ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 24109, 24 April 1940, Page 15

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE

“THE WOMEN” With a cast composed entirely of women, the screen version of the American stage success, “The Women,’’ continues its successful season at the Regent Theatre where it will be showing finally today. 'The story of how the heroine wins back her husband from a typical “gold digger” only when she unsheathes her “claws,” is brilliantly and subtly told. The dialogue is outstanding and the large cast is excellent. Outstanding, of course, is Norma Shearer, in the leading role, but other well-known actresses such as Joan Crawford, as the woman who steals Miss Shearer’s husband, Rosalind Russell, Mary Boland, Paulette Goddard, and little Virginia Weidler are all brilliant. There is a strong supporting programme, and the box plans are at H. and J. Smith’s, Rice’s Regent Shop and the theatre.

“BRIDAL SUITE”

ANNABELLA—ROBERT YOUNG There is plenty of fun in “Bridal Suite,” the new attraction coming on Friday to the Regent Theatre, but the producer has been careful not to overdo it at the expense of something more vital. Popular Robert Young and the beautiful Annabella are starred. Young plays the part of an American playboy, Neil McGill, whose mother is anxious that he should marry into English aristocracy. But her plans go woefully awry, for twice the son overlooks the wedding date. On the second occasion he is a day late when he remembers the wedding. The girl's father, somewhat financially embarrassed but nevertheless having the all-important title, is infuriated, and Mrs McGill, in an endeavour to smooth things over, hits upon the idea of consulting Dr Grauer, a psychiatrist, who happens to be on holiday in Switzerland. Mrs McGill and son go there, and he falls in love with Luise Anzengruber (Annabella). The supporting programme promises to be more than usually good.

MAJESTIC THEATRE

“DEAD MEN’S SHOES” FINALLY Leslie Banks, Wilfred Lawson, Joan Marion and Judy Kelly are the feature players in “Dead Men’s Shoes,” British Empire Film’s sensational drama of a man pursued by the uncertainty of his unknown past. The other picture, “Fighting Thoroughbreds,” as the title indicates, is an exciting romance of the racetrack and features the popular George “Windy” Hayes of Hopalong Cassidy fame, Ralph Byrd and Mary Carlisle. This programme will conclude at the Majestic today. “SOUTH OF THE BORDER” GENE AUTRY ON FRIDAY Radio’s most popular song in years, “South of the Border” is the title of the feature picture on Friday’s programme at the Majestic, and none other than the world’s most popular singing cowboy, Gene Autry, is starred. He sings the theme song “South of the Border” as it has never been heard before. The supporting cast includes the popular comedian Smiley Burnette, the Mexican senorita Lupita Lover, Duncan Renaldo of “Lone Ranger” fame and the Checkerboard Mexicano Swing Band, who play the accompaniments for Gene Autry in six new catchy tunes. The story concerns Gene Autry and his pals “down Mexico way,” where a spy ring of a foreign Power endeavours to establish a submarine base which will menace shipping entering the Panama Canal. Excitement runs high in romantic Mexico as Gene Autry runs the espionage ring to earth. “South of the Border” is Autry’s best picture to date as apart from the popular song the other numbers in the picture, “Girl of My Dreams,” “Moon Manana,” “Come to the Fiesta,” “Little Darling’’ and “Merry Go Round” add to the gaiety of the show. ’

The associate picture, “Sabotage," also has excitement as its keynote; Aeleen Whalen and Gordon Oliver are starred, with Charles Grapwin and Lucien Littlefield in support. Underworld’s crooks join forces with foreign spies in a war against a nation’s industries and it is a case of one man battling against apparently impossible odds, a concentrated foreign _spy ring. He is determined to sacrifice''anything and everything—even life itself—as industry staggers on the brink of ruin threatening to engulf thousands of defenceless men, women and children. Here is excitement for the whole family and to those who enjoy good, clean, exciting entertainment Friday’s programme at the Majestic is ideal. The latest Cinesound News will also be screened and plans are now on view at H. and J. Smith’s Department Store, Rice’s Majestic sweet shop and at the Majestic Theatre (telephone 738).

