ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 21430, 26 June 1931, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

THE REGENT. "THE ROYAL BED.” FARCE ON CONTINENTAL ROYALTY. Scarcely anything is quite so popular with the public as scandal relating to the private lives of ruling monarchs whose very inaccessibility makes them the centre of curiosity. Such intimate revelations of life in the court of a mythical Central European kingdom are the theme of a rollicking and brilliantly satirical comedy "The Royal Bed” now showing at the Regent and booked for its final screening to-night. The screen adaptation is from Robert E. Sherwood’s whimsical and satirical play “The Queen’s Husband.” The court as depicted in the film is nothing of the stately and rather dull place we are wont to imagine, but the self-contained centre of gaiety of kings, queens, princes and others of royal blood, all of whom find time left over after their rush of public engagements to descend from their pedestals and be human—just as a tableau of statues come to life and indulge in merriment during the midnight hours. The poor king is not the supreme monarch of his household and in this character Lowell Sherman, who also directed the picture, gives one of his best portrayals, while Nance O’Neil is excellent as the domineering queen. The cast also includes the well-known stars, Mary Astor, Hugh Trevor, Robert Warwick and many other favourites. The situations presented are all very amusing and convey all the thrills of the precarious reign of monarchs in the small states peopled by temperamental subjects. A revolt and its subsequent suppression are only a portion of the tense incidents which are brought to light, but for the most part the film brims over with the most clever and delightful humour. The short season in Invercargill is to be regretted for "The Royal Bed” is a film which everyone will want to see. The supporting programme also is very strong including an inimitable Louise Fazenda comedy "Too Hot To Handle,” and other interesting short subjects, an Audio Review, Cartoon and News Reel. MAURICE CHEVALIER IN “PLAYBOY OF PARIS.” THE REGENT TO-MORROW. Paramount selected a comedy cast to support Maurice Chevalier in his new vehicle, “Playboy of Paris,” which shows at the Regent to-morrow. Chevalier has the role of a cafe waiter by day, and a Romeo by night. Eugene Pallette is a chef, and Stuart Erwin is a dishwasher. 0. P. Heggie’s subtle fun-making will be presented in his role as the cafe owner. Cecil Cunningham, one of England’s favourite comediennes; Dorothy Christy, Tyler Brooke, Frank Elliot and Frances Dee are among the other notables in the cast. Miss Dee is the “Cinderella Girl,” the former extra, who was picked as Chevalier’s leading woman. THE CIVIC TALKIES. LAST NIGHT OF “FAST AND LOOSE.” BRIGHT ENJOYABLE STORY OF MODERN YOUTH. "Fast and Loose,” Paramount's gay comedy romance of youth, wealth and love, will be presented at the Civic Theatre for the last time to-night. Heading the cast are Frank Morgan, Miriam Hopkins, Carole Lombard, Henry Wadsworth and Charles Starrett. The action of “Fast and Loose” centres about Miriam Hopkins, cast as a thoroughly spoiled, yet delightful young debutante, who finds herself engaged to a monocled nobleman, and madly in love with a garage mechanic. So, while her ambitious mother dreams of titles and European estates, Miriam dreams of the mechanic and love. But there are complications; for the mechanic, an upright young fellow, comes to the rather abrupt and startling decision that he cannot marry Miriam. He’s afraid of her; scared to death of all her millions. However, Miriam is not easily discouraged. She wants him, and she’s going to get him. And she does, with the aid of her sympathetic father (Frank Morgan), who helps her along without telling her one word about it. There is also a second plot, involving Miriam's likable brother who, to add to the family’s troubles, falls in love with a chorus girl. The supporting programme includes two comedies, a cartoon and news reel, so an entertaining evening is assured.

THE MAJESTIC. ‘■MEN OF THE NORTH.” For all those people who like thrilling drama “Men Of The North” cannot fail to appeal. This splendid picture of the Canadian wilds will receive its final screening at the Majestic Theatre this evening. In this picture Gilbert Roland proves himself to be one of the most capable of present-day actors, and he is given able support by Miss Barbara Leonard, Robert Elliot and other members of the cast. Roland makes a very natural French-Canadian, every intonation of his accent being excellent. The settings of the snow-clad lands of the North make a fitting background for the story, which has an appeal of its own, and the blizzard scenes are outstanding for the clever manner in which they have been conceived and recorded on the film. The supporting features comprise an ever-popu-lar Metrotone News Reel, an interesting Burton Holmes’ Travelogue -in which this wanderer take the audience on a trip through the beauty spots of Ireland, an entertaining Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Colourtone Revue and a Charlie Chase comedy, one of his funniest to date, entitled “The Pip From Pittsburgh.” JANET GAYNOR AND CHARLES FARRELL IN BIG NEW TALKIE. Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, the screen’s most popular sweethearts, are reunited in Raoul Waleh’s Fox Movietone production of “The Man Who Came Back,” which opens at the Majestic Theatre tomorrow commencing with a matinee at 2 p.m. “The Man Who Came Back,” one of the most powerful romantic dramas ever written, presents Miss Gaynor and Farrell in the greatest roles of their co-starring careers. Farrell, as the ne’er-do-well son of New York’s king of finance, falls from grace. Improperly trained to face the world, he sinks, step by step until he finally reaches the lowest dive in Shanghai. There, drawn by natural forces, he is attracted to a girl one rung above himself in degradation. Together, hand in hand, impelled by their new found faith, their courage is re-born in misery. Clinging to each other, they climb to a seventh heaven through love. The girl, of course, is played by Miss Gaynor, and she and Farrell give an interpretation of these dramatic roles that will astound their many friends. Kenneth Mac Kenna and William Forbes are also in the cast. The box plans for this big attraction are now open at the Bristol. THEATRE ROYAL, WINTON. "HALF SHOT AT SUNRISE.” The gorgeous clowns of the “Cuckoos” will hit the screen at the Theatre Royal, Winton, to-night .and to-morrow evening when their latest comedy success “Half Shot at Sunrise” w’ill be unreeled. “Half Shot at Sunrise” is a lively war-time comedy and is a triumph in fun making for the talkies and for Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey, the featured comedians. These two crazy clowns, who have established themselves within the past year as the greatest screen comedy team, deliver their funniest performance to date. Furnished with an unusually amusing story in the form of a war-time comedy, the team cuts loose and runs wild.