ENTERTAINMENTS

Waipa Post, Volume 45, Issue 3252, 8 November 1932, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE.

TO-NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY

" DRACULA," THE VAMPIRE

DRAMA.

Fastnachti—the night of evil; swirling fog, and wolves howling fin the mountain passes; a solitary traveller waiting at the crossroads; the clatter of approaching hoofs, and a coachman with feverish eyes glowing above his great muffler. The traveller enters the coach, which continues on its headlong flight; but as soon as it is again under way, the driver disappears, and his place is taken -by a giant bat whidh flaps over the heads of the galloping horses. Silence settles over the misty landscape. The mysterious coach is swallowed up by the dense fog, and makes its way to the crumbling castle of the terrible Count Dracular, vampire! This is one of the opening scenes of " Dracula," Universale strange motion picture drama which was adapted from the stage success of the Regent name, and which comes to the Regent Theatre to-night and to-morrow. The cast is headed by Bela Lugosi, who created the title role of " Dracula" ion the stage, and other players appearing in prominent roles are Helen Chandler, David Manners, Edward Van Sloan, Fraces Dade, Dwight Frye and Herbert Gunston.

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

" LADIES OF THE JURY."

The world chuckled at Edna May Oliver in " Cimarron." It probably wil lroar at her behaviour as a "holdout " juror in RKO-Radio Pictures' laugh sensation, " Ladies of the Jury,'' opening on Thursday at the Regent Theatre. Named by critics as one of the funniest comediennes in motion pictures, M|iss Oliver gives a new meaning to comedy in a specially tailored role. " Ladies of the Jury " is the story of a typical mixed jury of men and women who can only agree to disagree. With this plot as the motivating theme, the film plunges into an amazing series of comic situations and reveals much of the inside workings of the jury system in the process. The film tells the story of. twelve different type's of jurors who find themselves locked in a room for the purpose of deciding the fate of a pretty show girl accused of mur-

der. Fights, accusations and constant bickering revolve about the personality of Miss Oliver who finally wins the others to a verdict of not guilty by playing on their emotions and racial differences. The film does not depend upon Miss Oliver alone to carry along the laughs. Director Lowell Sherman has provided a supporting cast which includes almost a score of the cinema's most noted comedians. Among - these are Ken Murray, radio and vaudeville favourite; Rosco Ates), stuttering comedian of "Cimarron"; Kitty Kelly, Guinn "Big Boy" fWilliams, Kate Price, Cora Witherspoon and George Humbert.

THE WEEK-END ATTRACTION.

"THE DOOMED BATTALION."

In the spectacular scenes which show the destruction of " Collalto," giant Alpine peak, one of the features of Universal's thrilling war drama, "The Doomed Battalion," scheduled to open on Saturday at the Regent Theatre, sixteen men were injured by falls and results of the terrific explosion. Carl Hartl, responsible for the adaptation of Luis Trenker's gripping story of strife in the Tyrol, lost an eye as the direct result of this scene. "The Doomed Battalion " is said to be replete with scores of stirring action scenes and unparalleled photographic shots of the rugged Dolemites. The film features Tala Birell, latest European screen sensation, Trenker, Victor Varconi, and Henry Armetta, and was directed by Cyril Gardner.

EMPIRE THEATRE.

TO-NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY "THE RULING VOICE."

There is an array of unsuspected talent in the fine cast of "The Ruling Voice," the First National picture which comes to the Empire Theatre to-night and Wednesday. Besides being actors of "wide experience most of them have other professions which they could turn to quite as readily. Walter Huston is a graduate engineer, and at one time in his life worked at it for several years until the call of the stage became too insistent. Doris Kenyon—wife of the late Milton Sills—besides being the author of a number of published poems, is a trained vocalist. Ultimately, she hopes to bring this talent to the concert stage. Loretta Young has wooed

and won the goddess Terpsichore. After receiving thorough training under Ernest Belcher and Ruth St. Denis, she was about to enter on a career as a dancer when a sudden turn of events carried her into motion pictures. David Manners holds a degree from the University of Toronto as Bachelor of Science in forestry. Also, he once worked with some authority for a firm dealing in antiques and fine paintings. Gilbert Emery is a playwright and author of note. Many will remember his very successful plays " Queed," " Tarnish," " Love in a Mist," and several others, besides his novel, " Handicapped." Dudley Digges was for seven years stage manager for George Arliss. John Halliday is a mining engineer. " The Ruling Voice" is a daring expose of milk trusts. The story is by Rowland V. Lee and Donald W. Lee, the former directed.

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

MATINEE THURSDAY. "RIVER'S END." No writer has so vividly pictured the life of the great northwest, and especially that of the Royal Mounted Police, as has James Oliver Curwood, whose recent passing was a distinct loss to American letters. Audiences at the Empire Theatre will see the brilliant picturisation of the greatest of his novels, "River's End." Charles Bickford,, one of the prime favourites of fandom, plays the vigorous dual role of a police of the Royal Mounted and' the alleged killer he means to " get." It is not only in the exciting sequences that Bickford succeeds but in the romantic scenes with the girl whom both men love. Charming Evalyn Knapp plays the girl with bewitching artlessness. Zasu Pitts makes much of a small part and Junior Coghlan as the orphaned waif who befriends and is befriended by the refugee, proves himself among the few really gifted child actors. Great dramatic possibilities exist in the situation created in "River's End" in which the suposed killer, escaping from his captor, and passing himself off as his foe, on account of an amazing resemblance, gets back to civilisation to find himself freed from the murder charge. In the meantime his captor has cried and he cannot reveal his identity without again exposing himself to suspicion.