CINEMA PROGRAMMES

Taranaki Daily News, 27 February 1935, Page 12

CINEMA PROGRAMMES

NEW PLYMOUTH OPERA HOUSE. “HIS GREATEST GAMBLE.” One of the most virile and popular players on the screen, Richard Dix, takes the leading role of “His Greatest Gamble,” which commences at the New Plymouth Opera House to-night at 8. Cast in an emotional role of a wastrel father whose only redeeming trait is his intense love for his daughter, Dix gives one of the finest performances of his career. His pathetic and constant guardianship over her even when he is in prison forms the theme of a most emotional story. The part of the small girl is taken by Edith Fellows, a talented juvenile player. Included in the supporting cast is Bruce Cabot, Dorothy Wilson, Erin O’Brien Moore and Shirley Grey. “His Greatest'Gamble” is the story ,of a child tom between the conflicting influences of its parents—the father, a free soul, improvident ne’er-do-well—and the mother, an .unimaginative but ambitious slave to social attainment and convention. First one parent and then the other dominates the child, but eventually she is able, by reason of a love attachment, to find herself and choose her own road. The supporting programme includes Pathe News, “Wrong Direction” (comedy), Fox Australian News and “Ferry Go Round” (comedy). EVERYBODY’S THEATRE. “DANNY BOY” TO-NIGHT. A successful season may confidently be predicted for the double programme, “Danny Boy” and “Song at Eventide,” which begins at Everybody’s to-day at 2 and 8 p.m. In “Danny Boy” the story is portrayed with all the emotion which is characteristic of the Celtic race. The story is inspired by the world-famous melody of the same name, and it unfolds a charming tale of love, betrayed trust and reconciliation, the latter being effected by the love of the separated parents for their little son. The wife goes to America, where she wins fame as asinger. The father and his young son also endeavour to win their livelihood by music, but they meet with poor success playing as street musicians. The scenes as they wander through London by day and in the dosshouse by night are most graphic. The mother’s love is not to be denied, and she returns to London hoping to meet her son, and the film then moves logically and not without restraint to its conclusion. “Liebestraum,” “Come Back to Erin,” “Mountains of Mourne,” and “Danny Boy” are among the numbers which are artistically rendered. Dorothy Dickson, Ronnie Hepworth, Denis O’Neill and Frank Forbes-Robertson are me principal players. Fay Compton has the leading role in “Song at Eventide,” which is in lighter vein. Lester Mathews and Leslie Perrins play opposite her. The scenic background of the film is very attractive. The box plans are at Collier’s Music House. REGENT TO-NIGHT. ‘LADIES SHOULD LISTEN.” A delightful Parisian comedy, ‘Ladies Should Listen,” with Cary Grant, Edward Everett Horton, Frances Drake and Rosita Moreno in the leading roles, will open at the Regent to-night at 8. Crammed full of exciting and amusing incidents, the film tells the story of a wealthy young Parisian who holds an option over a nitrate mine. Throughout the delightful farce he has the greatest difficulty in side-stepping the wiles of a host of women admirers. Eventually he finds himself hopelessly entangled with a married woman who, with her designing and gunman husband, plan to get control of the mine option. But a little telephone girl who has fallen in love with him—brilliantly played by Frances Drake—watches over him and eventually wins him. In opposition to her for the heart of t’.e gay philanderer are the adventuress and the bespectacled Nydia Westman. Much of the humour of the piece is provided by Edward - Everett Horton as a very shy and unsophisticated young man. It-is a film with a laugh. in every line. In the principal male role, Cary Grant displays great ability as a farceur, whilst Charles Ray, former star of country boy roles, stages his film “comeback” as the hotel doorman. The shorts include two newsreels, Pictorial Variety, cartoon, “Screen Souvenirs,” Paramount Novelty and a musical number. KING’S THEATRE. “LOOKING FOR TROUBLE.” “Looking for Trouble,”- the delightful comedy drama which opened at the King’s Theatre last evening, is a perfect comedy entertainment. Jackie Oakie and Spencer Tracy are the principal stars and the mirth they provide makes “Looking for Trouble” really grand. There is never a quiet minute. Laughter rules every minute of the film and even continues after the performance is over. “Looking for Trouble” will be finally screened ‘ to-night. Another fine comedy entertainment will commence to-morrow with the presentation at the King’s of Warner Bros.’ latest comedy “Merry Wives of Reno.” In this hilarious entertainment nine celebrated screen stars are teamed, including Glenda Farrell, Guy Kibbee, Ruth Donnelly, Frank McHugh, Margaret Lindsay, Donald Woods, Hugh Herbert, Roscoe Ates and Hobart Cavanaugh. As the title suggests it deals with Reno and the divorce courts. What actually happens in this particular story will keep any audience in fits of laughter. entertaining supporting programme precedes the main attraction. PLAZA THEATRE. “I WAS A SPY’ TO-NIGHT. One of the most powerful dramas of international espionage to be seen at the Plaza Theatre was screened for the first time last evening to an almost capacity house. This production “I Was a Spy” has in the principal roles Conrad Veidt. Madeleine Carroll and Herbert Marshall. It will be finally screened to-night. “Damaged Lives,” which opens at the Plaza Theatre to-morrow, is based on one of the so-called “social diseases” and is frankly educational in the last | analysis. This fact in no way detracts

from the dramatic entertainment value of the production, however. It is an absorbing drama of two attractive young people whose marriage and family life are nearly shipwrecked because of circumstances and forces which they were not prepared to avoid to overcome. It reveals those secrets of ,sex about which one shrinks from asking even one’s doctor—secrets that should never be secrets, but facts that every normal healthy man and woman should know definitely and not guess at gropingly.

BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE. ‘ John: That’s a bad “bark” Jim is troubled with. What’s he taking for it? William: Oh, lozenges by the bagful. John: Well, he’s barking up the wrong tree. He should have taken Baxter's Lung Preserver. “Baxter’s” gets right to the cause of the trouble. Cuts the phlegm, clears congestion, soothes inflammation,' and with its tonic properties quickly fixes things. Be sure it’s “Baxter’s-” 1/6, 2/6 and 4/6. 3