AMUSEMENTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19550, 4 February 1938, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS

KING’S THEATRE “MAKE A WISH" AND PANAY SINKING A programme of a high standard and of a well varied nature opened to-day at the King’s Theatre, the chief features being Bobby Breen in “Make a Wish," a newsreel showing the bombing of the United States gunboat Panay by Japanese aeroplanes, and the first of tlie 1!)38 series of the Walt Disney Silly Symphonies. “Hawaiian Holiday," depicting in colour the adventures of Mickey Mouse." "Make a Wish," a musical film llrom the RKO-Radio studios, tells of tlie rehabilitation of a composer who lias lost interest in his work, through friendship for a boy at a summer camp. The outstanding boy singer, Bobby Breen, takes the main role as Chip, and Basil Rathbone and Marion Claire, as the composer, Selden and Chip’s mother Irene respectively, lake the adult leads. Bobby Breen combines real acting ability with a fine singing voice and is hoard in several songs written by tlie Viennese composer Oscar Strauss. Rathbone is no longer the suave villian and plays a truly romantic part for tlie first time in his screen career and gives a performance which stamps him as an actor of considerable versatility and attainments. Chip and Selden meet at tlie camp and become firm friends. One night a number of boys, who are staying at tlie camp, sing a haunting camp fire song which renews Sclden’s faith in himself. The bombing and sinking of the United Slates’ gunboat Panay is seen in a newsreel feature. The pictures, taken by a Movietone cameraman on board the vessel during the bombing, show aeroplanes moving overhead and the attempts of machine-gun crews to chase olf the attackers, and give some idea of tlie damage the rain of bombs inflicted on tlie ship. The removal of tlie injured with bandaged limbs and in bloodstained garments, formed an important portion of a tragedy which strained tlie relations between two powerful nations. The programme is rounded oft by a novelty film in Tcchnicolour, "Hidden Treasures," depicting in their natural environment the bizarre inhabitants of tropical seas, “Royal Steeds," a sports item, “Workshops of Old Mexico,” and Pathe and Aussie News. The management urges intending patrons to reserve their seats early as the booking is heavy.

MAJESTIC THEATRE BETTE DAVIS IN “MARKED WOMAN” AND DICK FORAN IN “THE CHEROKEE STRIP” Two pictures of outstanding merit are now being presented at the Majestic Theatre. Bette Davis, who won last year’s academy award as the screen's greatest actress, appears in a gripping story taken from headlines that have flashed across the front pages of America s newspapers for months. This picture, declared by Miss Davis lo give her the most powerful role she has ever portrayed, is "Marked Woman. The film takes audiences behind the scenes of certain American metropolitan night clubs. it is the story of those beautilul girls who serve as hostesses and whose lives IheinselveS are forfeit it they disobey the orders of their ruthless exploiters. The chief racketeer is played by Eduardo Ciannelii. With music and lyrics written by M. K. Jerome and Jack Scholl, and sung by the popular actor Dick Foran, "The Cherokee Strip” has all the ingredients that should command success. An exciting and attractive story runs through the film, which opens in 1889, when the large section of Indian territory now forming the State of Oklahoma was made available for settlement.

REGENT THEATRE

"EASY LIVING” Riotous comedy from start to finish, "Easy Living," which opens at tlie Regent Theatre to-day, is a film that will please everybody. The sparkling cast is headed by Jean Arthur —the original “Mrs. Deeds” o( "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" fame — Edward Arnold, whom everyone remembers as "Diamond Jim,” and the bright young star who lias now leapt into fame as a high class comedian, ißay Milland. Tlie antics of Luis Alberni, funny man and dialectician, in the automatic restaurant are sure lo set everyone in hysterical laughter. The “smart comedy” cycle in Hollywood is a direct contradiction of that old maxim of tlie movie business,

"the customers were born young and they have never gotten over it." In fact, insists Arthur Hornblow, producer of Paramount’s “Easy Living," il is proof that the much-maligned picture public is actually becoming sophisticated! For evidence, the young Paramount executive and husband of Mvrna Loy points at the box office ratings of such films as "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,” "My Man Godfrey," and “The Princess Comes Across.” "All comedies of the smart, semi-sophisticated type five years ago would have flopped everywhere but in the big cities. And to-day they are packing them in,” lie says. “The success of ‘lt Happened One Night,’ which astonished the whole industry, started the cycle,” Mr. Hornblow says. "Now the studios cannot get enough smart comedies to go around. If they arc good they coin money, because they are just what the people want.” An excellent first half of the programme consists of “The Twiskers Pitcher,” a special Pop-eye cartoon, "Safety in flic Air," “Variety,” novelty, while the news service is of special interest with the “Randwick Summer Cup,” the official apology bv Japan for the Panay incident, and other items.

COUNTRY TALKIES

HOBBY BREEN IN "RAINBOW ON THE RIVER" A large and diversified repertoire of songs is sung by Bobby Breen in his popular film “Rainbow on the Riven," being screened 'by Inland Cinemas at Whatatutu to-night, at Puha on Saturday, at Muriwai on Monday, at Manutuke on Tuesday, at Ormond ( n Wednesday, and at Patutnhi on Thursday. May Robson, diaries Buiterworth, Alan Mowbray and Benila Hume are admirably cast in the human Dixie story, and there are splendid items by the Hall-John-son choir. There is an excellent supporting programme.