a limited number can be taken, and the struggles of these nine people give a cross-sec-tion of the whole turmoil and distress! Lew Ay res, Dorothy Lamour. Karen Mprley, Lionel ,Atwill. and Gilbert Roland head the cast. The box plans are at the theatre and at the D.I.C. " m " WOMAN CHASES MAN" Sam Goldwyn wanted to make a crazy comedy, and with typical thoroughness he has made the craziest ever. This is "Woman Chases Man," which will be screened at the Regent Theatre on Friday. Miriam Hopkins is a starving but determined woman architect who badgers promoter Charles Winninger to let her design houses for his model garden estate. When she finds that Winninger is penniless, and that his straight-laced son. played by Joel McCrea, holds the purse strings, she enters into an alliance with him for an attack on the young man as soon as he returns from a cruise. Installed in the palatial home, with a couple of friends to take the. place of the lost butler and the cook, Miss Hopkins goes to work on the son. It is a hard fight, and a hectic one, including such skirmishes as the serving of a meal cooked by Winninger over a camp fire in the garden; a champagne party for two; a tipsy celebration by McCrea; and finally the riotous climax, which takes place in a tree outside McCrea's bedroom at night. It is all very amusing, very explosive and full of the most admirable touches of originality, such as Miss Hopkins suspended from the branch of a tree by the seat of her pyjamas, and an ex-kinema usherette playing maid and showing in guests with an instinctive mind-the-step gesture. Charles Winninger as the scatterbrained, financially optimistic father has some extremely delightful moments. Ella Logan and Broderick Crawford, in smaller parts, are no less effective when they have the chances to be.

'■ , ST. JAMES THEATRE The entertaining comedy-romance " Laughing Irish Eyes" continues to attract large audiences to the St. James Theatre. Phil Regan, the possessor of a pleasing tenor voice and a likeable personality, heads an excellent cast including Walter C. Kelly and Evelyn Knapp. The story is a pleasant mixture of Irish comedy, American prize-fighting and radio broadcasting, and it provides entertainment to suit all tastes. The supporting programme is headed by an interesting film of the Dionne Quintuplets, other features being a travelogue of the West Indies, a Pathe Pictorial and a rtewsreel. The box plans are at the theatre, the D.I.C. and Jacobs's. "AS GOOD AS MARRIED" New Universal's brilliant comedydrama "As Good as Married" will be commenced at the St. James Theatre on Friday. The picture . is, with no exaggerated statement of fact, dazzling. The-New Universal has given it splendid production, fine cast, beautiful sets and the best of writing and directing talent. It is a novel story, centring around the efforts of a successful architect to save money on his income tax by marrying his secretary, who is in love with him. Naturally, there would be complications arising, and plenty arise in "As Good as Married." Heading the cast are John Boles and Doris Nolan. With these two stars are such exceptional performers as Walter Pidgeon, Tala Birell, Alan Mowbray, Katherine Alexander, Esther Ralston and Dorothea Kent, the clever "golddigger" in "More than a Secretary.' The dialogue in "As Good as Married " is of the fast, humorous, breezy type, carrying either a laugh or a dramatic episode as often as the plot will allow. It is produced by the studio that scored so satisfactorily with "Three Smart Girls." and it has the same happy appeal. OCTAGON THEATRE "White Bondage," a story of the badly-treated employees of American cotton plantations, heads the excellent double-feature programme at the Octagon Theatre. Heading the cast of this intensely dramatic film are Jean Muir and Gordon Oliver, who give outstanding portrayals. The associate feature is "Fly Away, Baby," an excellent comedy-drama of the air. The box plans will be found at the theatre and at Begg's. " JOHN MEADE'S LADY" Edward Arnold is again the selfindulgent, bluff and hearty lumber magnate in Paramount's " John Meade's Lady," which will be commenced at the Octagon Theatre on

