AMUSEMENTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXV, Issue 19008, 16 October 1931, Page 2

AMUSEMENTS.

THEATRE ROYAL. “CAPTAIN APPLEJACK.” The story of “Captain Applejack,” which is now at the Theatre Royal, is unique. A rich and coddled Cornishman wearies of the association of a doting old aunt, and even of his pretty American ward, and yearns for adventure in the wide open spaces. His lawyer, as a joke, provides crooks to haunt the ancestral castle, supposedly seeking buried treasure of the owner’s notorious pirate grandfather, “Captain Applejack.” Hilarious pirate scenes occur during the time that the dissatisfied hero slumbers, dreaming that he is himself his fiery ancestor. There is a delightful combination of fun, thrills, fact and fantasy, with a real pirate cache for reward, and the hand of the ward. John Halliday has the title role; Mary Brian is the ward, Kay Strozzi is an adventuress and in pirate sequences, a Portugese maiden in distress, prisoner of the howling buccaneer. The second attraction is “His Friend’s Wife,” a stirring emotional story of a man who fell in love with the wife of his best friend. Mary Astor and Grant Withers have the featured roles. “WHITE SHOULDERS” AT REGENT. ‘CIMARRON” ON SATURDAY. “White Shoulders, featuring Jack Holt and Mary Astor, will have its final screenings at the Regent Theatre toThirty years of thrills packed into two hours of breathless entertainment. Such is “Cimarron,” Radio Pictures’ dramatisation of Edna Ferber’s story of Oklahoma, starring Richard Dix as the colourful Yancey Cravat, which will start on Saturday at the Regent. Smashing, dramatic punches come n rapid order. Yancey leads the great land rush —slays Lon Yountis—meets “the Kid” in mortal combat — champions the Osage Indians —-thwarts his own love, Sabra, to save Dixie Lee —and dies that others may live —all in one gripping, awe-inspring production. Although there are tremendous spectacles—parades of covered waggons, great herds of cattle, the town of Osage as it appeared in three separate eras, oil gushers—they have not been allowed to interrupt or detract

from the absorbing plot. The 33 characters and thousands of pioneers have stepped right from the pages of the Ferber novel. Dix’s portrayal of Yancey undoubtedly is his greatest role. Irene Dunne, as Sabra. is the dramatic sensation of many seasons. Estelle Taylor Is Dixie Lee personified; Nance O’Neill, as Felice Venable, scores; Buster Collier gives a wonderful performance as “the Kid”; Rosco Ates is a better Jess Rickey than the original, while George E. Stone as Sol Levey, is. exceptional; Lon Yountis, the evil one, lives in Stanley Fields; Robert McWad>r, as Louie Heffner, the undertaker, is at his best; Edna May Oliver, stage star, is a marvellous Mrs Tracy Wyatt.

MAJESTIC THEATRE. “RICH PEOPLE” AND “BRUCE’S BISCUITS.” In “Rich People,” the current attraction at the Majestic Theatre, Constance Bennett masters with ease an extremely difficult role. She is seen as the temperamental daughter of a wealthy citizen of New York. Her mother and father become estranged, and for this state of affairs she blames their riches. It is not, therefore, surprising when she finds herself violently enamoured of a young man of the working class, one, it might be mentioned, of that strange type, the natural statistician. The producer has not allowed the course of true love to run smoothly in “Rich People,” and after many sudden twirlings and twistings the story finally unravels itself into a si tisfactory conclusion. The 1 greatest credit must be given to the supporting players, prominent among whom are John Loder, Robert Ames, Mahlon Hamilton, Ilka Chase, and Poily Ann Young. It is most appropriate that the management were able to procure for “New Zealand-Made Goods Week” an industrial attraction to support the main film. It is even more fitting that the film should depict the processes of a local industry, J. R. Bruce’s biscuit factory. The production, which is entitled “Bruce’s Biscuits in the Making,” is Timaru’s first talkie, and has created much favourable comment by those who have seen it. ELISSA LANDI, THE ENGLISH STAR. IN “BODY AND SOUL.” “Body and Soul,” forthcoming Fox Movietone drama, will serve to introduce Elissa Landi, beautiful European star. New York critics gave their endorsement of this beautiful and talented girl for her performance in the Broadway production, “A Farewell to Arms ” Charles Damton in the "New York Evening World” said of her: “An English actress, Elissa Landi. achieved a beautiful, courageous and

truly moving performance.” Robert Coleman stated in the “Daily Mirror . “Elissa Landl, an English importation, made a most auspicious debut. She has beauty, poise, polish.” Said Buiid Leonard in “Life”: "When it comes to Elissa Landi, words fail me. She is the loveliest creature you will see in many a season.” Similar words or praise were written by Burns Mantle of the “New York Daily News, J. Brooks Atkinson of the "New York Times" and Percy Hammond in the “Heraid Tribune.” No critic overlooked her. They were a unit in acclaim ing her and her performance. In "Body and Soul,” opening at the

I Majestic on Saturday, Miss Landi plays opposite Charles Farrell, who I needs no introduction to screen audiI ences. They recently voted him "King of the Movies,” and he allowed his apj predation by thrilling them with his performances in "Liliom” and “Th® Man Who Came Back.” Myrna Loy and Humphrey Bogart arc also featured, under the direction of Alfred San tell. The story tells of an American flying ace whose sweetheart is accused of being a spy. How hr becomes involved in the accusation and then clears himself and the girl of the charge furnishes one of the most gripping screen stories of the current season.