ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 22293, 7 April 1934, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS

M CIVIC THEATRE. “F.P.1.” (Floating Platform One.) A DRAMATIC THUNDERBOLT. The Civic Theatre has another programme of outstanding excellence to present to its patrons to-day. “F.P.1.” is a film that young and old will enjoy with the same relish. It is a film that should not be missed simply because it contains a direct and eventful story which is simply told from start to finish, a story that has been admirably translated to the screen and whose principal characters have been cast to perfection. A project that engineers have discussed and debated frequently in recent years—the mooring of a great floating aerodrome in mid-Atlantic as a refuelling station for passenger planes between Europe and America—is shown coming to fruition in this ambitious film. The name is an abbreviation of “Flying Platform No. 1,” which is designed by a young engineer and built by an American shipyard. During the building of the platform its designer learns that powerful financial interests are working against him. Strange mishaps delay the work, and it is over two years before the completed structure, a huge floating island of steel and glass, is anchored in position in the Atlantic. During this time, the designer falls in love with the girl who is third partner in the shipbuilding yard that constructed the F.P.I. So also does his friend, an airman of world fame, who has been promised the honour of being the first man to land on the platform. The landing takes place in an exciting moment. Soon after the F.P.I. has reached her station and before she is ready for use, the shipyard hears over the radio the sounds of revolver’ fire aboard. The designer and one of his officers are engaged in a duel to decide whether the F.P.I. will float or sink, the officer having been bribed by the opposing interests to destroy the work. His friend “hops off” by plane, taking the girl with him. They are fired at as they land on the F.P.I. by tire man who wishes to sink the structure, and their plane is damaged. The criminal escapes by launch, and thev find the staff at

the aerodrome all unconscious, having been gassed. A desperate struggle to save the aerodrome, and the airman’s lone dash for help in a hastily-repaired plane are as exciting as they are well acted. Conrad Veidt has the leading role and he really dominates the film. He is cast as the great airman who has flown round the world and has never been defeated by any project, but who finally is in danger of falling down on the greatest job of his career because he finds that the girl on whom he has set all his hopes is in love with someone else. This player has a remarkable sense of the dramatic and in every way fills the role of Ellissen effectively. His manner of speech, his marvellous stage presence, and his surprising exercise of restraint in the most melodramatic circumstances give to the characterization and to the picture a distinction which must make it a general attraction during the coming week. Jill Esmond, another player of more than ordinary merit, has the leading feminine part, and she acquits herself with scarcely less distinction than the star. She has a none too easy role, but she is more than equal to the demands it makes upon her. Leslie Fenton, in the role of the young engineer who builds the great ocean aerodrome in the middle of the Atlantic, has a part full of opoprtunity, and he makes the most of it. All the supporting roles are excellently' handled. The supporting programme is, as usual, excellent and the general opinion will be that the comedy’ item, “Dreamers,” is one of the best features of 1 its kind seen locally for some time. It might be called Britain’s challenge to the Laurel and Hardy type of fooling, and if the reaction of northern audiences to its nonsense can be taken as a criterion it should prove immensely popular during the coming week. “Sweet Art,” another of the clever and diverting Cinemagazine series, proves another good draw, and the Fox Movietone News is very attractive. The box plans for the season will be found at the theatre and also at Messrs Charles Begg and Co.’s. MAJESTIC THEATRE. ' “FEMALE.” RUTH CHATTERTON WITH GEORGE BRENT. Ruth Chatterton gives her grandest performance in “Female,” listed to open at the Majestic Theatre this evening. The picture is handsomely mounted ’ with gorgeous sets, in which the First i National star fairly revels in a story, the like of which has never been put ' on the screen. Male or female, you'll

