CINEMA PROGRAMMES

Taranaki Daily News, 28 October 1935, Page 11

CINEMA PROGRAMMES

’ REGENT THEATRE. TWO BIG FEATURES. Love and laughter are singularly well balanced with fast action and melodramatic thrills in “I’ve Got Your Number,” starring Joan Blondell. This sparkling comedy which is now showing nightly gt the Regent in conjunction with “Upperworld,”, presents an entertaining story of the romance and thrills that underlie the gigantic telephone system that honeycombs America and the world with its network of wires. Joan Blondell, in the role of a telephone operator, wins through to romance and love after harrowing adventures., Pat (O’Brien gives one of the best performances of his career as the swashbuckling troubleshooter (telephone mechanic), as ready to tap a lady’s heart for love as he is the telephone wires in search of trouble. Warren William heads a large , and wellbalanced cast, and one of unusual’ strength in “Upperworld.” He shares honours, with two leading ladies, Mary Astor and Ginger Rogers, the former taking the part- of his wife, for whom he has a deep-rooted affection, and the latter portraying his sweetheart, for whom he has a passing infatuation. The picture is based on the thrilling story by Ben Hecht, who aims to show that philandering adventures and crime are as prevalent in) the upper as well as the lower strata of society. “THE CALL OF THE WILD.” EVERYBODY’S THEATRE. Comedy, romance, and, above all, drama go to make “The Call of the Wild,” now showing at Everybody’s Theatre, New Plymouth, very fine entertainment. The scene is laid in the Yukon, and Clark Gable is shown as a prospector. Jack Oakie/ from whom com.es most of the comedy and not a litt!6 of the drama, tells Gable of information he has dishonestly gained as to the location of a rich field. They set put to find it, incur the animosity of a newcomer to the north, and fall in with charming Loretta Young, whose husband has lost, himself while hunting. She is seeking the same gold, and Oakie and Gable join forces with the supposed widow, eventually finding the gold. In the meantime Gable and Miss Young have fallen- in love. Oakie goes back to register the claim, and while he .is away the lovers have their idyll rudely shattered, first by the arrival of the man whom Gable had angered, and when he has been disposed of by the treacherous river, by Miss Young’s husband. It is on the peak note of Gable’s renunciation that the picture ends. The picture is distinguished not only by superb acting right from Clark Gable, who is superb in his virile rdle, and the other main actors down to the magnificent dogs, but also by the glorious scenery, and photographic effects. Everything combines to make “The Call of the Wild" an adaptation of Jack London’s novel one of the finest action dramas the screen has yet produced with an.apepal that is not confined to a particular sex, age or type. The supporting programme is strong and includes a particularly good . Walt Disney cartoon. The whole programme is worthy of commendation. OLD-TIME ROMANCE. JANET GAYNOR FILM AT STATE. The domestic history of New York State was materially altered when the canal from the “Lakes to the Sea” gave huge areas of fertile land cheap and reliable means of transport in the days when railways were unknown. It was a stretch of that famous canal with the bargemen and women of a century ago that made the background for the pretty romance “The Farmer Takes a Wife,” which began “a New Plymouth season at the State Theatre on Saturday. With Janet Gaynor as the winsome heroine, Slim Summerville as the blundering old man whose mistakes bring happiness to the lovers, and Henry Fonda and Charles Bickford as the two “he-men” in love with the heroine, such a picture was bound tp provide pleasant entertainment. Life alongside the canal was no quiet Arcadia. Fights were a joy to the whole populace, men, women and children, and the dreamy young man who wanted above all things to' be a farmer found his lady love willing and able to take up cudgels for life and work on the canal she had lived by all her days. The canal was needing all the loyal support it could obtain, for the new-fangled "railways” that boasted of being able to transport people and goods at the amazing speed of 20 miles an hour were threatening to ruin the canal as a transport agency where four miles an hour was good going! Tine youth could not'lose' his love for the land or the girl hers for the life on a barge. They loved each other, too, and out of these complications, the quaint old “skippers” of the barges, the excitement of the country fairs, and the hard-fight-ing, hard-drinking canalside community a very charming romance has been created which was much appreciated by Saturday’s large audience. The earlier portion of the programme included some excellent travel and news films, including a picture of Sir M. Campbell in the “Bluebird” making his record run of 301 miles per hour, some remarkably fine deep-sea fishing pictures—under water as well as the excitement of landing 30ft. sharks—and a very clever comedy cartoon caricature of grand opera. CLARK GABLE FINALLY TO-DAY. ■' “YES, MR. BROWN” FOR PLAZA. Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert are' seen together in “It Happened One Night,” an entertaining story of the adventures of a runaway heiress and a newspaper reporter, which will be screened at the Plaza finally to-day at 1.30 and 8 p.m. The bright, clever and - entertaining film “Yes, Mr. Brown,” has already delighted picturegoers, and on his long-awaited return the versatile star Jack Buchanan proves that he is just as debonair and charming as ever. In “Yes, Mr. Brown” there is wide scope for him to demonstrate his many capabilities. While in many of his previous films he did not show his excellence as a dancer there is no cause for complaint tn his latest. Particularly in one scene in a cabaret is this accomplishment shown to advantage—a burlesque tango which he performs with the well known actress Vera Pearce. It is the cleverest and funniest piece of footwork yet introduced in pictures, and at all sessions has caused uproarious laughter in the audiences. The lilting song numbers “Leave a Little For Me,” “Yes, Mr. Brown,” and •‘Learn to Live.” are delightful. The story centres about business complications which lead ; to domestic disharmonies. Jack Buchanan has a talented band of associates to help him, including Margot Grahame, Elsie Randolph (his colleague in many stage successes) and Vera Pearce.