AMUSEMENTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20509, 29 August 1936, Page 21

AMUSEMENTS

"CAPTAIN JANUARY” SHIRLEY TEMPLE AT STATE The fascinating adventures of a little waif and her two grizzled old, sea-salt friends furnishes the story basis for “Captain January,” tuneful Shirley Temple picture which opens at the State Theatre to-day. Somewhere on the rockbound coast of Maine the action of this delightful picture is set. She is a nimble-toed little lady of a lighthouse, adored and jealously guarded by old Guy Kibbee, the lighthouse keeper who had fished her from the sea years ago. Her other old salt friend, Slim Summerville, constantly bickers with Kibbee, but when authorities threaten to take the little girl away, the two old sailors present a united front. Despite their strategy and an attempted flight to sea in the night, the inevitable happens, and vixenish old Sara Haden, the truant officer, takes possession of Shirley. But not for good, however, because unexpected friends turn up to bring Shirley and Kibbee together again, and the picture to a happy close. June Lang, Jane Darwell, as the lady who has her heart set on Kibbee, and Jerry Tucker are prominent in the supporting cast of “Captain January.” Produced under the supervision of B. G. DeSylva, the picture was directed by David Butler. “THE AMATEUR GENTLEMAN” FARNOL ROMANCE AT REGENT Adapted from Jeffrey Farnol’s popular romance of the swashbuckling Regency days when men wore tight breeches, fril’ed cravats and cocked hats and fighting with bare knuckles was the most popular sport. “The Amateur Gentleman” opens at the Regent Theatre to-day. The story tells how young Barnabus Barty, son of John Barty, former heavy-weight champion of England, and later keeper of a country inn, goes to London to discover who stole the Marquess of Camberhurst's pearls. By posing as a member of society, Barnabas exonerates his father, who had been convicted of the crime, At various points he is the hero of a knuckle fight, the instigator of a gaol “break,” and .’ie quarry of Bow Street runners. Thornton Vreeland, the director, has rightly grasped the importance of action, and from the very first the story is briskly unfolded in an atmosphere of increasing excitement. Douglas Fairbanks, junr., not only gives an excellent and spirited performance in the leading role, but has also provided the film with striking and attractive period backgrounds which recapture the air of high romance that is so essential to the tale. Elissa Land! gives one of her most pleasing performances for some time as the proud and lovely Lady Cleone Meredith, vdth whom Barnabas faUs in love. The suavely villainous Chichester is well played by Basil Sydney. Gordon Harker and Esme Percy provide effective comedy in supporting parts. MAJESTIC THEATRE “THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR” Paul Muni has scored again. In the Cosmopolitan production, “The Story of Louis Pasteur,” which opens at the Majestic to-day, he has given the world not only one of the finest characterisations ever depicted on the screen but has made a real contribution to the art of motion pictures. In a tense, smashing drama, replete with action and romance, he has painted the turbulent life of Louis Pasteur, that amazing French scientist whose battle for humanity against ignorance and prejudice is one of the most astounding chapters in modern history in an amazingly colourful picture. It is hard to realise that there could be such momentous drama in Pasteur’s life for in popular imagination he is an almost legendary figure. The story is not just one of the microscope and the laboratory, although even that portion of the picture has been made intensely interesting. The picture dramatises his battle against the ignorance, superstition and prejudice of the times. Physicians high in the favour of the court branded him as a charlatan, and fought his every move. So powerful were they that they had him banished from Paris. Paul Muni, famous on the stage before he brought his talents to the screen, gives much more than a fine characterisation. There is no Muni. He has entirely effaced himself, and makes Pasteur live and breathe on the screen. He is Pasteur—working, battling for humanity. The spectator is never conscious of the actor! He sees only the man Pasteur. Muni has an exceptionally talented supporting cast, chief of whom is Josephine Hutchinson, who plays Mme. Pasteur, the wife who stood staunchly beside the chemist during all of his trials, and aided him in his work. Miss Hutchinson is a comparatively new acquisition to the screen, although rhe has long been famous on the stage, particularly for her work with the Eva Le Gallienne repertoire company. Others who do notable work in i-ie cast include Fritz Leiber, Porter Hall and Raymond Brown, as the three doctors who fought Pasteur most bitterly; Henry O’Neill, Akim Tamiroff, Halliwell Hobbes, Franck Reicher and Dickie Moore. THEATRE ROYAL TWO EXCELLENT FEATURES ‘•This Day and Age,” the story of the struggle of the youth of an average community Io rid their town of subversive influences; alter all efforts of the adult community have failed, will be .shown at the Theatre Royal to-day. The story reaches a masterful climax when the youth of the town, five thousand strong, kidnap the town’s leading criminal, drag him off to an old abandoned quarry and there hold a tribunal, using their own expert methods to secure a signed confession Then, with the criminal riding a rail, the mob inarches back to town, breaks into the iiome of the judge who originally bad acquitted their captive on a murder charge, and force the jurist to witness the signed confession.

“Disgraced!’’ reveals the modern girl as a courageous miss, unthinking, perhaps, but with strength, stamina and the power to demand respect. That is the portrait of Gay Holloway that Miss Twelvetrees presents so admirably and sympathetically. “I loved him!” is the pitiful defence of a girl who tries to be 100 modern in “Disgraced! ’ ’