ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 23297, 6 September 1937, Page 13

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE “DREAMING LIPS” A brilliant successor to “Escape Me Never,” “Dreaming Lips” fully justifies all the tributes that have been paid , to the acting ability of Elisabeth Bergner. At the Regent Theatre, where it is the current attraction, the audience on Saturday night showed appreciation of her acting. Gaby (Elisabeth Beygner) is the wife of a violinist (Romney Brent) who is devotedly and boyishly in love with his wife. At the Queen’s Hall Gaby watches the performance of Miguel del Vayo (Raymond Massey), a famous master of the violin and, with the camera cleverly focussed for some time on her expressive face, one is made aware of the musician’s impression on her. Del Vayo and Gaby’s husband are old friends, having studied together arid their reunion is a happy one, especially for the husband, who insists on taking his friend home to supper. Despite her timidity and her round Botticelli eyes, Gaby is really irresponsible at heart and she falls in love with Miguel with an artlessness that never suggests premeditated duplicity. Del Vayo is a straight man, with a genuine respect for his friend and at first he tries to resist Gaby. Rugged of face but impressive always, Raymond Massey does full justice to an important role and the film is a further triumph for him.

Romney Brent is ideally cast as Peter, or Peeps, as he is called by Gaby. But it is Elisabeth Bergner who must take the honours. In every scene she is superb. An attractive supporting programme accompanies the main feature. “HISTORY IS MADE AT NIGHT” WEDNESDAY NEXT A film of more than ordinary dramatic content is “History is Made at Nigbt,” which is to open at the Regent Theatre on Wednesday, the day of the Springboks’ match. In the leading roles, Charles Boyer and Jean Arthur act with a restraint that is admirable considering the layishness of the direction and the possibilities for over-acting provided by the plot. Colin Clive plays fire part of a cruel husband, suspicious of his wife’s fidelity, and his role is one of the pivots of the plot. The action is fast and tense and has a climax as stirring as any seen on the screen for some time. There is an excellent supporting programme including an amusing Mickey Mouse cartoon and an American college comedy. The box plans are at H. and J. Smith’s, Rice’s Regent Shop and the theatre.

MAJESTIC THEATRE

“WHEN YOU’RE IN LOVE” GRACE MOORE’S SINGING It has been left to the moving picture world to discover a combination of beauty witb a voice, and in Grace Moore one finds a perfect example of such a happy combination. Grace Moore has achieved fame not only as an opera singer, but also as an actress,

but it is doubtful if any of her pictures have achieved the standard of her latest production, “When You’re In Love,” which was screened at the Majestic Theatre for the first time on Saturday. Cary Grant is , Miss Moore’s leading man in “When You’re in Love,” and appears as a twofisted hard-drinking American artist in Mexico. The story itself deals with an Australian opera star who is forced to leave the United States because of immigration laws. Surrounded by sycophants, she goes to Mexico in an effort to obtain an Australian quota number, but is unsuccessful. In order to return to the United States she has to buy herself an American husband who turns out to be a hard-drinking young painter with an utter contempt for the star. Complications arise ■with rapidity, finally winding up in a blaze of song, requited love and reformation on the part of the opera singer. Miss Moore’s deft handling of a comedy role adds to the prestige she has gained for her ability in dramatic roles. There is also a well selected programme of short pictures, including a thrilling aeroplane short, depicting the growth of aviation from the time when the Wright brothers left the ground in their flimsy structure, till the present day with its high speed military and commercial aircraft, and a number of spectacular crashes is also shown.

CIVIC THEATRE

“MIDNIGHT TAXI” “BIG BUSINESS” Featuring Brian Donlevy and Frances Drake, Twentieth Century-Fox’s “Midnight Taxi” which is one of two excellent films which finish a season at

the Civic Theatre today, deals with the clever methods used by Federal secret service men on the trail of a baffling ring of counterfeiters. The Twentieth Century-Fox comedy, “Big Business,” the latest in the hilarious series of adventures of the Jones Family, is the associate feature. TWO FEATURES TOMORROW The riotous adventures of a school master, the pursuit of a priceless necklace and the budding romance of a wealthy widow form the main themes of “Boys Will Be Boys,” the main feature on the grand double-feature programme beginning at the State Theatre tomorrow. “Narkover” is an imaginary school where the boys are more famed for their “crook” tendencies than for their literary achievements. With a trio of famous fun makers—Will Hay, as the unsuspecting Dr Alec Smart, Gordon Harker, as Brown, the tough old lag, and Claude Dampier, as a gullible assistant master with an influential .uncle—the film goes from start to finish in a riot of laughter. Fast-moving dramatic action along with a thrilling and dangerous romance makes “Silk Hat Kid,” the associate feature, which stars Lew Ayres, Mae Clarke and Paul Kelly, a powerful entertainment.