AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23595, 3 September 1938, Page 10

AMUSEMENTS

OCTAGON THEATRE "One thing is certain; I am going to see it again," was one comment heard as the delighted crowds filed out of the Octagon Theatre yesterday after the opening screening of The Baroness and the Butler," the outstanding comedy which features the irresistible French actress Annabella and the inimitable William Powell. In her first American picture Annabella is more delightfully beautiful and attractive than ever, which is saying a great deal when her success in "Wings of the Morning" is recalled. She is the beautiful baroness of the title of the film, and the suave Powell is the butler. Politics form the basis of the plot, and the value of democratic government is displayed in often a rather satirical nature. The opening scene shows the important position occupied by Powell as the butler in the castle of the Prime Minister of Hungary. He is the perfect butler, humble, obedient, welt-spoken and courteous, and it seems that the household cannot go on without him. ine Prime Minister is a staunch Conservative who has a great affection for his indispensable servant. The country is on the eve of parliamentary elections, and it comes as a great shock to the Count. Countess and the Baroness when the results of thei elections are announced. True the Prime Minister is re-elected, but to the surprise of all the butler »s also elected as a member of a political party strongly opposed to the Conservatives. A Gilbertian situation arises where the Prime Minister and his butier give directly opposed speeches over the air. Powell continues to serve his employer faithfully in the castle but.in the House of Parliament h« disagrees violently with the Counts policy. Powell Is determined to lead, the workers of the country to better living conditions, and his speeches are fiery and vehement in his attempt to displace the Count from office. But. thj Prime Minister is broad-minded enougn to respect the opinions of the butler and retains him in his employment The butler follows his employer right into the House itself, attending to his every wish, but once they ar* seated on the opposite sides of the floor the butler becomes the politician and hurls challenges and allegations against the gentle count. But gradually things go wrong in the household and the butler is discharged. Almost at the same time the Prime Minister is put out of office, and a coalition party is formed. While the count retains his affection for the butler-pohti-cian, the beautiful baroness shows him that she no longer has any regard for him, and tells him so in no uncertain terms. She is married to a worthless young man with political ambitions, and it is during a ball given in honour of the Coalition Government that the unexpected turn in the plot occurs The ex-butler is among the guests, and it is while the baroness is reluctantly entertaining him that the pair discover their love for one another. The husband discovers them in a passionate embrace, and offers to divorce the ' baroness without a scandal at the price of a Cabinet job, in place of Powell. This would mean the ruin of Powells political ambitions, and to refuse would mean a scandal for the woman he loves. The climax is an excellent scene in the House of Parliament. It is a delightful comedy in the fast-moving modern style, and has for a background romantic Budapest and a picturesque Hungarian castle. Apart from Annabella, who is a strikingly beautiful young woman with the elusive quality of poise and dignity that so many American actresses lack, and the polished William Powell, the cast includes such brilliant players as Henry Stephenson and Helen Westley, who give highly polished performances. The supporting programme is fully in keeping with the excellence of the main attraction, and there is one feature in particular which should prove of interest to Dunedin swimmers. The box plans are at the theatre and at Begg's.

