ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 23610, 10 September 1938, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

’ MAJESTIC THEATRE d “LITTLE MISS ROUGHNECK” 5 r “Little Miss Roughneck,” with little .; Edith Fellows, who was a featured player in “She Married Her Boss,” r “Pennies From Heaven,” and “Life Begins With .Love” was screened at 3 the Majestic Theatre for the first time yesterday. Edith possesses the charm - of Shirley Temple, the tenacity and s fire of Jane Withers, the ability of Virginia Weidler and the personality of Deanna Durbin and at the same time is not in the slightest way precocious. This ” fun-filled Hollywood story of a screen J struck child actress in charge of her j fluttery, insufferable mother is a comedy riot from thq opening sub-titles to the 1 last fade—out. In Hollywood, Edith, the t star to he, is not meeting with the ■ success that is expected of her. So in r order to gain publicity she decides to s kidnap herself and manages to accomi plish a good deal more than publicity, s Leo Carrillo is cast as a friendly - Mexican family man with whom Edith decides to stay. The comedy provided t by these two is positively delightful. t Jacqueline Wells and Scott Colton are 1 prominently cast. Miss Edith Fellows sings several popular numbers. These s include “As Long As I Love,” “La > Golondrina,” a Mexican folk song “The ■ Wren” and “Caro Nome” from “Rigoletto.” , The associate feature, “The Crime of i Dr Hallet” which features Josephine , Hutchinson, Ralph Bellamy, Barbara : Read, William Gargan and John Kang, is a powerful and poignant picture which tears at the heart strings and holds the interest from the moment that ! Dr Hallet is first seen fighting a tragic ’ epidemic in his Sumatra laboratory, . until the moment that he plucks victory , and love from the jaws of defeat, and • the snares of hatred. This outstanding programme has been selected to satisfy ■ the tastes of those discriminating ; patrons who like the better class action ' pictures. In this programme they are offered a first-rate musical comedy in one half and an action-packed mystery thrill drama in the other. Latest Cinesound News will introduce the programme. MATINEE 2 p.m. TODAY In keeping with the policy of catering for the children on Saturdays and arranging attractions which the children enjoy, arrangements have been made for members of the Invercargill Model Aero Club to give a demonstration of model aeroplane flying in the theatre. Two cartoons, a comedy, sports thrill, news reel and the final chapter of “Tim Tyler’s Luck,” the thrilling jungle serial will support Edith Fellows in “Little Miss Roughneck,” which is an ideal picture for the children and adults alike. Plans are now on view at H. and J. Smith’s box office or Rice’s Majestic confectionary. Telephone 738. CIVIC THEATRE TWO NEW RELEASES FINAL TWO SESSIONS TODAY Two new releases from the 20thCentury Fox studios comprise the current programme at the Civic Theatre. Oh account of urgent bookings in the North Island, these two “ace” attractions will be screened finally tonight. Seldom has a programme containing so many of the vital ingredients that make for the best entertainment the screen can offer, been presented in Invercargill. The two films offer fast action, uproarious and hearty comedy and credible and interesting stories with more than a dash of music. The main attraction is “Battle of 1 Broadway” in which Victor McLaglen 1 and Brian Donlevy are the stars. Me- 2 Laglen, as Big Ben Wheeler, steel 1 worker and commander of the Bundy t Post of American Legionnaires, and Donlevy, as his foreman and dearest r enemy, Chester Webb, carry on the , Flagg and'Quirt tradition in a series of hilarious adventures involving one or | two hectic battles, a number of amorous „ escapades in which the two rivals constantly try to double-cross each other, £ and a conspiracy that successfully de- j feats the ends for which it was de- 0 signed. Both McLaglen and Donlevy 0 give virile and full-blooded charac-1 n

I terizations in the traditional “tough I guy” manner, and invest their work with not a little burlesque which is particularly acceptable. They head a troop of Legionnaires on a visit to New York to take part in the annual convention, and also try to save their employer’s son from the clutches of a show girl. The other feature is “Panaminfs Bad Man,” which stars Smith Ballew, the singing cowboy whose recent films have won him widspread popularity. Six-foot-five of husky personality, Ballew 1 combines with an expert acting ability, • and a willingness to fight his way through dangerous situations, a particularly attractive voice. His latest starring vehicle gives him even greater scope for the display of his talents than formerly and presents at the same time a story replete with all the action, excitement, . adventure and thrills associated with a Western. Assisting Ballew in the plentiful musical numbers is his leading lady, Evelyn Daw, also a comparative newcomer of great promise, with a Metropolitan. Opera background. The cast also includes such old favourites as Noah Beery and Stanley Fields in prominent roles. REGENT THEATRE “THOROUGHBREDS DON’T CRY” EXCITING RACING STORY Considerable interest centres in the first starring appearance of the Dunedin boy, Ra Hould (who is now 'known as Ronald Sinclair) who is now at the Regent Theatre in Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer’s drama of the turf “Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry.” The story could very easily have been written by that once very popular writer of Australian turf yams, Nat Gould, and makes first-class entertainment Technically the film is very competent and the racing scenes are realistic and extremely exciting. What happens is this: Sir Peter Calveston takes his thoroughbred race horse The Pookah and his equally thoroughbred grandson to America. Timmy Donovan (Mickey Rooney) is selected to ride The Pookah in the big race, but Timmy’s worthless father persuades him, on the plea of needing money for medical expenses, to throw the race away. This breaks Sir Peter’s heart and he dies of shock. But his grandson (Ronald Sinclair) keeping a stiff upper lip, carries on nobly and makes friends with the contrite Timmy, who teaches him how to ride. This knowledge stands him in good stead when Timmy, thanks again to his wicked father, is disqualified from riding The Pookah in another race to retrieve . the Calveston fortunes. Grandson takes the saddle and rides the thoroughbred to victory, while Timmy falls out of a tree in his excitement. The race really is almost exciting enough for that. Ronald Sinclair gives a very sound performance as the junior member of an aristocratic English sporting family and Mickey Rooney also is splendid as the tough young jockey whose success makes him swell-headed and puffed up with that conceit which has to take a fall. Very good indeed also is Judy Garland, another adolescent starlet whose

