AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24915, 14 May 1942, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS

CURRENT PROGRAMMES GRAND THEATRE The plight of a group of ranchers whose herds are faced with extinction when a ruthless land owner builds a dam across a river and shuts off all water from the grazing land, forms the basis of Tim Holt's latest outdoor drama, “ Riding the Wind,” which commenced at the Grand Theatre yesterday. Holt is cast as a cattleman who leads the fight against the unscrupulous schemer, when the latter i demands an excessive price for the water rights. The ranchers decide to fight the matter through the courts and build windmills and sink wells, but their opponents destroy the equipment with dynamite. A bitter range war is started, but Holt manages to turn the tables on his enemies, and, in a thrilling climax, saves his fel-low-ranchers from a devastating flood. A romance and several catchy tunes are deftly blended into the action of the picture. “ Riding the Wind ” also features the " singing cowboy,” Ray Whitley, Lee (“ Lasses ”) White, Eddie Drew, and pretty Mary Douglas. The music is supplied by the Six-Bar cowboys. The supporting feature on the programme is the tuneful comedy-romance “ Four Jacks and a Jill.” Th 6 film depicts the adventures of a struggling dance band, when they persuade a night club proprietor that their vocalist is the favourite singer of the King of Aregal, who surprisedly does not expose them, because he, too, is a fake. The feminine lead is taken by charming Anne Shirley, who sings for the first time on the screen, and reveals a delightful soprano voice. Many song hits are featured, including " Wherever You Are,” “ You Go Your Way,” “Karanlna,” and “Boogie Woogie Conga.” The box plans, for the season are at the theatre and Begg’s. MAYFAIR THEATRE The gay and tuneful musical, “ Sunny,” is now showing at the Mayfair Theatre. A charming romance is the basis of the story, which also Incorporates four catchy song numbers. To Anne Neagle’s own graceful dancing has been added the talent of Ray Bolger and the dance satirists “ The Hartmans." The romantic lead is taken by John Carroll, pictured as a society man of New Orleans. Miss Neagle gives an outstanding performance as an independent little carnival queen. The supporting feature on this programme is the horror production, " The Monster and the Girl.” starring Paul Lukas. OTHER THEATRES Regent Theatre.—Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in the amusing drama. “ Life Begins for Andy Hardy.” State Theatre.—Tears, thrills, laughter in Mark Twain's "Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” Empire Theatre.—Glorious musical, “ The Great Waltz,” with Miliza Korjus. and the serial “ Zorro Rides Again." His Majesty’s Theatre.—Fjed MacMurray in “ The Texas Rangers.” and "Arrest Bulldog Drummond.” Strand Theatre.—The action comedy, " The Miracle Kid,” starring Carol Hughes and Tom Neal, and " Spring Meeting,” with Nova Pilbeam and Basil Sydney. St, James Theatre—Comedy and adventure, with Ann Sothern, in “ Cash and Carry " and “ The Shop Around the Corner,” starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan. Octagon' Theatre. Stirring drama, “ Suspicion.” featuring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine. COMING ATTRACTIONS k, REGENT THEATRE Young Dr Kildare, his preceptor, Dr Gillespie, his sweetheart, Mary Lament, and the rest of the popular “ Kildare ” characters come to the screen at the Regent Theatre to-morrow with a gripping new adventure for the seventh story in the series. “My Life is Yours.” Again a guest star joins them, this time in the person of Bonita Granville, who was featured in “ Gallant Sons " and “ Escape,” playing her most spectacular role to date as an ice skating star whose strange malady forms the central problem of the drama. The story, dealing with a malpractice suit, gives details of the tracking down of the rare malady amid thrills of the young doctor’s detective work among human beings as well as bacteria, and there is a gripping courtroom climax. Hilarious comedy is provided by the antics of Red Skelton, while Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore again demonstrate their ability to fill difficult roles. i

