AMUSEMENTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21184, 3 November 1938, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS

STATE THEATRE “INTERNATIONAL SETTLEMENT” Going beyond the headlines for its thrilling theme, and behind the barricades of Shanghai’s amazing city within a city for its teeming thrills, "Inter- t national Settlement” tells the timely i story of Americans in to-day’s danger s zone. Dramatically shown for the first 1 time on the screen, the thundering f drama that is China to-day makes this * 20th Century-Fox film, showing at the < State Theatre, the picture of the hour. ' “Get out of the danger zone!" warn all 1 Governments to their nationals living in the amazing city within a city where < refugees from the blazing metropolis 1 desperately seek safety. A handful of adventure-loving Americans defies the ■ command and remains behind to con- • front the danger thundering from the skies and sea. Dolores Del Rio, George Sanders, June Lang and Dick Baldwin, : featured in the film, dramatically por- '■ tray the peril-braving group who find ' strange romance in the stricken city. Executive Producer Sol M. Wurtzel selected Eugene Forde to direct the screen play, written by Lou Breslow and John Patrick, with action occurring ac- > tually within to-day's danger area. REGENT THEATRE “THE BROKEN MELODY” "The Broken Melody," Cinesound’s new production, showing at the Regent Theatre, is a delightful adaptation of F. J. Thwaites’ sensationally popular novel of the same name, interpreted by a big cast headed by Lloyd Hughes, Diana du Cane, Rosalind Kennerdale, Frank Harvey and Alec Kellaway, and set to glorious music by Mr Alfred Hill. Over 172,000 copies of the book “The Broken Melody” have already been sold and this amazing total testified to the popularity of the story, which Cinesound have used for the production of Australia’s first modern musical screen romance. The leading role of a young singer is taken by Miss Diana du Cane, the charming English actress who first appeared in Sydney for J. C. Williamson’s two years ago and who has recently appeared in many radio presentations. Playing opposite the American star Mr Lloyd Hughes, Miss du Cane sings several songs composed by Mr Alfred Hill and also sings in the operatic sequence specially written by this famous musician that is the glorious climax to the film. Set in Sydney and London, “The Broken Melody” is the story of a young musician and university student who, through an escapade, is expelled and after a run of hardships goes to England and embarks on a successful career as a composer conductor. A delightful romance between Lloyd Hughes, who plays the role of the young musician, and Diana du Cane, is developed with sincerity and charm. All in all, “The Broken Melody” is quality entertainment of the highest standard, a picture any of the world’s foremost studios would be proud to have produced. MAJESTIC THEATRE “ARSENE LUPIN RETURNS” Maurice Le Blanc’s famous characters of detective fiction, Arsene Lupin and Detective Guechard, are brought back to the screen in “Arsene Lupin Returns," which provides exciting fare at the Majestic Theatre. Melvyn Douglas, Virginia Bruce and Warren William head the top-notch cast in the new I picture, with prominent supporting roles filled by John Halliday and Nat ’ Pendleton. The director was George , ' Fitzmaurice, who recently scored with i I the Robert Montgomery laugh hit, ‘ “Live, Love and Learn.” The plot tells of the international pursuit of Arsene Lupin, the famed gentleman crook, following the theft of a £50,000 emerald owned by. Miss Bruce. A romantic narrative is woven into the thrilling and , sometimes spine-chilling events of ' police work on two continents. Arsene . Lupin is the second character of mystery fiction to play a return engageL ment in a motion picture, following close upon the success of “After the Thin Man,” the picture which continued the adventures of the popular . “Thin Man” detective. John and Lionel . Barrymore played Lupin and the deI tective in the screen version of the L original play, produced several years , ago. “The Rage of Paris” The young French actress Danielle Darrieux makes her first appearance in : American films in “The Rage of Paris,” at the Majestic Theatre on Saturday.

In Miss Darrieux, the New Universal studios have discovered an actress of more than usual ability and it should not be long before she is one of the best known players on the screen. She takes the part of Nicole de Cortillon, a poor girl looking for modelling work in New York, and in this role reveals the charming personality usually associated with the women of her race. Her features are seldom motionless, for some mood or other is continually ruffling their beauty—some little comic grimace, some frown or twinkle, or some mischievous twist of the lips. Her gaiety seems to be part of her character, and if anything upsets her, it is only momentarily. The rest of the cast has been splendidly chosen. Much of the humour is supplied by Helen Broderick, who appears as a retired actress who takes charge of Nicole and' attempts to find for her a rich husband. Mischa Auer, too, is at her best. As the head waiter who is in the conspiracy with the pretty adventuress and her supposed aunt, he is ever ready with some witty remark. James Trevor (Douglas Fairbanks, junior), is Nicole’s enemy, for he is a friend of her prospective husband and warns him that the girl is, socially, not what she appears to be. Fairbanks plays this role with his usual ease and lightness. THEATRE ROYAL DOUBLE PROGRAMME “White Fang,” featuring Michael Whalen and Jean Muir in the vigorous story of the frozen north by Jack London, and “Navy Wife,” with Claire Trevor and Ralph Bellamy in the leading roles, provide varied entertainment at the Theatre Royal. Replete with the romance of the far North and filled with the drama of the lawless frontier, “White Fang," Jack London’s great sequel to “Call of the Wild,” takes up where London's other stirring adven-ture-drama left off and weaves a thrilling story of gold and greed, love and danger. Intermingled with the narrative is the biography of Lightning, the mighty son of Buck, the dog-star of “Call of the Wild,” and a she-wolf. Miss Muir is seen as the courageous heroine who dares all the perils of the north-country to help the man she loves. Michael Whalen has the leading role, with the cast also Including Slim Summerville, Charles Winninger, John Carradine, Jane Darwell and Thomas Beck. “Navy Wife” was adapted from the Kathleen Norris novel, “Beauty’s Daughter.” In “Navy Wife,” Claire Trevor marries Ralph Bellamy, a doctor in the Navy, only to discover that she has two rivals, one a beautiful woman and the other the memory of his dead wife. A surprise climax brings happiness to her aching heart and a conclusion to a strongly romantic story.