ENTERTAINMENTS

Waipa Post, Volume 48, Issue 3469, 22 May 1934, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

AT THE REGENT. FINAL SCREENING TO-NIGHT. “LITTLE WOMEN.” R.K.0.-Radio’s praiseworthy dramatisation of Louisa M. Alcott’s immortal story of the life, love, laughter, and tears of a fine old American family in the sixties wins a high place in almost everyone’s “ best ten.” Uniolded last night before an enthusiastic audience of little women and their mothers and grandmothers, together with little men and big men, the sweet fireside story of another age proved to be entertainment that warms the heart and wins: applause. The performance of Katharine Hepburn as Jo and that of twenty other leading artists in amazingly authenticated atmosphere gives the whole production a sense of being the original book brought to life, with all its characters loving, sorrowing, and rejoicing just as they do within the aged pages. It is evident that R.K.O. Radio has spared no pains or brains to give this in its original appeal upon the screen. The . story and the backgrounds that have been good enough for some twenty million readers, an estimate based on nearly two million Sales of tjhe volume, Were considered good enough for R.K.0.fftadio. The old Alcott home at Concord, Mjass., itjhe ' surrounding acres, and backgrounds and scenes common to the time were duplicated in minute detail. For beauty and sheer homely power,, for naturalness and intrinsic merit in the lessons of life, for allround entertainment qualities, as well as for its picture of a noble era, “ Little Women ” wins a lasting place in the hearts of the film fans. Katharine Hepburn, at her best as the energetic, romping, restless Jo, has plenty of competition for histrionic honours. Edna May Oliver is the grumpy old Aunt March, Joan Bennett is Amy, Frances Dee is Meg, Jean Parker is Beth, and Paul Lukas, Douglass Montgomery, Henry Stephenson, Samuel Hinds, and John Davis Lodge are the masculine contingent. Spring Byington plays Marmee, while Mabel Colcord is Hannah and Nydia Westman is Mamie. They all give excellent portrayals. ■ WEDNESDAY ONLY. “EARLY TO BED.’’ Light as air, bubbling with ludicrous situations, “Early to Bed” dances along its gaily humourous way, without a pause in the rippling fun. It is in the clever hands of Heather Angel, Fernand Gravey, Lady

Tree, Edmund Gwenn and half a dozen more. “ Early to Bed ’ is a Gaumont-British picture, made in connection with Ufa and produced by Erich Pommer;; and as such it is naturally full of colour and original settings. The background is Continental and the story is of romantic misunderstandings between a boy and a girl who, unknown to each other, alternately occupy the same room in a boardinghouse. Grete, the girl (Heather Angel) works all day as a manicurist; Carl, the boy (Fernand Gravey) works all night as a cafe waiter. Carl first sees her when she is being taken by car to the house of a wealthy client. Naturally he assumes the car to be hers. Grete first sees him in evening dress in the early morning, as she is going to work and he is returning from work. Naturally she assumes he is a wealthy man-about-town. The path of their subsequent associations is bestrewn with misunderstandings which involve the wealthy client (Edward Gwenn) his daughter (Gillian Sand) and many more, in a maze of comic complexities; but finally the whole truth comes to light. Released by Fox Films, this Gaumont-British picture will appear at the Regent Theatre to-morrow (Wednesday) evening. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. “ONE MAN’S JOURNEY.” A great character enacted by the greatest of character actors is the chief attraction of “One Man’s Journey,” the RKO-Radio Picture coming to the Regent Theatre on Thursday and Friday, whose supporting cast of May Robson, Dorothy Jordan, Joel McCrea and Frances Dee is headed by the inimitable Lionel Barrymore. Barrymore’s character is that of a simple country physician who is a great human benefactor, but nonetheless considers himself a failure. While the story centres chiefly about the debtor’s activities, it is rich in youthful romance, with Miss Jordan and James Bush the central figures of an absorbing love affair, and McCrea and Miss Dee the principals of another. Even Barrymore enjoys a “December romance” with the veteran actress, May Robson, who is seen -as his housekeeper. Barrymore’s performance, it is contended by previewers, ranks as one of the finest of this outstanding star’s long and brilliant career. AT THE EMPIRE. “ THE MYSTIC MIRROR.” TO-NIGHT’S PRESENTATION.” Light-hearted gaiety and comedy, with the added attraction of delightful musical numbers and colourful ballet dancing in gorgeous settings that is “ The Mystic Mirror,” the

comedy operetta coming to the Empire Theatre this evening as the effort of the Te Awamutu Music Club. The background of the story is fascinating-, for the action opens on the beach at Silversea; fisher lads and lasses idling ’mid merriment in the bright sunshine without a worry or a care; but, alas ! enter King Torpedo, a crafty villain disguised as a quack doctor in search of the “ Mystic mirror,” which Pearl, the belle of Silversea-, has picked up on the seashore. The King is determined to secure the mirror, and enlists the aid of Jack Rattlin, who is in love with Pearl, but whom she will not have anything te do with, and between them they kidnap her and convey her by ship to the cave of King Torpedo. Prince Submarine, Pearl’s lover, immediately charters the Saucy Jane and sets off in pursuit. The finding of Pearl, the capture of the King, and the happy re-union that follows unfold in two hours of delightful entertainment. Bill Barnacle and his half-wit son Billy provide the comedy relief in song and dialogue, and the colourful ballet numbers will be attractive interludes in the presentation of the operetta. FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND MONDAY. “ GOLDEN HARVEST.” Pendleton, Oregon, has almost as many screen atmosphere players as Hollywood, Director Ralph Murphy of the “ Golden Harvest ” troupe learned when he issued a call for extras. More than one hundred farm hands were needed as background for action of Richard Arlen and Chester Morris in this Charles R. RogersParamount production, and a thousand men left their labours in the harvest fields, asking for work. Those hired were given salaries more than three times that of farm labour. The film, a romance of the wheat fields, is coming on Friday, Saturday and Monday to the Empire Theatre.