AMUSEMENTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXL, Issue 20283, 5 December 1935, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS

REGENT THEATRE “MUSIC IN THE AIR” Combining magnitude with uproarious comedy, tender romance with a magnificent musical score, “Music in the Air” is now at the Regent Theatre. Gloria Swanson, returning to pictures after a two years’ absence, gives a performance which will astonish even her most ardent fans. She sings, she rages, she makes love, she plays light comedy with the deftest touch in the world. John Boles, opposite her in the role of the light opera tenor, has many opportunities to lift his splendid voice in song. Douglass Montgomery and June Lang are featured in important roles, and the notable supporting cast includes such fun-makers as A 1 Shean, Joe Cawthom, Reginald Owen and Roger Imhof. Joe May, famous for his Ufa pictures in Germany, makes his debut as a Hollywood director with “Music in the Air.” Erich Pommer is the producer. Delightful and vivid dances are performed by a troupe of dancers brought to the west coast from Bavaria. Jack Donohue staged these and other dance numbers in the picture. The screen play was written by Robert Liebmann, Howard I. Young and Bailie Wilder from the original libretto by Oscar Hammerstein 11. Jerome Kern’s score, as mentioned, is one of the most notable in years—including such melodies as “We Belong Together,” “And Love Was Born,” “I’ve Told Every Juittle Star” and “The Song Is You.” STATE THEATRE WHEELER AND WOOLSEY Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolscy, the inimitable comedy entertainers, are starred in the title roles of "Kentucky Kernels,” which is now at the State Theatre. Concerning an old-age feud between two Kentucky clans, the plot abounds in exciting action and hilarious situations. An unforeseen crisis makes Bert and Bob foster fathers of a child heir to a Southern plantation. Delivering the boy to his family, they blunder into a terrific feud. The boys’ attempt to settle the family war and Wheeler’s wooing of the opposing faction’s belle provide a mad and merry melange of music, girls, dancing, comedy and romance. "Kentucky Kernels” introduces a new popular melody, “One Little Kiss,” written and composed by Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar, and sung by Wheeler, Woolsey, Mary Carlisle and Noah Beery. “Roberta,” Saturday The story of “Roberta,” which will open on Saturday, is bright and full of original comedy, as befits a production of the type. A brilliant fashion show in which original creations are displayed by a select group of America’s most beautiful girls is an outstanding feature of the production. Supporting the three stars, Irene Dunne, Ginger Rogers, and Fred Astaire, is a strong cast, including Randilph Scott, Helen Westley, Victor Varconi, Claire Dodd, Ferdinand Munler, Adrian Rosley, and others. In the band, which Astaire leads, are such headline entertainers as Johnny “Candy” Candido, Muzzy Marcellino, Gee Sheldo, Paul McLarind, and Howard Lally. William Seiter directed the Pandro S. Berman production. MAJESTIC THEATRE “NIGHT LIFE OF THE GODS” Every year one picture at least stands out for its novelty, its daring, and its entertainment value. "Night Life of the Gods,” is different, because it was taken from one of the world’s "most different” novels and was written by one of the world’s most imaginative and lusty authors, Thorne Smith, Nothing outside of getting a huge price for his book would have pleased Thome Smith more than to have seen his story come to the screen under the amazingly clever guiding hand of Lowell Sherman. Unfortunately, Smith died a few months ago at the height of his career. No author could have hoped for a more comprehensive, understanding interpreter than Lowell Sherman, who would have played the leading role in it himself if he had not suddenly been attacked with a case of tonsilitis which scarcely permitted him to speak out loud. All the lustiness of Sherman’s Mae West picture, “She Done Him Wrong,” all the delicacy and dramatic feeling of Katharine Hepbum’s picture, “Morning Glory,” combine in “Night Life of the Gods” to produce a gem of a picture which has entertainment value. Here is the theme which is novelty itself. An inventor has discovered a method whereby he can turn human beings into stone, and marble statues into living, breathing human beings. If he doesn’t like a member of the family, he turns that member into stone; if he is to be arrested—bang, the cop becomes a stone statue. If a man goes to strike him, his arm becomes a poem of suspended animation in stone. On the other hand, this same inventor is struck with the idea of bringing Venus back to life, and not only Venus, but Apollo, Mercury, Neptune, Diana and a lot of other gay, pagan gods whose unmoral escapes fill the pages of mythology. Naturally, these statues, when they take human form and are turned loose on a great modern city, create plenty of excitement and comic situations, which Lowell Sherman has handled with excruciatingly humourous touches. HISTORICAL PAGEANT SATURDAY’S ATTRACTION Probably one of the most colourful displays ever seen in Timaru will be presented at Timaru Park on Saturday when the historical pageant, organised and controlled by the South and MidCanterbury Federation of Women’s Institutes, should be an unusual and pleasing attraction. No expense has been spared to make the pageant a success, special historical costumes having’been imported from the Homeland, where similar pageants create widespread interest. Some of these costumes are at present on view in the display window of Messrs J. Ballantyne and Co., where they are attracting much attention. The historical nature of the pageant should be of particular interest to school children, who will see living reproductions of well-known historical characters. The. educational value is one of the features of the pageant. The Timaru Munioipal Band will play suitable music for the different periods, loud speakers being installed to allow everyone to hear. The stage is all set for the presentation, and judging by the rehearsals seen on the ground last week there is no doubt about the entertaining qualities of the pageant. VIENNA BOYS’ CHOIR TO-MORROW’S CONCERT The members of the celebrated Vienna Boys’ Choir will arrive in Timaru from Christchurch to-morrow morning;' and at noon will be accorded a civic reception by the Mayor at the Council Chamber. They will give a concert in the Theatre Royal at 8 p.m.

The special feature of the programme to be presented to-morrow will be the operetta, "Reconciliation,” by the great Viennese composer, Mozart. Garbed in the costumes of cavaliers and ladies of a seventeenth-century court, these remarkably talented young choristers display all the fineness and polish of experienced actors, singing the while the melodious Mozart airs with unrivalled purity of tone and charm of expression. In the more serious field of sacred music they sing eight-part motets, sequences and polyphonic numbers of the greatest difficulty with astounding precision and understanding. About a third of the programme is devoted to popular Viennese music, arrangements of Austrian folk-songs, and the Favourite Waltz Songs of Johan Strauss, including “Tales from the Vienna Woods,” and “The Blue Danube.” With the object of encouraging the study of music the management has arranged that children should be admitted at half-price to all parts of the theatre. Plans for both performances are at Begg's.