ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 25342, 22 July 1935, Page 12

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE “IMITATION OF LIFE” “Imitation of Life,” which had its initial screening at the Regent on. Saturday night, made an instant impression upon the large audience. Here is a film that can be genuinely praised, a powerful drama based on Fannie Hurst’s best selling novel. A depth of human feeling is revealed in the unfolding of this story of a mother s tragic struggle to retain the love of her daughter—or, rather, two mothers in respect to two daughters, for both live in the one houshold and each parent has her own particular problem to solve. The theme of the picture is arresting in its conception and, headed by Claudette Colbert, a strong cast rises to unusual heights of dramatic genius in interpreting it. Claudette Colbert again has a modern role in which she demonstrates once more her ability to handle it equally as brilliantly as when cast as a historical figure of the past. As “Bea” Pullman, the young widow striving hard to earn a livelihood for herself and baby daughter by hawking a commodity from door to door, she shows her unquenchable optimism in the face of adversity. By chance, a negro woman with a heart of gold, is engaged as her cook and the coloured mammy’s daughter grows up as a mate of the other child. Aunt Delilah, the negress, possesses a wonderful recipe for making wheat cakes and she and her mistress commercialize it in a big way. They become very wealthy and move to luxurious quarters. But tragedy had long been stalking near them both. Peola, the cook’s girl, has always been regarded by her friends as white and it is here that the colour question—a really live issue in the United States—is introduced to be handled with consummate delicacy. Many scenes pregnant with pathos follow to show the younger’s gradual realization that, no matter though her skin be white, she is of coloured parentage. Mother and daughter become estranged, so fanatical is the girl’s rebellion against fate, and finally she disowns the sorrowing Delilah. Bea, too, has her problem, for her beautiful daughter falls in love with Stephen Archer who, in fact, intends marrying the mother. The girl, on vacation from College, is just at the impressionable age and Bea has to handle the difficult position tenderly. The manner in which both mothers solve their problems cannot be divulged, but the scenes leading up to the powerful climax are particularly striking. Indeed, nothing more profoundly moving has been seen on the screen than Delilah’s struggle to retain the affection of her distraught girl. As the negress, Louise Beavers almost steals the acting honours from Claudette Colbert hence her histrionic ability needs no greater eulogy. Ned Sparks is excellent as the sour-faced business manager of the syndicate, while Warren Williams, in love with Bea, gives a convincing portrayal of a difficult role. Fully in keeping with the high standard of the featured film are the supports which include interesting newsreels, a striking travelogue to Algiers and “Toyland Premiere,” a colour cartoon which is a positive gem. THE MAJESTIC “THE PAINTED VEIL.” GRETA GARBO’S SUPREME ACHIEVEMENT. The magnetic name of Greta Garbo drew so many people to the Majestic on Saturday evening that well before the curtain rose accommodation was at a premium. Only twice a year does this supremely gifted Swedish actress emerge from the seclusion of her estate to enter filmdom; only in pictures of outstanding merit is her illustrious name starred. It is small wonder therefore that when such a film comes to Invercargill it should establish fresh box office records. The difficulty with motion picture corporations has been to find a medium worthy of her genius, but in Somerset Maugham’s “The Painted Veil” the great Garbo finds full scope for her talents. Maugham was never so powerful and so artistic as when he painted on a Chinese screen; and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer have brilliantly recreated the atmosphere in this story of love, sacrifice and reconciliation amidst the cholera-stricken interior of China. Nothing has been spared to place Greta Garbo in the setting the author intended, every effort has been made to project her classic beauty from the screen to the audience. At times it almost seems that the producer is so sensible of the privilege of having Garbo in the cast that he cannot resist the temptation of expending hundreds of feet of film in close-ups. Were it any other face than Greta’s the posing might become nauseating; but she so seldom bestows the light of her countenance upon ordinary mortals that the succession of intimate studies can be forgiven. Greta in the story is an Austrian girl who, chiefly to escape ennui and see other parts of the world, marries a doctor whose life work lies in China. In the East her husband becomes engrossed in his humanitarian service and she and the British attache fall in love with each other. At any rate it seems like real love to her until her husband, aware of her infidelity, gives her the alternative of divorce or of accompanying him inland to where cholera is raging. It is amidst the suffering and the horrors of the plague that she realizes the worth of the man to whom she is married. As Dr. Fane Herbert Marshall gives a performance worthy of this gifted Englishman .although at times he seems more pathetic than is consistent with the part. George Brent as the attache whose love for Greta does not stand the crucial test gives an excellent performance, and Jean Hersholt and Warner Oland are others with important roles. “The Painted Veil” is unquestionably an arresting picture, written by an author whose pen vividly delineates the strength and weakness of mankind and acted by one who can best contrast the shadows and the sunshine. No one will leave the Majestic unmoved or apathetic, even if there be not unqualified approval. Maugham and Garbo are too powerful for indifference. In the first part of the programme there is a British newsreel, a Thelma Todd-Patsy Kelly comedy and a coloured cartoon “The Old Pensioner,” which in a most entertaining way depicts the trials of the pioneers with the pesky Redskins.