EMPIRE THEATRE Already claimed as one of the stage's most versatile comedians, George Wallace adds to his reputation considerably in "Let George Do It," which commenced what should be a highly successful season at the Empire Tneatre yesterday. Though the origin of the title may be a trifle obscure, " George certainly succeeds in raising the laughs, and even if his comedy is one of the slapstick variety it is none the less appreciated for all that. He is seen in a number of scenes distinctly reminiscent of his appearances on the stage, but this by no means detracts from the entertainment of his performance. His facial expressions from the start are sufficient to convulse the most staid of audiences and when it is taken into consideration that he is seen in a picture redolent with humorous situations, the full scope of. his fun-making is more than evident. He appears in the role of Joe Blake (a highly suggestive name to begin with), who is momentarily expecting to inherit a fortune, but' even his best friends believe this to be but another figment of an altogether prolific imagination. He first appears as a stage hand who, as may be easily imagined, has a habit ot getting into trouble. This is not only at home, where he is possessed of the doubtful blessing of a virulent landlady, but also at work, where his habit is to become entangled in bits of string which release clouds of geese from a magician's cabinet. The climax of this particular pursuit comes when the actual performance is in progress 'Mysto," the magician, is endeavouring to secure the return of the " lady " in his "vanishing lady" act, and is considerably put out when George appears on the scene instead. Entirely oblivious to the fact that the fate of the show is at stake and that he is in front of a crowded house, George proceeds to put his gags across with considerable effect. His gallant efforts are, unfortunately, not appreciated, and he finds himself next as a waiter in a fashionable restaurant where his abortive attempts to oblige are not appreciated. His crowning sorrow comes when he is deluded into believing that his fortune has actually arrived, and, on learning of the fraud, he attempts deliberately to drown his sorrows. Very much in his cups he tries valiantly to commit suicide, but despite a potent mixture concocted by himself from the shelves of a chemist's shop, he still survives to tell the tale. It is at this stage that he comes across Mr Zilch, proclaimed loudly as the toughest man in town, and in return for the privilege of being " bumped off " he leaves his niggardly estate to the gangster. Then the necessary complications ensue. Overnight George becomes the heir of an immense fortune on the condition that he sign a certain document at 4 o'clock the following afternoon. On leaving his lawyer's office he is taken in tow by Mr Zilch and his satellites, who soon make it clear to George that half a loaf is better than no bread, and that if he does not sign over a generous portion of his fortune to them he will not see a penny of it, as he will be kept in custody until it is too late. George is not kidnapped unobserved, however, and two staunch friends come to his assistance. One of his thoughtless captors having disposed of him through a window in the course of a wrestling demonstration, George escapes, and, after an hilarious climax in which he jazzes about Sydney Harbour in a speedboat closely pursued by Mr Zilch and his confederates, George succeeds in complying with the conditions of his wealthy, though eccentric, relatives will. Foremost among thp numerous attractions of the supporting programme is the stage appearance of "Northey's Silver Six." a party of talented' acrobats, who are certain to appeal to Dunedin audiences. Another striking item is the featurette "London Awake?." which contains some striking camera studies of London in the early listfit of dawn. Box plans will be found at the theatre and the D.I.C.

GRAND THEATRE Peter Loire has the leading role in "Thank You, Mr Moto," which heads the current programme at the Grand Theatre. His portrayal of the business man who combines his trade with a little sleuthing is one which should naturally take the place of the late Warner Oland's Charlie Chan. In his latest production his investigations take him to the Gobi Desert in search of some precious gems whose existence dates from the glorious days of Gengis Khan. In the course of his business activities Mr Moto comes across some mysterious Chinese scrolls which point to the existence of the precious jewels. They have already caused eight deaths by the time they come to Mr Moto's notice, and, intrigued by their message, he burns them and proceeds with his investigations. He is next seen as a camel driver in the Gobi Desert, and during a duststorm he is attacked by a mysterious Chinese. From here he moves by sundry.steps to his objective, death accompanying his every footstep. Also screening is "Romance in Flanders." The box plans are at the theatre and at Begg's. STATE THEATRE Lavishly conceived and brilliantly executed, ." The Adventures of Marco Polo," which commenced a season at the State Theatre yesterday, provides entertainment which should have a strong general appeal. The story of Marco Polo is, in sober fact, remarkable enough, but it is hardly screen fare in the original version. From some of the incidents referred to, however, the adaptors have woven an exciting story, and the directors have made full use of the scope provided them in the Oriental backgrounds of several centuries ago. It only remained for a cast to be chosen which would be worthy of the vehicle, and in this direction nothing was spared. Gary Cooper was cast for the principal role and given the