CINEMA PROGRAMMES

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1934, Page 15 (Supplement)

CINEMA PROGRAMMES

NEW PLYMOUTH OPERA HOUSE. "THANK YOUR STARS.” "Thank Your Stars,” which commences at the New Plymouth Opera House today at 2 and 8 p.m., is fast, tuneful, novel entertainment, blending comedy, melody and romance. The story, revolves about the joint and individual efforts of a group of colourful show people in search of fame and fortune. When fortune frowns on their efforts the troupe disintegrates, and Ben Bernie; as Joa

Davis, hies himself and his orchestra to a Chinese cafe; while Jack Oakie prepares to launch a vaudeville act with a lissom blues singer, whom he loves. Oakie’s penchant for the ladies and misfortune with the galloping cubes destroy all chances for his act and almost write finish to his romance. But with Ben Bernie’s aid everything turns out all right in the end, though not before the audience has been provided with great entertainment in the way of humour, romance, music and thrills. Ben Bernie and his orchestra, featured throughout the entire film, are surrounded by a fine cast. Jack Oakie is very funny, and is well supported by Dorothy Dell, Ariine Judge, Alison Skipworth, Roscoe Karns, William Frawley, Lew Cody and Paul Cavanagh. An excellent supporting programme includes British Sound News, “Screen Souvenirs,” “Good Shape” (Sportlight), “Betty Boop’s Trial” (cartoon) and “Flower Garden” (colour revue). THE REGENT. w MATINEE 2 P.M. TO-DAY. Ann Sothern, Robert Armstrong and Minna Gombeli head the players in “Hell Cat,” the Columbia production

which begins at The Regent to-day at 2 and 8 p.m. Miss Sothern, as a spitfire society girl, toyed with men’s emotions with catlike stealth until an adventurous news-hound, in the person of Robert Armstrong, taught her the rules of the game. But it is much more than a romantic combat. Before these two finally fall for each other’s charms, their adventures involve gambling raids, smuggling of Chinese, and a series of hairraising and humorous exploits that are veritable dreams come true for adventure lovers. “The Hell Cat” will be supported by "Silent Men,” starring the popular Tim McCoy. “Silent Men” has, in addition to the ever-picturesque setting of the western a story that is un-

usual for this type of picture. It boasts a plot that builds thrill scene upon thrill scene to a forceful climax that comes as a complete surprise and which is never once hinted at in the telling of the story. The penultimate chapter of “The Perils of Pauline” will be screened at the matinee only. This programme will be screened continuously on New Year’s Eve from 7 p.m. to midnight. EVERYBODY’S TO-DAY. WILL ROGERS IN "HANDY ANDY.” Will Rogers is uproarious in "Handy Andy,” which opens at Everybody’s today at 2 and 8 p.m., according to reports from previews. In the picture his wife, Peggy Wood, wants him to play—and he does! And thereby hang most of the hilarious situations that go to make this his funniest picture. Things run smoothly as long as Rogers is in his drug store. But when he sells out and starts to play, he finds life complicated. First he raises pigeons, until they escape into the house. Then he tries golf, with screamingly funny results. But the climax comes when he goes with his wife to New Orleans to attend the Mardi Gras. He refuses to attend the ball with her. Later, however, wandering around alone,

he encounters a fellow druggist and his lovely girl friend, Conchita Montenegro. Mellowed by a few cocktails, Will decides to attend the ball after all, and he chooses a leopard skin as his costume. A few more cocktails lend him the courage to try an adagio dance with the lithe Conchita. Then the fun begins. There is a surprise ending that has not been divulged in advance of the showing. There is an attractive supporting programme. Patrons are advised that on Monday (New Year’s Eve) pictures will be screened continuously from 7 p.m. to midnight. PLAZA THEATRE, STRATFORD. “TO-DAY WE LIVE.” Joan Crawford and Gary Cooper make their first joint appearance in a talking screen play in “To-day We Live,” which commences at the Plaza Theatre to-day. “To-day We Live” is a picture which combines romance of a stirring order with a clean-cut, forceful story of the war, with the emphasis laid on the part played by the commanders of the dangerous British two-man torpedo boats, known as the ‘skeeter fleet.” Joan Crawford, who seems to grow more beautiful with each succeeding film, has. a striking role as the aristocratic English girl Who cannot stand remaining at home while her brother and the two men who love her are at the front. Franchot Tone, the brother, and Robert Young, the childhood sweetheart, are members of the torpedo squad, while Gary Cooper, who is closest to her heart, enrols in the flying forces. In order to be near these three, Joan Crawford becomes a member of a British ambulance unit In “To-day We Live,” Joan Crawford offers what is probably the finest work of her entire career, and she is ably seconded by Gary Cooper. Robert Young, as the lover who loses, offers a distinctive and sympathetic portrayal, and Franchot Tone, as the brother, proves to ba a new screen “find.” Excellent performances are also contributed by Roscoe Kams, the inimitable Louise Closser Halo, Rollo Lloyd and Hilda Vaughan. Although the Great War serves as a background for the plot, the conflict is never allowed to submerge the strong personalities who are entangled in a struggle for life and love behind the lines. KING’S THEATRE, STRATFORD. WALLACE BEERY IN “FLESH.” “Flesh,” With Wallace Beery as star, commences at the King’s Theatre, Stratford, to-day. Berry has a powerful role, comedy and pathos giving him plenteous opportunity to display his versatile talents in this story of the wrestling ring. It will be recalled that Beery scored the biggest hit of his career in another drama of the sport world, “The Champ. In recognition of the popularity of this type of role, Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer selected “Flesh” as his new vehicle. While retaining the virility of the prize ring story, this vivid drama of another phase of sport has in it the colourfulness ot Beery’s portrayal in “The Big House, plus something of his characterisation in "Grand Hotel.” As Herr Palakai, Beery plays a wrestling waiter in a German beer garden, where he meets and marries Karen Morley, an American girl who has been abandoned by her dancing P ar^ er Ricardo Cortez. He becomes wrestling champion of Germany, and then, goes; to the United States to seek the /I 5 title There h® and the Slri bec ome entangled in the scheming of Miss Morley’s former lover, who tries to make Palakai accept the dictation of a crooked wrestling ring. The story is an original by Edmund Goulding, the director who made “Grand Hotel.”