CINEMA PROGRAMMES

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1935, Page 2

CINEMA PROGRAMMES

POWERFUL LOVE STORY. “BREAK OF HEARTS” AT STATE. Opening its season at the State Theatre, New Plymouth, last night, “Break of Hearts” was a triumph of acting. Playing the part of a struggling young composer, Katharine Hepburn’s acting was superb. Her versatility and appealing personality class her as an actress of the first degree. As a famous orchestra leader, attractive, sought after by the opposite sex, a map whose life had been a series of love affairs, Charles Bayer handled hrs part in a manner which left no doubt a§ to his ability a dramatic actor in a' difficult role. The incidental music, provided by an orchestra of 85 pieces, wag a striking setting for the story. Al" though there had been many women in his life the famous musiciap saw something in this insignificant young composer that he had never found in any other,, woman. They married, but his drift back into his former habits made his wife think he had tired of her. She left him; then he realised that he had lost the real meaning of life. Success was empty without her, Hi? fall from a great orchestra leader to a drunken sot cind his subsequent return through the love of the woman he had neglected provides a dramatic and fitting finish to a beautiful love story, On the same programme, “The Cowboy Millionaire,” starring George O’Brien, is a picture of thrills, laughs and drama. The scene, commencing in America, finishes at London, where the cowboy follows a crook and regains the girl he loves. THE REGENT. MATINEE 2 P.M, TO-DAY. Besides starring Binnie Barnes, who appeared with conspicuous success in “One Exciting Adventure,” “There’s Always To-morrow," which is now showing twice daily at The Regent, tells a novel story of the eternal triangle. It is a tale of American family life. Frank Morgan is seen as a henpecked, sonpecked and daughter-pecked business man pushed aside by his wife, who is engrossed in the care of her five children, and by the children who are engrossed in their own pleasures and regard “Dad" as little more than the carrier of the cheque book and the handyman of the house, When, however, they discover that instead of going to lodge every Thursday night, as everybody thinks, he spends the evening with a woman whom they have never seen or heard of, they are consumed with anger, The eldest spn IS about to reveal the children’s secret to their mother when an adroit move by his fiancee ©nd a magnanimous act of sacrifice by the mysterious woman save - the heme from wreck. The associate programme includes Universal News, and “The Texas Bad Man," a thrilling drama of the Texas Rangers, starring Tom Mix. Lucille Powers and the famous horse Tony. EVERYBODY’S THEATREMAGNIFICENT MUSICAL SHOW. “Naughty Marietta” is, without, qualification, the most entertaining musical picture yet produced by a Hollywood studio. It may aim at less than such magnificent productions as "One Night of Love" and its best may not surpass the climax of several operatic sequences that have found place in the productions of the last two years, yet as entertainment of universal appeal “Naughty Marietta" achieves far more than any, Once or so in the course of a. year the world’s studios produce a picture of genius. The film version of Victor Herbert’s operetta is one of these. Released for a six-clay season at' Everybody s Theatre, New Plymouth, last night such was the standard of the show that there were probably few in a capacity house who would not willingly have seen and heard it again at the end of one screening. In material, direction and sheer star-calibre “Naughty Marietta” stands alone, Not onty la the sequence of a delightfully romantic and logical story maintained in the attention of the audience, but the music itself is of a merit that permits no questions from even the most critical. The skill of the producer in blending light opera into the body of a screen story full of bright wit and brighter action has produced a cinema gem that actually scintillates. Nelson Eddy, Metropolitan Opera baritone, is heard from the silver sheet for the first time. The tag, “Metropolitan Opera,” is enough, One has only to add that the recording of his voice is a§ near perfection as anything the technicians have yet done, Jeanette Macdonald is remembered tor her work in a dozen ■of the brightest and best musical shows Hollywood' has given us. As Marlette she is better. The tone-deaf can enjoy the show tor its dialogue, its neat and polished clowning and its well-pitched element of action and excitement, Probably the most appealing and clever •contribution to the picture’s remarkable unity is the development of the melody of “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life” from its peculiar bell-like skeleton of sound (picked out with one finger on an ancient spinet) to the duet of two of America’s finest voices with harmony backing by a full light opera chorus. Even Laurel and Hardy in the supports cannot add much to the programme. PLAZA THEATRE TO-DAY. “THE WORLD MOVES ON” An eagerly-awaited production, and one which is assured of popularity, is the magnificent drama, "The World Moves On," which win commence a season at the Plaza Theatre to-day. It tells a gripping story of the varying fortunes of a typical American family during the past three decades. It shows with viv.d effect the bewildering problems which beset the average family and portrays the present state of militarist Europe with convincing realism. The audience is shown the horror and disaster of the Great War, the subsequent prosperity, and the overwhelming fear of another more terrible conflict. However, the many deft human touches and the excellence of the acting prevent the film from becoming a heavy drama. The picture gains its distinction from the outstanding performances of the leading players, Madeleine Carroll and Franchot Tone. Miss Carroll is an English actress who has appeared with remarkable success in "I Was a Spy" and, in addition to her fresh beauty, she brings a note of conviction to her difficult role. Tone is as polished ri ever, but he reveals that he is capable of deep understand’ ing. Heading a strong supporting cast are Reginald Denny, Louise Dresser and Raul Roulien.