AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23499, 13 May 1938, Page 15

AMUSEMENTS

I EMPIRE THEATRE Hailed by United Slates naval officers as the most authentic picture of Annapolis ever presented on the screen. " Navy Blue and Gold,” which will commence its Dunedin season at the Empire Theatre to-day, welds all the important phases of life through, which midshipmen pass in their first two years at the Academy into a thrilling story, brought to a climax by the annual Army-Navy game in which the three leading characters participate. Particularly qualified for their roles as the football-playing trio arc Robert Young, James Stewart, and Tom Brown. Young has previously appeared as a naval officer in “ Hell Divers,” ‘Hell Below," and “To-day We Live.” and he played football in “ Saturday’s Millions " and “ The Band Plays On.” Stewart, a former Princeton track star previously appeared in a Navy role in “ Born to Dance.’ 1 Brown scored one of his greatest hits in “Annapolis Farewell.” The remainder of the cast is hand-picked, including such screen favourites as Lionel Barrymore, Florence Rice. Billie Burke, Samuel S. Hinds. Paul Kelly and Barnett Parker. Many scenes for the picture were filmed on the grounds at Annapolis. Sam Wood directed with technical aid from Cotton Warburton and Gil Kuhn for football sequences. Commander Harvey S. Haislip. U.S.N., retired, served as technical adviser for Navy scenes. Box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. GRAND THEATRE Mirth reigns supreme in “Said O’Reilly to McNab.” the clever comedy which is the current attraction at the Grand Theatre. This picture, which is one of the funniest ever produced in a British studio, features two new comedy stars who are destined for considerable popularity. First, there is O'Reilly, played by Will Mahoney, who proves to be just as good on the screen as on the stage, where his IrishAmerican brand of humour has made him one of the most famous of the present-day comedians in England and America. Will Fyffe, the well-known Scottish humorist, is seen at his funniest as McNab. the hard-headed Scotsman, to whose daughter an Irishman from New York tries to marry his son The versatile Fyffe has a hard time trying to convince O’Reilly that Scotch whisky is better than Irish, and his efforts to prove the sword dance’s superiority to the Irish jig are amazingly funny. The story is amusing and clever in its development, and the dialogue is extremely well written. The theme is similar to that of the famous “ Cohens and Kellys films, and the excellent supporting cast includes Ellis Drake, a well-known stage actress, in her first film, as a woman trying to reduce. Her efforts provide some of the funniest scenes of the film. A young actor who also plays his part well is Robert Gall, a talented comedian. The box plans are at the theatre and at Begg's. STATE THEATRE Samuel Goldwyn knew that he had a great theme in “ The Hurricane,” which comes to the State Theatre, with Dorothy Lamour and Jon Hall heading a cast which includes Mary Astor, C. Aubrey Smith, Thomas Mitchell, Raymond Massey. John Carradine. and Jerome Cowan In this dramatic saga of the South Seas, written by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall, authors of “ Mutiny on the Bounty,” he was confident he had u story rich in every element of kinematic entertainment. “The Hurricane,” with its romance, its drama, its picturesque setting. and its spectacle climax, is a story ready-cut to the screen. On the low island of Manukura, 600 miles from Tahiti, two native sweethearts, Terangi and Marama, are wed. Their brief happiness is shattered when Terangi. returning to Tahiti on the trading schooner of which he is first mate, is imprisoned for striking a white man who insults him. After five years of unsuccessful attempts, the boy escapes from Tahiti and makes hi.s way to his native island. The search for him is at its height when a great hurricane begins to blow up. Unmindful of his own safety, the youth goes to Manukura to warn the inhabitants. In the fury that follows, he plays a heroic part, and the hurricane provides one of the most thrilling and powerful climaxes the screen has ever shov/n. Box plans are at the theatre and at Begg’s. REGENT THEATRE The management of the Regent Theatre will present to-day “ Merry-Go-Round of 1938.” Produced by Universal studios, which have recently turned out such hits as “Three Smart Girls.” “ The Road Back ” and “ Mad About Music.” “ Merry-Go-Round of 1938” presents a cast consisting of a mixture of the best Broadway and Hollywood comedians, dancers and specialty numbers. Bert Lahr, Jimmie Savo and Billy House, who have been fixtures on Broadway for years, are teamed with Mischa Auer. Alice Brady and Louise Fazenda. John King, of ’ The Road Elack.” will be seen play-* Ing opposes radio star Joy Hodges in the romantic lead roles. Musical novelties, offered by Dave Apollon, dance numbers featuring a specialty chorus of picked performers, songs and music by the noted team of Harold Adamson and Jimmie McHugh, and scores of novelty presentations are included in the picture. The comedy, directed by Irving Cummings, was produced by Buddy DeSylva. Heading the list of supporting subjects are “Car Tune Portrait” (a colour classic) and an interesting cavalcade of New Zealand industry entitled “ Our Daily Bread.” Box plans are at the D.I.C. and the theatre. ST, JAMES THEATRE A ” new Tarzan.” Herman Bnx, appears in the production “ The New Adventures of Tarzan.” that marks a new and refreshing departure in the presentation of jungle adventure films, and that will be shown to-day at the St. James Theatre Tr.is is the first time in Tarzan history that an entire motion picture company with ton? of freight and an entire souno studic equipment trekked directly into the heart of the wilderness to make a picture The result more than justified the effort, for “The New Adventures ot Tarzan” combines all the thrills of action u the famous ' Tarzan ” stories with the stark realism of an ' actual jungle locale. Herman Brix, who plays the part ol Tarzan,” makes the character live on the screen and he is ably supported by Frank Bakei Ula Holt, Dale Walsh Don Gastello, Low Sargent. Harry Ernest and the famous chimpanzee Nkima The picture was filmed by the Ashton Dearholt Expedition in Guatemala, Central America Miss Ula Holt is one of Hollywood’? outstanding female athletes and movie actresses who has appeared in Grantland Rice’s “ Sportlighis ” and has the exotic characterisation in th film Miss Holt was entirely familial with the dangers o< (his wild country having spent many months among the Indians and natives of that Cental American republic. Box plans are at the theatre, (he D.I.C. and Jacobs’s STRAND THEATRE When Director Charles e-. Coleman, jun., wanted a pair of identical girl twins for the Columbia picture, “The Shadow,” commencing to-day at the Strand Theatre, the casting office at the studio did not consider it a great problem. They called the St Claire home in Hollywood and asked for twins. Sally and Sue St. Ciaire were finally chosen for roles in “ The Shadow.’ in support of the featured players. Rita Hayworth and Charles Quigley If they bad not been accepted, tne studio could have had Molly Lou and Polly Ann St. Claire, also identical twins in the same family. There have been eight sets of identical twins in this family in the past few generations. In fact, the St. Claire family is the answer to a casting agent's prayer, when identical

