AMUSEMENTS THE REGENT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVII, Issue 21448, 12 September 1939, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS THE REGENT

j "SOCIETY LAWYER" “Son of Frankenstein” will conclude i its season to-day and will be succeeded 1 to-merrow by "Society Lawyer." a ( modern murder mystery in the “Thin Man" manner. It is the story of I Christopher Durant, society lawyer ' I who prefers criminal cases, and Pat I I Allen, a beautiful night-club enterI I tainer who assists him in the solution of a baffling murder, traps the guilty ; man and exonerates an innocent per--1 son. As the lawyer. Pidgeon advances > ! another stop toward stardom in a rcle that is ideal for his popular person- ■ | ality. Miss Bruce also reveals one of ' ‘ her hidden talents by singing in the I night-club sequences, one of the very | ■ ' rare occasions when her singing voice | •' is hoard. Leo Carrillo appears as a i ‘ | reformed mebster who gains his free- I ‘ dom from conviction of a crime he did | ’ i not commit and becomes Pidgeon’s ■ | staunch friend and aid. “Live, Love and I.earn” 1 Teaming Robert Montgomery and •; Rosalind Russell for the third time. • with Robert Benchley featured in one Icf his funniest characterisations and J with Helen Vinson as the “other woman," the new romantic comedy, ’ i "Live, Love and Learn." is the associate ‘ i feature. Placed largely in the colourful 1 I atmosphere of Greenwich Village’s Boj hemfen art colony. "Live. Love and ■ I Learn" develops a sparkling story of *' | the married life of a penniless artist ' ! and the girl who forsook wealth and i society to marry him. Other players 5 i Include Mickey Rooney. Monty Wool- , ley. E. E. Clive, Charles Judels, Maude ! Eburne, Harlan Briggs, June Clay- ' i worth and Al Shean. MAJESTIC THEATRE "NAUC’ITY MARIETTA" ! ! “Naughty Marietta," which is showing for the last time at the Majestic L tu-night, is a comic opera which has • achieved world-wide popularity. Featuring the famous i usical partnership i of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson | Eddy it provides a feast of popular ■ I song hits amid a stirring tale of advenI ture and romance. Depicting authenti: and dramatic details of early Ameri- | can history the film shows the impori tftion of the Casquette Girls from I France to mate with the settlers in i Louisiana, the New Orleans marriage | auction, the battle of the Everglades, i the pirate capture of the casquette ship ! and the Paris of Louis XV The supI ports include a Cinesound News, “Hoine I Early," a technicolour cruise in Mexico and a Metrotone Sound News. “Hotel Imperial” Recognised throughout tlu world as a most . ?ce- sfi.l stage product* m "Hotel Imperial.” the story cf a mag- - nincent love forged in th: crucible cf s a world at war, introduces one of the most dazzling women ever to appear on the screen—blonde Isa Miranda I who co-stars with Ray Milland in the .' picture, opening to-morrow. Miranda. I who has long been a reigning favouri’/ 1 ' throughout Europe, makes her bow in I an intensely dramatic role, as a fiery I international beauty who goes to the I "Hotel Imperial” to avenge her sister's ' betrayal and finds love just as the • world is about to go smash. Milland ; in his most important role since th? . technicolour "Men With W- will be seen as a romantic young officer | and Miranda’s sweetheart in a temt ■ pestuous love affair. Playing prominf - ent supporting roles a-c Reginald ; Owen, as . blustering and eccentric ■ l ; Russian general. Gene L-. khart. as a - i genial hotel-keeper and J. Carrol j Naish, playing an arch-spy and traitor. *ll i picture serves to introduce the I • | famous Don Cossack choir, who sing u several robust number: during tne ! picture. “Stolen Life” " 1 The entire world knows that of ail | s , the truly great dramatic actresses that f ' the screen has brought to the picture- 1 : goers of all nations. Elisazeth Bergnei I ranks among the first four. In "Stolen • 1./fe,” which opens on Saturday at the ! Majestic Theatre th? opinion strongly ’ ■ assorts itsell that she comes very close 1 to being the peei of them all. “Stolen , Life” has a story that any heart any- . ' whore can understand. It is a story ■ that any real man or woman will j embrace, for the same story has 'i happened to many and can happen to J almost anyone. In other words j j fundamental drama is involved in , i "Stolen Life.” even though the manner z of its telling may appear more colour- . I ful than anything that could happen - ito mere mortals. Miss Bergner dez | finitely dignifies any roster with hei | presence; Michael Redgrave likewise is t . , a most popu’.ai asset. Moreover, the , picture has Miss Bergner playing the I roles ot twin sisters, so that from a I strictly accurate point of view the film , gives one two Bcrgners for the price jof one. In addition the Majestic - I Theatre will present a brilliant first ii ; half. A musical classic. “Tannhauser,” x 1 is probably the finest musical short I yet seen in thsi country.

