ACADEMY AND MINERS' THEATRE

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXXVII, Issue 9319, 31 December 1938, Page 3

ACADEMY AND MINERS' THEATRE

WEEK-END PROGRAMMES

A double- feature programme will be screened at the Academy tonight. "Adventurous Blonde" is a comedy-drama featuring Glenda Fav-

rell and Barton Mac Lane. Glenda

plays a girl reporter. Barton is a rather ponderous detective-lieuten-ant. Four newspaper reporters intend to play a hoax on "Torchy" Blane and they arrange to frame a murder mystery for the dual purpose of blocking Steve's marriage to Torchy and at the same time making her the laughing-stock of all newspaperdom. The mystery becomes all the more mystifying when the frameup is disclosed and a number of persons, including the four newspapermen become suspected of committing the crime. The complications that follow are multiple and exciting and many exciting moments are experienced before the final unravelling of the mystery. A modern Svengali, whose hypnotic powers make a sensational bareback rider of a timid young man who is afraid of horses, motivates much of the hilarious action in "I'm From the City," Joe Penner's newest comedy, which will lie the second picture. The circles bigtop is the background for the early action of this film in which Penner is seen as the mesmerised star equestrian, and Richard Lane as the fasttalking ringmaster who can control the stunted brain of the performer.

"Battle on Broadway" will be the attraction at the Miners' Theatre to-night. When Victor McLaglen and Brian Donlevy, of the American Legion Post of steel-town Bundy, arrive in New York for the Convention the first thing to whet their rivalry is the attractive person of Louise Hovick, staying at the same hotel. They both fall in love and out of good favour with each other at the same time and then the fun begins. The two toughest men in the outfit, they trade punches and wisecracks as only these two can. Louise Hovick sings the tuneful successor of "Ma'demoiselle from Armentieres" and the whole story is a laugh from start to finish.

George Formby, the popular Lancashire comedian who appears in "Keep Fit," to be screened at the Academy on Monday, and who has won for himself a prominent place among the screen's foremost stars, considers himself a poor actor and a worse singer and he states that he really finds it difficult to understand why the public like him, but he hoped they would continue to do so. This time George is seen as a barber's assistant with an unfortunate habit of cutting customers' chins, and a totally undeserved reputation as a crack athlete. Force of circumstances and a pretty manicurist make it necessary for George to come up to expectations as an oarsman, swimmer, gynmasium expert and champion boxer, fighting under the nom de plume of "The Battling Barber." How George is put through his paces and emerges triumphant provides the theme of the story and roars of laughter.

As the title implies, "Stage Door," to be shown at the Academy on Tuesday and Wednesday, has a theatrical' atmosphere. It blends in its vivid dramatic fabric the hopes and dreams of a score of stage-struck girls, eager, ambitious, confident that they will succeed in opening the portals of fame and fortune. Until that day arrives, they live at a theatrical boarding-house, whose landlady is herself a former actress, and in tills setting much of the film's action takes place. The picture is based on the famous stage play which ran for nearly half a year in Now York, and is said to offer the stars their finest screen opportunities to date. It is a vivid, heart-plundering story of girls fighting for Broadway fame at tremendous sacrifice to themselves and those they love. A return season of one night has been obtained for "Rainbow on the River," starring Bobby Breen, to be screened at the Miners' Theatre on Wednesday only. Those who have seen tins picture have only been too outspoken in their praise of the wonderful acting and singing of this child star. To hear Bobby sing "Rainbow on the River" is a revelation in itself. This is the story of one of the personal dramas resulting from the chaos of the Civil War and the reconstruction period which followed —the story of a boy, orphaned by the war, and a coloured mammy who cherishes hiin.