Friday. This time he plays opposite Francine Larrimore, the well-known American stage actress, who makes her screen debut in this interesting story of financial greed and a woman's revolt. As John Meade, Arnold wrests success and wealth from everything he handles, and with hands none too clean, even though he can be most generous when the occasion arises. It is only when he comes up against a rival in an indignant girl whom he has used to vent his spleen on another that he realises there is more in life than riches and domination. Amused by the scornful attitude of a young and extremely crude farm girl who has failed to find work m Chicago, Meade befriends and finally marries her—simple as a gesture of derision for the scheming society beauty whom he jilts on her wedding day. John Meade's "lady learns from the outraged fiancee the true reason why her husband married her. Bitterly disillusioned, she leaves him and returns to the country, where she finds the farmers of her district smarting under the pressure of Meade s mortgages, which he has obtained in an attempt to control the local wheat fields The girl, inflamed with hatred, incites the farmers to rise against Meade, A realistic climax is heightened in intensity by a great dust storm that overwhelms the township. STRAND THEATRE Melodrama and musical romance are the main ingredients of the two productions at the Strand Theatre this week. "Armoured Car deals with gang warfare in the United States from a novel angle. Armoured cars are not only useful in wartime, but such proportions has the crime wave reached that armoured cars are necessary in some of the large cities as payroll cars. The film deals with the activities of a highly-organised gang who plot to attack these movable fortresses. Robert Wilcox. Judith Garrett, Irving Pichel. and Cesar Romero have the leading roles. " Radio Lover" presents a cast of English radio favourites in a oright and light entertainment. The box plans are at the theatre and at the D.I.C. "HOUSE OF A THOUSAND CANDLES " Another excellent double-feature programme will be presented at the Strand Theatre on Friday. The tricks of international spy work, which, in this instance, saved Europe from a disastrous war, are opened up to the picture-going public in the first feature, Republic's " House of a Thousand Candles." Things they had never dreamed of occur with dramatic swiftness, and sudden surprises of plot development and unexpected thrilling climaxes are said to hold spectators

spellbound on the edge of their seats. Phillip Holmes, Irving Pichel, Rosita Moreno, and Mae Clarke have the leading roles in this enthralling drama. A million dollars' worth of racing talent burns up America's fastest motor racing tracks in " Speed to Spare," the second film. Brother against brother racing grimly for glory while the crowd in the stands thought they were just a couple of dare-devils. Fury and peril ride in the driver's seat. The racing brothers are played by Charles Quigley and Eddie Nugent, while the girl at stake is Dorothy Wilson. EMPIRE THEATRE After an all-too-long interval, the talents of Ralph Lynn, Tom Walls, and Ben Travers are once more combined in a lively comedy production. "For Valour," which is now being shown at the Empire Theatre, casts Walls and Lynn in unusual roles, and Ben Travers, author of so many delightful stories, has woven an ingeniously tangled plot round which the sequences are built. Lynn appears as Major Hilary Pike, a soldier of the Boer War period who is rescued by a ne'er-do-well private (Walls), and in gratitude determines to bring up their sons together. The story then moves to more recent times, when the pair appear as the children of the former characters now reached the age of maturity, if not' of wisdom, and the remainder of the story deals with their misadventures. The box plans are at the theatre and at the D.I.C. "LOVE ON THE RUN" "Love on the Run," which will be the next attraction at the Empire Theatre, celebrates the reunion of that most delightful of love teams—Joan Crawford and Clark Gable—in their first picture together since "Forsaking All Others." " Love on the Run " deals with an American heiresss in Europe on a pleasure trip, whose millions are cordially desired in exchange for a shoddy title. When she discovers the facts in the case the wedding is called off. At that point Gable enters the scene as a newspaper correspondent on the trail of a cable despatch. To avoid complications, the girl agrees to dodge her almost in-laws by joining Gable in a stolen plane. He is not a good pilot, but they get off, and in doing so Joan receives a huge bouquet of flowers thrust into her hand at the airport. In the air, they discover a note in the roses and from it learn that the owners of the plane are spies. The gift of roses was a case of mistaken identity, but it gives Gable a story to cable to his home paper. From that point on the story gathers speed and is never without action. A rival reporter enters the case, and the trio is chased all over Europe by spies until the proper exigencies enable them to turn the tables. Not for a long time i

