ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 24132, 22 May 1940, Page 9

ENTERTAINMENTS

KEGENT THEATKE “THE WIZARD OF OZ” SEASON ENDS TOMORROW Crowds still continue to. flock to see “The Wizard of Oz” at the Regent Theatre (where the season ends tomorrow). Everyone votes “The Wizard of Oz” to be the perfect combination of adult and juvenile entertainment. It has everything that everyone wants — colour, music, dancing, spectacle, pageantry and thrills. Engineering and photographic problems never before encountered in a motion picture went into the filming of “The Wizard of Oz,” hailed as Hollywood’s most ambitious musical spectacle. New inventions in sound recording, colour photography, make-ups which eliminated the use of masks, music and lyric writing, costuming and special effects which are reported to be beyond solution were required to bring L. Frank Baum’s famed story to the screen under the direction of Victor Fleming. Heading the cast are Judy Garland as Dorothy, Frank Morgan as the Wizard, Ray Bolger aS the Scarcecrow, Jack Haley as the Tin Woodman, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Billie Burke as Glinda the Good Witch, Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch, Charley Grapewin as Uncle Henry, Pai Walshe as Nikko, and Clara Blandjck as Aunt Em. In addition, there is a remarkable trained dog, Toto, seen throughout the story; scores of midgets playing Munchkins; 10,000 inhabitants of the Emerald City; amazing trees which move; and a total of 65 fantastic settings. Although set to music with catchy tunes and memorable lyrics, the story is the same as Baum wrote it, which makes it ideal for children and adults alike. It tells of how Dorothy, a Kansas farm girl, goes to the Land of Oz. There she meets a Scarcecrow who wants brains, a Tin

Woodman who wants a heart, and a Lion who wants courage. Dorothy, who has been running away from home to keep a mean school teacher from taking her pet dog, is carried to Oz by a cyclone. Once in Oz, she wants to get home. All set off to ask the Wizard for favours. After many exciting adventures all three get what they wanted, by finding it was within their power all the time. STATE THEATRE “EVERYTHING’S ON ICE” ICE SKATING COMEDY The glamorous atmosphere of Palm Beach, Florida, is the backgiound for “Everything’s On Ice,” rollicking comedv romance which opens its local engagement today at 2.0 and 8.0 at the State, with little Irene Dare in the leading role. The picture marks the virtual debut of this tiny six-year-old, recognized as the world’s finest juvenile ice skater, who appears during the action of the story as the principal performer in several spectacular ice ballets employing the services of a large company of Hollywood’s most expert professional skaters. According to the story, these take place as part of the floor-show at a swank Palm Beach night club, where Roscoe Kams, a scheming and highly impractical uncle, has secured an engagement for the youngster. Arriving at the resort with Irene, her mother and older sister, Karns installs the entire party in an expensive hotel, and proceeds to put the family in a serious financial hole by spending money like water. His attempts to marry off the sister to a supposedly rich man merely add to the hilarious complications of the story, as affairs go from bad to worse. The situation is relieved only by the timely arrival of Irene’s father, Joe, an industrious barber, who get his money the hard way and spends it accordingly. Joe really makes the fur fly, and the story comes to a close in a gale of laughter. Karns heads the supporting cast, and other important members of the well-rounded company are Edgar Kennedy, Lynne Roberts, Eric Linden,

Mary Hart, George Meeker and Bobby Watson. Unusually attractive backgrounds add to the gaiety. ? vel 'Y" thing’s On Ice” was produced by Sol Lesser for R.K.O. Radio. It was directed by Erie C. Kenton, and the ice ballets in the picture were staged by the famous Hollywood dance producer, Dave Gould. The song, “Everything s On Ice” is by Milton Drake and Fred Stryker, while Victor Young and Paul Webster wrote “Birth of a Snowbird for the elaborate finale number. Among the supports is Walt Disney’s Donald Duck in “Donald’s Cousin Gus.” Box plans are at Begg’s or State. Telephone 645. CIVIC THEATRE HALF-PRICE FINALLY “WIDE OPEN FACES” Joe E. Brown is a detective in Columbia’s laugh-riot “Wide Open Faces, which is the first attraction on the Civic’s half-price programme finally tonight at 7.45. He has got bees in his bonet, girls on his mind, his heart in his mouth and a thousand laughs up his sleeve! He is a dozen rolled into one ... to make thousands roll in the aisles with laughter as he cracks down on crime—and cracks up making love! Detective Joe E. Brown declares, “It’s an open-and-shut face!” It is a mirthquake when this one-man Scotland Yard wins the wooden medal for dimwit reporting. He is a sleuthing sheik in a role that is the peak of his joy-jammed, laughcrammed, hit-packed career! Supporting Brown in “Wide Open Faces” are Lyda Roberti, Alison Skipworth, Jane Wyman, Alan Baxter, Lucien Littlefield, Berton Churchill, Barbara Pepper and Sidney Toler. “Three Blind Mice,” which co-stars Loretta Young and Joel McCrea is the second feature. “Three Blind Mice” also has a brilliant cast which includes David Niven, Stuart Erwin, Marjorie Weaver, Pauline Moore, Binnie Bamed and Jane Darwell. Miss Young, Miss Weaver and Miss Moore form the trio of mid-Westem girls who gamble their entire inheritance on the

theory that it “is just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as a poor one.” Civic prices finally tonight are all stalls 6d, all circle 9d. MAJESTIC THEATRE VICTOR McLAGLEN AND JACKIE COOPER “BIG GUY” TODAY Universal’s fast moving and exciting drama, “Big Guy,” is now showing at the Majestic Theatre. A particularly strong cast has been selected for a particularly strong story. Victor McLaglen and Jackie Cooper are co-star-red. The associate feature, “The Covered Trailer,” is an hour of real comedy enjoyment featuring the now famous Higgins family. The pictures taken in Wellington by the Government Studios of the Southland Boys’ High School drum, trumpet and bugle band will also be shown. Another group of Invercargill babies which were recently photographed at H. and J. Smith’s for the St. John Ambulance baby contest will be screened. Nos. 1 to 67 will be screened today and Nos. 68 to 145 will be screened tomorrow. Plans are now on view at H. and J. Smith’s department store, Rice’s Majestic shop and the Majestic Theatre (telephone 738).