AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23511, 27 May 1938, Page 4

AMUSEMENTS

STRAND THEATRE Fay Compton and Barbara Greene are tne stars of the Fox picture, “ Wedding Group,” now showing at the Strand Theatre. The strong supporting cast includes Patric Knowles, Alastair Sim, Bruce Seton, and Ethel Glendinning. “ Wedding Group ” introduces two clever youngsters in Derek Blomfield and Billy Dear, and is said to be a picture which should not be missed. It has an excellent story, a brilliant cast, authentic settings, beautiful photography, and some of the most emotional acting the screen has ever seen. Tom Tyler, star of “ Silent Valley,” the second film, has the role of a sheriff, tracking down a band of rustlers. He discovers that his sweetheart’s brother is connected with them, but the girl refuses to believe this, and they part. The Mayor, actually leader of the rustlers, attempts to get Tyler ousted from his office, but fails, Tyler discovers that one of his deputies is a killer, in league with the Mayor, and follows up the connection, eventually catching the rustlers and unmasking the Mayor. Box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. OCTAGON THEATRE In “ Lancer Spy.” which is at present being shown at the Octagon Theatre, Marthe McKenna tells an exciting story about an elaborate coup made by the British Intelligence Office during the war. Among the German prisoners on the Western front is one who bears a strikling resemblance to a lieutenant in the British Navy, so the lieutenant is taken off his ship, officially announced as dead, shaved and cropped in the German manner, and sent to Berlin bearing the German prisoner’s name, George Sanders gives a good deal of character to the part of the lieutenant, and Peter Lorre is extremely effective as a vindictive German major. Maurice Moscovitch is a grand old personality as a Prussian general, and Lionel Atwill is well cast a.s the chief of the British Intelligence. The box plans are at the theatre and at Begg’s. “ IN OLD CHICAGO ” Alice Brady, who once again establishes herself as a dramatic actress after a series of light-comedy roles.

ran away from school to become a member of a stock company—despite the fact that her father was and is one of America’s greatest theatrical producers. Her work in “ In Old Chicago,” Darryl F. Zanuck’s production for Twentieth Century-Fox, is an example of her best. She is the principal support of the picture’s three stars, Tyrone Power. Alice Faye, and Don Ameche. “ In Old Chicago ” will be shown at the Octagon Theatre next week. EMPIRE THEATRE Anna May Wong, Philip Ahn, Charles Bickford and Larry Crabbe have the leading roles in “ Daughter of Shanghai,” which will be commenced at the Empire Theatre to-day. The story commences when, in an unidentifiable plane in which six aliens are huddled, Harry Morgan and James Lang, alien smugglers, flee a pursuing Government plane. Pressed hard, they dump the screaming “evidence” into the sea. Later, two of the “brains’ behind the smuggling ring, Frank Barden and Andrew Sleete. approach Quan Lin. wealthy merchant and demand that he take some aliens off their hands. When he refuses they kill him. Lan Ying Lin, his daughter, goes to Mrs Hunt, wealthy society matron, for help. She introduces the girl to an inspector and Kim Lee, a Government agent. When they leave it is revealed that Mrs Hunt is the power behind the smuggling ring. Determined to bring her father s murderers to ‘ustice. Lan Ying Lin turns detective, and soon finds herself on a remote island, where she takes a job as dancer in a low-class cabaret operated by Hartman. She discovers that the resort is a blind for an alien “ receiving station." She gets the evidence on Hartman, disguises herself as a man, and flees the island with Lee. They work secretly together, gather evidence against the smuggling band, and succeed in smashing it. Box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C GRAND THEATRE The name Edgar Wallace is synonymous with fast, thrilling entertainment, packed with suspense and interspersed with good comedy, and The Squeaker,” the Alexander Korda production which is now being shown at the Grand Theatre, is the screen adaptation of one of his best stones. The film concerns the efforts of Scotland Yard to capture a mysterious criminal known as the Squeaker, because he exposes smaller wrong-doers to the police unless they sell him their loot on his own terms. A particularly talented cast appears in the production, headed by Edmund Lowe as ex-inspector Barrabal of Scotland Yard, a brilliant detective brought to the verge of ruin by drink. It is he who captures the mysterious underworld figure Appearing opposite Lowe in the principal feminine role is Ann Todd, the brilliant young English actress, who appears as Carol fatedman, and Sebastian Shaw takes the part of her fiance, Frank Sutton. There is an entertaining supporting programme. , The box plans are at the theatre and at Begg’s. STATE THEATRE When Lily Pons .nade her first motion picture, “I Dream Too Much," she smashed an ancient operatic tradition—that a star should never appear with another player who might by chance overshadow her performance.