support of such players as Basil Rathbone, George Barbier, Alan Hale, H. B. Warner, and Ernest Truex, and for the chief feminine role Samuel Goldwyn decided to launch his latest protegee, thejnuchpublicised Sigrid Gurie. The result is fully worthy of the effort which has been expended upon it; the film is at once a oageant of a colourful era which has vanished so utterly that it is almost forgotten, a delightfully unusual romance, and a thrilling tale of derring-do, replete with tense situations, treachery, heroism, battle, and sudden death. There are also touches of lusty humour and a suggestion of satire and of burlesque. It would be a d-fficult person, indeed, who would ask for more than this. It is a story of the son of a Venetian merchant, a gay young fellow wtih a love for adventure and romantic intrigue. His talem for performing tasks which no one else would think of undertaking secures for him the mission of travelling to China to arrange trade agreements with Kublai Khan, Emperor of the East. When Marco arrives in China he is more interested in the Khan's daughter than in his merchandise. The fact that she is affianced to the King of Persia is but a small thing for both of them when Marco falls in love with her and she with him. But there is another interested party, Ahmed, a cunning Saracen, who has the Khan's confidence and is planning to betray it at the first opportunity. The age-old quarrel between China and Japan brings matters to a climax. The Khan sets out to conquer the island with a huge force, and Marco is sent to the west to spy out the defences of a neighbouring tribal leader, Khaidu. The Khan's army is overwhelmed in a storm at sea, and Ahmed seizes his opportunity and mounts the throne, hastening on preparation for his marriage with the Khan's daughter. But Marco has won the confidence of Khaidu, and he eventually leads his army to the rescue of the Khan. The story has a happy ending, but this is reached only after some amazing experiences by all the principals, a thrilling battle between the armed forces and the sensational death of the traitor. The story features Gary Cooper, whose acting is excellent, but equally good are the performances of Sigrid Gurie as the princess and Basil Rathbone as the schemer. Indeed, many will be inclined to award him the honours in a picture which calls for fine acting George Barbier strikes the right noce in his characterisation as the Khan, and Alan Hale is excellent as the tribal chief. As Marco's unfortunate secretary and book-keeper, Ernest Truex adds some amusing moments to the film. The supporting programme is short, but includes several interesting features, such as newsreels, topical items, and another of the series of popular scientific films. The box plans are at the theatre and Begg's. REGENT THEATRE That madcap pair, famous for the clever clowning of the " Thin Man" pictures, William Powell and Myrna Loy, -are back in Dunedin in a fresh feature which follows the traditions of ', its forerunners in its snap and verve. I : " Double Wedding" opened a season at the Regent Theatre yesterday. It should be said at once that this is no " Thin Man " or even " Libelled Lady." It is pure, frank farce, pushing its conclusions to ludicrous extremes and scoring with the butt rather than the blade. The amosphere is of the carefree and infectious gaiety which has characterised all of the films made by these two, Powell romping through it in one of his most madcap moods, while the beautiful Miss Loy is obliged to march through the fun with the haughty air of an outrageously insulted female dictator of domestic and social routine. Powell is cast as a Bohemian, a penniless artist travelling from place to place in a trailer. Myrna Loy is the owner of a fashionable dress shop, who believes herself to be much too busy to have time for love. The story is based on a play by the famous Ferenc Molnar. Charlie Large, the artist, likes living m a trailer because he does not have to pay rent and he wants to direct a movie. Two young people come under his spell and are willing to 'rehearse with him, and they are much more interested in this diversion than m shaping their lives according to the pattern of the girl's managing elder sister, who runs her home, her business and the lives of her associates with alarming efficiency. The boy had been boarding at the house for four years and has been sorted out as the husband for the girl. They have been engaged all this time, but the question of marriage has been postponed. Charlie Large's idea is to break all this up and marry the young sister herself, according to the conclusions drawn by the elder sister when she attempts to hurry the marriage along, and it is then that the story is properly launched, rhe whole essence of the film is the ciasn of personalities between the vagabond artist and the elder sister, and Powell and Miss Loy make of it a situation which builds up some glorious encounters. Powell is full of resource. He exploits the circumstances into which fate has pushed him and obtains a promise from Miss Loy that she will pose for some weeks until a picture is finished. The price, of the promise is that he should .resign the younger sister to her fate, in the person of the young boarder and husband-to-be. But those few weeks are sufficient to bring about a subtle change in the elder sister. She experiences the delights of the country, and escapes from the tyranny of the clock. The mingled feelings of the four main characters leads to ludicrous cross purposes, until it is all straightened out by one swift blow. There are traces of Molnar's wit and humour, but it is mostly clothed in the less delicate sublety 'of Hollywood. The trend of the narrative is infectiously gay. preposterous and here and there ornamented with festoons of verbal daring which is rather a surprise. It is farce which balances on the verge of the ridiculous, but one must laugh It is impossible to sit back in an aloof, critical mood. Without a doubt "Double Wedding" is a film replete with hilarious situations, and the finale is a riot, preposterous but extremelv i funny. The person who doe? not laugh at "Double Wedding" will never laugh at anything. The leading players are given splendid support by Florence Rice, a charming young actress and John Beal. another very promising youngster. An excellent supporting Drogramme includes an "Our Gang"