STATE THEATHE "THE LITTLE PRINCESS" Chosen at the one story that came j closest to being adequate to the amazing talent of Shirley Temple, and the j ideal subject for her first tochnicolom I vehicle, 20th Century-Fox’s screen vev- | sion of Frances Hodgson Burnett s im- i mortal classic. ‘ ih L.iXle 3 mcess.” ■> ; proving a popular attraction at the j State. Produced on a more preten • i tious scale than any f rc ious Shirley j Temple film. “The Little Princess" | has been acclaimed not only the ! dimpled star’s cst picture, but one of the tru’y great films of all time Darryl F. Zanuck, in charge ol production. assembled an imposing supporting case, headed by Richard Greene and Anita Louise in the romantic leads, and including la i Hunter. Cesar Romerc, Arthu: | Treacher. Mary Nash, Sybil Jason. | Miles Mander and Marcia Mae Jones I Gene Mai key u-as appointed associate producer and Walter Lang director I I The supports include a 1939 "March of ' Time,” cartoon, golf short and Aussie I News. “The Great Man Votes” i A father’s love for Us children, ai ingenious poli ical scheme, a sch*." 1 - boy feud, a family quarrel and a youngsters’ plot to make th?’ i •' an important man, all .ire prominin threads in the the ■>' if "The Qrea' Man Votes.” new screen vchic’: f)i John Barrymore. These variegatefj strands are deftl. woven toge her make the picture an unusual piece ol screen-fare. Barrymore plays th? oari of the ft her, a broken-down wreck of a man who vas nee ? leading 'ucator. and who again becomes a prominent figure as a rosu! ?f i'.cl. displayed by his here ••sh’ppin, children, who takes advantage of ai opportune political situation. Pet/' Hodle" a newcomer from the New York stag and Virginia Weidler, ■ ■ respectively seven and eleven, play tht roles of Barry lores two youngs:<••• Donald Macßride is the political in constant conflict with them all; Katharine Alexander. Granvill ra:cs, Luis Alberni, J. M. Kerrigan and othe noted players hep'’ the support g cast “Annabel Takes a Tcur” Jack Oakie and Lucille Bi ll who recently met with outstanding ii< • in "The Affairs of Annabel,” repeal

their original roles in a sequel, “Anna- j bel Takes a Tcur." wl.ic' is said to b? [ as genuinely enjoyable as the first film i in this screen comedy ceries. Fur ner depicting the hilarious ad ?n‘ 1 es of an impulsive film star and her harebrained press agent, played by Miss Ball and Oakie respectively, the new picture depicts lhe adventures ot these two while n a personal appearanc? tour in the East. The star is scheduled to appear at a Chicago theatre in junction with one of her pictures. To publicise the affair. Oakie launches a series of wild stunts, all of whic . ’* rkfirc, involving the pair in all kinds of | trouble. THEATRE ROYAL "THREE MARRIED MEN’ AND "SWING HIGH. SWING LOW” Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray are together again in "Swing j High. Swing Low.” a romance with ! music which opens at the Theatre j Royal to-night, is a story of night club i life in Panama and New York Miss i Lombard plays the role ol an entt- I tainer in a Panama cabartl who makes; a famous musician out ol Mac Murray. | who has been very much on the loose i in the canal port. This role gives i Miss Lombard an opportunity to sing i [and dance, the first time she exhibits! j her talents in these fields, and Mac- : i Murray plays the trumpet, also foi the ‘ I first time in pictures. The cast includes; Dorothy L.amour m (he role ot "the! other woman.” with v/hom Mac-Murray ! j falls in love Charles Butterworth, j Jean Dixon. Harvey Stephens and i I other well-known feature players com- j I plet-e the cast. Good fun and plenty j j of it. brought to the screen by a Lop- i | flight bunch of skilled players, is ot- : fered on the same programme, in I lie I , comedy-romance "Three Married Men ’ j ! The film features Roscoe Karns Wil- , 1 liam Frawley. Lynne Overman and | I Mary Brian in leading roles. with | i George Barbier and Marjorie Gateson , : heading the support, Briefly, tlv i j story introduces Karns and Miss Brian ;as young people, belonging to un- j ■ friendly families, who get married in f :.- pile of parental objections and m j . spite ol the gloomy warnings of Mess ‘ i Brian’s brothers. Frawley and Over- I i man. They quarrel on the wedding j [night, flee—end discover they have j | upper and lower berths in the same I Pullman compartment. It has more I fun than plot, and its dialogue is I breezy and fast.