AMUSEMENTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20839, 22 September 1937, Page 11

AMUSEMENTS

ROYAL’S CONCESSION DOUBLE PROGRAMME Headed by “The Gay Deception,” another attractive programme was presented at the Royal last night. The adventures and escapades of two lighthearted youngsters who look for thrills and find glorious romance constitute the story of Fox Film’s delightful comedy romance, “The Gay Deception,” Which stars handsome Francis Lederer with lovely Frances Dee. The picture throws these two romantics together in the sophisticated atmosphere of an ultra-luxurious hotel where most of the comedy incidents occur. Sydney Howard, of the expressive hands and lugubrious features, is seen in “The Hope of His Side.” Howard takes the part of a hen-pecked village blacksmith who, tiring of his wife’s interminable lectures, decides to assert himself and to become one of the lads of the village. “WHEN THIEF MEETS THIEF” DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JNR. AT THE REGENT Besides Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Esme Percy, the cast of “When Thief Meets Thief,” now at the Regent, includes Valerie Hobson, Aian Hale, Jack Melford, Barbara Everest, Edward Rigby. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., has an opportunity in his latest starring vehicle to Indulge in some of the acrobatics that first placed his father on the road to fame. The film gives him the role of a “cat-burglar” who enters the bedroom of a society girl on her wedding eve. In one sequence, Doug, is called upon to jump from the roof of a country house to a balcony that is 20 feet below, and during the course of the film performs many dangerous stunts. “This Motoring,” a special featurette of interest to motorists, is also on the programme. “Moonlight Sonata” “Moonlight Sonata,” in which the eminent Polish pianist Paderewski is heard in many numbers from his classical repertoire, will open at the Regent on Friday. The film is a United Artists picture and was produced by Lothar Mendes. Paderewski acts his part with great naturalness and there are some excellent views of him at the keyboard. On the dramatic side of the film, Dame Marie Tempest, as is to be expected from this veteran British actress, gives an outstanding portrayal. The romantic Interest is supplied by Charles Farrell and Barbara Greene. "WE’RE ON THE JURY” COMEDY-DRAMA AT THE STATE Detectives solve most of the crimes of fiction, but as a rule these gentry have considerable freedom in running down their clues and investigating alibis and solving cryptograms and doing the other things traditional detectives do. Something new in the way of sleuthing, however, is presented in the State’s current attraction, “We’re On The Jury,” in having a resourceful society woman empanelled as a member of the jury in a big murder trial, clear up the mystery all by herself through shrewd use of intuition and deduction. With the jurors locked in their rooms at all times and supposedly unable to communicate with the outside world, the matter of getting information might seem difficult, but the heroine cleverly overcomes this obstacle and her discoveries lead to the surprise ending of the picture. Heien Broderick and Victor Moore, two of the leading comics of the screen, have the principal roles in the film, Miss Broderick as the society woman, and Moore as another member of the jury who assists her in her investigation. “Step Lively, Jeeves” “Charming chappies, these gunsters” was Jeeves’s amiable comment, but it seems they sometimes get rough, and then it’s Jeeves who gets tough. In “Step Lively, Jeeves,” which will begin on Friday at the State, the social error of a gangster makes P. G. Wodehouse’s lovable “gentleman’s gentlemen” set out to teach gangland to mend its manners. The unusually tall Arthur Treacher appears in the title role. Patricia Ellis and Robert Kent are featured in the romantic leads. In a happy mood, director Eugene Forde has provided fun and excitement in a stoi-y that tickles the ribs, for Alan Dinehart and George Givot are teamed as a pair of sober, hard-working swindlers hoping to wrest an illicit livelihood from Helen Flint, socialclimbing wife of a retired gang-leader,, by passing off Jeeves, their unsuspecting dupe, as a genuine earl and longmissing heir to a tremendous fortune. MAJESTIC THEATRE "ESPIONAGE”

“Espionage,” a story with the flavour of to-day’s headlines, filmed at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios with Edmund Lowe and Madge Evans in the leading roles, opens to-day at the Majestic. This is a narrative that describes the studied movements of a millionaire munitions maker who suddenly vanishes. A star reporter is promptly assigned by an American newspaper to trace him and an opposition sheet gives the same job to a girl reporter, a star worker herself. These two meet on a speeding express out of Paris, neither aware that the other is a competing news gatherer. The situation becomes more complicated and equally more amusing when they fall in love. In the meanwhile, they encounter thrilling adventures and face danger together a dozen times before they eventually get their story—ih collaboration and very much in love. Lowe and Miss Evans are excellent. They have the advantage, too, of a clever supporting cast, which includes Paul Lukas, Ketti Gallian, Skeets Gallagher, Frank Reicher, William Gilbert, Robert Graves, Leonid Kinsky, Mitchell Lewis, Charles Trowbridge and Barnett Parker. The director was Kurt Neumann, who did a first

rate job. The story was based on the original play by. Walter Hackett. The drama is cleverly lightened by believable comedy and touched with real romance. "Espionage” rates as one of the better pictures of the year to date. It has romance, intrigue and a fastmoving dramatic wallop. "Man In Possession" introducing a screen team that has not been seen before, Robert Taylor and the late Jean Harlow, “Man in Possession,” a light comedy of the type which Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer does so well, comes to the Majestic Theatre on Friday. The plot is original, the dialogue is all that could be desired, and the entire film has a sophistication of its own. The cast is outstanding. It includes Reginald Owen, remembered as Myrna Loy’s fiance in that delightful comedy, “Petticoat Fever.” There are also Una O’Connor, talented character actress; E. E. Clive, Hollywood veteran; and Cora Wotherspoon. Those who go to the Majestic expecting the type of entertainment that Jean Harlow alone was capable of providing will not be disappointed. And, even taking into account the fact that she has opposite her the screen’s newest, most romantic hero, she is not overshadowed. The picture is definitely hers, and she has made the most of it. Taylor is uniformly good.