AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23858, 12 July 1939, Page 7

AMUSEMENTS

THE CURRENT PROGRAMMES EMPIRE THEATRE Crowds have been revelling In the full-blooded drama and romance of the Empire Theatre’s feature, “If I Were King,” the motion picture industry’s screen tribute to that magnificent rogue Francois Villon, poet and beggar, who rose to become King of France for one turbulent week, who routed the forces of the treacherous Duke of Burgundy and who was banished from the land for falling in love with a. -beautiful princess. And who more suited to the role could Producer Frank Lloyd have co-opted than Ronald Colman? It is a part made to measure for this: great screen player. He has done nothing better, which is saying a great deal in the light of his myriad past triumphs. Opposite him is the beautiful young actress Frances Dee, while Basil Rathbone places himself once more among the screen’s really great character players with his portrayal of the French monarch. Others present are C. V. France, Ellen Drew, and the New Zealander, Colin Tapley There is a notable supporting programme. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. BOLD ATTACK ON NAZISM One of the most daring films to be produced in recent years, the absorbing drama “ Confessions of a Nazi Spy, will be presented at the Empire Theatre on Friday. The recent New York trials of Nazi spies revealed in a new and unexpected light the amazing activities of agents who were seeking the secrets of the nation in order to betray them to a foreign Power, and the present film was directly inspired by the menace which was then revealed to be so unexpectedly serious. A former Federal agent, who was primarily responsible for the disclosures made on that sensational occasion, Leon G. Turrell, was at the head of the advisory staff which supervised the production, so that, although the story itself is fictional, the actual methods revealed have the soundest foundation of fact. The tenseness, of the drama and the realism necessary to justify a story of such a nature have made unusual demands upon the acting ability of the large cast of players, and Paul Lukas, Francis Lederer, Edward G. Robinson, and a new actress, Lya Lys, all give splendid performances. . GRAND THEATRE The Lone Wolf, sauve, light-fingered international thief, returns to the screen in Columbia’s “The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt,” which is the current attraction at the Grand Theatre, with Warren William in the title role and Ida Lupino co-featured. The new film is said to be timely, dramatic and delightful entertainment, and it marks the return to the screen of both Warren William and the debonair Lone Wolf, in the first of a projected senes of Lone Wolf films. -The screen has seen several Lone Wolves since Louis Joseph Vance created the character more than 20 years ago. H. B. Warner, Melvyn Douglas, Bert Lytell and Francis Lederer have already portrayed the international thief. But, without wishing to deprecate their performances, it is said that William is ideally cast. The new film, for all Its spy-involved narrative, alsp, has comedy and romance. The setting is Washington, where a gang of spies steals Government secrets and incriminates the now reformed Lone Wolf. In order to recover the plans, and to preserve his integrity as a man pi honour, the Lone Wolf finds himself enmeshed in one adventure after another. As a police scientist who helps track down the head of a murder mob, Gordon Oliver is featured with Alan Baxter and Jacqueline Wells in Columbia’s "My Son is a Criminal, the.associate attraction. Others in the cast are Willard Robertson and Joseph King. The box plans are at the theatre and Begg’s. STATE THEATRE The film version of George. Bernard Shaw’s great comedy success “Pygmalion ” is now in its sixth and final week at the State Theatre. Leslie Howard gives a polished performance in the role of Professor Higgins, an eccentric phonetic expert who wagers that he can educate a Cockney flowergirl sufficiently to pass her off as a debutante at a duchess’s reception within three months. A Lancashireborn actress, Wendy Hiller, personally selected to play the role of the Covent Garden flower-girl by Bernard Shaw is revealed as one of the finest actresses on the screen to-day. Wilfred Lawson gives an outstanding performance in a supporting role. The box plans are at the theatre and at Begg’s. THORNE SMITH COMEDY Hal Roach's screen comedy. “ Topper Takes a Trip,” the'sequel to “Topper” one of last year’s biggest laugh hits, will be opened at the State Theatre on Friday, with Constance Bennett of the latter production again - cast in a light comedy role which permits her to go through a series of “ dematerialisations.” The new film, based on a screen play by Eddie Moran and Jack Jevne, was directed by Norman Z. McLeod, who also staged .“Topper" and other notable film productions. The supporting cast reading like a blue book, of Hollywood celebrities, includes Roland Young, Billie Burke, Alan Mowbray, Alexander D’Arcy, Veree Teasdale, Franklin Pangborn, and Paul Hurst. The story of “Topper Takes a Trip ” concerns the merry antics of Constance Bennett, as Marion Kerby, and Roland Young, as Cosmo Topper, on the sunny sands of -the French Riviera, whither Miss Bennett has gone to “do a good deed" and where, instead, she almost upsets the Toppers’ lives. The production is a United Artists release REGENT THEATRE Academy award winner for 1937, Luise Rainer gives a brilliant performance in the starring role of the romantic drama “ Toy Wife,” which is now screening at the Regent Theatre. Melvyn Douglas and Robert Young portray the rivals for the hand of FrouFrou (Miss Rainer), a beautiful belle of the Southern States of America prior to the Civil War. Gay and frivolous, Frou-Frou neglects her home after her marriage, and when her husband suggests that her sister should be asked to help manage the household, she leaves her husband in a rage and goes to live with a previous admirer The climax is a dramatic one. and the box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C JOAN CRAWFORD STARRED Reproduced as a motion picture by M.G.M., the famous New York play “The Shining Hour,” comes to the Regent Theatre on Friday. Joan Crawford does some of her best work, and is most ably aided by Margaret Sullavan, Fay Bainter, Melvyn Douglas and Robert Young. Frank Albertson and Hattie McDaniel do good work in the background. Not since “ Dancing Lady” has Miss Crawford had an ouportunity to dance, but she makes up for it here with an outstanding number in which she is partnered by Tony de Marco. In the development of the plot, a gentleman farmer (Douglas) marries an exotic night club dancer (Miss Crawford) The bridal couple move to the groom’s farm home, where a spinster sister makes no bones about disapproving of the bride To make matters worse, the husband’s younger brother falls in love with the dancer and the ensuing complications lead up to a strong emotional climax Frank Borzage directed this film. The supporting programme is a strong one, a feature of which is “ Dream of Love,” which introduces several of Liszt’s better-known themes

