ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 22113, 6 September 1933, Page 4

ENTERTAINMENTS

MAJESTIC THEATRE. “FAST LIFE.” EXCITEMENT AND LAUGHTER. The management of the Majestic Theatre issues a hearty invitation to those who enjoy really good and breathless excitement to see “Fast Life” which will be presented for the first time here this afternoon and again to-night. Though the film is principally a comedy, there is a refreshing theme that makes it worth seeing apart from its tonic of humour, Even if occasionally a hypercritical member of the audience murmurs “impossible at some astonishing twist in the plot it is with an indulgent chuckle which detracts no whit from this wholly entertaining story. And then the actors play with such a will that they are always interesting. William Haines is a most engaging if somewhat selfassertive hero. Of course, he finally proves the worth of an improved carburetter he has invented and wins what is undoubtedly the most exhilarating speed-boat race ever filmed. No more appealing actress than Madge Evans could have been chosen for the part of “the only girl.” Even in her more petulant moods she is charming Cliff Edwards (Ukulele Ike) is as laconic as ever as the hero’s rather comatose companion. He makes an admirable foil for the breezy humour, of Mr Haines. Conrad Nagel, who inevitably appears as the disappointed suitor, plays the villain with a vengeance. The role of the girl’s father—an enthusiastic motor boat sportsman whose tottering finances almost compel him to abandon his life hobby—is splendidly interpreted by Arthur Byron. From the opening scene the story moves at a great speed, gaining momentum in every scene. The. speedboat race is a masterpiece of its sort. The hero’s craft starts late; it ploughs through the wake of the leading boats; it narrowly escapes being jammed by pursuing police boats; it misses disaster by inches when another driverless craft crosses and recrosses its path; and then surprisingly it wins the event by inches. All the supporting pictures are excellent. Flip the Frog, that inimitable creation of Mr Ub Iwerks, is seen in another ingenious cartoon, “The Bully,” in which he accounts for a pugilist of the most pugnacious sort. Hal Roach, producer of such comedy series as Laurel and Hardy, Thelma Todd and Zasu Pitts, the Boy Friends and Our Gang, introduces yet another “team”—the Taxi Boys—in “The Hot Spot.” The second edition of the New Zealand Sound News includes. several items of importance, including the Cromwell Gold Fields, while the Australasian News contains special spoiling events. The regular mid-week matinee takes place this afternoon. THE REGENT. “THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY.” MYSTERY FILM THAT REALLY GRIPS! “The Crime of the Century,” the new attraction at the Regent Theatre tonight is a mystery thriller of an unusual type, guaranteed to hold the interest to the end. In the early days of the talking films mysteries . were very popular, but few of them, if any, could claim to be as gripping as this latest effort. As a story, “The Crime of the Century” proved a great success, and none of the interest or mystery has been lost in transferring it to the talking screen. It is a murder-mysteiy-thriller in every sense. It opens with a thrill and a mystery, carries on throughout in the same tense strain, and finishes with yet another thrill and, of course, the solution. But it strikes two entirely new notes in this class of film. First, the crime is confessed to the police before it. is committed, and a second murder is carried out almost under their noses. Second, during the course of the production there is an intermission of 60 seconds, during which the clues to the crime, and the persons who might have committed it,, are flashed across the screen, thus offering the audience the opportunity of picking the murderer before the final solution is presented. . The story centres around a prominent psysician, Dr. Emil Brandt, who walks into a police station in a state of agitation and pleads with the officers to lock him up so that he may not carry through his plans for a perfect murder which he has evolved and expects to commit that night. . The officers accompany him to his home, confident that nothing unusual will occur. It does, however, and in a startling and thrilling manner.. Always hovering about, however, is a bright young newspaper reporter, who eventually straightens out the tangle, as well as adding a few bright spots to the doings. Jean Hersholt, who is well remembered for several outstanding performances, plays the role of the harassed Dr. Brandt, and a better actor for the part could not have been chosen. Wynne Gibson, is seen to advantage as Mrs Brandt, and Frances Dee gives a fine performance as Doris Brandt, who joins forces with a newspaper reporter in an effort to prove her father’s innocence. The go-getting newspaper man is Stuart Erwin, who adds to his successes. Others who play prominent parts are David Landau and Robert Elliott. There are several fine short films to support “The Crime of the Century,” including a Paramount British News, a Mack Sennett comedy, Revue, Cinesound, etc. Plans are at the Bristol. CIVIC THEATRE. “THEY CALL IT SIN.” SUPERB SCREEN STORY. The opportunity presented by a superb screen story, a splendid supporting cast and intelligent direction, has given us a Loretta Young more sure of herself and thoroughly convincing as a mature actress who has fulfilled all her early promise. It is this happy combination which makes the First National picture, “They Call It Sin,” which opens to-night at the Civic Theatre, an outstanding and delightful piece of entertainment. It is a story of youth and mixed romances in that always romantic and colourful setting of Broadway, with its musical shows, pent houses and night clubs. There has been a fortunate avoidance in this picture of all the cliches generally perpetrated against this background. Instead, we have a new and up-to-date view behind the scenes of show life and the people who make up the great metropolis. One of the interesting features of the picture is the teaming again of Loretta Young with George Brent, whose sudden rise to popularity is no longer a mystery. His performance in “They Call It Sin” is explanation enough as to why he deserves his topnotch status. This pair of young players were teamed once before, though more casually, in ‘Week-End Marriage.” After “They Call It Sin,” we can well expect a great demand from the movie fans for more pictures teaming these two. The script is an adaptation of the popular novel of the same name by Alberta Stedman Eagan, adapted by Lillie Hayward and Howard Green. “They Call It Sin,” depicts the story of a young Western girl who comes to the city to perfect her musical studies and to find the man with whom she had fallen in love after she has been driven out by her foster parents for having dared fall in love. She arrives to find him engaged, and ultimately married, to someone else. But her beauty does not leave her unnoticed, even by the young man whose

marital ties keep him from her. There is a musical show producer who gives her a job as pianist, exploits her talents as a composer . and tries to cultivate her more intimately; all of which leads the plot into the novel situations which give rise to the startling climax. Then there is Tony (George Brent) the young doctor, a friend of the first man she loved, who finds himself drawn more and more toward the girl as he tries to help her out of the mess her recklessness has driven her. The plot combines drama, comedy and music in such judicious proportions as to make the picture one that has appeal for every type of audience. There are a couple of songs in it which are bound to be smash hits, that have been injected with a smooth technique that keeps the story moving right along at a fast clip. David Manners as the first young man, and Louis Calhem as the producer, both give very fine performances. Una Merkel is exceptionally good in her rare type of comedy as Loretta’s showgirl chum. Others impressive in their roles are Helen Vinson, Joe Cawthorne, Nella Walker, Elizabeth Patterson and Erville Alderson. There is the usual splendid Civic programme of supporting features.