AMUSEMENTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19945, 1 November 1934, Page 10

AMUSEMENTS

MAJESTIC THEATRE “HAPPY EVER AFTER” Humour, punctuating the disappointments and minor tragedies of life, is the keynote of “Happy Ever After,” which heads the programme at the Majestic. It is a story of quite ordinary people treated from a rather fantastic angle, the whole forming a delightful pot pourri. Humour gives the drab surroundings and circumstances amusing twists and throughout there is an undercurrent of merriment. The picture is rich in suspense values, and the denouement is distinctly surprising. v’Happy Ever After” is brilliantly directed, the fantasy attractively developed, affording excellent entertainment. Sonnie Hale, who made a sensational success with his comedy fooling in his first talking film, "Tell Me To-night,” again plays a light comedy role in “Happy Ever After.” He successfully blends his comedy with moments of excellent serious acting in this film that certainly earns him a place in the front rank of British film stars. He has a delightful personality that gets right across the silver screen, and his humour is of the light, bantering kind, not slapstick efforts at raising laughs. REGENT THEATRE “PALOOKA” “Palooka.” starring Jimmie Durante, Lupe Velez and Stuart Erwin, is the chief attraction at the Regent. Marjorie Rambeau, Robert Armstrong. Mary Carlisle, William Cagney, Thelma Todd and Gus Arnheim and his orchestra are featured in the supporting cast, under the direction of Benjamin Stoloff. Joe Palooka, son of a former champion, has been brought up on a farm by his mother, Mayme. a former vaudeville headliner, in an attempt lo keep the fight fever out of his blood. Accidentally he meets Knobby Walsn. a fight promoter who. upon learning his identity, persuades him to enter the ring. Because of his mother’s aversion to fighting. Joe confides his plan only to his sweetheart, Anne, simply telling Mayme that he is going to New York to become a business success. He is KO’ed in his first fight, and Walsh is about to ditch him when another promoter proposes that they use Joe as a set-up for the champion, McSwatt. In the first bout Joe easily knocks out McSwatt. who is drunk. Nina. McSwatt’s girl, immediately transfers her affection to Joe. who is flattered by her attentions. He becomes very much self-inflated over his phoney championship, and in his conceit is taunted by McSwatt into signing for a return match. Joe puts up a game battle, but loses to the now-in-condition McSwatt. Nina returns to her earlier love, and Joe is disillusioned.