ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 21480, 24 August 1931, Page 12

ENTERTAINMENTS

THE REGENT. DELIGHTFUL MUSICAL COMEDY. EVELYN LAYE AND JOHN BOLES IN “ONE HEAVENLY NIGHT” After witnessing Evelyn Laye’s performance in the leading, role of “One Heavenly Night,” which had its initial screenings at the Regent Theatre on Saturday to overflowing houses, one can easily understand how this winsome and dainty star of light opera has achieved such immense popularity with theatre-goers in the Homeland. To an extraordinary degree she is endowed with that rarest of all gifts among moving picture players—versatility—and whether she is interpreting the romantic role of the heroine, rendering one of her attractive vocal numbers with a charm that is all her own, or taking her part in the sparkling dialogue with a verve and sense of comedy values that stamps her as a comedienne of the first rank, she is equally superb. “One Heavenly Night” is a producttion of the" type that should please the most fastidious taste. For those who enjoy a hearty laugh there is comedy in abundance, music-lovers will find much to intrigue them in its tuneful and catchy melodies, whilst running through every sequence is the thread of a delicate love story which has a simple but very definite plot. It is, indeed, musical comedy of the very best type. The story centres round a flowergirl Lilli, in a. cabaret in Budapest, the height of whose ambition is to attain the fame achieved by Fritzi, a notorious dancer. Ordered to leave the city, this dancer persuades the flower-girl to take her place. Lilli has no hesitation in accepting, and under Fritzi’s identity she is sent to a small country town whose overlord is Count Mirko. With Lilli’s arrival . at Mirko’s castle romance enters into the _ story—■romance which comes to a very satisfactory climax. As Lilli, the star is cast in a part that fits her to perfection. She gives a brilliant interpretation that is characterized by a wealth of understanding of her part, and from the time she brings her charming presence into the picture, until the final scene she carries her audience with her. In the lighter passages she gives a portrayal that is noteworthy for its freedom from restraint, but she also displays a very real sense of dramatic values, and it would be difficult to imagine a more delightful heroine. With Mirko- (John Boyes), she renders a bracket of tuneful duets, “My Heart is Beating for You” and the haunting theme song “One Heavenly Night,” and she also gives an artistic rendition of “Dreams,” as well as several other solo numbers, all of which display to the full the fresh beauty of her rich soprano voice. John Boles makes an ideal hero-lover, and his glorious tenor voice is heard to advantage in several pleasing numbers which he presents with that consummate artistry that has made him such a favourite with picture-goers. The bulk of the comedy work falls on the capable shoulders of Leon Errol, without whose inimitably whimsical fooling the production would lose must of its attraction. Errol has not a great deal to say, but he does a lot, and he does it well. In the scene where, in a half-drunken condition, he is shown through Count Mirko’s art gallery, he provides some sidesplitting humour, and although throughout the whole scene he speaks hardly two dozen words his antics and his amazing facial contortions make his performance one of the funniest things seen on an Invercargill screen for many a day. Again, he sets out to post a letter, and his attempt to stamp it is responsible for five-minutes of quiet comedy that, is a sheer delight. Lilyan Tashman is well cast as Fritzi, and the subsidiary parts are handled by a capable supporting cast. Of especial interest to golfers should be a sketch entitled “Match Play,” which is the principal feature on the first half of the programme. In this sketch a golfing lesson is given by the two noted players, Walter Hagen and Leo Diegel, both of whom play some amazing shots and demonstrate how simple it is to get out of a bunker when one knows how. THE MAJESTIC. DOUBLE FEATURE PROGRAMME. ALL-BRITISH COMEDY. When “The Middle Watch” was shown in Invercargill recently picture patrons were given a taste of the delights experienced in viewing an all-British talkie comedy and it was probably for that reason “The New Waiter” opened its short Invercargill season before such a packed house at the Majestic on Saturday evening. “The New Waiter” is entirely a comedy but it is rarely that such delicious fooling is shown on the talkie screen these days. Laughter is conceded to be a tonic better than any within the limits of the British pharmacoepia and, consequently, “The New Waiter” is to be recommended as an antidote against the effects of economic depressions and other worrying developments of modern times. There was not one member of Saturday evening's audience who did not at least laugh and in the majority of cases the uproarious merriment caused by the antics of the principal figure in the picture resulted in physical distress. Although “The New Waiter” is intended to be a comedy and as such consists almost entirely of comedy scenes there are numerous ballet scenes which are a treat to.the average Invercargill audience. Besides "The New Waiter another splendid feature appears on the programme. This is “Illegal,” a \ picture which purports to give an accurate insight into gang life and warfare in a large American city. Law Ayres, a star wellknown in,the city on account of his previous appearances, is the star of the picture as Tonil Ricarno, a leader of the underworld who determines to retire and live in a respectable manner. Ricarno’s former associations follow him into his new life, however, and the picture ends showing the triumph of good over evil. In its effort to portray the character of the American gunmen and killers "Illegal” is entirely successfull, but it does one further for it shows New Zealanders under what splendid conditions they live. The supporting programme consists on entertaining cartoons and budgets of topical items.