STATE THEATRE

“20,000 MEN A YEAR” Big as the sky it fills, dramatic as blind flight, and thrilling as a power dive, “20,000 Men A Year” screens finally today at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the State Theatre, with a story of college students taking to the air in the new civilian training programme. Featured in the cast are Randolph Scott, as a flying instructor; Preston Foster, as a flying official; and Margaret Lindsay, as a girl who had no use for flyers until she fell in love with one. Selected supports complete the programme. AT 10.30 TONIGHT FRED ASTAIRE, GINGER ROGERS A romance that blossomed into the greatest dancing team the world has ever known underlies “The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle,” commencing at the State at a special late session at 10.30 tonight, in which Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are co-starred as the two principals. The film deals with the real life career of Vernon and Irene

Castle, who danced their way from obscurity to fame in a few brief years, and who created many of our finest ballroom dances. Covering the period from 1911, when Vernon Castle was a knockabout comedian on Broadway, to his untimely death in an aeroplans crash in Texas during the World War, the picture presents a panorama of the pre-war days and a cavalcade of the tunes of that era, along with the brilliant dance routines created and popularized by the dancing Castles. Going to Paris when Lew Fields scornfully told Vernon and Irene that “nobody would pay money to see a man dance with his wife,” the then unknown pair nearly starved in the French capital before they got their start dancing in a Paris cafe. Within a few months they were the sensation of Europe, and their triumphs abroad were topped by their success in America, as the film vividly discloses. With Edna May Oliver, Walter Brennan, Lew Fields and other noted players in important roles, the picture is one of the most entertaining offerings of the year, and its many dance routines and old-time song hits make it the most unusual vehicle the Astaire-Rogers team has ever had. H. C. Potter directed the' film, which was produced for RKO Radio by George Haight. Mrs Vernon Castle lent assistance as technical director, and also designed the costumer in which she is imperonated by Ginger Rogers. The screen play is based on facts taken from two volumes of her memoirs. Box plans for tonight’s 10.30 session are at Begg’s or State, telephone 645.

CIVIC THEATRE

WILL HAY COMEDY

“FORTY NAUGHTY GIRLS”

“Oh, Mr Porter,” Will Hay’s most riotously funny comedy, is the first attraction on the Civic’s 6d and 9d programme screening finally tonight at 7.45 p.m. at the Civic. MiHay plays a nitwit railway employee who cannot be sacked because he has relations in high places. Sent out _of harm’s way to an almost forgotten Irish station, he begins a terrific reorganization with the assistance of a fat youth (Graham Moffatt) and a doddering old man (Moore Marriott) An excursion train—the first ever promoted in those parts—gets lost, and the stationmaster goes in search of it, with his two “assistants,” aboard a decrepit engine, named “Gladstone” (an astonishing apparatus with a comic personality on its own account).

“Forty Naughty Girls,” the detective thriller, brings the noted puzzle-solv-ing team of Inspector Oscar Piper and Hildegarde Withers to the screen for the sixth time and deals with two mysterious killings in a metropolitan theatre during a performance. Faced with the necessity of letting the show go on while they try to find the murderer, the two sleuths run into problems that tax the ingenuity of the audience as well as their own talents.

Marjorie Lord and George Shelley, a personable pair of screen newcomers, have the romantic leads. Civic prices tonight finally are: All stalls 6d and all circle 9d.

THE EMPIRE, RIVERTON

“Luck of The Navy,” a thrill-packed story of the hidden menace of espionage in the Royal Navy, featuring Geoffrey Toone and Judy Kelly will be presented at Riverton tonight. It is good wholesome entertainment fit for the whole family to see and enjoy. See Britain’s first line of defence fighting the hidden menace of espionage. It is packed with action, thrills, spectacle and comedy from stem to stern.