AMUSEMENTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20514, 4 September 1936, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS

REGENT THEATRE DOUBLE PROGRAMME The double programme at the Regent featuring “Drift Fence,” and “F Man,” will conclude to-day. The films are entirely different in theme, but each is fine entertainment. The cast of .“Drift Fence” includes Larry “Buster” Crabbe, Katherine DeMille, Tom Keene, Benny Baker, Glenn. Erikson, and Stanley Andrews. In “F Man” humour and romance develop around Jack Haley’s attempt to run down Public Enemy No. 1 and become Public Hero No. 1 himself. William Frawley co-operates with Haley ori tlie humour, and Grace Bradley and Adrienne Marden on the romance. Onslow Stevens is the menace. “Anything Goes” Highly diverting comedy situations abound in the entertaining musical film “Anything Goes,” a Paramount picture, which opens at the Regent Theatre tomorrow. Based on a story by P. G. Wodehouse, the production achieved a great success when it was presented on the stage in London and New York, and it is at present enjoying a good season in Australia. Packed with bright songs and clever dancing, the film affords its leading player, Bing Crosby, ample opportunities for the exercise of the attractive talents which have earned him such wide popularity with film-goers. Another prominent singing player, Ethel Merman, has an important part and her rendering of “You’re the Top” with Crosby is one of the most outstanding numbers of the picture. Ida Lupino has the leading feminine role and there is a large cast of supporting players, including Charles Ruggles, Grace Bradley and Arthur Treacher.

STATE THEATRE “NELL GWYN” “Nell Gwyn” will conclude its season at the State Theatre to-day. There are. several important characters of the period depicted in the film, including the Duchess of Portsmouth, Samuel Pepys, and the Duke of York (later Janies IL), as well as Nell and King Charles, but it is on the latter two that the burden of the action falls. As Charles, Sir Cedric Hardwicke has a role which suits his type. He is shown as merry without any suggestion of roistering, amorous without the taint of promiscuousness. Anna Neagle as Nell, the girl of the people who becomes the King’s mistress, has a role vastly different from those she has had in the past, but one which she discharges as well as anyone could. “Are You a Mason?” Never was the truth of the old saying that deceivers weave a tangled web better exemplified than by the misfortunes of Sonnie Hale and Robertson Hare in “Are You a Mason?” which opens at the State to-morrow. Their wives are the cause of their troubles. The henpecked Hare takes the part of Amos Bloodgood, whose only escape from the custody of Mrs Bloodgood (Bertha Belmore) is his lodge, which has provided him with every Saturday night off for 20 years, and left him completely ignorant of Freemasonry for the simple reason that he never was a Mason. Enter his son-in-law, Frank Perry (Sonnie Hale), who for divers reasons, mostly financial, decides that he is a Mason, too, though he is as ignorant as Bloodgood. Neither knows the other’s deception and neither knows anything of Freemasonry except that according to the encyclopaedia it employs signs and is surrounded by secrecy. To see the antics of the two when in each other’s presence is alone worth the price of admission to the theatre, and another gem is the demonstration by the two heroes of their idea of how a Mason would eat a banana Difficulties of all sorts arise and are swept away, only to be replaced by more embarrassing ones, not the least of which is the appearance of Bloodgood’s long-lost French daughter, “the offspring of his youthful passion.” The imbroglio that follows is beyond description.

MAJESTIC THEATRE “CAPTAIN BLOOD” OPENS TO-DAY Daring and debonair Peter Blood, immortalised by the novel of Rafael Sabatini, has been brought to life on the screen by Cosmopolitan Production in “Captain Blood,” a mammoth production which comes to the Majestic to-day as a First National release. The gentleman pirate of fortune is portrayed by Errol Flynn, a young Australian comparatively new to films but who won this role, considered one of the most important of the year, over a score of famous actors after a series of screen tests. The story opens during the period when the Duke of Monmouth was leading an abortive rebellion against King James 11. Dr Peter Blood runs afoul of the soldiery and soon thereafter finds himself a slave in the West Indies and later the captain of a pirate ship. His calm effrontery wins the attention, then the hatred and finally the love of the beautiful young noblewoman. This vigorous young daredevil puts down mutinies and scuttles ships with desperate coolness, saving his Warmth- for the ardour of his love. Lionel Atwill. Basil Rathbone, Ross Alexander, Guy Kibbee, Robert Barrat, Frank McGlynn, senr , and David Torrence are also in th? cast. THEATRE ROYAL ALL NEW DOUBLE PROGRAMME Two feature productions each of entertainment excellence will be shown at the Theatre Royal Ibis evening. In “Too Many Parents” Paramount has produced a picture dealing with the most poignant problems of modern children whom divorce and parental bickering have made homeless. The picture, with Frances Farmer and Lester Matthews in the leading roles, and includes in its cast fl e of Hollywood’s juvenile stars. Sherwood Bailey, George Ernest, Douglas Scott, Buster Phelps and Billy Lee are the five well-known young screen actors who support Miss Farmer, Matthews. Henry Travers and Porter Hall in the featured cast of “Too Many Parents.” A drama which has the fury of a typhoon is to sweep over the screen

in “Hell-Ship Morgan,’’ with that powerful screen personality George Bancroft in the title role. Bancroft pounds his way through a red-blooded story of the two men battling for the love of a beautiful woman. Victor Jory is cast as Bancroft’s opponent in love, while Ann Sothern is the charming prize. D. Ross Lederman directed this turbulent drama of human emotions and raging seas. Other important members of the imposing cast include Ceorge Regas, Howard Hickman, and Ralph Byrd.