ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 23332, 16 October 1937, Page 21

ENTERTAINMENTS

STATE THEATRE “ON THE AVENUE” The music of Irving Berlin and bright humour, with a spice of and romance between stage and society, are the ingredients which make “On The Avenue,” which opened a season at the State Theatre yesterday, one of the best musical comedies of 1937. The cast alone is sufficient to ensure a success—the popular Dick Powell for good singing and acting, Madeleine Carroll for beauty and poise; Alice Faye for singing and dancing; the Ritz Brothers for their fantastic buffoonery; and Alan Mowbray for an acid portrayal of a publicityhunting explorer. Moreover, the picture is gay, brisk, light, tuneful, amusing and exceedingly well directed and played. Add those qualities to the names in the cast and the success of the film is readily understood. The story gives abundant scope for satire and humour. Romance and entertainment begin simultaneously when Powell, leading man of a show on the avenue, plays in a burlesque sketch, ridiculing the richest girl in America and her important parent. The girl (Madeleine Carroll) happens to be present at the performance. She is furious, and begins immediately to plan revenge, which is disastrous to Powell’s stage career. Alice Faye, as a stage star, also plays a part in complicating matters The sets are lavishly mounted, the ballets are strikingly frocked, and the entire production is made on a most luxurious scale. Dick Powell sings the musical hits, “This Year’s Kisses,” “I’ve Got Lovq To Keep Me Warm” and “The Girl On the Police Gazette.”

CIVIC THEATRE SHIRLEY TEMPLE’S SUCCESS BIG DOUBLE FEATURE A specially big matinee will be held today at 2 p.m. at the Civic Theatre, when some excellent items by Miss Madge Flaus’s pupils will be given in a revuette, which is supplementary to the programme. Besides these items there will be short subjects and two big pictures —“The Littlest Rebel” and “It Happened Out West.” A better and more varied programme would be hard to find. Jane Worster, writing in The Australian Women’s Weekly, said: “Shirley Temple in ‘The Littlest Rebel’ gives a performance which would put to shame many an older and tried actress. Maybe she succeeded so much better than usual, because she had more than usual success, because she was supported by such good performers as Jack Holt, John Boles and Bill Robinson, the dancing negro. Whatever the reason, she gives a performance which is almost flawless. It is a great picture apart from the wonderful acting, singing and dancing of Shirley Temple.” On the same programme is “It Happened Out West,” a Western picture in which adventure, loaded with comedy, provides a splendid hour of entertainment. The Sun, Sydney, said: “Explosive excitement and fast action paced with uproarious comedy and tender romance, with Harold Bell Wright’s startling new hero making the wild West wilder when he tackles a gun-toting band from the badlands, mark the noted outdoors author’s gayest and grandest story, ‘lt Happened Out West,’ a Twentieth Century-Fox release featuring Paul Kelly and Judith Allen. Probably no Western film in recent years has equalled it for hilarious comedy and vivid action.”

MAJESTIC THEATRE “THE SHOW GOES ON” RETURN OF GRACIE FIELDS Making another of her rare appearances on the screen, England’s most popular comedienne, Grade Fields, returns to thrill thousands in her latest and most extravagant release, “The Show Goes On,” which is the current attraction at the Majestic Theatre. The magnificent voice of Miss Fields alone would serve to place her in the frontrank of motion-picture stars, but her inimitable, rich humour and her outstanding personality have the effect of making her a universal favourite. The story is far from 1 being complicated in plot, but its simplicity is always appealing. The film will have an added appeal because its story is closely allied to that of the star’s own life. Gracie Fields plays a Lancashire mill employee whose dream of a stage career seems near fulfilment when she is heard by Martin Fraser, a composer, who is intrigued by her personality and appreciative of her voice. Fraser starts her on her career as Sally Lee but, on tour, she encounters little success. Realizing she must develop a different style she begins to sing in the inimitable fashion for which she is now renowned. The “comic song” appeals to the people and Sally Lee is acknowledged. Success immediately follows. Miss Fields shows amazing versatility in her performance, acting with equal ease the Lancashire girl and the glamorous actress, idol of millions. Owen Nares, celebrated English actor of many years standing, gives a sympathetic performance as Martin Fraser, the composer. The leading male role is taken by Cyril Ritchard, who acquits himself very well. But the secret of the film’s success is the personality of Miss Fields, who captures her audience with her delightful charm. The supporting programme includes an interesting travelogue by Lowell Thomas, a comedy and cartoon and the latest newsreels.