has there been a picture which has the freshness, gaiety, and spontaneity of "Love on the Run." Acted to perfection by its ace team of stars with the support of Franchot Tone, Reginald Owen, Mona Barrie, and others, the new offering has that combination of wit, charm, and pulsating action which marked such earlier hits as " The Thin Man " and " It Happened One Night." Joan Crawford has never been more vibrant than in her role of the American heiress who, on the verge of marrying a nobleman, finds out just in time that it is her money rather than herself that he is after. GRAND THEATRE Jack Hulbert comedy at its best effervesces like champagne, and the Gau-mont-British picture, which will oe the featured attraction on the Grand Theatre's new programme, is one of the very best vintage, but entirely new. The'label on the bottle is "Take My Tip." With Hulbert is Cicely Courtneidge, and the pair, as Lord and Lady Pilkington, capture an audience right at the beginning with a first-class family row done in the best artistic manner. The row halts artistically as Butler Paradine (played by Frank Cellier) enters, and as the door closes behind the butler's departing figure the dispute breaks out again violently just where it left off. In fact, the continunity of Lord and Lady Pilkington's matrimoni?J recriminations, though punctuated by servants' entries, is perfect. A seller of bogus oil mines (played by Harold Huth) then enters, and makes off with the last £15,000 of the Pilkington family fortune, which reduces Jack Hulbert from the peerage to a post as head waiter in a Dalmation hotel, now run by his ex-butler, Paradine. Here bis trials are many. Through a maze of comical absurdities Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge now travel, in various guises and disguises, in which Cicely proves her versatility first as a Russian Countess, later as wife of a retired colonel (Hulbert). A quarrelling but co-operating pair, they succeed at length in outwitting the oil shark (Huth), on whom they unload a valueless oil well of their own. There is an entertaining programme of supporting items, and the box plans are at the theatre and Begg's. STATE THEATRE As a bright show, breezy and humorous, unqualified commendation can be awarded " Wake Up and Live." the principal offering on the State Theatre's programme. Walter Winchell and Ben Bernie and his band set a fast pace and a high standard of entertainment, but there is additional talent of an equally attractive style. Alice Faye, Ned Sparks, Jack Haley, Patsy Kelly and Leah Ray form an imposing team and lend "Wake Up and Live" the

variety that has made it a first-class comedy romance. Lively music, clever, dancing and a series of oleasing songs set the tone of the production, which never flags and caters for. all tastes. There is an excellent supporting programme. The box plans are at the theatre and Begg's. u THE WOMAN I LOVE " Promising one of the most vital dramas distinguishing the motion picture screen, " The Woman I Love " has been produced as a romantic action picture starring Paul Muni and Miriam Hopkins and featuring Louis Hayward in a domestic triangle developed amid the frenzied days of the World War on the Marne front and mounting to a' sensational denouement during a spectacular air battle fought by two French flying heroes whose heartaches over one woman form the motives of the story. This RKO Radio production will be the next attraction at the State Theatre. The night before departing for the front lines, Louis Havward, as a young volunteer in the French flying service, meets and protects a beautiful girl, Miriam Hopkins, during an air raid on Paris. He rapidly falls in love with her. When he arrives at the air base of his squadron he is assigned to Paul Muni, and as the result of their battles in the air together, a strong friendship ensues When the young flyer returns to Paris, on liberty, he is stunned to learn that the girl he loves, and who now passionately loves him, is the wife of his friend, the pilot. The action then races" to a thrilling climax. MAYFAIR THEATRE Columbia's "North of Nome" is the first feature on the Mayfair Theatre's new programme. Jack Holt; hardy veteran of many a gunfight, plays the stellar role, while Evelyn Venable is his leading lady. The film deals with the activities, of one John Raglan, seal poacher, who is being sorely troubled by a rival named Hr.age. In. an attempt to shake the parasitical Haage, Raglan dynamites a dock and strands himself in one of the corporationowned islands that have been the scene of his illegal seal hunting. "Old Hutch," the second film, deals with a man who has not worked for 20 years because of " back trouble." While fishing one day he accidentally stumbles upon a'box of hidden loot, £25J000 in all. "Old Hutch" is portrayed by the inimitable' Wallace Beery.. Because he has not worked in years and is known to be without a cent, he realises that it would be impossible for him to cash any of the £IOOO bills. Hutch gets a job running a farm in order to save enough money to start using the stolen bills without arousing suspicion. He finds a new hiding place for his treasure, but one day learns that the land has been sold and buildings are being I

constructed on the spot where he hid the money. A few days later herer turns to the spot and there is picked up by the desperadoes who had-siuien. the money in the first place and then .'•' rediscovered it in Hutch's hiding place; l The bandits lure himi into, their car;' and at the conclusion' of his thrilling experiences with them he receives £ 1000 reward . fojr. siding . in. the cap- ■ ture and conviction'* of the despera-'!' ' does.