ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 22992, 11 September 1936, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE “THE TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE” There is something for everybody in “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine,” which is to begin at the Regent Theatre to-day. It is a virile outdoor story with plenty of action, romance and beauty, the rare beauty of nature’s own colouring. The use of colour gives the picture a strength of reality that would have been entirely missing with the old process; but the colour has been used sensibly, not as a mere parade of rainbows, but as a subservient background to the dominance of the human actors. There is, for instance, a good deal of wood in the background; and the colour of pinewood-grain has been reproduced with such a mellow glow that you can almost smell the resin. There is a good earthy aroma about the forest scenes, too, with their green and crimson leaves, and the technicolour process triumphs signally in the reproduction of the intense blue of the mountainlake. Against this background of huge hills and rich colour, the story of the Lonesome Pine has been noticeably improved.'The film is certainly one of the best of its class. Not only will any audience feel the exuberance of colour and out-of-door life, but it will scarcely fail to be excited by the vigour and speed of the action. The director (Henry Hathaway) has treated his material with perfect feeling. He has rubbed in the melodrama, where melodrama is necessary, but has transformed the “hokum” ingredients with a subtlety which is really delightful. The story of “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine” is a stirring tale of the mountains. The Tollivers and the Falins have hated one another and killed on sight for half a century until the feud has become a religion. Into this world comes Jack Hale, engineer, with an idea to exploit a coal deposit in the hills, which are practically owned by these two families. He has a tough job to get the consent of both parties to agree to allow his company to operate; but at last they consent. Young Hale (Frey Mac Murray) is an attractive young man, and June Tolliver falls in love with him. June, under the influence of love, decides that she, too, would like to read and write, like people in the towns. Jack Hale gives her a lift in his buggy into Gaptown, and his action is interpreted by Dave, June’s foster brother, in the worst possible way. He goes after Hale, but is waylaid by one of the Falins, and there is a fight, in which Hale participates. The fuedal hate blazes out afresh, and, as Jack has fought with a Tolliver, the Falins burn down the camp. Then they blow up a bridge, in which little Buddie Tolliver is killed. The first impulse is to go after the Falins, but old Melissa Tolliver begs for peace; and when Dave sees that June is not for him, he marches into the Falin cabin and sues for peace. Sylvia Sidney acts with rare spirit and sympathy as June. Dave is in the safe hands of Henry Fonda, and Jud Tolliver and Buck Falin are sincerely acted by Fred Stone and Robert Barrat. The supporting programme is fully up to the high standard maintained by the Regent Theatre. Box plans are at H. and J. Smith’s and Rice’s Regent shop. The bookings are sure to be heavy.

CIVIC THEATRE. EXCELLENT PROGRAMME. FINAL SCREENING. To-day will give Invercargill cinemagoers their final opportunity of seeing the outstanding double-feature bill at the Civic Theatre. The main picture, “I Cover the Waterfront,” is a thrilling and unusual story of modern smugglers on the New York waterfront. The plot revolves around three personalities—a smuggler of Chinese into California, his attractive daughter and the waterfront reporter—and they com- | bine with others to make a thrilling and memorable picture. Miller (Ben Lyon), a reporter whose assignment is to cover harbour activities, has for long been suspicious that Eli Kirk (Ernest Torrence) is smuggling aliens into the United States. The difficulty lies, however, in obtaining definite proof. Resourceful as most American reporters are alleged to be, Miller takes the opportunity of a romance with Kirk’s daughter, Julie (Claudette Colbert) to secure some of the wished-for information. This is forthcoming, and in the ensuing revelation of Kirk’s methods, the smuggler is shot by the coastguards. Miller has by now upset relations with Julie, who realizes that he has betrayed her father. In the final scenes the tale is deftly brought to a fitting climax. Throughout the picture tense episodes follow one another with rapidity, and scenes showing a giant shark attacking a man, the dim-lit waterfront and the never-ceas-ing movement of harbour life are brought together in a really fine film. The photography is indeed excellent, some of the “shots” being indicative of the high standard reached by the American studios. Plenty of light humour is provided in the exchanges between Miller and his chief of staff. lien Lyon is well cast as the enterprising newspaperman, and Claudette Colbert makes a charming heroine, but Ernest Torrence, as her father, Eli Kirk, fisherman, smuggler and murderer many times over, gives such a display of powerful acting that the picture—the last before his death—may justly be called his. The second feature, “Advice to the Lovelorn,” also concerns a newspaperman—but one of a very different type from the adventurous Ben Lyon in “I Cover the Waterfront.” He is reduced from chief reporter, because of a drunken debauch which caused him to miss a big story, to the post of Aunt Sally” in charge of the “agony” column. Lee Tracey has the leading role and extracts full measure of humour, from the ludicrous situations into which his job leads him. A stray j murder seasons the comedy with excitement and there is an abundance of. laughter and thrills before the errant reporter finally makes good. STATE THEATRE. DOUBLE-FEATURE PROGRAMME. A particularly bright and entertaining double-feature programme is the current attraction at the State Theatre. Both pictures are strong in clever, witty and humorous dialogue and novel situations which create abundant opportunity for speedy action. Carole Lombard will be seen with Preston Foster in “Love Before Breakfast,” which is said to be a brilliant sophisticated comedy. Miss Lombard is seen as a modem young woman who demands the right to her own opinions, even when they include the desire to marry two young men. The fun begins when one of her suitors gives her a black eye accidentally. From that point, every time he tries to win her favour he does something else which stirs her wrath more. Cast in a flippant, bantering role of the type which won him fame James Dunn scores another success in

