AMUSEMENTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18845, 7 April 1931, Page 13

AMUSEMENTS.

“OUR BLUSHING BRIDES.” MAJESTIC’S BRIGHT PROGRAMME Joan Crawford, who is the star of “Our Blushing Brides,” the featured attraction at the Majestic, which is to receive its final presentation to-night, plays a difficult part to perfection. She is ably assisted by Anita Page, ! Dorothy Seoastian, Robert Montgomery, and Raymond Hackett. A model in_ a large women’s tailoring department, she is by her beauty and personality attractive to women and men alike. In her flat, which she shares with two girl friends, she is left alone every night with her thoughts her sole company. To display the designs of a famous Parisian tailor, Miss Crawford is among several models chosen to retire to her employers’ magnificent summer home, to whom the wealthy clientele of the store have been invited. A special matinee is to be held to-day, when the natural colour special, “Song of the West,” featuring John Boles, is the attraction. “Holiday,” which commences to-mor-row, has received more praise from the critics of the talking picture than any other that has been presented before New Zealand and Australian audiences for many months. It is excellent entertainment of an arrestingly intelligent type, and is likely to attract a lot of favourable attention during the coming week. The principal role is taken by Ann Harding. With her in the leading parts are Edward Everett Horton, Robert Ames. William Holden, Mary Astor, Elizabeth Forrester, and Hedda Hopper, all proved and competent players. It is an intriguingly interesting story that “Holiday” tells. It deals with a man who preferred ease to wealth and longed always for a holiday from the littleness of life and the monotony of everyday routine. He thinks he is in love with one woman, but finds that he cannot live without another. The author handles the unusual subject with distinction, and presents a very interesting philosophy in a manner that is remarkable for its simplicity and also its daring. The cast has been chosen with exceptional care, and the result is a troupe of players who interpret the ideas and ideals of the author to perfection. This is no doubt accounted for to some extent by the fact that more than one of the featured players were included in the cast of the original production when it w r as staged in New York for the first time. Edward Everett Horton has a most pleasing role in “Holiday,” and plays his part with great effect. Mary Astor. too, acquits herself remarkably well, and makes an excellent foil for the more prominent Ann Harding, whose perfnimance will remind picturegoers of tho beautiful fair-haired girl who made her first appearance in Timaru in one or two minor pictures last year. “DISRAELI." CONTINUED SUPPORT AT THE GRAND. Much interest continues to be evinced in “Disraeli,” the very fine Warner Brothers production which is a big attraction at the Grand. The attainments of the star, George Arliss, do not stop with acting. Although for years Arliss has been recognised as one of the outstanding character actors on both the American and English stages, he is also an author of note. Biography and history especially interest him. During the war, for recreation, he delved deeply into the life of Alexander Hamilton, the great American statesman, and later wrote the biographical play “Alexander Hamilton,” in which he scored such a success in the title role. He has also written several other one act and full length plays In past years. Recently his autobiography, “Up The Years From Blomsbury,” appeared in the Ladies’ Home Journal, and when it was reprinted in book form ran into ten editions, and was rated as one of the best non-fiction sellers of the years, and is still going strong in the book marts. Assisting Mr Arliss in the screen version of “Disraeli,” his great stage success, are such splendid players as Joan Bennett, Florence Arliss, Iva 1 Simpson, David Torrence, Doris Lloyd and Anthony Bushell. A 1 Green directed and Julian Josephson wrote the screen play.

ROYAL’S DOUBLE FEATURE. RICHARD DIX AND “THE CARNIVAL MAN.” For good diverting entertainment the Royal’s present double feature programme is more than pleasing the public. “Nothing but the Truth,” is a 100 per cent, talking production. It is a veritable laugh-factory, turning out two giggles and one guffaw pei second. It is the first all-talking farce Paramount has yet produced to satisfy a farce-hungry public, and it sets . high mark for succeeding farces to shoot at. Richard Dix does things in this that you never saw him do before. The story of how a parent’s crtfelty drove a beautiful girl and her little brother to seek the protection of a medicine show doctor is told in the alltalking production, “The Carnival | Man,” the second attraction starring i Jack Benny and Betty Bronson. The story tells of Dr. John Harvey, a medicine show doctor who boasts a heart conquest in every town. He is being pursued by a Swedish girl when he reaches the small town where Mamie and Buddy Gcltz live. How he saves Mamie from a hateful marriage forced upon her by her father, and himself escapes the clutches of the sheriff is told with plenty of adventure, humour and thrills. Colour Is used with remarkable effect throughout “Song of the West,” the Warner Bros.’ talkie version of the operetta “Rainbow,” which begins at the Theatre Royal on Wednesday. This is the first time that outdoor scenes have been depicted In a large scale in colour, and the result proves that the new method of photography is bringing a revolution in the movie world second only to the introduction of sound. The spirit of the gold rush days of ’49 is admirably caught in the film. There are the scenes of the wagon train winding slowly across the sun-parched desert with its background of snowcapped mountains, toward California, the land of gold, there are gambling hells, lonely military outposts, trappers in buckskin and bad men of all sorts, and superior cavalry officers resplendent in their blue uniforms; but “Song of the West” is not the usual kind of western film. It has a very romantic and well-conceived plot, which gives occasion for plenty oi change of scenery, and not a little humour and pathos. John Boles, star of “The Desert Song” and other talkie successes, sings with vigour and feeling, while Vivienne Segal, American operatic singer, makes a charming “toast of the regiment,” and her voice is delightful. Joe E. Brown and Marion Byron contribute some original comedy. “Playing around featuring Chester Marris and Alice White, will also be screened.

“QUEEN HIGH.” COMING TO THE GRAND. Two of Broadway’s favourite legitimate stage funsters head the support in Paramount’s filmisation of Schwab and Mandel’s hilarious musical comedy “Queen High,” which comes to the Grand Theatre to-morrow They are Charlie Ruggles and Frank Morgan, and what they do to your funny-bone in this rollicking farce is nobody’s business. According to the story, they are business partners in a garter producing enterprise. They can’t seem to support each other’s views, however, and their lawyer, to settle their differences, proposes that he deal them each a poker hand, to decide which will become the butler of the other. Ruggles loses, and becomes the butler in the Morgan household. The ensuing situations and dialogue are packed with uproarious laughs. Ruggles played in “The Lady Lies,” “Roadhouse Nights,” “Gentlemen of the Press,” and “Young Man of Manhattan.” Morgan was the “heavy” in Helen Kane’s “Dangerous Nan McGrew.”