ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 22731, 6 November 1935, Page 4

ENTERTAINMENTS

CIVIC THEATRE “OH! DADDY” AND “ONE NIGHT OF LOVE” Bright, satirical, humorous entertainment is the keynote of “Oh! Daddy, the Gainsborough Picture which will be released by Gaumont-British at the Civic Theatre to-night. The farcical qualities of the story are broadly elaborated and the production is highly flavoured with piquant cabaret spectacle. Leslie Henson and Robertson Hare, stage and screen favourites, make the most of the farcical situations, and Frances Day is the glamorous caiaret personality around whom the amusing situations revolve. There are also Barry Mackay, Marie Lohr, Tony de Lungo and Daphne Courtney to add to the merriment. “Oh! Daddy is the story of the visit of two officials of a local branch of a Purity League to London and what befell them at a cabaret in a big London hotel. The two officials were Lord Pye (Leslie Henson) and Rupert Boddy (Robertson Hare). At the cabaret they met Benita De Lys (Frances Day), whose glamorous personality fascinated them. Benita happened to be Pye’s step-daughter, whom he had never met, and she and Lady Pye determined to teach his lordship a lesson. Their success in doing so brings great satisfaction to themselves and much amusement to the audience. Humour scored at the expense of the puritanical humbug seldom fails, and in “Oh! Daddy” it is dispensed with skill and experience. The film not only has the advantage of a clever humourist, but of a versatile and attractive supporting cast. Hence it is merry entertainment. The cabaret scenes are lavish and spectacular and the many rural scenes picturesque. Frances Day sings catchy songs with charm, and her personality in the dances is one of the outstanding attractions of a picture that strikes a new note in British productions. A new and indescribable thrill in screen entertainment awaits motion picture audiences who see Columbia s “One Night of Love,” starring the gorgeous glamorous, golden-voiced Grace Moqre, which is due for a revival at the Civic Theatre to-night. Miss Moore, known in every city in the world where she has appeared on the operatic and the concert stage, achieves the glorious heights of screen stardom as a result of her superb dramatic portrayal in this Columbia extravaganza. Her role is that of a young girl who goes to Italy to study for an operatic career. There she meets a romantic, debonair music teacher, splendidly interpreted by Tullio Carminati, international stage and screen star, who immediately offers to develop her for the Metropolitan in New York. But with one reservation. That their association remain untarnished by even the slightest suggestion of a love affair. Needless to say, Miss Moore wins the acclaim of Europe and America for her glorious voice, but finds fame surprisingly empty without the love and caresses of her music teacher. In a fit of temper she leaves Carminati. But without his presence her voice chokes in h?r throat and her heart refuses to sing. The climactic scene where Miss Moore stands on the stage of the Metropolitan to sing an echanting aria, is one of subtle sentiment. It marks the highlight of a production that is a milestone in the history of the cinema. In addition to Miss Moore and Tullio Carminati, the film boasts an imposing cast that includes Lyle Talbot, Mona Barrie, Luis Alberni and Jessie Ralph. Victor Schertzinger, who directed, also composed the title song. REGENT THEATRE. “PRIVATE WORLDS.” CLAUDETTE COLBERT’S FINE PERFORMANCE. Claudette Colbert, who recently won the Motion Picture Academy Award for 1934 with a comedy portrayal, and whose roles in the past have ranged from an Egyptian sorceress to a modern devoted mother, essays a totally new type of characterization in her new starring Paramount picture, “Private Worlds,” which is now at the Regent Theatre. A story laid against the background of a mental hospital, “Private Worlds” presents Miss Colbert as a trim, efficient and beautiful doctor who heals the mental illnesses of others although she cannot conquer the fear of love in her own heart. She is Dr. Jane Everest, who, having fought her way through the aftermath of one tragic love affair, is determined that the rest of her life will be devoted to the alleviation of the sufferings of others. Her devotion to her work lifts her to a leading position in one of the world’s best-known psychiatric hospitals, where, in association with the men doctors, she demands consideration on the basis of her skill alone. Her particular partner in her work is Alex MacGregor (Joel McCrea), a skilful doctor but an impetuous and reckless man. As a team they become famous, and MacGregor hopes to win appointment as director of the hospital. In this ambition Jane heartily supports him. Between the two there is never a thought of love, although Jane is warm in her friendship for MacGregor, and for his young wife, Sally (Joan Bennett). Sally frankly admits that she cannot control the pain of the jealousy she feels for Jane who shares so much of Alex’s time and mind. The post of director of the hospital which Alex hoped to get, is awarded to Dr. Charles Monet (Charles Boyer), a French psychiatrist recently arrived in the United States. The hospital is split into two opposing camps and enmities and passions are aroused which threaten to ruin the work of the institution. Monet introduces his sister, Claire (Helen Vinson) to the hospital group. She is a light, frothy, flirting type of woman, who immediately sets out to conquer Alex. Alex, bitter because of Monet’s appointment, hates the man and seeks a way to hurt him. He accepts Claire’s challenge and they soon become involved in an affair that becomes the scandal of the institution. Jane shares Alex’s hate for Dr. Monet until one night she sees him bring happiness to a dying Arab in the dangerous ward. His gentleness reminds her of her lost sweetheart, and emotions she thought dead begin to revive within her. Jerry, a maddened patient, attacks Monet and Jane risks her life to save the doctor. After this incident they know they are in love, but Jane’s external coldness prevents Monet from reading her true feelings. Jane likewise is baffled ,by Monet’s natural mistrust of all women because of his sister Claire’s character. Jane learns, however, through the scandal-mongering matron of the hospital, that Monet’s sister murdered her husband in France and that Monet has spent his fortune and lost his former job in her defence. Alex, seeing the hidden emotions of Jane and Monet, becomes more infuriated. Jane remonstrates with him about his reckless drinking and philandering. He promises to break with Claire. Sally, however, has been watching Alex’s defection in worried silence and her mind gives way whein she thinks she has lost him to Claire. She falls down a flight of stairs in her home and is discovered by Jane and Monet. Alex does break with Claire and arrives at the hospital just as Jane and Monet are operating on Sally in an effort to save her reason.

