ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 21849, 28 October 1932, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

THE REGENT. TWO STAR PICTURES—BOTH GOOD. "MIDNIGHT” AND “ALMOST MARRIED.” Two long feature pictures—one a Secret Service drama, and the other a somewhat eerie thriller will provide an excellent evening’s entertainment at the Regent Theatre this afternoon and evening. It is not often that two such pictures are brought together on the one programme, both stories being of English origin, and one of the pictures being made in an English story. The result is most pleasing, the suspense and thrill being maintained throughout the whole of the evening, to the enjoyment of the whole audience. “Almost Married,” featuring Violet Heming, Ralph Bellamy and Alexander Kirkland, uses as its starting point characters and situations that are entirely human and real and introduces a new note in mystery thrillers. Revolving around the character of a demented genius, a world-famous pianist whose tapering, artistic fingers balance their creative power with the mad desire to murder the object of their love, it is much more eerie, weird and shivery than any of its predecessors that this reviewer has seen. The English drama “Midnight” is an intriguing story of the Secret Service and Scotland Yard involving the possession of a set of plans. John Stuart and Eve Grey are the principal players in a very pleasing picture. The supporting items include Fox News reels and a short travelogue.

“INNOCENTS OF CHICAGO.” ENGLISH STUDIO MAKES FUN. THE REGENT—TO-MORROW. English producers have given us a big laugh in “Innocents of Chicago”— a laugh that everyone will enjoy to the fullest extent, even though our American cousins have been made the butt of the joke. The whole film, which is to screened at the Regent to-morrow is a delightful satire on the gangster problem which has assumed such great proportions, particularly in Chicago. How a beautiful little newspaper reporter is instrumental in saving an ingenuous young Englishman from violent death at the hands of ferocious Chicago gangsters, is humorously told in “Innocents of Chicago.” Betty Norton, a welcome newcomer to the British screen, as Betty Woods, is sent to interview Percy Lloyd, a foolhardy but lovable ass, in the guise of Flenry Kendall, who arrives in Chicago to take over the directorial responsibilities of the Universal Milk Co. Inc. He is lured into “taking a ride” by Peg (alias Binnie Barnes) Guinan. Betty discovers the product of the Universal to be “booze” not milk and follows him. How these two innocents escape in the face of monstrous danger, surviving “Killers,” “Slayers” and “Droppers,’ will keep filmgoers in constant anxiety and merriment at the shrewd satire directed towards Chicago gang warfare. Other leading roles are taken by Bernard Nedell, Margot Grahame and Ben Welden. To-morrow’s programme at the Regent will also include another British comedy, “Strictly Business,” in which Betty Amans, Molly Lamont, Phillip Strange and Carl Harbord are the featured players. “HIGH PRESSURE.” LIFTS DEPRESSION. CYCLONE COMEDY AT MAJESTIC. The word depression is defined by the dictionary as a state of dejection, a period of commercial dullness. The film “High Pressure” which opened triumphantly at the Majestic last evening is the antonym of depression, for from the public’s point of view it represents a state of exhilaration and from the management’s point of view a period of commercial activity. It is a cyclone of merriment, a whirlwind of hilarity, a tornado of brisk, brilliant but brittle business, a steady trade wind of humour. Those who were wise enough and fortunate enough to occupy seats in the theatre last evening soared skywards in the high pressure atmosphere on an enchanting voyage of comedy. Far below them were all earthly cares; the dust and smoke of cities, the doleful talk of depression, the sordid search for shekels. In the invigorating ozone-charged atmosphere of “High Pressure” they revelled in the bewitching lightheartedness of William Powell and his clever associates. Whatever his success in straight-out drama Powell will long be remembered for his gifted characterization in this comedy. No less successful are Evelyn Brent, George Sidney and Evelyn Knapp. The story revolves round Gar Evans (William Powell) an enthusiastic, successful but credulous company promoter who accepts with alacrity the advances of Ginsberg, a financier, who has purchased the formula of a German scientist who has discovered the secret of making artificial rubber. Unfortunately for Gar Evans, the directors and the staff of the company, the shareholders and himself, he does not find out, until all’financial arrangements are completed for manufacture, that the “professor” is insane and his honours in education were purchased for 17dol at an insignificant American university. The antics of George Sydney, well known as the “Cohen” of “The Cohens and Kellys’ ” films, and the breadth of the financial imagination of Evans, who is prone to embark upon colossal schemes if he receives adequate encouragement from his fiancee, played by Evelyn Brent, is said to provide much amusement. The complexity of the situations arising in the story gives full scope to Mr Powell and Mr Sydney in exceptional comedy roles, and they are assisted in the lively humour by Frank McHugh. Evans’s assistant, Guy Kibbee, the amusing if irresponsible president of the company, and Luis Alberni, the leading stock salesman. While Mr Powell and Miss Brent are involved in a tangled romance, there is also interest in the acting of two young players, Evelyn Knapp and Ben Alexander. The supports are of Majestic standard which says everything necessary.

“THE CROWD ROARS.” MAJESTIC SATURDAY. James Cagney and Joan Blondell are re-united again for the first time since their appearance in “Blonde Crazy in the starring roles of the “The Crowd Roars,” Warner Bros.’ thrilling special production coming to the Majestic Theatre on Saturday. Appearing in support of Cagney and Blondell is a large cast including Ann Dvorak, Eric Linden, Frank McHugh, Guy Kibbee and a score of racing drivers, among them the Indianapolis Speedway champions, Billy Arnold and Lou Schneider. Other famous racers are Fred Frame, Leo Nomis, Ralph Hepburn, Harry Hartz, Spider Matlock and Wilbur Shaw. The drivers acted also as technical advisers on “The Crowd Roars,” assisting director and author Howard Hawks in securing accurate race-track scenes. Hawks’ best-known previous works are “The Dawn Patrol” and “Scarface.” In “The Crowd Roars,” Cagney appears as a champion driver whose dare-deviltry on the track wins him the adulation of the speed fraternity and the grandstands. After rising to the heights he goes to pieces by causing the death of his relief driver and best friend during a gruelling race.

