ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 23794, 17 April 1939, Page 12

ENTERTAINMENTS

CIVIC THEATRE “UP THE RIVER”—“ROAD DEMON” If you are in the mood for an evening of uproarious screwball comedy, “Up The River,” the new 20th Century-Fox picture which screens finally at 7.45 o’clock tonight at the Civic Theatre, is just about the • f un ~ niest combination of music and broad comic situations in many a season. The story focuses on a group of happy inmates in a mythical state prison which boasts a radio in every cell, gates that are practically revolving doors, and the best football team in the “Big Pen Conference.” Preston Foster is completely at home in his first light comedy role and the elongated Arthur Treacher as Foster’s partner in crime and football, gives his most polished performance. Tony Martin and Phyllis Brooks are excellent in the romantic leads and the other featured players include Slim. Summerville, Bill Robinson, Alan Dinehart, Eddie Collins, Jane Darwell and Sidney Toler. “Up The River” is a welcome relief from the familiar cycle of grim prison melodramas. It is fast, boisterous, socially unconscious and enormously entertaining. “Road Demon,” the associate feature, contains several of the most spectacular and convincing motor-car racing scenes yet depicted on the screen. With a well-knit story, plenty of wide-open action, and some fine acting, especially by Henry Arthur, Joan Valerie, Henry Armettta, Tom Beck and Bill Robinson, “Road Demon’ is an answer to the thrill-loving picture-goer’s prayer. Amusing comedy relief from the roaring momentum of most of the film is provided by the Gambini family, which made its screen debut in “Speed to Burn,” the first of the Sports Adventure series. Henry Armetta is the father, while Inez Palange and Johnnie Pironne are the others of the domestic circle. Racetrack rivalry and romantic complications form the theme of the story. STATE THEATRE “THREE BLIND MICE” “Three Blind Mice,” which shows finally today at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the State Theatre, is a gay romantic comedy starring Loretta Young, Joel McCrea, David Niven, Binnie ' Barnes, Marjorie Weaver and Jane Darwell. BEGINNING TOMORROW “I’LL GIVE A MILLION” t “I’ll Give a Million” is the title of the film to begin at the State Theatre at 2.0 and 8.0 tomorrow. Warner Baxter, the star, is seen aboard his yacht—a millionaire with a lot of “hangers-on.” Even his former wife, Lynn Bari, feigns affection to wheedle a job for her gigolo. As the yacht steams out of port Baxter hears a ,cry for help and rescues Peter Lorre, a hobo. Lorre takes his rescuer to his bunk under an abandoned scow and Baxter senses the joy of living the simple life. He changes clothes with Lorre the following dawn after having remarked that he would give £1,000,000 for a real friend. Lorre, dressed in a water-logged dress suit, goes on a spending spree with money found in the pockets. He starts the rumour that a man in hobo clothes is a millionaire in search of a friend. The whole town starts being kind to hobos with ludicrous effects ensuing. Baxter, meanwhile, has met Marjorie Weaver, whose uncle is a circus clown. The uncle, Jean Hersholt, helps to get Baxter a job with the show run by Sig Rumann and his son, Fritz Feld. Romance ensues between Baxter and Marjorie Weaver, with jealous Feld nearly wrecking it. Meanwhile, Lorre, compelled to produce the hobo millionaire, desperately picks on John Carradlne—who gives a riotously funny imitation of a millionaire. Special supports will complete this programme. Plans are at Beggs’ or State Theatre. Telephone 645.

REGENT THEATRE “CRIME SCHOOL” GRIPPING DRAMA Grimly dramatic, full of swift action and alive with pungent humour, “Crime School,” which is now showing to packed houses at the Regent Theatre, reveals the brutality of the old method of dealing with juvenile crime and points the way to the best means of solving the problem of 1 youthful delinquents. Much of the credit for the success of the film goes to the “Dead End Kids,” that talented band of young players which has brought something new into film entertainment. In this picture they are as amusing as ever. The theme of the picture is the menace of the wrongly conducted reformatory which confirms young offenders in their anti-social activities rather than directing them to a new mode of living. Formerly one of the screen gangsters, Humphrey Bogart is seen in “Crime School” as a young reformer fighting on the side of the law. Gale Page, a beautiful newcomer to the screen, plays the leading feminine role, and reveals that she has no small powers as an actress. It is the acting that makes “Crime School” really distinctive. Such a picture could not have been made without such a combination as the “Dead End Kids” and Bogart, always effectively restrained, is more than equal to the task of preserving the necessary balance. Then, more

credit than usual must be given to the director, Lew Seiler. The story starts in a New York slum with a gang of boys who have little to do but get into mischief and so gradually progress from real mischief to petty thieving and then more serious robberies. The arm of the law soon reaches out for them, however, when a dealer, who has abetted them in their robberies, _is beaten by the gang and seriously injured. A sentence to the reformatory follows, and here graft and cruelty are the controlling forces. Under the brutal treatment the boys become bitter and their one purpose is to revenge themselves on the law. Far from being a reformatory, the place is a breeding ground for criminals. Then a new deputy-commissioner is appointed and he completely reverses his predecessor’s methods. At first, the boys are suspicious, but soon they respond. Then a malicious story about the young commissioner’s attentions to the sister of one of the boys brings all the old mistrust to the surface and they break out of the reformatory. The climax is full of drama and suspense, but the ending is a happy one. There is an excellent supporting programme.

