ENTERTAINMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, 11 February 1933, Page 9 (Supplement)

ENTERTAINMENTS

EVERYBODY’S. “DOWN TO EARTH. Back to his native Oklahoma again after filming his recent pictures against various foreign locales, Will Rogers has the star role in “Down To Earth,” his new Fox offering which opens this afternoon and to-night at Everybody’s Theatre. With the recital of a business man’s efforts to balance his dwindling income against his family’s social ambitions and extravagance as its theme, the picture is being hailed everywhere as the most timely as well as the funniest production of the noted humorist’s career. Rogers fans will recall the hectic adventures of Pike Peters and his family abroad in “They Had To See Paris,” and “A Connecticut Yankee in King’ Arthur’s - Court.” In “Down To Earth” the whimsical “Pike” reappears after his trip, once more guiding the destinies of his oil company. The depression, however, has seriously affected his holdings and he becomes worried over his family’s expenditures. The failure of a bank in which he is interested brings. matters to a crisis, hastened when his wife’s social aspirations- wreck his attempts to negotiate a loan from the local bank. This combination of bad luck proves the final straw—and Pike decides to bring them down to earth. His original and surprising methods of getting his family back on its feet again form the climax of the story and round out the unfolding of the extremely amusing picture. Irene Rich again enacts the role of Mrs. PetersJ with Dorothy Jordan, Matty Kemp, Carlisle, Theodore Lodi, Brandon Hurst and many other noted players in the supporting cast. Homer Croy, the author of “They Had To See Paris,” wrote the story for the new offering, which is heralded as Rogers’ greatest screen comedy. There will be a varied programme in support. ! REGENT THEATRE. . I MATINEE 2 P.M. TO-DAY. A. W. Baskcomb, the well known London comedian makes his film debut in “A Safe Proposition,” which screens first on the double star programme commencing ■at The Regent to-day at 2 and 8 p.m; He is seen as a parvenu whose ambitions in life are to become a scratch golfer and a cross-word puzzle king and to set his wife and family on the society ladder. The picture is brimful of unobstrusive fun and may be considered a triumph for the experienced cast who make the film a joyous entertainmentwith its witty dialogue and novel plot. In support of Baskcomb are Barbara Gott, Harold French, Austin Trevor and Alexander Field. “While Paris Sleeps,” the second feature, is an original story written by Basil Woon, one writer whose intimate acquaintance with the little known and forbidden districts of the gay centre Of art, fashion, and romance wa® gained after a residence there of more than fifteen years. Victor McLaglen is featured in a role said to be of great sympathy and poignant appeal as the father of a young girl cast adrift on the streets of Paris while he is Serving life-imprisonment in a French ( penal colony. Helen Mack, Fox Films young debutante star, is seen as the daughter who is wooed and won by William 1 Bakewell, another of the screen’s promising youngsters. Others in the cast are Jack.Laßue, Rita Laßoy, Maurice Black, Paul Porcasi and Lucille La Verne. The supports will include Fox Moxietone News and the eleventh chapter of “Detective Lloyd.”

NEW PLYMOUTH OPERA HOUSE.

“THE OLD DARK HOUSE.”