Incidental to the .race, Cagney had quarrelled with his young brother, portrayed by Eric Linden, to whom he had taught all the tricks of the speed trade. His brother had become almost as famous as he and had fallen in love with Joan Blondell, who here portrays the role of a race-track follower. Cagneys’s anger that his brother should mix with the same kind of women with which he had formerly associated drives him to discharge him, after losing the important race in which he was the cause of his friend’s death. Eventually Cagney sinks to the depths and is unable to secure even a mechanic’s job in the drivers’ pit at the big Indianapolis races. An accident enables him to pilot his brother’s car, after his brother, a favourite in the race, had been disabled. His old zest for the track and driving ability return to him and he drives to victory with hip sweetheart, who had been instrumental in his comeback, looking on. “The Crowd Roars” is replete with all the action, thrills and accidents of ' the speedways. During its filming fourteen cars were wrecked in nine major accidents and seven men were sent to the hospital. All this action has been caught by the special camera car, equipped to film the exciting scenes at the speed of 125 miles per hour. “The Crowd Roars” has been hailed by critics as the biggest thrill in several years, surpassing even the air thrills of “The Dawn Patrol” which Howard Hawks also directed. LEX MACDONALD CONCERT. THE BRILLIANT BOY SOPRANO. Master Lex Macdonald, the brilliant boy soprano, whose voice has received the highest praise from musical critics wherever he has sung will be heard in Invercargill on Saturday, October 29, and Monday, 31st. Last week he visited Auckland, where he w r as received with great enthusiasm. The large audience in the Auckland Town Hall soon understood and joined in the sensation created by the boy’s marvellous soprano voice. It filled the Town Hall in a way that few others have ever filled that space, and with a purity and flexibility and sweetness quite unique. He will be assisted by Miss Mary Pratt, contralto, Mr Maitland McCutcheon, violinist, and Mrs Ernest Drake, pianiste. VOICE STRONGER THAN BEFORE. Fresh from his successes in Australia and other centres of the Dominion, Master Lex Macdonald captivated a very large audience in the Town Hall at Dunedin on Wednesday evening. He appeared in a concert programme arranged by Mr Ernest Drake (to whom he owes a great deal of his success), and sang at the top of form, without a trace of tiredness or strain, which, under the circumstances, is rather remarkable. His voice was, in point of fact, stronger and clearer than before, and gave his music a more striking appeal. There is no affectation or articiality about this youngster—his concert deportment (like his singing) has an engaging naturalness. He has a cool and intelligent head, two attributes made happily manifest again last evening, when he sang with astonishing ease and fluency. If his voice had an ethereal beauty before, it has a more material beauty now, in that his experience has enriched his interpretative and executive powers. The piece de resistance of the evening was, of course, the Mendelssohn “Hear My Prayer,” in which the boy sang very beautifully indeed. He topped the choir without the slightest difficulty, and invested the solo music with singular beauty. The simpler ballad songs were naturally popular. Among those were the “Blackbird’s Song” of Cyril Scott, the “Lass With the Delicate Air” of Arne, and an interesting song entitled “The Kite,” the music of which was written for Master Macdonald by Mrs Medley, of Wellington, and the words by Mr C. R. Allen. The Schubert “Ave Maria” (with a violin obbligato by Miss Ethel Wallace), and a duet with Miss Mary Pratt, Handel’s “O Lovely Peace,” were equally arresting. It is tragic that a voice such as this cannot last. But, far from breaking, it seems to be firmer than ever.

REGENT THEATRE, GORE. SATURDAY’S PROGRAMME. “THE MIRACLE MAN.” It is not surprising that “The Miracle Man,” which comes to the Regent Theatre, Gore, on Saturday evening has proved to be extremely popular wherever it has been shown. There are many reasons why this picture should make a very general appeal and one of the chief of these is that it tells a story of love, faith and redemption in such a way that it gives those who see it a brighter outlook on life. The cast which includes Sylvia Sidney, Chester Morris, Robert Coogan, Irving Pichel and Boris Karloft is another good reason why “The Miracle Man” should rank among the most successful films released by Paramount. In addition Saturday’s programme will include the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s great mystery thriller, “The Missing Rembrandt”—a Sherlock Holmes story.

EMPIRE THEATRE (RIVERTON). “OTHER PEOPLE’S SINS.” A British made picture as brilliant as the best American productions; such is a just description of “Other People’s Sins,” which is due for screening Friday and Saturday. Patrons who attend will vote the court scene in “Other People’s Sins” the greatest attempt to film a trial yet made. The settings of the Old. Bailey have been reproduced with a fidelity that is remarkable. One can hardly realize that the actual scenes have been taken in a film studio. Stewart Rome, one of the best known British film stars, makes a sensational come-back to the screen with his speech for the defence. Horace Hodges gives a perfect performance as the “lovable old scoundrel” who stands his trial for murder in order to shield his daughter, and Anne Grey has been acclaimed as the film find of the year as a result of her remarkable portrayal of the woman who allows her husband to defend her father for the murder which she believes she herself has committed. This new P.D.C. special attraction will give those of our patrons who are interested in the progress of British film production a new outlook on the capabilities of British producers and British studios. The supports include a Gainsboro Musical Extravaganza, Audio Review, Sportlight and Bobby Jones in “The Spoon.”