ENTERTAINMENTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 151, 29 June 1932, Page 11

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. “HER MAJESTY. LOVE.” Marilyn Miller, who has endeared aerself to theatre-goers everywhere as rhe star of “Sally” and “Sunny. ' outclasses both her former screen achievements as the barmaid evolves into a baroness m Her Majesty, Love,” the First National 'production, which is now at the Regent Theatre. In “Her Majesty, Love. .Miss Miller’s radiant personality expresses itself in the many ways of which she is mistress. Whether it is the light comedy verve she gives to the dialogue, the smiles, the wiles, the whirling abandon of the dance, she is individual, Peter Pan-ish, and altogether gratifying. Incidental music adds to the gaiety of “Her Majesty, Love,” and Marilyn sings several songs -that linger in the mind. “Her Majesty, Love,” has not only a great star, but a flawless cast. Ben Lyon plays the roWntic lead. Four of the funniest of the screen comedians are in eyiience—Leon Errol, Chester Conklin, •Cord Sterling and W. C. Fields. Other? ire Harry Stubbs, Maude Edburne, \lfred James. Ruth Hall, Mae Madison uid Don Novis. Scores of Hollywood beauties are in the sparkling cabaret scenes. Two of the popular musical aggregations take part in these sequences. They are Gus Arnheim’s Cocoanut

Grbve Orchestra, of the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, and Ravera’s .South American Tango Band. The story* of “Her Majesty, Love.” is intriguing and the scenes are laid in Berlin and on the Italian coast. Marilyn is first seen as a barmaid in a cabaret. Into the riotous throng bursts a crowd of gay young blades, led by Fred von Wellingen, scion of a wealthy manufacturer. Taken with the beauty of the pert Lia Toerref, von Wellingen determines to meet her. His friends wager that he cannot get her consent to dance with him. She finally agrees with the stipulation that he first propose marriage. Though this is meant playfully, Fred finally does propose and the engagement is duly announced. The snobbish von Wellingen relatives are horrified at his alliance with a humble barmaid, and he is bribed into breaking the engagement. He goes to Italy and drowns his troubles in drink. Tn the meantime Lia’s father manages to get her to consent to marriage to an aged and many-times married baron. Fred hears how things stand at home, charters a ’plane, hops back to Berlin —and arrives just as the ceremony is finished. Then the fun begins all over —as you will see by a \ isit to the Regent Theatre. DANCE Another of Ratana’s popular dances s to be held in the Wangaehu Hall toorrow evening, at 8 p.m., in aid of Morehu Brass Band. The music will be i-v Ratanar’s orchestra..

MAJESTIC THEATRE. ••THE GREAT LOVER.” That favourite of the stage, ‘ ‘ The Great Lover,” comes back to dramalovers of this city to-day m talkie form at the Majestic Theatre. The suave and debonair Adolphe Menjou has the main. role. He offers a superb portrayal of the baritone, Paurel, who was as famous for his love affairs as tor his voice. Menjou always has had a deft touch in love sequences, harking back to the days of “A Woman of Paris,” and he is particularly charming in “The Great Lover.” He is an engaging rascal, and you do not wonder why the feminine sex lose thenhearts to him. Afi the central figure of the principal love affair, Irene Dunne is splendid. The role, of course, is entirely different from that which made her famous in * ‘Cimarron.” It is highly dramatic and osphisticated, and Miss Dunne handles it admirably. Other scoring portrayals include those of Ernest Torrence as Menjou’s valet; Neil Hamilton as the rival lover; the tempestuous Baclanova as the jealous opera star; and Cliff Edwards as the amusing press agent. The fine direction of Harry Beaumont is apparent throughout the various scenes of the picture. A word must also be said for the attractive settings, which range from an ocean liner to spectacular interiors of the Metropolitan Opera House. >

•‘Tarzan, the Apeman.’’ It probably never occurred to Mr Edgar Rice Burroughs when he created his famous character “Tarzan of the Apes” that Tarzan would at any future date work his curious and exciting miracles for the superb entertainment of a motion-picture audience. That was where Mr Burrough was wrong. He did not allow for Metro-

Goldwyn-Mayer, whose remarkable feature film, “Tarzan, the Ape Man.” opens at the Majestic Theatre on Friday. The new film si incredibly enter taining and at times an outsize in thrills. It is a picture with a real difference from the usual screen fare. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer have starred Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan. W eissmuller is one of the most famous swimmers in the world, and his physique and splendid athletic abilities enable him to make a huge success of the role. He does some phenomenal swimming and quite astonishing gymnastics. But apart from Weissmuller, the jungle animals which arc introduced in large quantities participate in many amaz;ng scenes. DUCHESS THEATRE. I “THE OUTSIDER” SHOWING. [ Many critics of British pictures, I whilst readily admitting and praising her ability to produce comedies of a standard equal to the world’s best, have doubted this ability where drama lis concerned. As if in answer to these critics, Britain has given uS “The Outsider,” now at the Duchess Theatre—a dramatic triumph, worthy to rank side by side with the greatest I screen triumphs of all time. Two new screen stars, in Harold Huth and Joan Barry, head the cast of the picture, and their work is worthy of the highest praise. The beautiful, talented, • but crippled daughter of England’s foremost surgeon, Dr. Sturdee, is approached by Ragatzy, an unqualified specialist, who wants to cure her. Her father, believing her incurable, hotly opposes the idea: her fiancee supports it; and in the end she places herself in Ragatzy’s hands, to fight for life and love. The story is chock-full of e\ery ingredient that goes into the making of delightful entertainment. GRAND THEATRE “1 LIKE YOUR NERAL.” For those who like screen action fast and furious, dialogue sparkling, play ■ rs enthusiastic, and the story a re freshing romance of youth, then tin motion picture, ‘‘l Like Your Nerve,’ which is now at the Grand Theatre, b recommended. “ 1 Like Your Nerve is a delightful light-comedy romance and a welcome relief from the sordid sex-ridden, dramatic fare that has to< often been offered in tiie past. Doug glas Fairbanks junr., who is starrec with Loretta Young as the lead, ha. never appeared to better advantage In type of story, “I Like Your Nerve’ must inevitably be compared by tin older theatre-goers with “Hawthorne of the U.5.A.,” “'The Americano,” am other pictures in which Douglas Fair banks senr. won his greatest fame Briefly, it is the brisk recital of tin adventures that befall a wealthy young man who gets kicked out of om Urn

; • ral American count r; after another i Jue to his disregard for the lawt that hot-bid fast motoring— and who finally •becomes involved in a nearrevolution, i ii! ardent love affair, a kidnapping of ;i girl of his choice, and finally a coup V hereby he wins the girl, saves her father, the thwarts the villain of the piece. Throughout the picture Fairbanks carries on to the fullest limit of speed and traditional screen tempo >t the Fairbanks family. This pace never lags, one reason being perhaps that “I Like Your Nerve” was directed by William McGann, who for several years was chief cameraman for the elder Fairbanks. The story is an original for the screen written by Roland Pert wee, noted English short story writcr-novelits and playwright, who is one of the newest, additions to the Hollywood screen colony.