CIVIC THEATRE.

“CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS.”

THRILLS, MYSTERY, COMEDY.

The benefit conferred upon the public when Sir Robert Peel instituted the police force is almost equalled by that conferred upon them by the motion picture genius who provided them with such a delightful screen detective as Charlie Chan. Never has there been such an engaging film personality as that wily Oriental sleuth and evidence that his popularity with' Invercargill people is still on the increase was forthcoming on ♦ Saturday night when the Civic Theatre was packed to the doors by entertainment-seekers eager to see his latest efforts in crime detection. His previous picture saw him confounding evil-doers in England, but this time the criminals of

France engage his attention, “Charlie Chan in Paris” depicting his gentle progress through hair-raising adventures in the gay French capital. The Parisian setting is most authentic, every facet of the city being shown from the reckless night life of its cafes to the gloomy horror of its sewers. Charlies pursuit of crime leads him to such diverse places as fashionable restaurants and rather old fashioned sewers because the story simply bristles with mystery—and mystery evidently follows devious routes in Paris. The case on which he has been brought to France at first appears to be merely a straightforward affair of financial swindling, but Chan soon discovers that there is a blacker side. Immediately on his arrival he receives a melodramatic warning that •he is not wanted in the country and when, he disregards it things begin to happen. He goes to a cafe to meet a young girl apache dancer who has some information for him and arrives in the middle of her performance. It is a particularly good performance, too, but the audience is just savouring its enjoyment when the girl is murdered. Shortly after Chan himself is attacked, but the wisdom of the East, coupled with unusually good eyesight saves him. Then the fianceeof a young friend of his is accused of the murder of another figure in the story —and the plot grows still thicker. A sinister cripple whose dexterity in the gentle art of murder is only equalled by his uncanny facility for disappearing at critical moments, serves to still further complicate matters, but Chan is undaunted. He has acquired a son for this picture—a character played by an extremely clever Chinese actor —and the boy, who has evidently inherited some of the parental flair for sleuthing, is a great help to Chan. Together they are a delightful pair, the glib wisecracks of the son serving to accentuate the quiet humour of Chan’s Oriental profundities. All their time is not given up to laughter-making, however, and the story moves on apace. Thrill mounts upon thrill and an atmosphere of spine-chilling suspense is so cleverly created that the feminine portion of Saturday night’s audience gave audible expression to their horror. The acting throughout the picture is superb and it would be gilding the lily to expound upon the histrionic ability of the whimsical Warner Oland (Charlie Chan) and his talented supporting players. That the programme is lacking in no detail is immediately evidenced by the featurettes. Interesting world events are provided through the medium of newsreels, while an unusually bright travelogue shows that Geneva is much more than the locale for the League of Nations. Pride of place among the supports, however, must be reserved for “Hello Sailors,” a hilarious mixture of sailors, girls and remarkable eccentric dancing.

MATAURA REGENT THEATRE

“THE CRIME OF HELEN STANLEY.”

The third of Columbia’s mystery productions, “The Crime of Helen Stanley,” will be showing at the Mataura Regent Theatre this evening. As in its predecessor, “One Is Guilty,” Inspector Trent is portrayed by Ralph Bellamy. Trent, the shrewd, implacable detective, is summoned to a motion picture studio by Helen Stanlay, film star. Before he can reach her, she is shot while acting on a set in the studio. Trent is caught in an amazing web of clues and circumstances which hopelessly entangel him when he tries to solve the case. Six men and a girl had motives for killing the star—and only one was guilty. Finding the murderer, ferreting him out from among the innocent persons, provides a difficult task for the detective. It is only after proving conclusively that certain individuals are not involved in the crime that he uncovers the murderer in one of the most daring bits o fdetective work ever seen on the screen. Playing opposite Bellamy is Shirley Grey, as the girl implicated in the crime. Gail Patrick portrays Helen Stanley. Comedy talkie tests conducted by Dr A. L. Lewis, of Hollywood, will also be held.