ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 22488, 24 January 1935, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

CIVIC THEATRE. EXTENDEDSEASON. JAN KIEPURA IN “MY SONG FOR YOU.” The reputation Jan Kiepura built for himself in motion pictures by his performance in “Tell Me To-night” he enhances in “My Song for You,” which is continuing a successful extended season and definitely finishes on Friday at the Civic Theatre. That reputation, now world-wide, is naturally principally based on his tenor voice of magnificent quality, but the qualities that cap it for him are his charm of manner, his spontaneity, and his physical energy. He has a gift for acting as well as for singing, evidence of which flashes equally brilliantly in interludes of whimsical humour or of romance. “My Song for You” is similar in pattern to "Tell Me To-night,” with the special feature again the perfect direction which has succeeded admirably in introducing with great naturalness into a charming romance a wealth of song. Rousing comedy and vivid action are brought out in bold relief against the charm of melody and romance. Even the introduction of impressive rehearsal scenes in the State Opera House at Vienna for the production of the opera “Aida” do not interfere with the continuity of the theme. Jan Kiepura, both during these scenes and later at a charitj recital that is staged in a public swimming bath—a novel feature, the presentation of which is a feather in the cap of the director—sings arias from “Aida.” Many other excerpts from opera are introduced. Accompanied by the great organ of a cathedral he sings very beautifully the most favoured setting of “Ave Maria.” The plot provides that Gatti, the great tenor, shall become continually involved in such a way that he is able to extricate himself only by using his great voice, and this is exploited to make the film rich in musical gems. The film also gains much from the acting of Sonnie Hale. There is the usual wonderful supporting programme for which the Civic Theatre has become renowned. NOVEL PRODUCTION. “STAND UP AND CHEER” IS DAZZLING. “Stand Up and Cheer,” a picture made to dazzle as well as delight, heads the new programme at the Civic Theatre next Saturday. Commenting on this film, a northern critic said: The last reel leaves the impression of endless throngs of cheering crowds, of marching youths, girls, and men, of bands and mass demonstrations on an unsurpassable scale. This comes as the climax to an hour and a half’s entertainment almost bewildering in its variety. Even without the crowds this picture could not fail to arrest attention. It. has nearly a dozen eminent players in the cast, a regiment of shapely chorus girls, singers, and skilled acrobats. Take such stars as Warner Baxter, James Dunn, Madge Evans, Shirley Temple, Stepin Fetchit, John Boles, Nigel Bruce, Ralph Morgan and Arthur Byron—here is talent enough to delight the heart of any producer, and the only difficulty is to make full use of it. Outside America the attempt would never have been made, but in this case it was necessary to impress millions with the success of a simple plan to conquer depression by a spirit of gaiety. At least, that is the idea, and the film starts with the setting up of a Ministry of Amusements, with Warner Baxter at the head of affairs. From Broadway, where he built up a reputation as a leading showman, he goes to Washington at the behest of the President, and in a short time his schemes are launched. Then the fun begins.

THE REGENT.

“GIVE HER A RING.”

MUSICAL COMEDY WITH A SNAP.

Based on something of the “Sunshine Susie” idea, “Give Here a Ring,’ which opened at the Regent Theatre yesterday, is a brilliant spectacle of sparkling flirtatious incidents, catchy songs, peppy cabaret interludes and hearty wise-cracking patter. It is the sort of entertainment for which the populace of Invercargill have constantly evidenced an avid appetite. The picture is unusual in form in that the humour is derived for the most part from a series of situations which have their origin in the inefficiency of the management of a central telephone exchange. The cast is an English one and embodies that degree of variety essential in setting off the numerous humorous incidents. The story is the essence of simplicity and is principally woven round four characters who are brought together by unexpected conversations on the telephone. One meeting is disastrous to both parties, but the same cannot be said of the second, in which a charming operator and the exchange director are thrown together without either having any idea of the other’s position. A visit to an amusement area called Luna Park provides the audience with a number of pretty scenes with a musical background. “Give Her A Ring” stars Wendy Barrie, Clifford Mollison, Zelma O’Neal and the leading supporting players are Nadine March, Bertha Belmore, Jimmy Godden, Olive Blakeney, Maurice Winnick and his band, and the Diamond Brothers from America, who are wisecracking experts, and knockabout comedians of a type that makes one want to see more of them on the screen in the future. The story opens brightly in a telephone exchange with the operators trilling their theme song whilst plug-ging-in the wires. Karen, an operator, makes an appointment with an unknown subscriber, Otto; Paul, the exchange director, makes an appointment with an unknown Trude, a modiste. At the meeting-place the two couples get mixed up, but as Karen is pre-destined to mate with her boss, the exchange director, the spectator need only be concerned with the farcical complications which are smoothed over to bring that anticipated event to a happy conclusion. Zelma O’Neal scores a definite hit as the irrepressible Trude, and her inventiveness and resource are boundless. Clifford Mollison as Paul, is given the fullest opportunity for the exposition of his unquestioned talent. Wendy Barrie, as Karen, is adorable and plays the part to perfection. Eric Rhodes is Otto, Bertha Belmore, the exchange supervisor, Jimmy Godden is Karen’s uncle, and Nadine March, Otto’s wife. Watch the future career of the young man who directed “Give Her A Ring.” His name is Arthur Woods, and he is not yet thirty—probably the youngest director in the world. Until just recently, Arthur was a scenario writer. Walter Mycroft, production chief of 8.1. P., however, saw the young man’s talent and xie was deputed to make “On Secret Service”—a really brilliant directorial debut. Since then he has made “Freedom Of The Seas.” “Give Her A Ring” is his third effort, and is a notable piece of work. The supporting programme is worth going to see, even if it comprised the whole show. “Big Timber” deals with happenings among the Canadian forest trees. Another short of particular interest is “Maoriland Movielogues,” which deals with White Island, Re-built Napier, Egmont and Taranaki. The Pathe Pictorials contain a wealth of attractive items. It is safe to say that one of the most attractive numbers on the bill is the