twins are wanted for the movies. “ White Lilac,” the associate feature, was directed by the well-known American director, Albert Parker. In its impressive cast are Basil Sydney and Judy Gunn, who play the romantic leads following upon their great success in the previous Albert Parker film, “ The Riverside Murder.” Box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. OCTAGON THEATRE It took a lifetime ot reading, six months of intensive study, and a sizable cash outlay for Sidney Blackmcr to bring to the screen, in the picture “ His Affair,” his favourite historical character and one of the nation’s out standing personalities Theodore Roosevelt. After the well-known stage and screen actor was assigned this important part in this Twentieth CenturyFox film with Robert Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck, and Victor McLaglen in leading roles, commencing to-day at the Octagon Theatre, he spent every available hour in his home “ acting laboratory.” equipped with large mir ror, recording device and other para phernalia to recreate “1 R-” for the screen. It was six months before he was sufficiently satisfied with his characterisation to go to Darryl F. Zanuck studio production chief, and play a scene from the script in order to illustrate his interpretation. Box plans for “His Affair” will be found at the theatre and at Begg’s. MAYFAIR THEATRE The Mayfair Theatre L at present showing a powerful double-feature bill. “ I Mot Him in Paris ” and “ Counsel for Crime.” Claudette Colbert, fascinating brunette, plays the lead in the former, and is shown as a young American girl on a holiday in Pans. There she meets two young men in the persons of Robert Young and Mclvyn Douglas and. attracted by both, is unable to choose between them. Much of the action takes place in the Swiss Alps, with scenic backgrounds and winter sports sequences of thrilling grandeur. The film was directed bv Wesley Ruggles. With the highlytalented Otto Kruger and the capable Douglass Montgomery leading in “Counsel for Crime.” a capable cast Ls assembled in a most entertaining and gripping drama The story describes the activities of an unscrupulous criminal lawyer's redemption at the hand? of his son. Creditable assistance is given to the leading players by Jacoueline Wells. Marc Lawrence. Nana Bryant, and Thurston Hall. The box plans are at the D.I.C. and at Gadd'.s. “ SARATOGA ’’ A gripping romance, comedy, .-ome fine character portrayals, and thrills of a thundering race track are highlights in “Saratoga.” featuring Jean Harlow and Clark Gable, which will be shown at the Mayfair Theatre to-morrow Gable is cast as the “ square ” gambler and bookmaker in the new race track story, written bv the authors of “San Francisco.” Anita Loos and Robert Hopkins. Jack Conway directed, “ Saratoga ” tells the story of the spoiled daughter of a wealthy horse owner and a gambler and bookmaker whom she first hates, fights, then loves The background of the swift action ranges from penthouses and a London hotel to a Kentucky horse farm, the Saratoga race track, and famous races on tracks in various points of the United States. The final racing climax, photographed by special equipment, provides a genuine thrill. Bulldog Drummond returns to the screen in another “Sapper” story, with John Howard playing the part of Drummond. The new picture is entitled “ Bulldog Drummond Come- Back.” and will be the associate feature. The cast is headed by John Barrymore. Louise Campbell, end Reginald Denny. “ Bulldog Drummond Comes Back,” a Paramount picture, is the story of Drummond’s fight against a ruthless gang of criminals who kidnap his fiancee in a mad chase rll over England. which ends in a breathless climax with D’-ummond and his friends at bay in a fight for their lives. The picture wa- directed by Louis King.