ST, JAMES THEATRE Packed with smart dialogue and hilarious situations, “ Say It In French ” is proving a popular attraction at the St. James Theatre. A novel plot concerns a young American society lad in his efforts to save his father from bankruptcy. The “ old man's ” business can be saved if he can get a contract for the building of . three ships for a wealthy shipping magnate. The son realises that his father’s efforts to conclude the deal would be more likely to bear fruit if he (the son) would announce his engagement to the ward of the shipping magnate. The only “fly in the ointment” is the fact that lie has just married a temperamental French girl The complications that arise from this situation form the basis of the amusing plot. Good-looking young Ray Milland portrays the son, and Holmes Herbert is the father, while Olympe Bradna is the young French wife, and Irene Hervey the ward of the shipowner. Janet Beecher, Mary Carlisle, and Erik Rhodes are also in the cast. The associate feature is “Accidents Will Happen,” and the box plans : are at the theatre, D.1.C.. and Jacobs s. SHIPBOARD DRAMA Telling an emotional story of adventure and thrills in the lives of wireless operators on American merchant ships. Universal's. production of “ The Storm will be screened at the St. James Theatre on Friday Filmed against the background of giant ships and thundering storms at sea. the narrative possesses power and realism. Good performances are turned inby the cast, which includes Charles Bickford Barton Mac Lane, Preston Foster. Tom Brown, Nan Grev Andy Devine and Frank Jenks. The film unfolds as one ot the most virile action dramas to come out of Hollywood in‘recent months, impressive scenes show a great steel freighter crashing into an iceberg and going down while Preston Foster sticks to his radio-key sending SOS calls for help. Bickford adds to his standing as a skilled portrayer of rugged hemen ” roles in stirring fight scenes along the waterfront and aboard ship. STRAND THEATRE Telling a thrilling story of the race track, “Little Miss Thoroughbred, which forms the leading attraction at the Strand’ Theatre this week, is notable in that it features the talented child actress. Janet Chapman. This clever little player is seen as an inmate of an orphanage who, in the course of a search for her father, becomes the mascot of two gamblers. She decides that one of them is her father, and so deeply do they become attached to her that they decide to take her with them on their circuit of the race-tracks. She brings them luck that is nothing short of amazing, but trouble looms up when the police imagine that they have kidnapped the child. Finally, however, everything is straightened out, and the story reaches a happy climax. The supporting feature is ‘Gambling Ship,” an exciting tale of gangsters on the high seas, in which Helen Mack, Irving Pichel, apd Robert Wilcox are the leading players. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. “GOLD MINE IN THE SKY" The Stafford Sisters return to the screen in Gene Autry’s release, ' Gold Mine in the Sky,” which will be screened at the Strand Theatre on Friday. The Stafford Sisters are featured in the picture, and have several hit tunes which they sing to perfection. “Gold Mine in the Sky” is the story of a young girl who comes out west to run her father’s ranch. She has her own ideas, but discover that Gene Autry, foreman of the ranch, also has a few of his own. There are plenty of clashes between the two. but all is eventually “ironed" out. after an excellent story has been unfolded. Besides Autry and the Stafford Sisters, the cast includes Smiley Burnette, Carol Hughes. Craig Reynolds. Leßoy Mason. Eddie Cherkose, Robert Homans. Frankie Marvin, The Golden West Cowboys, and many others. The associate attraction is one of the “Crime Club" series. Preston Foster Frank Jenks. arid Joyce Compton have the main roles,in “The Last Warning.” This film lives up to the standard of the previous. two stories in the series. MAYFAIR THEATRE

Rarely does a producer succeed in capturing almost perfectly the spirit of a great literary classic and transposing it to the screen in its entirety. Yet the screen recorded a monumental achievement when it successfully attempted the difficult adaptation of “The Count of Monte Cristo." the famous French novel by Alexandre Dumas. Atmosphere, direction and acting contributed towards the success of the effort, and that the theatre-going public has endorsed the producer’s opinions has been evidenced , several times over by the support it has accorded the film. Robert Donat capably handles the role of the count, while heading the supporting cast is Elissa Landi. The associate feature will be “ Born to the West,” a film of America’s great outdoors, which stars John Wayne. Box plans are at the D.I.C. and the theatre.