AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23636, 21 October 1938, Page 14

AMUSEMENTS

STRAND THEATRE Some of the most spectacular flamefighting scenes ever thrown upon a movie screen are promised in the Warner Brothers melodrama, "She «,oved a Fireman.” which will be commenced this afternoon at the Strand Theatre, with Dick Foran as the hero. Foran plays a “ new-chum" fireman who comes under the command of a " tough ” captain, portrayed by Robert Armstrong. The two become bitter enemies even though Dick fans in love with Bob’s sister —the lovely redhaired Ann Sheridan. During the waterfront conflagration Bob is disabled and apparently doomed to death in the flames when Dick by superhuman efforts, rescues him. and then peace is restored all round. Others in the cast include Veda Ann Borg, Eddie Acuff, May Beatty and Eddie Chandler. A Gene Autry picture, “Boots and Saddle,” is scheduled as the supporting feature. Ronnie Sinclair the Dunedin boy has an important part in this production He takes the role of “Spud,” an orphaned son of a British lord, who comes to settle his father’s cattle interests A novel situation results from the youth's desire to sell the ranch to Neale an unscrupulous rancher, in order to settle his father’s estate. Neale wants o use the ranch to train horses for the army. Autry, meanwhile, has taken a kindly intere:'. in the boy,. Neale, naturally furious when he learns his plant are to be thwarted, resorts to foul means to prevent “Spud” from getting the contract. Judith Allen has the leading feminine role in this new production. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. OCTAGON THEATRE “ Happy Landing,” its scene changing from gay Norseland festivals to New York winter time spectacles, will come to the Octagon Theatre to-day This Twentieth Century-Fox musical stars Sonja Henie and Don Ameche It tells the story of a song-writing band leader (Cesar Romero) who flies across the Atlantic for a publicity stunt and comes down in a Norwegian fog-bank —almost in the middle of a folk festival known as a “ Bride’s Fair.” The custom which starts the trouble is a rule that if a young man dances twice with the same girl at the party he has proposed. The band leader, a little bit amused because one lovelorn little girl is giving him plenty of his favourite food—hero worship—dances twice with Sonja Henie. That starts the show on its way. Don Ameche. the flying baton-wielder’s companion, knows there is little or no sincere interest in Romero’s attentions, inasmuch as he is very much engaged to an American girl, played by Ethel Merman. From this point on a whole new world of interest opens for film enthusiasts. There are the colourful American winter carnivals, the glittering gaieties of Paris and Maimi and the ice ballets of New York roof gardens The songs by Pokrass and Yellen include “ Hot and Happy,” “A Gipsy Told Me,” “You Are the Music to the Words of My Heart." and “ Yonny and His Oompah.” Walter Bullock and Harold Spina, who wrote most of the hit tunes for “ Love and Hisses,” contributed “ You Appeal to Me ” to the score of “Hot and Happy.” Jean Hersholt, Ethel Merman, the Raymond Scott Quintet and Cesar Romero are featured in the cast of “ Happy Landing.” There are entertaining short films and the box plans are at the Theatre and Begg’s. EMPIRE THEATRE ” Submarine D-l," a melodrama dealing with the exploits of the American navy’s undersea boats and the gallant men who man them, will be screened at the Empire Theatre to-day. The picture is authentic as well as stirring, for it was made with the complete cooperation of the navy. There are scores of battleships, cruisers, destroyers and aeroplanes taking part, and many hundreds of sailors and marines are seen going through their peace-time and war-game duties, Pat O Brien and George Brent are co-starred, and in a part that seems-, to, be quite as important is young Wayne Morris, Then, too, in the cast are such troupers as Frank McHugh, Doris Weston, Regis Toomey and Henry p Neill. But after all. it Is the “D-l’ 1 itself—a new navy submarine, which also bears the title of “Dolphin,” that is thefiero of the piece. The plot has largelj to do with certain devices developed by Pat O’Brien and George Brent—one for sending imprisoned men in a sunken submarine to the surface safely by means of “ air lungs,” another for raising the vessel itself. Miss Weston sustains what feminine love interest there is in the story, while Frank McHugh provides his usual brand of humour. Heading the supporting programme will be “ The Long, Bright Land, a Warner Bros, travel-talk dealing with New Zealand. Filmed throughout in technicolour, this featurette offers an interesting pictorial description of the Dominion. The musical accompaniment is said to be outstanding A special “submarine” matinee is to be held to-morrow. