AMUSEMENTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20852, 7 October 1937, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS

STATE THEATRE DOUBLE PROGRAMME "All In” and “Off to the Races” are the featured films on the current programme at the State Theatre. In the first mentioned film Ralph Lynn has a role which enables him to give full expression to his undoubted ability. He is seen as a young man who is left a legacy—a horse entered for the Derby. He also purchases a wrestling st'.dium. Between the two he gets plenty of excitement and adventure. That happy, scrappy Jones Family, a household as real as your own and as funny as your neighbour’s, moves into a new and hilarious phase of its career in “Off to the Races.” When Uncle Slim Summerville and his horse drop in on the Joneses, the shenanigans begin, and the typical American household is off on the most laughable, sidesplitting time it has ever experienced. Add, for good measure, Slim’s provoking daughter, Ann Gillis, a meanie from the word go, and you have rough idea what the harried Jones Family is up against. All the players who have made the Jones Family the country's best-loved clan are here again—Jed Prouty, Shirley Denne, Spring Byington, Kenneth Howell, George Ernest, June Carlson, Florence Romerts and Billy Mahan—and Russell Gleason makes a new heart interest opposite lovely young Shirley Deane. “Sea Decils” Riding the swirling waves of adventure and romance, Academy award winner Victor McLaglen as a chief bo’sun’s mate in the coast guard and Preston Foster as his rival score in RKO Radio’s stirring drama, “Sea Devils,” which opens at the State tomorrow. Sharing the spotlight honours with McLaglen and Foster in this thrilling vignette of an unsung but heroic branch of the Government service, is Ida Lupino with Donald Woods heading the supporting cast. REGENT THEATRE “DRAEGERMAN COURAGE” “Draegennan Courage,” a romance of the goldfields, will be shown at the Regent to-day. Anthony Coldeway, who wrote this thrilling story evidences his understanding of the way in which erring humanity can rise to the stature of the gods when confronted with the misery of his fellow men. “Draegerman Courage" is a melodrama of the mines, telling how the men entrapped in the bowels of the earth are brought back to the sunlight by the self-effac-ing bravery of their fellows. Trapped in an abandoned mine shaft, standing in water that slowly seeped through the walls and roof until it reached to their chins—these men waited, fighting for life, through the long, dark hours for the rescue crew to reach them. Starving, alone in the silence, they kept up their hope as a tiny hole was drilled through to give them food and to establish communication with the outside world. Barton Mac Lane has the role of the Draegerman whose reckless daring and disregard of his own life, finally effected the rescue of those that death had left, while Jean Muir, his sweetheart aided him. Henry O’Neill plays the part of Miss Muir’s father, a country doctor who has dedicated his life to the service of the miners, who is one of the men caught in the catastrophe. Others in the cast are: Robert Barrat, Addison Richards, Helen MacKellar, Gordon Oliver, Joseph Crehan, Priscilla Lyon, Walter Miller, Herbert Heywood and Ben Hendricks. THEATRE ROYAL FINE PROGRAMME “Redheads on Parade” and "Brown on Resolution” are attracting good houses to the Theatre Royal. The plot of “Redheads on Parade” revolves about the film producer’s efforts to launch his show, and the comedy complications that threaten for a time to defeat him. John Boles and Dixie Lee are the headliners in this picture which features bevies of beautiful redheads, chorus routines by Larry Ceballos and new tunes by Jay Gorney and Don Hartman. “Brown on Resolution” is the spectacular Gaumont-British naval production which is based on C. S. Forester’s best-selling novel and is distinguished by realistic scenes made with the co-operation of the British Admiralty. A special sporting feature will be presented in a complete film of the recent Joe Louis, James Braddock fight for the world’s championship. MAJESTIC THEATRE “MURDER BY AN ARISTOCRAT” Six “old timers” of the stage worked in featured roles in the new First National mystery thriller, “Murder by

an Aristocrat,” which is showing at the Majestic. They are Stuart Holmes, Virginia Brissac, Lottie Williams, William Davidson, Joseph Crehan and Florence Fair. In contrast to these veterans of the American theatre, three youngsters are bidding for recognition. They are Marguerite Churchill, John Eldredge and Mary Treen. “A Family Affair” “A Family Affair,” starring that grand old man of the stage and screen, Lionel Barrymore, will open on Saturday. “A Family Affair” is not a flimsily-constructed domestic trifle. It is a gripping and thrilling play, in which Barrymore, as Judge Hardy, is opposed by the whole ff the 25,000 members of his town as well as his family, because he upholds the law and will not allow an engineering project, which he sees may prove harmful to the community, to go through. The little town, in which Barrymore is judge, is a peaceful and pretty little place, and when a company of engineers start talking about harnessing the waters of the river for a big new aqueduct, Judge Hardy realises that they may be “given an inch” and they will soon divert all power from the valley, and, having no power, the mills and power plants will be useless. Matters become serious, but at the climax thejudge, mounting his own election platform, changes all his hearers over to his side by disclosing that the aqueduct project is illegal and harmful to the community. Lionel Barrymore is supported by Julie Haydon and Mick Rooney. The supporting programme will be of very exceptional variety and interest. THE MONTAGUE SHOW “THIS YEAR OF CARNIVAL" One of the mq»t remarkable dancing combinations ever seen in New Zealand is included with Sir Benjamin Fuller’s Montague Show, the London West End Revue Company which will present “This Year of Carnival” in the Theatre Royal on Thursday and Friday, October 14 and 15. It is the Darmora Troupe of Hungarian Dancers. The troupe comprises girls whose ages range from 16 to 20 years. Some were resident for as long as ten years at the Darmora School of Dancing, which is situated in Budapest. There they had plenty of opportunity for sport and whenever they finish rehearsing now they are on tour, they continue with it. Two are keen ski-ers and some are skaters. The only sport they do not know is golf, while one of them, Miss Rosita Rona, won distinction in the swimming section for Hungary at the Olympic Games in Berlin last year. All have some musical ability on the piano, or with the violin, and painting and drawing are among their accomplishments. Miss Unger, in fact, is a caricaturist who provides quite an amount of amusement for the others on their travels. Another, Miss L. Szekeres, has a romantic background, for she is the daughter of a Russian princess and an officer of the Hungarian Army. The star of the company is George Doonan, famous London comedian, and others who appear are Catherine Stewart, vivacious comedienne, Jewell and Warriss, irrepressible mirth makers, from England, The Dawn Sisters, hilarious American burlesque dancers, Barbara Vernon, the American comedienne, who played the name part in the London production of “No, No, Nanette” last year. The Blenders, a quartette of harmonious singers, of stage, screen and radio fame, The Two Rogues, celebrated screen comedians and dancers, Margaret Kelly, enchanting soprano, Alma Mackie, the “different dancer," and the ballet of 30 beautiful girls. Special prices are advertised and the box plans will open at Beggs on Monday.