singing of “The Deathless Army,” by Lance Fairfax, who is well-known to Invercargill audiences.

the majestic. “TO THE LAST MAN.” THRILLING ENTERTAINMENT. That the public welcomes a change from the abundance of sophisticated fare provided on the screen recently was clearly evident from the large crowd at the Majestic Theatre last night. Zane Grey can always be relied upon for a gripping yarn and the picturized version of his To The Last Man,” fully justifies the high praise showered upon it by the patrons of last night. The story is based upon an actual feud in the Tonto Basin of Pleasant Valley, Arizona, in the late eighties, in which both factions were wiped out, literally, to the last man. When he heard of this “war’ that raged for generations, Zane Grey determined to get the inside facts. Accordingly he went to Arizona, spent three summers there with the natives until he won their confidence. In the picture, Grey brings the story back to post-Civil War days and two feuding families in the mountain fastness of Kentucky. The Hayden family, determined to end the killings, forces the court to put Jed Colby, their enemy, m jail for the latest killing, and moves to the West. Fifteen years later, accompanied by a desperado friend, Jed Colby and his daughter trail the Haydens to Arizona, determined to force their enemies to continue the feud. The drama is heightened by a romance that springs up between Lynn Hayden, eldest son of the Hayden family, and Ellen Colby. That dashing hero, Randolph Scott, has the leading role and is capably supported by the lovely Esther Ralston. The usual high standard of the Majestic Theatre is maintained by the “supports.” MAJESTIC, SATURDAY. ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON’S “TREASURE ISLAND.” Patrons of the Majestic Theatre will be regaled with outstanding entertainment for a short season commencing Saturday, when the most successful cinema reproduction of “Treasure Island” will start its journey of thrills and joy. “The first literary classic to which any boy in any English-speak-ing country, at all events, is introduced, is surely ‘Treasure Island,’ Robert Louis Stevenson’s glorious tale of adventure. There are plenty of stories of pirates and other excitements of the seas a few centuries ago, but none of them have won such universal applause as this delightful book. To-day we may have among our authors a J. B. Priestly who is often very near to Dickens, and a Shaw who is ‘Better than Shakespeare?’, but no one has taken the place of ‘R.L.S.’ as a writer of adventure stories. Now, ‘Treasure Island’ has been made into a film, with everything just as we remember it in the book —some of the things have had to be left out, of course, but nothing has been added to ‘improve’ the film for American audiences. • There can be no higher- praise for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture of ‘Treasure Island’ than to say the ‘R.L.S.’ would have loved it as surely he would have loved the little boy who sat in front of me when the picture was privately screened in Wellington last week, and became so excited as the fight with the pirates progressed that he leapt about in his seat making enough noise to drown every sound of the battle. That is the sort of picture ‘Treasure Island’ is—a fine unsophisticated entertainment, with pirates and fights and hidden treasure and mysterious islands and castaways in just the proper proportions. The acting from every member of the cast could not be improved upon—Otto Kruger as Dr. Livesey, Jackie Cooper as Jim Hawkins (an American Jim Hawkins admittedly, but never the worse for that), and ‘Chic’ Sale as ‘Poor Ben Gun’ are all excellent As Squire Trelawney, Nigel Bruce is an outstanding success—a surprise for those who have seen him before only in English films as a slightly idiotic and invariably intoxicated husband. Still, the chief acting honours go to Wallace Beery as Long John Silver—the kindly-sinister one-legged leader of the pirates. Beery has given many fine performances on the films, and several great ones, but he has never surpassed his work in ‘Treasure Island.’ He dominates every scene he appears in—in spite of the fine acting of the rest of the cast, it is Wallace Beery who will be remembered longest when ‘Treasure Island’ is discussed. ‘Treasure Island’ is a picture that could not have been made a few years ago—there is not a single female part of any importance in it: no love scenes, and no mock heroics—for Jim is, more often than not, just a very frightened little boy, as any other little boy would be in his place—but for sheer entertainment it will take its place among the best films. Children of all ages will love it just as much as their parents and grandparents will.” A special morning matinee will take place on Saturday at 10.15.