role could have been made longer with advantage. Sophie Tucker and C. Aubrey Smith are the veterans of the piece, and the latter is as good as always with his expressed philosophy from which the picture’s title is derived. The supporting programme includes a very interesting presentation of motion picture stars of other days in roles they made famous, an “Our Gang” comedy, cartoon and up-to-the-minute Air Mail Newsreel. Box plans are at H. and J. Smith’s, Rice’s Regent Shop and the theatre (’phone 1938). STATE THEATRE MARK TWAIN CLASSIC “THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER”

“From the heart of Mark Twain to the heart of the people.” This quotation which is flashed on the screen before the picture begins, aptlv describes “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” the current attraction at the State Theatre. An arresting feature of this latest SelznickUnited Artists success is the superbly natural performances of Tommy Kelly as Tom Sawyer and Ann Gillis as Becky Thatcher. There is no more depressing experience than watching fledgling players trying to act, but when, as in this picture, they act without trying, there is none more delightful. Tommy Kelly, Ann Gillis, Jackie Moran (Huckleberry Finn) and the other children in this film are examples of genuine natural talent. Ann Gillis «ives a narticularlv fine performance

1 The display of hysterics in the cave : after the horrible death of Injun Joe s should be envied by every adult star i who claims to be an emotional actress. r The chase between Injun Joe and Tom • provides some of the finest moments of . suspense. The treatment by Norman ( Taurog, the director, of the calf-love between Tom and Becky, which is such [ an important part of the story, appeals . as being particularly fine. This display . of emotion between the two children ’ and the flirtatious advances of Amy , Lawrence (Cora Sue Collins) are thoroughly acceptable because the charac- ’ ters are decked out in the dresses of an innocent age. Undoubtedly a great , deal of the charm of the film rests in : its atmosphere of old-fashioned, wholesome sentiment. May Robson is made the chanripl through which much of this sentiment flows, in the role of Aunt ' Polly—a richly human characterization. The film is not lacking in humour. Gay and spontaneous, it comes like a breath of fresh wind after the artificial jokes ‘ to which theatre-goers become accustomed. The story is American, but Tom Sawyer was a little boy first and an American little boy second. “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” is not exclusively a film for cHildrexx. It is not even primarily a film for them, any more than the cartoons of Walt Disney are. Disney has said that he makes his pictures to appeal to the childishness that remains in every adult and Selznick must have been guided by the same principle. Supporting players who stand out are Walter Brennan, the town derelict, David Holt, Tom’s brother, and Donald Meek, the severe school master. The entire film is in technicolour and this adds much to its appeal. The supporting programme contains many interesting shorts, the principal feature being an outstandingly good number of the “March of Time” series, “Inside Nazi Germany.” In a skilfullyedited series of shots of German life today, allied to a commentary that is incisive and revealing, the result of a nation-wide propaganda with but one aim, the regimentation of the people, is made abundantly clear. ST. JAMES THEATRE, GORE Epic saga of the West and the story of how law and order supplanted the reign of the six-gun, “The Bad Man of Brimstone,” starring Wallace Beery, will open at the St. James Theatre today. Famous for his portrayals of bad man roles, Beery, as leader of a gang of outlaws who rule the town of Brimstone, is offered one of the finest opportunities of his long career. REGENT THEATRE, GORE Another double-feature programme will be presented at the Regent Theatre, Gore, this evening and on Monday. The main attraction will be “Prescription for Romance,” starring Wendy Barrie, and the associate feature “Big Town Girl,” starring Claire Trevor. EMPIRE, RIVERTON An uproarious comedy climax but one filled with the ingredients of the , most gripping drama features the clos- . ing moments of “When’s Your Birth- : day?” the David Zoew production fea- , turing Joe E. Brown which will be pre- . sented at Riverton tonight. See the na- ; tion’s greatest ass-trologer. Your past, . your present, your future all rolled into i one big laugh. It is the most hilarious ( comedy of Joe’s career. Marian Marsh, < Fred Keating and Suzanne Kaaren are : included in the cast.