CIVIC THEATRE.

Otaki Mail, 3 April 1939, Page 2

CIVIC THEATRE.

TO-NIGHT—"THE LIFE OF EMTLE ZOLA." Paul Muni, whose most recent, film, "The Story of Louis Pasteur," won for him the coveted gold statuette of the Motion Picture Academy as the be-! actor of 1930, finally screens at the Civic Theatre to-night in another epic story—" The Life of Ernile Zola." Directed by the same genius who guided the making of "Pasteur," the celebrated William Dieterle, the Zol-i movie is declared to excel even the previous masterpiece, it begins with the early struggles of Zola as a novelist, carrier, l.im along to weal'.!, and fame. and goes thoroughly into his magnificent crusade on behalf of Captain Dreyfus, the army officer who was falsely accused of selling military secrets, and was unjustly convicted and sent to Devil's Island. Muni, of course, plays Zola. Another splendid actor, Joseph Schildkraut, portrays the unfortunate Dreyfus. The rest of the cast is practically all-star. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. "THE ADVENTCTEES OF EOEIN HOOD." The Otaki premiere of "The Adventures of Robin Hood'' will commence to-morrow at the Civic Theatre. The huge Technicolour melodrama received some of the highest praise ever accorded a motion picture from critics and audiences when it had its Hollywood premiere. Starring Errol Flynn, the dashing young Irish star who has made such a phenomenal rise to stardom, as Robin, the Warner Bros, production was supervised by two of the outstanding film directors of Hollywood —William Keighley and Michael Curtiz. Curtiz previously directed Flynn in such pictures as "The Charge of the Light Brigade," and Keighley directed him in "The Prince and the Pauper."i Norman Reilly Eaine, who recently received the Academy Award for his writing job on "The Life of Emile' Zola, - - collaborated with Seton I. Miller on the screen story for "The Adventures of Robin Hood." Adapting the best of the Robin Hood legends, and weaving them into a well-rounded story with many original touches, they have surpassed all the previous stage and screen versions of the famous outlaw's life. Although the story has the same principal characters, it is far different from the tale employed by Douglas Fairbanks when hz made a silent movie of "Robin nood " some 10 years ago. Since it is a matter of debate whether Robin Hood ever lived in actuality, or was merely a legendary figure, there is much material, both mythical and historical, from which to tell th* story of Robin Hood and his merryband.