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. GRAND THEATRE The very fact that Peter Lorre is starring in a film is sufficient evidence for most people that the picture is a thriller out of the ordinary, for it is impossible at the moment to name an actor who can fill a sinister role more suitably. But in his latest film, “Mr Moto’s Gamble, now screening at the Grand Theatre he has, strangely enough, the leading role in a thriller par excellence —but he is not the phantom killer as might have been expected; he is the man who is destined to track the killer down. This is accomplished, as Is only to be expected, but only after an ex citing and exhilarating series of incidents' that would appeal to even the most critical and blase of audiences What really starts matters off with a metaphorical " bang ” is the novel, and distinctly unusual, murder of a prizefighter—shot by a mysterious gun wiinout bullets —in view of thousands of spectators. “MrMoto” (Peter Lorre). assisted by Keye Luke (of Charlie Chan film fame), set off on the dangerous game of finding the killer and in a complex of incident and excitement that has seldom been equalled on the screen, he proves successful though only after he has endangered his own life on numerous occasions The second film is “Panamint’s Bad Man, a Western, starring Smith Ballew who introduces a number of pleasing songs. The box plans are at the theatre and Begg’s. STATE THEATRE Inhabitants of the supposedly slowwitted States of Kentucky. Arkansas, and others have of late graced the pages of many a periodical and provided laughter over the radio and on stage and screen Hollywood s latest hillbillies are no other than the three Ritz brothers, starred in Kentucky Moonshine," which will be commenced at the State Theatre this afternoon Comedy players are “two a penny on the screen, but this combination has proved itself the funniest seen for many years. Highlight of their an-ics in this film is said to come at the end. when thov burlesque Disnev’;- “Snow White and the Seven Dwarf? In costume To supplement theit «mnedv will be the support ot Tony Martin the Raymond Scott Quintet Marjorie Weaver. SHm Summerville. John Car radine Wallv Vernon and Cecil Cun nineham Lew Pollack and Sidney Mitchell wrote the musical score The Ritzes are seen against a .aeVcround of bfllbillvicrr, and broadcasting Caroline fMariorie w-s-wer' waiting her turn for an audition ai a radio station, overhears a conference at which it is decided tn send Tarrv Wade tTonv Martin) to the mountains of Kentucky to get “real" hillbilly talent Caroline forgoes her audition to njsh back to the theatrical boarding house and apprise the Ritz brothers of the radio company’s plan They all hie to the hills of the Blue Grass State, don whiskers, become involved in a longforgotten fued, but manage to steer the talent scouts in their direction. Extricating themselves from the obvi-

ous results of this fraud is what provides most of the fun of the plot. There are excellent featurettes and the box plans are at the theatre and Begg’s. REGENT THEATRE Everything that is essential in comedy, and much more besides, is contained in “ Romance for Three.” the Regent Theatre’s new attraction It has the stars, the story, the setting, and the light-hearted abandon which all adds up to an evening of hearty laughter The all-star comedy cast is headed by Frank Morgan Robert Young. Mary Astor. Edna May Oliver Florence Rice Reginald Owen Henry Hull, and Herman Bing Most of the snow scenes for the film were made (.ear famous Lake Arrowhead, where the company was on location for several weeks during which every principal was required to ski The story concerns a rich capitalist who wins his own contest for a prize slogan and goes to the Alps for two weeks as a prize He pretends to be poor and takes his valet along to act as a rich man. His family informs the hotel that Morgan is actually rich but they make a mistake and treat (he other contest winner Young, as the rich man Young has been poor so long that he enjoys the mistake and that’s where the trouble starts Miss Astor tries to vamp all three men. much to the disapproval of Miss