CINEMA PROGRAMMES

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1935, Page 3

CINEMA PROGRAMMES

STATE THEATRE. ' “THE 39 STEPS.” Britain's latest contribution to movie excellence, “39 Steps,” continues to enthrall State Theatre audiences. John Buchan’s famous mystery novel, “The 39 Steps,” is speeded up and packed with drama in its screen version, and competent direction, clever dialogue by lan Hay, and fine acting by Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll make it splendid entertainment. Donat is much more, at home in this modern role of a dashing young adventurer entangled by chance, through a beautiful spy, in a web of international intrigue, than he was as the Count of Monte Cristo. He reveals an unexpected sense of comedy that gives piquancy to his acting. The plot grips the interest right from the jump—when the beautiful spy embarrasses Donat horribly by getting “bumped off” in his apartment, and landing him in for a charge of murder—to the dramatic denouement, when, the mystery of the “thirty-nine steps,” the murder, and the vital secret that the gang of spies has stolen, are unravelled. There are many brilliantly original touches in “The 39 Steps,” which is primarily a triumph for the director (Alfred Hitchcock) and Robert Donat. This director is a master of the unexpected. There is plenty of suspense in his picture, but situations change rapidly, and often when .you expect a dramatic development you are made to laugh. “The 39 Steps” will take' high rank among talkies of its kind. EVERYBODY’S THEATRE. “THE AGE OF INDISCRETION.” A domestic story of unusual emotional force commences at Everybody’s Theatre to-day at 2 and 7.45 p.m. in “The Age of Indiscretion,” which features a fine cast—Paul Lukas, Madge Evans, Helen Vinson (wife of Fred Perry, the famous tennis player, May Robson, Ralph Forbes and young David Jack Holt. Lukas plays the part of a publisher whose wife leaves him when his fortunes dwindle and marries her lover. The publisher retains the son of his marriage, but the mother of his ex-wife’s second husband, not understanding the position, desires to obtain custody of the boy and frames a charge against the publisher and his charming secretary that is the cause celebre in a court case. The old lady has reckoned without the boy’s love for his father, and after the latter has made an emotional outburst in court against the injustice of the charge, the lad also plays his part in convincing the law, and the mother-in-law, that the father is a fit and proper person for the care of the boy, and all ends happily with the , martinet’s capitulation. There is a society background to this tale of a father’s affection and the staunch love of a girl for her employer. Ladies will be interested in the fashion part of the settings, for Miss Vinson wears some lovely clothes. An excellent supporting programme includes “Little Papa” (Our Gang comedy), Metrotone News, “Poor Little Me” (coloured cartoon), and Paramount British News. “Les Miserables,” Victor Hugo’s classic story with Fredrie March and Charles Laughton in the leading roles, will commence at Everybody’s Theatre on Saturday next. The box plan opens at Collier’s Music House at 9 a.m. to-day. REGENT THEATRE. DOUBLE-STAR PROGRAMME. Another entertaining. double -feature programme commences at tHb Regent Theatre to-night at 7.45. “Hell and High Water” was written by Max Miller, the newspaper man who wrote “I Cover the Waterfront.” Briefly the story tells the almost idyllic romance between Jericho, a cocksure boatman, and Sally, orphaned daughter of a race track trainer. Their romance—fighting each other as they fall in loye—is as hilariously funny .asit is poignant. . In “Stolen Harmony,” the second feature, George Raft returns to the type of characterisation that shot him to stardom'in “Scarface.” From the Opening scenes of a jazz band playing inspiringly behind prison bars to the final ones of as hectic a gunfight as has ever reached the screen, the picture never has a dull moment and it is never , without itslflavour of the unexpected. George Raft is ideally cast as a former convict turned song-and-dance man, and his fight for rehabilitation in spite of the efforts of his former gaolbird acquaintances is the theme of an exciting story. The supporting cast includes Ben Bernie and his orchestra, Grace Bradley and Iris Adrian. “Let’s Spill the Beans” is one of the many song hits featured in the show.

OPERA HOUSE TO-NIGHT.

“THE RAVEN.”

The legends of horror and mystery that surrounded the writings of Edgar Allan Poe have been faithfully expounded in “The Raven,” which begins at the New Plymouth Opera House to-night with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff in the leading roles. The plot of the story is purely imaginative, with the symbol of the raven . supplying the motive of the narrative. A mad doctor, Vollin, is suffering from a torture complex and sets out to demonstrate his theories. His principal victim is an escaped criminal who comes to him to have his face changed. The doctor distorts the man’s features and makes a slave of him, then casts a spell over a beautiful girl, and when her , father tries to save her, he is himself caught in the delirious machinations of the mentally unbalanced doctor. Although the story , is laid in modem surroundings, the unique settings include reproductions of the imaginative creations of Poe, such as his horror chambers, mystic mansions and bizarre inventions. The supporting cast in the film is headed by Irene Ware, proclaimed as one of the most beautiful actresses of stage or screen, Lester Matthews and lan Wolfe. The first half of the programme is of a diverting nature and includes Universal Newsreels, “Going Places” (travelogue), “Stranger than Fiction” (interest) and “Double Crossed” (two-reel comedy). JOAN CRAWFORD AT PLAZA. “NO MORE LADIES” TO-NIGHT, A brilliant picturisation from a famous stage play will come to the Plaza Theatre, Stratford, to-day, at 1.30 and 8 p.m. when “No More Ladies.” Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer’s new production co-starring Joan Crawford and Robert Montgomery, will open a three days season. With Joan Crawford cast as a beautiful young “modern,” and Montgomery as . a charming Lothario, the picture is set against lavish backgrounds. It is a penetrating study, told with irresistible humour, of the problems of a 1935 wife who suspects her husband of unfaithfulness. Along with the co-stars, sagaciously cast, is the tremendous array of talent implicit in such featured players as Charlie Ruggles, Franchot Tone, Edna May Oliver, Gail Patrick and Reginald Denny. Fast, spirited, and very funny, the story guilds rapidly to a of pure humour, to a party which will go down in screen history as - one of the funniest parties ever filmed. Without revealing too much of the plot, it should be explained that Marcia (Joan Crawford), suspecting her husband, Sherry (Robert Montgom-

cry), decided to invite all his former sweethearts to their home ’ for' a weekend. The party and its denouement make a fitting conclusion to a really happy picture. , “I’VE GOT YOUR NUMBER.* COLOURFUL DRAMA AT THE KING’S. .■ “I’ve Got Your Number,” the widely j. heralded Warner Bros, picture dealing with the romance of the telephone, will be screened finally at the King’s Th«atre to-day. The screen play by Warren g Duff and Sidney Sutherland pictures in sweeping panorama the vital activities of telephone employees in their contacts with the public, and with each other. It dramatises the colourful incidents of everyday life to the throbbing pulse of human emotions. The picture touches on every phase of life behind the scenes of telephone operation, revealing its laughter and love, its tragedy and thrills. The story is in fast tempo and the dialogue unusually snappy, with plenty of action and a great deal of suspense, winding up with a climax in a terrific battle with a band of robbers and kidnappers. Commencing to-morrow is “The Love Contract,” a bright romantic comedy fea- $ turing Winifred Shotter and Ow&n. 'Nares. the clever comedy team that has produced many enjoyable pictures. “The > Love Contract,” which was adapted from '-T the stage play, “Chauffeur Antoinette,” jj. by Robert Blum Desty and Letray, was directed by Herbert Selpin, and Ralph Benatsky wrote the music. There is an attractive supporting programme.