ENTERTAINMENTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 140, 16 June 1932, Page 11

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE “GOLD DUST GERTIE.” “Gold Dust Gertie,” now at the Regent Theatre, is a gay comedy and gives Miss Lightner ample scope for wide play of tho type of entertainment which is peculiarly her own. “Gold Dust Gertie” more than lives up to th© claim of the management that it is designed to make a troubled world forget its worries at least for one remembered hour. The story sets forth the subtle and hilarious scheming of a woman—an old campaigner in the marriage market—to commercialise former marriages. The one-time wife of two men about town and of a ship’s captain “Gold Dust Gertie” plays one against another in pursuit of overdue alimony. At the same time she sees fair game in the puritanical president of a wool manufacturing corporation. How the irreomparable Gertie undertakes the old man’s conversion to the modern style of appreciated bathing suits and links herself to his bank account creates lightsome amusement. The part of the amorous manufacturer is cleverly done by Claude Gillingwater, who reappears after success in “Stolen Kisses” and “So Long, Letty,” among other productions. He is responsible for any amount of fun-making. He is admirably cast and is a good foil for the devices of Miss Lightner. As the divorced husbands, Chic Johnson and Ole Olsen play the roles of timorous dudes to perfection. Their second wives are Dorothy Christy and Vivien Oakland. Tho photography is excellent and the action includes a number of scenes of speedboat thrills and bathing beauties at Miami. It is clever comedy and well up to what is expected of Miss Lightner. “SHANGHAI EXPRESS” EPIO FILM FOR REGENT. “What a combination! Glamourous Marlene Dietrich and dignified Clive Brook playing opposite one another in a drama that is as topical as the day’s news and intensely absorbing,” says The Film Weekly in awarding “Shanghai Express,” at the Regent Theatre to-morrow, a “special” grade for excellence. “Now that the Chino-Japan-ese war is the order of the day, “Shanghai Express,” which of course has its locale in this war zone, should have a double interest to auditors,” the review goes on. “An exceptionally fine cast has been assembled in support of tho principals and actually numbers seven nationalities amongst it. Wo have gems of acting power from Anna May Wong. Warner Oland, Eugene Pallette, Lawrence Grant. Louise dosser Hale, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Emile Chautard. A distinctive feature is consistent acting on a very high plane of every character in the cast, which must be congratulated on the resultant blend. It is very fine drama based on a book by Harry Hervey, world-traveller, and the Chinese atmosphere has been worked up with extreme care to the minutest detail and is a marvel of accuracy. Practically the whole is enacted on the train bound from Pekin to Shanghai, which is held up by a gang of Chinese rebels headed by Warner Oland who has travelled on tho train in company with the rest of tho cast. Owing to the civil war in China, passports are examined with suspicious keenness and a man arrested. Oland then holds Clive Brook (Captain Don aid Harvey), English surgeon to the array as hostage for the prisoner, and in revenge for ft blow from Harvey, intends putting out his eyes. To save him, Marlene the “Shanghai Lily” gives her word of honour to go with the Chinaman, but Anna May Wong takes a hand and renders this unnecessary. Lawrence Grant as a minister is al first smug and narrow, but comes out trumps finally in an effective piece of work. It is Marlene Dietrich’s best role since “Morocco.” and her beauty, air of distinction and powerful characterisation, lift her far out of tho ruck. For Clivo Brook, also, it moans new life nnd hp gives a masterly perform unco, showing a depth of feeling in his hardness and restraint that the emotionalism of others cannot, reach. This film will reward persistent theatregoers for tho large amount of meretricious stuff they have to see, and its power is such that no one will be likely to forget it.”