“Welcome Home,” the unusual comedy film which is the second feature of this fine programme. This picture contains many delightful comedy interludes in addition to some tense drama. COMMENCING TO-MORROW. JANE WITHERS IN “GENTLE JULIA.” “Gentle Julia,” which commences a season at the State Theatre to-morrow, gives theatre-goers who have previously enjoyed the antics and comedy of Jane Withers another opportunity of seeing this versatile young star. As in “Ginger,” Jane and Jackie Searle make an excellent pair as juvenile entertainers, and in “Gentle Julia” they are more to the fore than ever. A drowsy backwater town in Indiana about 1912 is the scene of the picture, but underneath its sleepy surface it seethes with excitement over the romances of Marsha Hunt and the unpredictable pranks of little Jaiie Withers. With Tom Brown playing a likeable country lad, and George Meeker, the city “smart | man,” as the leading contestants for Miss Hunt’s hand, the picture follows the erratic course of love. Jane gets involved in the romance when she takes time off from her uproarious feud with Jackie Searle to help Tom Bowers discredit Meeker. Their tactics involve breaking up an old-fashioned lawn party with a deluge of insects, and other stunts that are bound to earn them trouble and dislike. But Jane ingeniously succeeds in getting rid of the hated Meeker, and the climax, of the picture is devoted to a hilarious chase that winds up with Tom Brown and Miss Hunt at the altar, and Jane taking the credit for it all. The excellent. cast of leading players is supported by Harry Holman, delightful as Jane’s grumpy grandfather; Francis Ford, in another of his inimitable character roles, and Hattie McDaniels. ; THE MAJESTIC. “THE WIDOW FROM MONTE CARLO.” A comedy romance, full of laughter and love affairs, with a series of exciting jewel thefts to give more than the usual action to a rollicking comedy, is “The Widow From Monte Carlo,” starring Warren William, Herbert Mundin and Louise Fazenda, which will be screened at the Majestic Theatre for the last time to-day. The characters involve a playboy major, a widowed duchess, somewhat flirtatiously inclined, her very proper English relatives and her even more proper fiance, a very rich and persistent widow who is trying to crash society and an American crook who is a fugitive from justice. Warren William never played with more deliberate and delightful abandon than in his role of the major who sweeps the duchess off her feet and into his arms after an informal flirtation at the Casino at Monte Carlo to which her Grace has gone incognito for a night of adventure. Dolores Del Rio, as the duchess, is as beautiful and charming as ever. As the woman seeking to crash society, especially that of the duchess, Louise Fazenda does an excellent job. Colin Clive gives a good performance as the quite proper and over-dignified English diplomat, betrothed to the duchess. Warren Hymer adds a big share of humour as the crook, who teaches the stiff-necked English butler, a part played by Olin Howland, how to play dice, purloins an indiscreet letter the duchess had written the major, which had fallen into the hands of the social climber, who was using it as a means of blackmail. Incidentally the crook steals several diamond necklaces at the same time, which is eventually his undoing. Others in the cast include Herbert Mundin, Ely Melyon, E. E. Clive, Mary Forbes, Viva Tattersail and Herbert Evans.

COMMENCING TO-MORROW. THE THREE MARX BROS. “A NIGHT AT THE OPERA.” Those merry madcaps, the Marx Brothers—Groucho, Chico and Harpo—spent two years in preparation for the filming of their latest comedy, “A Night at the Opera,” which opens to-morrow at the Majestic Theatre. According to overseas critics it was worth waiting for! Here is a picture that is not only “tops” for the screamingly funny comedy expected from the Marx Brothers, but one that is built around an intriguing plot, an interesting story and some truly brilliant singing by two Broadway stage favourites, Kitty Carlisle and Allan Jones. The action romps along at a sprightly pace as Groucho, Chico and Harpo go into the grand opera business in Italy, dash across the Altantic and stage an opera in New York that has the city on its ear. It is opera such as has never been seen before, as the Marxes become matchmakers to further the romance of two unknown opera singers. Original comedy, spariding dialogue, delightful opera, and, of course, the Marx Brothers, vie in the funniest, most delightful picture that has come to the screen for some time. Supporting the Marxes, in addition to Jones and Miss Carlisle, who are perfectly cast as the young lovers, are Walter King, who also has a fine singing role, Siegfried Rumann, Margaret Dumont, Edward Keane and Robert Emmet O’Connor.