adore “Female.” The situations are new-fraught with sparkling dialoguelines that will have you in stitches, and a love technique girls will be using on their own boy friends. “Female” reverses the conquered female story. As the head of a big business, Chatterton beats men at their own game—that is until she meets her match. Instead of having men play her in an effort to win her affections, she plays the men. In her latest picture Ruth Chatterton has departed with a vengeance from all other film characters with which she has been associated in the past. This time she is Alison Drake, smart, aggressive, attractive, head of Drake Motors, Inc., who cannot understand why a woman in a dominant position cannot command men, as the great conquerors of the world have always commanded women. Why cannot women’s attitude be one of casual condescension? She wishes to take men as she finds them—to discard them just as casually as men discard their women when they have tired of them. In other words—“love ’em and leave ’em”—in the old masculine way. But at last this aggressive, selfconfident young woman meets defeat. Despite her power to do whatever she pleases with her life, she finds she is not as self-sufficient as she has believed. There is at least one man who does not surrender at her word—one man to whom she is not even acceptable. That man happens to be the only one she really wants for keeps. Alison Drake’s elaborate home; then on to street carnivals, dance halls and even a shooting gallery in a far different quarter of the city. George Brent, Miss Chatterton’s husband, contributes an expert performance as leading man in a role that offers him frequent opportunities for dry comedy. There is a distinguished supporting cast, composed largely of players well known both on stage and screen. Among those who have important roles

! are Ruth Donnelly, Lois Wilson, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Johnnny Mack Brown, Gavin Gordon, Jean Muir, Sterling Holloway, Walter Walker and Phillip Reed. For this afternoon matinee Gene Gerrad will be shown in the laughable comedy “The Love Nest.” THE REGENT. “HAWLEYS OF HIGH STREET. LESLIE FULLER’S LATEST LAUGH RIOT. For laughs, loud, long and limitless you must meet the “Hawleys of High Street,” the funniest family that ever visited New Zealand, who will will be at the Regent Theatre for three days commencing at the matinee this afternoon, They’re convulsing company. ■ Who are these Hawleys? will be your natural question, and when we tell you that everybody’s fun favourite, Leslie Fuller, is Hawley himself, you’ll understand why the laughs are guaranteed. Fuller’s antics as a misfit soldier in “Old Soldiers Never Die” brought tears to your eyes, and when he was behind prison walls in "Tonight’s the Night” you laughed ’til your

sides ached; but just wait until you ’ see him as high-hatted Hawley break- ■ ing into society. It’s an absolute riot 1 of comedy. The picture opens with ■ the Hawleys scrappily established in ; the local drapery emporium, where friend Fuller is O.C. of the haberdashery department. Business is, as has been for many years, terrible. Suddenly the Hawleys come into great, unexpected wealth, when the Railway Commissioners purchase their property for a new line. But, excuse us, we omitted to introduce Hawley’s better half (?), who is none other than Amy Veness, the famous “Battle Cruiser” mother-in-law of “My Wife’s Family.” She again rules her family with a tongue that only stops when peaceful slumber claims another victim. _ _ Mrs Hawley has great social “hamitions,” and when she insists that hubby stand for Mayoral honours, hubby objects, but he stands just the same. _ Anything for a quiet life. His principal rival is Bert Busworth, the local pork butcher, and their election campaigns are simply screaming affairs. Imagine Fuller addressing a large audience from a platform, an audience which includes several hired interjectors. Poor old Fuller has a particularly bad time, get-

ting mixed up with bogus peers, burglars, court cases, and many other unseemly predicaments. However, everything comes out all right in the end, but only after you have had the laugh of a lifetime. The convulsing comedy cast also includes such clever entertainers as Jimmy Godden, Judy Kelly, Gus McNaughton and Hal Gordon. The supporting programme includes a New Zealand Pictorial which deals with Milford Sound and Track and the beautiful Eglinton Valley. There is also a variety of English short subjects including a Pathetone Weekly, Pathetone Pictorial and other items of considerable interest. Plans for to-night are at Rice’s Regent shop or seats may be reserved by ringing No. 1938.