comedy, a travelogue dealing with Chile, an oddity, and news reels. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.CT ST. JAMES THEATRE There is plenty of excitement in the St. James Theatre's new programme, which consists of the two outstanding features " The Lone Wolf in Paris " and " Who Killed Gail Preston? " Both are equally entertaining and thrilling, and yet they present a pleasing contrast. Frances Drake and Francis Ledere; are the featured players in " The Lone Wolf in Paris," which tells an intensely enthralling tale of a notorious jewel thief who assists a beautiful Continental princess to save the reputation of a queen by restoring crown jewels at a critical moment Lederer is a suave and attractive Lone Wolf ana Miss Drake looks very regal and beautiful as the princess. There is plenty of excellent comedy in the film, and the climax is a particularly neat and well-enacted one. The murder of an arrogant, heartless singer forms the theme of the associate feature. "Who Killed Gail Preston? " Her murder is committed in a cabaret that is designed to represent a prison which makes the killing all the more sensational. There are many suspects and several mysterious killings following the death of Gail Preston. The methods employed by the kiiler are distinctly novel, and the final scene when he is apprehended is full of excitement. The picture reveals a talented young actress in Rita Hayworth, who makes the illfated singer an unusually arresting personality. Don Terry as the detective inspector who discovers the murderer is also virile and convincing. All the other players act well and contribute towards making the film intensely interesting from start to finish. From every point of. view the programme is bound to entertain all types of picture-goers, and those who enjoy exciting dramatic fare are particularly well catered for. The box plans for the season will be found at the theatre, the D.I.C. and Jacobs's. STRAND THEATRE Set against a background of the Franco-Prussian War, the film "Spy of Napoleon," adapted from a story by Baroness Orczy, makes absorbing and exciting entertainment. "Spy of Napoleon" is the main attraction at the Strand Theatre, and in the leading role.s are such distinguished players as Richard Barthelmess and Dolly Haas. One of the unusual features of the film is that it does not follow the fortunes of the hero and heroine continuously. Interwoven with this theme is a vivid portrayal of events leading up. to and concurrent with the Franco-Prussian War. The French viewpoint only is dealt with, and the strains of " The Marsaillaise" are heard repeatedly. A sympathetic character sketch of the " weak Louis Napoleon" is understandingly taken by Frank Vosper. but for one of the finest individual performances honours go to Francis Sullivan, as the chief of police, a harsh but faithful follower of .Napoleon. A well-knit drama is unfolded in the story, which relates how Barthelmess becomes involved with the Prussians after his exile from Frances. Eventually, however, his love for his country conquers his partisan spirit. Dolly Haas, who later plays the part of his wife, gives a fine portrayal as the girl who is coopted as a spy to work in court circles. Adapted from a Crime Club novel, "The Lady in the Morgue" is an exciting and fast-moving drama in which one complication rapidly succeeds the other before the mystery is solved. Patricia Ellis. Frank Jenks •and Barbara Pepper head a large cast. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. MAYFAIR THEATRE , "Heidi," one of the world's famous stories, had to wait for its star before it could be brought to the screen, declares Darryl F. Zanuck, and the reas is evident. Shirley Temple was '.. '. in the title role in response to the th. '- sands of movie enthusiasts. The resu.' is a picture which is ideally cast and gloriously portrayed, an achievement in transcribing a familiar and beloved story to the screen. Heading the cast is Jean Hersholt, famous veteran actor who gives his greatest characterisation as the grandfather of " Heidi." A taciturn recluse dwelling high in the Alps, the character is the most difficult he has ever had to portray. Arthur Treacher, as the comic butler in a rich Frankfort home, is "Heidi's" sole defender in many dramatic scenes, and a sympathetic portrayal of "Blind Anna" is provided by Hellen Westley. Redblooded action of the type that everyone has come to expect from Paramount's "Hopalong" Cassidy Western stories, is supplied in pood measure in the latest of these outdoor romances, " North of the Rio Grande," which will be the second film. William Boyd comes to the screen for the eleventh time in the role of "Hoppy." With him ride "Windy," played by George Hayes, and "Lucky" Jenkins, portrayed by the handsome newcomer, Russell Hayden. Taken from the Clarence E. Mulford novel "Cottonwood Gulch," the story is concerned with the manner in which Cassidy rids a frontier town of its crook-officials and in the same sweep annihilates a band of train robbers. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C.