ENTERTAINMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, 18 September 1934, Page 11

ENTERTAINMENTS

OPERA HOUSE.

MATINEE 2 P.M. TO-DAY. “Little Man, What Now,” the Universal special attraction starring Margaret Sullavan, will be finally screened at the Opera House to-day at 2 and 8 ,p.m. The gay ’nineties are coming back in “The Bowery,” which will head the outstanding new programme at the Opera House to-morrow night. Hilarious fun and robust romance are promised, for this notable picture features Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper, Fay Wray, George Raft, Pert Kelton and many other screen celebrities. It brings back the music and dances of the ’nineties, buxom chorus girls, bustled young ladies, Mamie O’Gradys with puffed sleeves, prize fights that were on the “square,” bter with a punch, and love’s young dream along “the liveliest mile on the face of the globe”—New York’s famous Bowery. “The Bowery” also shows such famous characters as Chuck Connors, played by Wallace Beery, the protagonist and hero of the story, who was one of the most colourful characters to contribute to the amazing history of the famous thoroughfare.' Hard-boiled, sentimental, talented Chuck Connors more than anyone else left his mark on the Bowery. His novel attire, his expressive slang, rugged humour and vigour gained for him many powerful friends. Among these were Sir Henry Irving, Ellen Terry, Israel Zangwill, Monk Eastman, “Big Tim Sullivan, Richard Mansfield, Anna Held, Jim Corbett, Chauncey Depew, Sir Thomas Lipton and many others. Chuck’s personality became , a tradition. His domination in Chinatown earned for him the name of “Mayor of Chinatown.” Murder stalked abroad in Chinatown, hatchet men slew one another in dark hallways, but the Orientals from the very beginning learned to fear and respect Chuck Connors. Feminine interest in “The Bowery” will be intense because of the emphasis placed on the part the Bowery girls played in the life of the romantic old thoroughfare. The supporting programme will be headed by Walt Disney’s latest Silly Symphony in colour, “The Big Bad Wolf.” This cartoon is a sequel to the popular “Three Little Pigs,” and is claimed to be even funnier and more witty.

EVERYBODY’S THEATRE.

“JACK AHOY” FINALLY.

“Jack Ahoy,” an exceptionally entertaining Comedy with music, featuring the popular Jack Hulbert, will be finally screened at Everybody’s Theatre to-day at 2 and 8 p.m. “The Night Club Queen,” which commences at Everybody’s Theatre tomorrow at 2 and 8 p.m., has a claim to interest if only by reason of the fact that it is said to have been modelled in a measure on the life of a well-known personality in the night world of London. The picture is also interesting owing to the fact that one of the leadingroles is taken by Lewis Casson, husband of Dante Sybil Thorndike. Casson is cast in a part that affords him considerable opportunity, for he is seen as a crippled barrister who with his wife gives his whole energy to enabling his son to have the career that was denied himself. The fact that the son would rather be a mechanic than a lawyer dees not make his life any easier, and when his wife is found to have been living a double life misfortune piles thickly, upon him. Casson rises'to real heights in the concluding scenes of the picture, when he takes upon himself his .wife’s defence, and the story reaches a dramatic conclusion. Playing opposite him is Mary Clare, who is seen as the night club queen, forced to become an unwilling partner in an undertaking of which she does not approve. Jane Carr and Lewis Shaw are also prominently cast in roles in which they give competent portrayals.

THE REGENT THEATRE.

“MOST PRECIOUS THING IN LIFE.”

“Most Precious Thing in Life” and “Below the Sea,” the entertaining Columbia double-star, will _be finally Screened at the Regent to-night. Fredric March, Miriam Hopkins, George Raft and Helen Mack head the cast of Paramount’s “All of Me,” which commences at the Regent to-morrow (Wednesday) night. The picture concerns the dramatic romance of a society debutante, who learns about life and love from two law-crushed youngsters from the slums. After she turns down, Fredric March’s Offer of marriage because she would rattier take the easiest way around life, Miriam Hopkins meets two devoted lovers from the slum world, Raft and Helen Mack. An ex-convict, Raft is responsible for getting himself and Miss Mack sentenced _ to a prison term. Miriam becomes interested in their case, and, in so doing learns the real meaning of life and love.

INGLEWOOD TALKIES.

“PLEASURE CRUISE.”

“Pleasure Cruise,” said to be a gay romantic comedy revolving about a young wife’s adventures during a marriage holiday, will be screened to-mor-row at Inglewood, with Genevieve Tobin and Roland Young playing the leading roles. Previously scheduled as Miss Tobin’s first vehicle under her new Fox contract,' “Pleasure Cruise” was postponed to allow the blonde actress to carry the feminine lead in “The Infernal Machine.” As its principal setting, the picture has one of those luxury liners which specialise in vacation cruises, on the high seas. Romantic complications in an environment made th order for love affairs and intrigues, forms the basis of the story plot. The cast in support of Miss Tobin and Young is a notable one that includes Ralph Forbes,

ntlallillii Una O’Connor, Herbert Mundin, Minna Gombell, Theodore von Eltz, Frank' Atkinson, Robert Greig and Arthur Hoyt. “Pleasure Cruise” is from the studios of Fox Film. In addition is the official filming of the world’s heavyweight championship, Max Baer versus Primo Carnera.