AMUSEMENTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19825, 30 December 1938, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS

REGENT THEATRE oi of DOUBLE-FEATURE PROGRAMME: 10 “SII! THE OCTOPUS” AND “THE |p DAREDEVIL DRIVERS” ll' r, Those two expert portrayers of 18 screen dumbness, Hugh Herbert and 'y Allen Jenkins, will be seen on the y| screen at the Regent Theatre to-day <y in what is described as the funniest _ mystery-farce they have ever attempted—the Warner Bros, production called “Sh! The Octopus.” Feminine interest in the show is carried along by Marcia Ralston, a lovely brunette newcomer to the screen who made her clebut recently in the comedy success, ‘‘Call It a Day.” With Beverly Roberts once again enacting the part of the business woman—this time as head of a passenger bus company—a Warner Bros, melodrama called “Tire Daredevil Drivers” dealing with the warfare between her outfit and a rival concern, will be the second attraction to-day at the Regent Theatre. Dick Purcell, a handsome young leading man, carries the romantic interest with Miss Roberts. Other well-known players in the cast are Gloria Blondell, Gordon Oliver, Charley Foy, Willard Parker and Donald Briggs. —Saturday’s Midnight Malince: First N.Z. Screening of “Holiday”— Katharine Hepburn is co-starred with Cary Grant in “Holiday,” Columbia screen version of the Philip Barry stage success, which will have, its first New Zealand screening at the Regent Theatre at the special midnight matinee commencing at 10.30 o’clock on Saturday night. In the casl supporting the stars are Edward Everett Horton, Brume Barnes, Doris Nolan, Lew Ayres, Jean Dixon and Henry Kolker. “Holiday” is the story of a young . debutante, stilled by wealth and family position, com'usee, by the crowded and meaningless activity of a socialite’s life, who falls in love with a young man with a sense of humour and a sense of proportion. He thinks there is more to life than the accumulating ol money for the sake of accumulating money, and he intends to continue his career no longer than lie has to. He wants to retire white he is young and can still enjoy life. Miss Nolan is seen at another member of the wealthy Seton family. Her gods are family position and a fat bank account, ano she has no desire to abandon them foi love. Lew' Ayres is the inebriate younger brother of Miss Hepburn and Miss Nolan, a boy who finds alcohol a pleasant substitute for the pleasure life should have given him but didn’t. Henry Kolker is the complacent father. MAJESTIC THEATRE JACK lIOLT IN “CRIME TAKES A HOLIDAY,” AND WILLIAM GARGAN IN “PERSONAL SECRETARY" An extra strong week-end programme will be screened to-day and to-morrow, headed by Jack Holt in “Crime Takes a Holiday.” In this action packed drama Jack Holt is a district attorney, famous for li.is honest efforts to rid the city of racketeering, who. when he finally arrests members of a gang, finds that the witnesses are terrified to testify against them. A police lieutenant is killed. Then Holt hits upon the idea of convicting an innocent man and trapping the real criminals. This he does in his virile way after many exciting incidents. The supporting cast includes Marcia Ralston, Douglas Dumbrille, Russell Hopton and Arthur Hold. In the associate feature, amateur and professional sleuths will be well entertained in solving the mystery contained .in the sparkling murder - mystery comedy, “Personal Secretary.” The story contains far more than the usual amount of surprising twists, and, in addition, a grand but almost comical love clement rarely discovered in this type of motion picture. There is a solid, ingenious plot. The poisoned man’s widow is on trial and obviously guilty of murder. It is here that two rival newspaper columnists, Joy Hodges and William Gargan, take ihe case into their own hands, each on a different tangent. l’hrough intrigue, skullduggery and counterplotting, the innocent widow is saved from execution and the real killer brought to justice, but only after Joy and Bill lose their hearts .in the mile-a-minuto confusion and excitement.

Midnight Preview and N.Z. Premiere of “Men With Wings”: Saturday

Plans are now open for the New Zealand .premiere of “Men With Wings,” which, is to be the Majestic’s New Year attraction. This is the first big aviation picture to be screened in Technicolour. Fred' MacMurray, Louise Campbell and Ray Milland have the leading roles. The season will commence at the gala midnight preview and whoopee New Year party at 10.15 o’clock on Saturday night and will continue an extended season until Thursday.

KING’S THEATRE

“MY LUCKY STAR”: TRIUMPH FOR SONJA HENIE

At last the brilliant Sonja Henie returns to Gisborne, in the fourth and greatest picture of her career, "My Lucky Star,” which opened to turnaway business at the King’s Theatre yesterday. As a dazzling modern girl wearing fashionable clothes, gliding over the ice in awe-inspiring spectacles—that’s Sonja as one sees her in “My Lucky Star.” A credit to Darryl F. Zanuck and to everyone who had a hand in its making, this is a picture that winks and glitters with fun and romance and the magic of stars hanging low on a still frosty night. It has songs and laughter that seem to sail through the air like ski jumpers and Sonja’s magnificent “Alice In Wonderland” ice ballet — climaxing what is by all odds her happiest screen story—is a thing to make you cry out in wonder and delight. Sharing star honours with Sonja and giving an excellent account of himself is Richard Greene, a handsome young British actor last seen in “Four Men And A Prayer,” while Joan Davis, Cesar Romero and Buddy Ebsen are featured in widely divergent comedy roles which will delight their fun-loving "fans." Gordon and Revel’s delightful melodies lend fresh enchantment to the breath-taking ice ballets in which Sonja surpasses even her sensational performances in “Thin Ice” and "Happy Landing.”