MAJESTIC THEATRE

“GRANDDAD RUDD”

“POP-EYE” COLOUR CARTOON “Granddad Rudd,” the Cinesound comedy starring Bert Bailey and Fred MacDonald in the inimitable Dad and Dave character roles, will conclude at the Majestic Theatre today. Associated with this feature is the Max Fleisscher feature colour cartoon “Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba’s Forty Thieves,” while included in the Paramount Newsreel is the meeting in Rome between Mr Neville- Chamberlain and Mussolini. “SON OF THE SHEIK” RUDOLPH VALENTINO FILM Probably the most romantic of all screen characters. past and present is the late Rudolph Valentino. Some patrons were too young to have seen him, but everybody most certainly has heard of him. Beginning tomorrow at the Majestic Theatre is a film that will give patrons the opportunity either to see him for the first time or to see him once more in his last and greatest screen triumph “Son of the Sheik,” the picturization of E. M. Hull’s famous book of the same title. The picture will be presented in its original form with the addition of modern sound synchronization. As far as the modern screen is concerned this will afford an innovation to many in that a comparison can be made between the past silent screen and the modern talkie picture. In “Son of the Sheik” Rudolph Valentino is seen in a dual role, the first a white desert sheik and the second as his son, a strong-willed, swashbuckling son of the desert. The •romantic interest is provided by the silent-screen beauty and film favourite, Vilmal Banky, who plays the part of a dancing slave girl with whom Valentino falls in love. She is kidnapped by a band of Moorish robbers and a most exciting story is enacted when Valentino rides recklessly _ over hot desert sands, avenges himself single-handed against the Moors and rescues his sweetheart and returns her in triumph to his desert kingdom. “Son of the Sheik” has proved probably the most sensational picture of recent years in that a tremendous amount of curiosity is naturally aroused by this reappearance of the silent screen’s most famous star.

The associate feature, “Expensive Husbands” stars Patrie Knowles, Beverly Roberts and Allwyn Joslyn. It is a satire on Hollywood. A famous screen actress (Beverley Roberts) marries a man (Patrie Knowles) for his famous name in order to create for herself further notoriety but she finds it a rather expensive bargain, as he places himself in the counterpart of a golddigger and makes her pay. “Expensive Husbands” is adequately described as a brilliant comedy and one which should satisfy the taste of any picturegoing audience. Universal’s latest news events, described by Graham McNamee, will introduce the programme. Intending patrons may reserve at H. and J. Smith’s department store box office, Rice’s Majestic Theatre confectionery shop or at the theatre. Telephone 738. HOLLYWOOD HOTEL SUPERLATIVE REVUE Every revue that comes from across the Pacific brings with it some borrowed glory from the magic film world. “Hollywood Hotel,” which is scheduled to play a two-day season in Invercargill at the Civic Theatre on April 21 and 27 is packed from its title downwards with screen stories, screen imitations, and screen names, but for all tha it is Broadway through and through, and Broadway at its best. Like all American revues, it is full of bright colours and loud noises, adorned with troops of elaborately dressed girls, and played throughout with gusto and non-stop speed. The whole show is full of richly-mounted, overlaid talent, the humour is clean, and there is a minimum of jazz effects. Without a few distinctive personalities to carry them the stage effects would not make a show. The personalities are there in abundance. In Marty May the show has a compere who inspires complete confidence in the audience. Should anything go wrong, or should an unexpected hitch develop, Mr May will tell the audience all about it. This is a secret of smooth staging worth knowing. But when Frank Park and Robert Clifford perform their acrobatic turn in a physical miracle, and Magda Neeld, an Australian soprano who sang Gilda in “Rigoletto” before she went to London and joined Jack Hylton’s band, sings operatic airs, one forgets all about smooth staging. Then there is Bobby Morris, who was recently comedian of “Merry-go-round” on Broadway, and Maurice Briscoe, formerly Al Jolson’s comedy partner. Gloria Whitney, who recently finished a contract at the Paradise Restaurant, New York, and Robert Berry, a baritone, who sang a leading role in the original production of “The Desert Song,” are there, with Jack and June Blair, waltzists supreme, while the Eight Original Apple Dancers will bring Harlem to Invercargill. As an Australian critic wrote: “You rise from your seat finally with a bewildering impression of the Gay ’Nineties, the Temptation of Eve, and the Falls of Natoma, your senses quickened, and your ears deafened, vaguely conscious that the principals, who include Wilma Horner, Millard Jorgen, Helen Park, and Edna Page, have led a show which has stunned you by the driving force of its novelty. The stage here (Melbourne) has learned something of the exciting quality of the cinema.”