CINEMA PROGRAMMES

Taranaki Daily News, 11 April 1935, Page 2

CINEMA PROGRAMMES

THE REGENT THEATRE. “PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN.” “The Private Life of Don Juan,” Doug. Fairbanks’ new filrn, is now showing nightly at The Regent. The story tells how Don Juan, when he becomes middleaged, loses some of his zest for eternal conquests of the heart. Profiting by the accidental death of one of his imitators who is believed to be Don Juan, he attends his own “funeral” before slipping away into obscurity for a well-earned holiday. But after only a few weeks he wishes to be back in the limelight as the world’s lover, only to find that no one believes he is Don Juan and that conquests are impossible. His former success was due only to his public reputation. In the end he has the greatest difficulty in getting back into the good graces of his wife, who has loved him all the time but feels that he should be taught a lesson. Fairbanks is great, and, in fact, the film has everything—brilliant story, consummate acting by a talented cast, humour, delightful music, and a bevy of superlatively beautiful women. Among the latter are Merle Oberon, the exotic young actress who made her name as’ Ann Boleyn in Korda’s “Henry VIII.,” Benita Hume, Joan Gardner, Diana Napier, Patricia Hilliard, Natalie Paley, Toto Koopman, and—giving perhaps the cleverest cameo of them all —Binnie Barnes, whose bawdy serving wench is a gem of acting. There is a splendid supporting programme including an Organlogue and Mickey Mouse cartoon.

EVERYBODY’S THEATRE. GAY MUSICAL ROMANCE. A new screen team composed of Dick Powell and Josephine Hutchinson, the famous stage star, captivated audiences Tn the new First National rollicking romance, “Happiness Ahead,” which was shown for the first time at Everybody’s Theatre yesterday. “Happiness Ahead” is Miss Hutchinson’s bow in talking pictures. This brilliant and beautiful actress is famous for the characters she created in the Eva Le Gallienne Civic Repertory Company; In “Happiness Ahead” she shows talent that should make her as great a screen star as she has been of the stage. Dick Powell never has appeared to better advantage than in this picture. Dick, who came to the front in musical spectacles such as “Footlight Parade,” “Dames,” “Twenty Million Sweethearts” and other musicals, now proves that he not only has an exceptionally pleasing singing voice, but that he is a thoroughly capable actor. Powell’s catchy songs include “Pop Goes My Heart” and “Beauty Must. Be Love.” He sings a third in a comedy duet with Frank McHugh, entitled “Massaging Window Panes.” Dorothy Dare, another newcomer to the screen, although famous as a comedienne and musical comedy star on Broadway, does fine work in a comedy role and sings a new popular air, “All On Account of a Strawberry Sundae.” A varied and entertaining array of shorter films precede the principal feature. Screenings will be repeated twice daily to-day and to-morrow. STATE THEATRE. RELENTLESS TRUTH BEHIND WAR. Mankind’s shame is strikingly shown in the Fox Film production, “The First World War,” at the State Theatre. Out of past, from the sealed and guarded archives of the great nations, the truth arrives at last, according to those who have witnessed preview showings of this amazing motion picture. Here, it is said, is the first authentic and uncensored screen record of the great conflict—and more ■ than that. Intimate glimpses of Europe’s royalty in the years before the war, of their conferences, their alignments, their secret plans, have been entrusted to Fox Film for use in this picture. Besides these, there are sensational and hitherto unscreened pictures of the important battles of the war and a great variety of glimpses of life behind the fronts. Box plans are at Collier’s and at the theatre, phone 843. PLAZA THEATRE, STRATFORD. “SADIE

Franchot Tone’s average is going up. Twice he has sacrificed the girl to another. Now comes “Sadie McKee” to even things up. “Sadie McKee,” which will open to-day at the Plaza Theatre, is the third picture in which Joan Crawford, the star, and Tone appear together. And it is their first picture in which Tone gets the girl. Lucky in love, unlucky in celluloid romance, might be a slogan applied to the romantic Tone, Joan and Franchot’s heart affair has long been Hollywood’s warmest subject. But not until “Sadie McKee” was Franchot assigned to leave his post at the rail and approach the altar of the church. Spurned early in the film in favour of a weakling crooner, Tone, in the role of Michael, wins Sadie’s favour in the last reel, thus mirroring directly on the screen the front page romance, “Sadie McKee” is an excellent piece of work, bflui in production and story, but it is evident mat without the talents of its excellent cast the full power and sweep of what is recognised as a triumphant production could not have been extracted. An excellent supporting programme precedes the main attraction.

KING’S THEATRE.

“LEST WE FORGET.”

At the King’s Theatre to-night the Sound City production “Lest We Forget ’ will have its first screening. T t is described as an unusual picture, taking as its character four typical men, an Englishman, a Scotsman, an Irishman and a Welshman, who agrse in the trenches to meet again' in the days of peace. A brief prologue describes this pact, and the scene shifts to a beautiful country English residence 16 years later. Two of the comrades arrive and the Welshman, who is npw a miner in Wales, puts in a belated appearance. They decide to commence dinner without waiting for the. fourth man. The empty chair is mute testimony of a forgotten promise or perhaps something more pathetically tragic. The evening brings with it hosts of reminiscences, discussions on the trend of modern affairs cleverly relieved by songs and music in which the daughter, of the. Englishman joins. During the festivities a romance between the daughter of Captain Rayner and the son of one of his old friends becomes apparent, and provides a pleasing interlude. The story works up to an outstanding climax and concludes in a most surprising and satisfactory manner. To Stewart Rome, well knewn for several of his recent perfect portrayals, is entrusted the part of Captain Rayner, Anne Yates as Sylvia Rayner and Esmond Knight as Pat Doyle, take the juvenile parts. “Lest We Forget” is said to have been extremely popular with English audiences, and was accorded a very succesful run at Empire Theatre, Leicester Square, London.