Replete with thrills, and sufficiently different from the usual run of mystery pictures to be of strong interest, “The Old Dark House,” which opens to-day at the New Plymouth Opera House, should suit the tastes of most pepple. The story is adapted from J. B. Priestley’s novel “Benighted,” and there is an excellent English cast. From the first scene, in which a car is stranded in Welsh country in a terrific storm, interest is kept at a high pitch. Three lost travellers find an eerie old house, and meet a dumb butler (played by Boris Karloff), who is wanted by the police. Other characters are the butler’s, sister Rebecca, old Sir Roderick (a brilliantly portrayed character played by John Dudgeon), and mad Saul Ferrin. A second batch of lost travellers also seek shelter in walls, with deep shadows and strange companions, the travellers spend a night in which most of the secrets of the old house are revealed. It is hot a “horror” picture, but rather one fn which the conflict of character, the suspense and the speech, play a greater part than action. The personalities of ithe original occupants of the house dominate the picture, and the character portrayals are excellent. A wfell diversified and meritorious group of subjects has been selected to precede the main feature, and includes Cinesound and Universal News reels, one of the “Strange As It Seems” colour novelties and a laugh/provoking comedy. NEW THEATRE, OPUNAKE. “SO BIG.” “Beauty and brains are a combination that can’t be beaten in motion pictures.” This is the dictum of William A. Wellman, ace director of Hollywood; and he uttered it' in connection with Barbara Stanwyck, star of “So Big,” which Wellman directed and which is now on view at the New Theatre. “Lots of actresses, on both stage and screen, are getting by' with good looks and practically nothing else,” continued the director. “That means that they won’t be with us long. And thfere are other actresses who have brains and no beauty. A few of them do pretty well too though they work under a severe handicap. But when you get beauty and brains together, there’s no stopping the lucky girl who possesses them; and the best example I can think of is Barbara.” In “So Big,” based on Edna Ferber’s memorable novel, Miss Stanwyck. plays the part of Selina Peake, the dreaming girl who met life so bravely and bore its vicissitudes with such undaunted gallantry “The actress who played that nart ”'said Wellman, had to use her head -and also her heart. The supports include the first episode of a thrilling serial “Detective Lloyd” depicting the exciting adventures and dazzling exploits of a Scotland Yard daredevil. “The' Green Spot Murder is the first of twelve chapters of baffling, smashing drama, terrible suspense and cyclonic action. DAME SYBIL THORNDIKE. NEW PLYMOUTH AND HAWERA. In view of the announcement made in our advertising columns that Messrs. J. C Williamson has now definitely arranged for Dame Sybil Thorndike and her new London company to visit Taranaki The following extract from the Christchurch Press concerning the comedy “Madame Plays Nap,’ which has been selected for the Taranaki season should not be uninteresting. “Comedy amid the stark pages of the French revolution leading up to the Napoleonic era, and the fascinating developments in later court life, were

the basis of the story in Madame Plays Nap, the final production of the season at His Majesty’s Theatre. And what an audience greeted Dame Sybil Thorndike, ( Lewis Casson, and the talented company! It was a packed house of admirers of the talented artists, and they revelled in the humour—frequently most ’cleverly subtle—that rippled through the play. The story opens in a Paris pawnshop, where a dancing master and his wife are trying to support themselves during the revolution, and that humble spot attracts many visitors. Included among them are the Royalist poet, Lavalle, whom the pawnbroker’s, wife saves from the revolutionaries. Then comes the young artillery captain, Napoleon Bonaparte, whose mind and soul are filled with future world conquests. While Napoleon is pawning his watch, he hears a tap at the window, and, thinking it is one of his creditors, he flees to the garret. Those kindnesses of the pawnbrokers wife, Henriette, become closely entwined when, their fortunes restored, Henriette and her husband are at the Court of St. Cloud, with Napoleon as Emperor. Neither the latter nor Lavalle recognise their old friends, and Henriette will not divulge their identities until the jealous Princess and court ladies attempt, to destroy her happiness by a vile trick. Henriette refutes the charges, and triumphs in the end. In the role of Henrietta, Dame Sybil Thorndike was delightful in the spontaneity of her comedy, her winsome charm, i and infectious laughter. Her trickery in deluding the revolutionaries, and her blandishment of the court chamberlain were two of the finest touches of the comedy. In the part of Napoleon Lewis Casson was splendid, breathing reality into the part; and his declamation when in his most dignified mood, was above reproach. BOYS OF THE Y.A.L. RETURNING TO TARANAKI. Although the former visit of the boys of the Young Australia League to Hawera and Now Plymouth was perhaps overshadowed by the arrival of Sir Charles Kingsford-Smitn on the same day, there js no questioning the fact that they made hosts of friends both on and off the stage, and a return visit from them will be appreciated. After .the previous visit the pai'ty went to Wellington where they had a wonderful season of two short days, going, to Nelson from the capital city to commence the tour of the South Island. From the first to last that tour has been a series of. triumphs as the press in each town visited can testify* It is the unaminious opinion *of the press of the Dominion that the work of the band is nothing short of amazing. In fact that adjective has been used so many times that it has almost lost its meaning! But not only the band, for the vocal, violin and comedy items are equal to the excellent standard set and maintained by the band. Although the tour has been strenuous not a case of sickness or absence from any performance has been registered during the whole tour. The party return to Sydney from Auckland on Friday, February 17. Box plans for the Taranaki concerts are at Miss Blake’s Hawera and Collier’s Music Store New Plymouth. Prices for the return season have been reduced to 2/and 1/-.