From earliest times the great of the entertainment world have fought for adherence to this rule, and, though stage and screen players have since got away from it, the tradition still holds good in large part for the temperamental headliners of the operatic world. Miss Pons, by accepting Henry Fonda for her leading man in her first film, and later agreeing to appear with such stars as Osgood Perkins, Eric Blore, Mischa Auer and Lucille Ball, made producers think the millenium had been reached. However, in her third and latest film, “ Hitting a New High,” commencing to-day at the State Theatre, she goes beyond the earlier two in the matter of supporting players. Oakie is again seen in an important role, but he is co-starred. Eric Blore, Edward Everett Horton, John Howard and Eduardo Ciannelh also are in the cast. Box plans are at the theatre and at Begg’s. REGENT THEATRE When a husband is too occupied with outside interests to give any time to his home, has his wife the right to look elsewhere for romance? That is the problem treated by the new Marlene Dietrich picture “Angel,” which will be shown to-day at the Regent Theatre. “Angel” was directed by Ernst Lubitsch and features Herbert Marshall and Melvyn Douglas. Marlene Dietrich plays the wife of Herbert Marshall, who is a diplomat too busy with State affairs to have time for romance. She goes off on a secret trip to Paris, where she meets Melvyn Douglas, who is returning to England after a long sojourn in India. Immediately they fall in love and spend the one evening she has free together. She refuses to tell her name, saying that, although she regrets it, the evening must be looked upon as an maiden! which cannot be repeated. Douglas names her “Angel.” When Douglas returns to England he and Marshall become friends, and he is invited to Marshall’s home. There he and Miss Dietrich meet, but no hint of their former acquaintance is given. She, however, worn Out by the strain of the situation, runs away to Paris, and her final choice, made after painful deliberation, concludes the picture. Box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. ST. JAMES THEATRE One of the most spectacular and impressive settings ever constructed for a motion picture is a minutelyaccurate reproduction of England s venerable House of Commons, wheie much of the dramatic action was filmed for “Parnell.” co-starring Clark Gable and Myrna Loy, the powerful new drama which, after a successful week at the Empire Theatre will be continued at the St. James Theatre today. Edna May Oliver Billie Burke. Alan Marshall. Edmund Gwenn, Donald Crisp. Berton Churchill, Donald Meek and others have prominent roles, and, in addition, there is a large group of native Irish men and women who provide realistic atmosphere. The story begins in America with the departure of Parnell for Ireland, where he became the Uncrowned King,” and the first man ever to unite the 86 members of the Irish Party. The love affair between Parnell and Katie O’Shea, the scandal of the divorce which wrecked his political career, and the intervening episodes of a spectacular romance are vividly presented in a picture which should rate as one of the finest of the year. The box plans are at the theatre, the D.1.C., and Jacobs’s.

MAYFAIR THEATRE Lionel Barrymore gives a sterling performance as an old country judge in “A Family Affair,” which is now being shown at the Mayfair Theatre. The story deals with life in a small American town. An old family, long respected, comes to grief when an older married daughter becomes involved with another man. At the same time, her father, a courageous old country judge, returns a decision on a public project that is bitterly opposed by the town people, but it is nis firm stand against public opinion, which eventually saves the family honour. The second picture on the programme is “ Trouble in Morocco,’ a tale of gun-running and the rivalry between two newspaper correspondents, a man and a woman, in Morocco. .Tack Holt is cast in the leading role, and gives another of his virile and effective performances. The box plans are at Gadd’s and the D.I.C. “ONE HUNDRED MEN AND A GIRL ” Deanna Durbin, who rose to screen fame in “ Three Smart Girls,” is starred in her second picture, Universal s " One Hundred Men and a Girl,” a comedy-drama with music, which will be shown to-morrow at the Mayfair Theatre. Featured with Deanna Durbin is Leopold Stokowski, famous conductor of the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra. An unusual cast surrounds Deanna. Adolphe Menjou is seen as her father, a musician who, with 100 fellow-artists, seeks recognition of talent and a chance for a livelihood. Alice Brady portrays a society matron who promises Deanna to sponsor the orchestra, but whose sudden departure for Europe precipitates the crisis leading up to the films dramatic climax. Another example of the all too prevalent fault of hiding en excellent film under an absurd title can be found in the second feature. “ Crimson Romance ” is the title, which hardly does justice to the film, for It is an'exciting war melodrama with a story rather off the beaten track. It moves briskly and logically, and is productive of many thrilling and spectacular scenes of aerial combat.