ENTERTAINMENTS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 58, Issue 4189, 26 May 1939, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

AT THE REGENT. FINAL SCREENING TO-NIGHT. “MOTHER CAREY’S CHICKENS.” A colourful, romantic period in American history was faithfully recreated for Regent Theatre audiences last night when “Mother Carey’s Chickens’’ unfolded its heart-warm-ing charm and sweet simplicity—a long’-sought relief from the madcap comedies and ponderous dramas which have been invading our screens lately. A stirring, true picturisation of the sympathetic modem classic by Kate Douglas Wig*gin, “Mother Carey’s Chickens,” features Anne Shirley, Ruby Keeler, James Ellison and Fay Bainter, The beloved story of a humble New England home at the turn of the century is convincingly presented by the cast and producer. The vivid story traces the romances of two sisters, Ruby Keeler and Anne Shirley, who fall in love with the same man, James Ellison. Miss Keeler wins his affections, while Miss Shirlev conquers her own jealousy, and girl-like, promptly falls in love ■with a young medical student, which brings the sisters’ heart affairs to a happy concusion. Counterpointing the; romantic theme of the story is a mother’s dramatic effort to keep her four chidren together and provide for them in the face of extreme privation resulting from her husband’s death. This phase of the story has dramatic power that will enthrall you.

COMMENCING SATURDAY

“SPAWN OF THE NORTH.” A dramatic story of two men whose lifelong friendship is broken by an Artic feud but who are finally re-united through the terrific sacrifice of one of them is told in “Spawn of the North,” Paramoun’s epic tale of romance, war and heroism in frontier Alaska, which opens to-mor-row at the Regent Theatre. George Raft, playing a role similar to the one that won him laurels in “Souls*at Sea,” is the ne’er-do-well but captivating adventurer of the Northland, who flaunts every law of Alaska but gives up everything for his lifelong friend and the girl he loves. Henry Fonda, fresh from his triumphs in “Jezebel” and “Blockade,” plays Raft’s devoted friend and reluctant enemy, and Dorothy Lamour, in her biggest dramatic

role to date, will be seen as the typical gallant woman of the North country. The story of “Spawn of the North” is based on the original novel by Barrett Willoughby, Alaska's bestliked native writer. It tells what happens when war hits the fishing country of the Archipelago, with fishermen pitted in a life-and-death struggle with bold salmon-pirates, and shows the fate of two lifelong friends who find themselves arrayed against each other.

AT THE EMPIRE.

FINAL SCREENING TO-NIGHT. “CALL OF THE YUKON.” The Republic production, “Call of The Yukon,” adapted from James Oliver Curwood’s popular noved “Swift Lightning,” is a thrilling epic of the frozen north, with, many stirring and unusual features, and patrons of the Empire Theatre will have the last opportunity this evening of seeing a decidedly attractive picture of the outdoors. Woven into the narrative are many delightful incidents depicting the mateship between a collie and a savage halfwolf half-Alsatian dog. A dramatic scene of trappers and Eskimos frantically endeavouring to protect reindeer’ from a pack of starving wolves led by the wolf-dog, effectively sets the atmosphere of this tale of primitive passions made more virile by bleak Alaskan settings.

COMMENCING SATURDAY

“WILD AND WOOLLY.” A wild buckaroo out where the West begins, “Ginger” Jane Withers begins where the wild West leaves off in her grandest Twentieth Cen-tury-Fox comedy, “Wild and Woolly,” which opens to-morrow at the Empire Theatre. Riding runaway trains, getting her gun-toting grandpop, played by Academy Award winner Walter Brennan, into a duel, scaring the wits out of tenderfoot pals in a graveyard at midnight, chasing city gangstersi on a careering stagecoach, and roping young lovers into romance, Jane makes Buffalo Bill look like a softie. Completely surrounded by her greatest cast, in the most hilarious show these have ever been in, that Jane Withers girl learns the ways of the West from her old-time grandpop, but what the West learns from Jane makesl hilarious comedy. Replete with, the Withers diet of mischief and thrills, liberally sprinkled with pepper and ginger, Janes ratest comedy is easily her best.