ST. JAMES THEATRE Universal assembled a talented cast for its recent release, “ Seven Sinners,” which will be the main feature at the St. James Theatre to-morrow. John Wayne, Albert Dekker, Mlscha Auer and Brod. Crawford are teamed in this stirring drama of the South Seas, Wayne taking the part of a young naval officer who becomes infatuated with a beautiful and mysterious cafe entertainer (Marlene Dietrich), Dekker appearing as a ship’s surgeon. Auer as an errant magician and crook, and Crawford as a beachcomber whose main purpose in life is to protect the ladv of the cafe. Anna Lee, the young British star, makes her debut in American films in " Seven Sinners,” portraying the governor's, winsome daughter. Magnificent tropical scenery provides a background for the film in which the producer, Jde Pasternak, has incorporated excitement and thrills in full measure, to say nothing of several new tuneful melodies, including “ The Man's in the Navy,” “ I’ve Been in Love Before,” and “ I Fall Overboard.” STATE THEATRE Sparkling with action and drama. Gene Towne’s and Graham Baker’s production for R.K.O. Radio of Johan David Wyss's immortal human story, “ Swiss Family Robinson,” will be the feature to-morrow at,the State Theatre, with a cast headed by such convincing players as Thomas Mitchell, Edna Best, Freddie Bartholomew. Terry Kilburn, Tim Holt, and little Bobby Quillan. Few stories have captured the world’s Imagination as this 130-year-old tale of adventure and peril on a South Seas Island, and the film faithfully visualises Its spirit and action. The Robinson family, sole survivors of a shipwreck, establish a home for themselves on an island to which they drift on a raft, and their experiences illustrated on the screen provide delightful entertainment. STRAND THEATRE One of the most swiftly-paced mystery thrillers of the season. Monogram’s "Murder by Invitation,” starring Wallace Ford with Marian Marsh, Sarah Padden, and George Guhl comes to the Strand Theatre tomorrow. Based on a novel plot, the story centres around the whim of an eccentric spinster, who invites a group of prospective heirs to visit her rambling old mansion so she can decide who shall be given her fortune. With a murder taking place the first night of the visit, che picture swings into action immediately, and the pace never slackens until the final fade-out. Sarah Padden is seen as the eccentric woman, while Wallace Ford appears as a newspaper columnist who finallv solves the crimes. Marian Marsh returns to the screen after an absence of 12 months. She is seen as Ford’s " Girl Friday,” and she gives the best performance of her career. EMPIRE THEATRE Uproarious comedy, fast-moving romance, lilting tunes and thrilling aviation scenes continue to make Universal’s new comedy-drama. “ Keep ’Em Flying.” one of the brightest entertainments of the season. The picture heads the new programme at the Empire Theatre to-mor-row. and the stars Include those inimitable comedians, Abbott and Costello, madcap Martha Raye, lovely Carol Bruce, William Gargan, and Dick Foran. Director Arthur Lubin has done wonders in the production of “ Keep ’Em Flying,” achieving a happy combination of thrills on the ground and in the air, leavened with delightful musical numbers contributed by Miss Raye and Miss Bruce, and proving an atmosphere of romance without which a picture is incomplete for most theatregoers. Abbott and Costello portray air school ” grease monkeys,” while Misses Raye and Bruce are seen as the clubhouse hostesses. The aerial sequences are hair-raising, and include a trip by Abbott and Costello in a runaway plane, and a mile-a-minute chase in which a motorised torepdo takes Costello on a jaunt over the countryside. HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE Another double-feature programme will be screened at His Majesty’s Theatre tomorrow, headed by ” Double or Nothing,” a picture which offers ample scope for the talents of the stars, Bing Crosby, Andy Devine, and Mary Carlisle. In this entertaining comedy-romance, Bing Crosby contributes several delightful songs. The second feature. " Dangerous to Know,” is a starring vehicle for Anna May Wong and Akim Tamiroff, supported by Lloyd Nolan and Roscoe Karns.