Rice Morgan's daughter who joins with his housekeeper. Miss Oliver, to put a stop to the whole thing. An Our Gang comedy and a thrilling historical mystery that deals with “The Man in the Iron Mask ” are also on the programme. The box plans are at the D.I.C. and the theatre. ST. JAMES THEATRE That variety is indeed the spice of entertainment is more than borne out by the varied fare offered in the attractive double bill at the St. Jame ; Theatre to-day. Another of the popu lar Judge Hardy series, “ You’re Only Young Once,” heads the programme while the associate feature. “Non-Stop New York,” is worthy of no less attention. The Judge Harvey series of films has. within the past few months attracted an ever-growing host of followers who admire these homely comedy-romances The extraordinary adventures of an ordinary American family, the films possess an unusual appeal. The latest of the series. “ You’re Only Young Once,” adds to the high standard set by the productions, and at least maintains the tempo of previous releases. This time the family is off on its first holiday for 11 years. Catalina Island, the playground of America, is the scene of their adventures and misadventures, and although their accidents and unintended misdeeds may upset a few, the Hardy family makes nay while the sun shines Mickey Rooney reaches the status of youth in this production and is saddled with his first serious love affair. His calf-like love of the past is replaced by a more subtle mode, but, although to the audience the result is humorous, to Mickey it is a very serious matter. Lewis Stone is cast as the head of the family, while Cecilia Parker, Sara Haden, Fay Holden, ana Frank Craven form the rest of the featured players. “Non-Stop New York,” as its title suggests, is a fastmoving production. What happens to a chorus girl who accidentally witnesses a brutal gang killing in New York forms the basis of the plot. Hurried off to England, she is imprisoned temporarily on a trumped-up charge so that she cannot testify at the trial of an innocent man. Scotland Yard refuses to believe her story, and. with only 24 hours before the victim goes to the chair, she stows away on a Trans-Atlantic airliner. Also on the machine are Scotland Yard’s chief, the gangster responsible for the murder and a child genius of the yiblin who is apparently also a genius in mischief making. Events come to a head in the plane, and, mainly through the violin genius, the gangster meets an untimely death. John Loder, Anna Lee, Francis Sullivan, Frank Cellier and Desmond Tester are in the leads. Box plans for the season are at the D.1.C., Jacobs’s, and the theatre. MAYFAIR THEATRE “Charlie Chan at Monte Carlo, now showing at the Mayfair Theatre, presents the world’s “ace-” detective at the world’s gayest playground. It is murder for a “ million ” when death deals a hand at the gaming tables, and Chan takes a million-to-one chance to solve a triple murder Having portrayed Chan for nearly six years,'and with his Twentieth Century-Fox pro duction as his sixteenth characterisation of the sleuth, Warner Gland by now is a more mystifying Oriental than even Keye Luke. The box plans are at the theatre sweetshop and the D.I.C. “THE AWFUL TRUTH”* Irene Dunne scores heavily in the year’s choicest comedy role as Lucy Warriner in Columbia’s "The Awful Truth,” which will be screened tomorrow at the Mayfaii Theatre. It remained for her hilarious clowning in “ The Awful Truth ” to reveal the treasure-trove of talem in her inimitable personality. This gay, madcap story of the Warriners. played by Miss Dunne as Lucy and Cary Grant as Jerry, is uproariously funny The fun starts when Jerry and Lucy decide to separate with the only bone of contention the custody of Mr Smith, their wire-hair terrier. The court allows Mr Smith to Lucy but permits Jerry to visit the dog. Thus many of the film’s outstanding .omedy scenes arise out of Jerry’s visits to Lucy’s apart ment while she is entertaining impati ent suitors. Universal’s thriller. “ The Lady in the Morgue,” will be the second film. This screen version oi Jonathan Latimer’s celebrated Crime Club novel is a Grade \ murder storv Chief among the characters is Detee live Bill Crane played by Preston Foster who created this character on the screen in “The Westland Case Foster is excellent in the part, as is Frank Jenks in the role of Crane’.clownish assistant Doc Williams Patricia Ellis is the girl in the case and Tom Jackson is very amusing as a numskull officer of the law