“MIDNIGHI CLUB”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 82, 7 April 1934, Page 14

“MIDNIGHI CLUB”

MELODRAMA AT REGENT. CLIVE BROOK AND GEORGE RAFT. Paramount’s picturisation of E. Phillip Oppenheim’s famous melodrama “Midnight Club” will commence screening at the Regent Theatre today. Clive Brook, suave and courteous; George Raft, sinister but romantic; Alison Skipwort*, sharp-tongued and and Helen Vinson, beauteous and alluring, are featured in the film. Brook plays the role of the leader of a band of society jewelthieves. Raft is an American detective summoned to London by Scotland Yard. Action of the picture centres around the supper club which the gang uses as a “blind” for its operations. Raft meets them here, posing as a thief himself. They are unimpressed—until, on two successive occasions, he arrives at the scene of the crime first, and leaves them nothing for their trouble but empty safes.' Then they decide to take him into their organisation. Raft thinks his plans are going along per-

fectly, and expects to amass his evidence quickly. But soon he finds himself deeply in love with Miss Vinson. The events that follow lead the picture to a startling climax.

The secret of many a child's success on the stage is revealed in “Stage Mother.” drama of theatrical life recently filmed by the Mctro-Goldwyn-Maycr studios, which conies next Wednesday to the Regent Theatre. Adapted from an original story by Bradford Ropes, author of “42nd Street,” the picture deals with a little-known side of the theatre—the intense ambition that causes “stage mothers” to drive their children, to success. The heartbreaks and laughs that are encountered by the youngsters being “herded” on their way is brought vividly to the screen. Alice Brady scores even a greater triumph than in “When Ladies Meet” in her portrayal as the ambitious mother who will stop at nothing to further the career of her daughter. She is sensational in pathos and comedy alike. Maureen O’Sullivan has the best role of her screen career to date and puts every effort into an outstanding performance. “Roman Scandals,” Eddie Cantor’s fourth annual screen musical comedy for Samuel Goldwyn, begins at the Regent Theatre on Saturday next. Ruth Etting, Gloria Stuart, and David Manners cavort with Eddie in his newest picture, successor to last year’s “The Kid from Spain.” The pageantry and the spectacle of Ancient Rome, with its marching legions in burnished armour, the arenas and the bloody games, the beautiful slave girls in chains, and the Emperor’s gorgeous favourites in garlands of flowers, the glitter and pomp of a stately court and thundering steeds tearing their chariots through clouds of dust—all help to give Goldwyn a generous opportunity for another of the lavish productions that he makes of the annual Cantor carnival of fun and sjilcndour. Helen Twelvetrees.—Helen Twelvetrees, popular young leading woman, has been en-vged to play the feminine lead opposite Hugh Williams in Fox’s forthcoming version of Richard Aldington’s best seller “All Men are Enemies.” Miss Twelvetrees’ part in the production is one of great dramatic intensity and provides the strongest role she has had in her screen career. “The Scarlet Empress.”—Gavin Gordon, who “villaincd” his way to screen prominence, has been cast as one of the great arch-fiend lovers of history in Marlene Dietrich’s next Paramount production, “The Scarlet Empress,” which portrays the lurid life of Catherine of Russia. Gordon will essay the role of Orloff, the- favourite lover of the Empress. Josef von Sternberg plans ta scale the production in the grand manner that will allow full value to the glamorous setting from which Catherine ruled a nation.