REGENT THEATRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 April 1940, Page 2

REGENT THEATRE

“NAUGHTY BUT NICE." The programme tonight will be headed by ‘•Naughty But Nice.” in which Ann Sheridan, Dick Powell. Gale Pag-.?, Allen Jenkins, Zazu Pitts, Helen Broderick and Ronald Reagan lake the leading roles. It is a joyous musical comedy-romance with a sensational star cast and a new dance surprise, and a very lively musical with some amusing satirical twists. Why the original and far more apt title of this hilarious offering should have been changed from “The Professor Steps Out,” is difficult to understand, for the chief character of the picture is a youthful, but very prim and proper professor of music who is unwittingly responsible for writing a swing number “Hooray for Spinach.” ... In this hilarious comedy of errors Ann Sheridan gives generous evidence in support of her title of the “oomph girl” of the screen. Miss Sheridan has a good singing voice and Gale Page who formerly sang to a large radio public in America also contributes a song number, “In a Moment of Weakness.” The main theme is clothed in colourful dances and diverting incident. It is a polished production that sparkles with entertainment. The comedy is mainly entrusted to as impressive a cast of actors and fun-makers as has ever been assembled in Hollywood, numbering such sure-fire favourites as Helen Broderick, Zasu Pitts, Allen Jenkins, Maxie Rosenbloom, Ronald Reagan, Jerry Colonna and Luis Alberni. In addition, the National Jitterbug Champions, a crew of swing happy youngsters, do their stuff in a big dance scene. With side excursions into the matter of tune plagiarism and the even more diverting matter of the jitterbug craze, the screen play, tells how, without intending to do so. a professor of classical music becomes the nation's foremost composer of hot swing tunes.