MASTERTON SHOWS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 December 1938, Page 5

MASTERTON SHOWS

SIDELIGHTS ON ENTERTAINMENT. Jean Hersholt celebrated his 25 years in Hollywood as an actor on the 20th Century-Fox set of Irving Berlin’s “Alexander's Ragtime Band.” The spectacular film marked the 440th screen role for the favourite character player. When he first started his screen career in the United States Hersholt worked for a Western-thriller company in California. In the morning he played Indian and shot at the cowboys and in the afternoons he played cowboy and shot at the Indians. During these busy days he made from 12 to 18 dollars a week. In "Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” which will open at the State Theatre on Friday of next week, Hersholt plays a prominent role in support of Tyronne Power, Alice Faye and Don Ameche. Ethel Merman and Jack Haley head the featured cast.

Five new hit tunes are introduced in Jack Benny’s new musical riot, Paramount’s “Artists and Models,” which, with Benny, Ida Lupino, Gail Patrick. Richard Arlen, Ben Blue, Judy Canova, and Andre Kostelanetz and his Orchestra, opens on Friday at the Cosy Theatre. The numbers are: “Whispers in the Dark,” by Leo Robin and Frederick Hollander, who authored “Moonlight and Shadows;” “Pop Goes the Bubble,” by Ralph Freed and Burton Lane; “Stop! You’re Breaking My Heart,” by Ted Koehler and Burton Lane; “Sasha Pasha,” by the Four Yacht Club Boys; and “Mr Esquire,’ by Victor Young and Ted Koehler. “Jill” is a new addition to the Rudd Family. Played by Shirley Ann Richards, she is presented to the audiences in “Dad and Dave,” to open on Saturday at the Regent Theatre, as a typical modern and educated country girl, who runs a dressmaking business in a country town. She is “Dad’s” eldest daughter, and the pride of the old man’s life. She is wholesome and sweet, but she is also a shrewd business woman. And it is her business ability that helps “Dad” to run the dress salon —he has inherited under his brother’s will. “Sarah,” Dad's second daughter, is a very different characterisation to the ‘“Sarah” of “On Our Selection,” Valerie Scanlon, eighteen-year-old Sydney girl, makes her screen debut in this part. She is a simple, open-faced flapper, deep in the throes of her first love affair with “Billy Ryan,” played by Peter Finch. “The Lily of Lunga,” and “Romance in Flanders,” two noted pictures, are coming to the State Theatre on Wednesday and Thursday of next week. Bobby Breen and Irene Dare (“Queen of the Ice”) will head the big bill at the State Theatre tomorrow night in “Breaking the Ice,” a record

breaker in every way. Also on this great programme are Charlie Ruggles and Dolores Costello, sufficient guarantee of the excellence of the picture. There will also be shown another of those outstanding “Donald Duck” pictures. DEVIL DANCE GIRLS IN "ICY STEAM." For a stirring colourful “devil dance” number in Irving Berlin’s “Alexander’s Gagtime Band,” twelve beautiful Hollywood chorines were forced to wear filmdom’s most unique dancing costume —made of asbestos. The asbestos suits were not dictated by any fear of flames, but the danger of injury from dry ice! The 20th CenturyFox chorines are supposed to disappear into a heavy shower of steam after sitting on the dance floor for four bars of music in a ballet routine. Instead of real, live steam, 20th CenturyFox technicians devised a huge trough covered with grill work. The trougn. filled with a ton of dry ice, gives forth enormous amounts of steam-like substance when big fans blow damp air through the dry ice. But to protect the dancing chorines, from the fumes, which might burn the skin, Dance Director Seymour Felix had the wardrobe department make up black and red ballet costumes of asbetos. Irving Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime Band," opens at the State Theatre on Friday week with such stars as Tyronne Power, Alice Faye and Don Ameche heading the cast including Ethel Merman and Jack Haley. A FILM THRILLER “TOO TOUGH TO KILL.” A tough guy admired by those who feared his strength and 'hated by those who feared his cunning! That’s Hardrock O’Hara, hero of Columbia’s new action-romance, “Too Tough To Kill,” showing next Tuesday at the Cosy Theatre. He’s harder than the rock he blasts —but as soft as silk for a woman’s smile. As who wouldn’t be, if the girl was the pert and pretty Sally’ O’Neil, who appears in “Too Tough To Kill,” onposite Victor Jory, the tough tunnel boss.