Thus is one phase of the story brought to a happy conclusion, and the otner is well on its way to a satisfactory termination. Plans for to-night are at H. and J. Smith’s and Rice’s Regent shop. MAJESTIC THEATRE. “THE CASINO MURDER CASE.” A PHILO VANCE MYSTERY. It will again be proved by “The Casino Murder Case,” to-night’s attraction at the Majestic Theatre that the thriller can always be depended on to provide splendid entertainment. The story is from the pen of S. S. van Dine, perhaps the most widely-read of writers of thrillers, and has as its central character Philo Vance, the learned and dilettante solver of crime problems, whose shrewd psychology is thrown into even greater relief by the blundering obtuseness of Sergeant Heath. Vance is not an easy character to portray, for in his creator’s writings he is invested with an atmosphere that only words can create. The attempt made by Paul Lukas to give to Philo Vance his appropriate air is among the best attempts yet made. Lukas’s slightly foreign but pleasant accent is an advantage; he gives glimpses of his wide and deep practical knowledge, but not so obtrusively perhaps as the Philo Vance of S. S. van Dine; his acting is done naturally, without any hint of stress or over-emphasis. Lukas is given excellent support by a strong cast. Ted Healy, as Sergeant Heath, who is gifted with a rather large number of human weaknesses for a policeman, is splendidly cast. Louise Fazenda takes the part of Becky, the maid, who has a propensity for listening at keyholes, but proves in the crisis a true and faithful servant. Charles Sellon gives another distinctive portrayal of the police doctor, Dr. Doremus, a man who has long since adopted an impersonal attitude towards his profession. Rosalind Russell, who might, if thrillers permitted the name, be called the heroine, and Lynn Llewellyn, another central character, both carry their parts through with great success. The general standard of the acting is high, and it is in parts excellent. The incidents of the crimes are full of excitement. The seasoned reader of detective stories would be hard put to it to find the solution, for the plot has been laid by a very clever man who is planning to perpetuate the perfect crime. His efforts are directed against members of the Llewellyn family. and later against Philo Vance, whom the criminal fears because he knows too much. Lynn Llewellyn is poisoned at a casino owned by his uncle, his wife is poisoned at home and dies. After the police have worked on the case, old Mrs Llewellyn writes a confession, stating that she committed both these crimes, and then commits suicide. The police are satisfied; but Philo Vance is not. He can see signs which prove that the plot is a much more deeply-laid one than that suggested by Mrs Llewellyn in her confession. Attention is directed to the uncle in a very definite way, but again Vance is suspicious. He apprehends the real murderer at the apparent risk of his life. The settings and the atmosphere of this plot, the solution of which hinges on the use of a certain drug, are successfully designed to produce the real thriller effect. A matinee will be held to-day. MATAURA REGENT THEATRE, DOUBLE BILL PROGRAMME. One of the most entertaining musical comedies that have ever come from a British studio is “Mr Cinders,” British International Pictures’ screen adaptation of the phenomenally successful stage success, which is showing at the Mataura Regent Theatre this evening. It moves at a breakneck speed throughout and introduces snappy music, amazing eccentric dancing, hilarious comedy—in fact all the ingredients of the best in screen entertainment. “The Silver Streak,” the second picture on the programme, brings to the motion picture screen for the first time, modem day wonders that the general public have been impatiently waiting to see—great achievements of science and engineering. It records the crowning of an epic of railroading and a century of rail transportation progress. It shows how a tremendous industry was pulled back from the brink of bankruptcy. It is packed with hair-raising thrills, breathless suspense, gripping drama, and tender romance.