REGENT THEATRE THE MONTAGUE SHOW LONDON REVUE COMPANY A theatrical event of importance is scheduled for Invercargill. For six nights beginning today there will appear at the Regent Theatre the famous Montague Show, the only London West End Revue ever to be imported to New Zealand. It has been playing to capacity audiences in Wellington and is the second big international importation of Sir Benjamin Fuller, following on his remarkable success with the Marcus Show. The Montague con ?- bination will present in Invercargill first the spectacular revue, “Let s Go Places,” which was one of the biggest hits in London last year, and this will be followed by “This Year of Carnival. The company is composed of several world-famous performers, all of whom are making their first appearances on this side of the world. The star is George Doonan, a comedian who is “entirely different.” He has a brand new style of humour, which he puts over in rapid and slick style, and he has the happy knack of making himself at home with his audiences from the

moment he appears on the stage. Already the talk of New Zealand is The Darmora Troupe of Hungarian dancers, from Budapest. Its dancing is described as positively sensational and its exhibition of the celebrated “CanCan” holds up the show at every performance. Madame Darmora herself, who originates the dances and trains the girls, appears with the ballet, which includes Rosita Rona, an Olympic champion swimmer. Jewell and Warriss are popular and versatile mirth-makers, and Catherine Stewart is a vivacious comedienne who proves a bright partner for George Doonan in many of his sketches. One of the highest paid and hilarious acts of its kind yet to appear in the Dominion is that of the Dawn Sisters, American burlesque dancers. Their parody of the Russian Ballet is positively riotous. Special interest attaches to The Two Rogues, eccentric dancers and comedians, who have appeared in several films including “Brewster’s Millions” with Jack Buchanan and “Evergreen” with Jessie Matthews. Barbara Vernon, the American comedienne and singer, is one of New York’s and London’s best-known actresses. Petite and pretty, she played the name part in the London revival of “No, No Nanette” last year and stepped straight out of the lead in “Trans-Atlantic Rhythm” to accompany the Montague Show to Australia and New Zealand. A highlight of “This Year of Carnival” will be the tuneful singing of popular melodies, many of them in the “hill-billy” class, by the Blenders, a quartette that is sure to make a great appeal in Invercargill. The vocal side of the company is enhanced by the beautiful singing of Margaret Kelly, a delightful soprano, while Alma Mackie, “the different dancer” is seen in several novelty items. There is a clever ballet of 30 specially chosen girls. “Let’s Go Places” will be played from today to Tuesday, and “This Year of Carnival” will open on Wednesday with the only matinee of the season. The revues are mounted and staged on exactly the same scale as when they were presented in London, and there is an augmented orchestra. The special prices are advertised and the box plans are open.

“TO SEE OURSELVES” THE REPERTORY SOCIETY The Invercargill Repertory Society begins a three-night season of E. M. Delafield’s delightful three-act comedy drama “To See Ourselves,” in the Victoria Hall tonight. The play opens in Freddie Allerton’s country house in Devon. Allerton is a mill owner who is shortly threatened with a strike. He and his wife, Caroline, have been married for some years, and have got to the “humdrum” stage of married life that seems rather appalling to Caroline’s younger sister, Jill Charteris, who is wondering whether or not she will marry her lover Owen. Domestic worries bulk very largely in Caroline’s life, but when Jill and Freddie go off to deal with the strikers she finds that there are unsuspected depths in her nature that give her something much more disturbing to think about. The author has created some very real problems of temperament and character, and deals with them in a delightfully witty fashion, though with. an underlying seriousness and real truth to human nature. The play lends itself to beauty of setting which has been made the most of by the scenic group. Some idea of the attractive dressing and grouping may be gained from the photographs in H. and J. Smith’s window. The cast is a strong one and the players are well-suited to their parts. Mrs H. Rees is making her first appearance in a three-act play as Caroline Allerton, and Miss P. Northe is her sister Jill Charteris. Mr G. Dunn is well cast as Freddie Allerton, with a strongly contrasting Owen acted by Mr H. Russell. Miss Owen has the part of the maid. The production is in the hands of Miss Elizabeth Hoyles and the dresses are by H. and J. Smith’s, where the box plan is also available. Mr Howard Moody has arranged a programme of incidental music. •

THE EMPIRE, RIVERTON Jane Withers will be seen in “Gentle Julia” at the Empire Pictures, Riverton, tonight. It is Booth Tarkington’s funniest story, and one of the screen’s most talented little comediennes is introduced in a heart warming romance. Jane Withers makes her pretty aunt’s love affair her own affair and turns the home town upside down to smooth the path of romance. The supports are above the average.