MAJESTIC THEATRE “LOVE LIES” IS COMEDY. Bright and snappy, with English dialogue, English scenes, and a riot of comedy, “Love Lies’’ is now at the Majestic Theatre. What would you do if your best friend suddenly presented you with a wife to love and cherish when ho had only married the girl himself that morning? This is tho predicament in which Jerry Walker, a confirmed woman-hater, finds himself when ho visits “Roily” Rider on his wedding day in Love Lies.” You see, Roily’s uncle, who threatening to cut him off with a shilling if he marries, unexpectedly arrives, and Jerry being handy—well, there you are. Neither of the friends could foresee the advent of Jerry’s uncle, hot on his way from Spain with a charming senorita, whom he was bent on marrying—to Jerry. Stanley Lupino makes his talkie debut as the luckless Jerry, playing opposite Binnie Barnes as a Spanish vamp who, despite repeated attempts on Jerry’s part, manages to inveigle him into her clutches, to his ultimate happiness. A strong supporting cast, which includes Dorothy Bartlam, Jack Hobbs, Dennis Hoey and Sebastian Smith, provides an entertainment which eventually merges into one long roar of merriment. “Private Lives” Noel Coward’s most sensational farce hit supply the story and intriguing title of “Private Lives,” which opens at the Majestic Theatre on Saturday next, with Norma Shearer and Robert Montgomery costarred. It is high farce at a breakneck pace and the most hilarious picture offered in many months. Both Miss Shearer nnd Montgomery seem perfectly at home in its happy—but scrappy—environment, and it is easy to imagine that they had quite as much fun making the picture as the audience did in laughing at its gay wit and hysterical situations. The story is about a divorced man and wife who marry again to spite each other. By chance both couples are assigned to adjoining bridal suites in a French hotel on the first night of the honeymoon. They row with their respective spouses and discover each other’s presence, finally eloping to a chalet in Switzerland >vhere they later are found by their rightfully enraged —but chaste—bride and bridegroom. Lt is a screaming affair from start to finish and hits a merry pace that makes it difficult to wonder just how it all came to be put together. It seems so utterly spontaneous and so unexpected aro the episodes that it all appears only too real. Reginald Denny, Una Merkel, .lean Horsholt and George Davis do good work in the chief supporting roles. DUCHESS THEATRE “MR LEMON OF ORANGE” El Brendel and Fifi Dorsay scored a double-barrelled triumph at the Duchess Theatre lust night, where their latest Fox comedy, “Mr Lemon of Orange,” had its initial showing. Both of these players in the past have con tributed much in the way of ’comedy to production in which others had the principal roles. In a picture especially built for them, they are immense. Brendel essays a “dual” role in this production. and proves that he is able to enact a “straight” character part as well as his customary Swedish dialect performance. He is first and foremost the inoffensive “Mr Lemon,” a toy salesman in a big department store. Through no fault of his own he is fired. Stumbling homeward, he walks right into the middle of a battle between rival gangsters over a truckload of liquor. And there the fun starts. “Mr Lemon’’ bears a remarkable resem blan’ae to “Silent McGee,” a gangster chieftain, and is mistaken for the plug ugly by friend as well as foe. Miss Dorsay. whoso brother has been killed in the melee, invites the supposed “McGee” to her night club where she sings. Once there, she tries first to wrest information from him regarding the hijacked .liquor truck, and later seeks to “put him on the spot.” Brendel's escape from this precarious position is a truly funny scone. “Daddy Long Legs” Coming. For the first, time in their screen careers, Janet Gaynor and Warner Baxter will he seen in co-roles when the Fox romantic comedy, r ‘Daddv TmngLegs”

opens at the Dutchess Theatre to-mor-row. Baxter enacts tho title role, While Miss Gaynor is tho delightful orphaned heroine of Jean Webster’s famous story. Alfred Santcll directed. LANTERN LECTURE A lecture, with lantern slides, on ‘ 1 The Marketing of Butter and Cheese ” and points on improvements to suit tho trade will bo given by Mr Fred Nathan in the Westmere Hall, to-morrow (Friday), at 7.30 p.m. As Mr Nathan has recently returned from a trip to England, this address should be particularly interesting. Everybody is cordially invited. GRAND THEATRI “FRONT PAGE” SHOWING The plot of “Tho Front Page.” now at the Grand Theatre, a play dealing with life on a Chicago newspaper, has a. strong dramatic touch and in translation to the screen it loses little in value. Tho greater part of tho picture is limited to the press room at tho Chicago Criminal Courts buildings, whore reporters from ,the various papers await the call to attend and describe tho handing of Earl Williams. Little is spared in tho way of details and tho rough and tumble existence of tho newspapermen in the city of gangsters is faithfully shown. The efforts of the “star” reporter of the gathering to throw up the job and settle down to married life provide tho basis of the plot, with his subjugation by the strong-willed and ruthless managing editor. The drama in the film is emphasised when the murderer escapes and appears at the window of tho press room, where the lone reporter is present. His attempt to gain a “sconp” at the risk of ruining his matrimonial affairs is responsible for tho high spots in the production and the action in the <10011066 space i« nothing f not rapid.