ENTERTAINMENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19606, 19 June 1935, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

TO-NIGHT’S PROGRAMMES. CIVIC THEATRE. “The Big Brain” combines romantic intrigue xvlth revelations of criminal stock manipulation. Max Werner, a barber shop flunkey, journeys to London to market his spurious on stocks. Ignoring Terry Van Sloans rebuff to his social acquaintance, he hires the aristocrat, in xvant of work, as a salesman. When inx-estors demand returns Max departs and maxes Terry to face the music. Cynthia Glennon, Terry’s fiancee, undertakes to ensnare Max. How she attempts this delicate job provides the climax. George E. Stone offers another fine portrayal as Max Werner, racketeer and erstwhile bootblack; Phillips Holmes enacts the role of Terry, and Fay Wray Is charming as the avenging CynthiaThrills and excitement pervade “Headline Shooter,” assisted by the splendid acting ol' William Gargan and Frances Dee. It traces the colourful career of a newsreel cameraman through, earthquakes, floods, fires, tornadoes, gang warfare, international conferences and secular crises all vividly captured in the photopla}. Tho newsreel mail is in love with a girl engaged to a banker. Gangsters kidnap the girl and trap the cameraman and banker. A rescue crammed with excitement solves tlie romantic predicament.

THEATRE ROYAL. “The Strange Conspiracy” is an expose of the machinations of the crooked politicians and profiteers who attempt to thrust a nation into a new world conflict. How their well-laid plans are defeated,, although the ruler of the country is kidnapped, furnishes the material for an exciting film. Arthur Byron gives a fine performance in the main role, and gets excellent support from Peggy Conklin, Edward Arnold, Janet ißeeoher and others. In “Elmer and Elsie” George Bancroft plays a blustering, goodnatured —a truck-driver —who is immune to feminine influence and thoughts of ambition, until he meets Elsie (Frances Fuller). When they are married he determines to make a success of himself, but declines any aid from his wife. He believes with his boss that “This is a man’s world, and that woman’s place is in the kitchen.” How his clever and engaging wife actually wins success for him, while permitting him to keep the illusion that he is a pelf-made man, furnishes an entertaining andthoroughly human story. “SWEET ADELINE.” In bringing musical shows to the screen Hollywood has had to draw heavily upon • talent from the stageSo in “Sweet Adeline,” flic picture ■which commences screening tomorrow, the leading part is taken by a musical comedy actress, Irene Dunne, whose beautiful lyric soprano voice is heard in seven songs. The picture is a musical spectacle on the large scale, an-operetta with romantic thrills, dramatic suspense, clever dancing, fun and laughter. REGENT THEATRE. Few stars of the screen can compare with Anna Sten in dramatic acting. She has beauty, passion, and a captivating manner; her voice expresses deep emotion or a spirit of gaiety with equal ease. In her latest film, “The Wedding Night,” she is seen in every mood, and it is the highest tribute to her powers that she seems not to act but to live in the part. With Gary Cooper in the opposite role, playing in his usual free and easy way, site is happily cast. They are a delightful pair. The picture has a New England' background, which looks its best when the snow is on the ground; and the story tells of a young married novelist who has known success but has failed to profit by it, and a charming Polish girl, Manya (Anna Sten), whose parents

lead a rural life and become neighbours of the author. W& en relations of the novelist and his wira become somewhat strained, and sna decides on a brief parting, the romptic interest of the picture _ begmsy Soon the young author realises tha? the Polish girl and her refreshing outlook on life offer excellent materia* for his next story. In an early on* counter with the author he is en«j tranced by those flashing eyes am? the mysterious depth of her charaQs. ter, and a dramatic story develops. , “THE GILDED LILY.” , “The Gilded Lily,” which will heaxj the new programme on Saturday, will bring to the local screen Glaudetts Colbert in the type of role that her so popular in "It Happened Orujj Night”—charming romance combined with delightful comedy. It is a vecjj entertaining production. (

STATE THEATRE. ■Young love, college life and football thrills arc skilfully woven into anl ■unusual and seasonal plot in "Gridiron Flash.” Eddie Quillan has a part made to order for Ilia comedy antics, athletic prowess and histrioni* range. Eddie plays the part of ai young bandit railroaded from prison to college, to be recreated by love and by the spirit of his fellows. Betty, Furness appears as the daughter of a policeman, who finds her favourite warrior to have “lifted” the ofllcer’iS watch and to he planning a robbery almost at the hour of the big game. There is a stirring and surprising climax in which the youth reform* himself and saves the game for Beln ford.

“Captain Hurricane,” a colourftcfl comedy-drama of Cape Cod folk, is & story of a captain who loved the sea, even though he tried to get away, from it and live a sedate life on the land, where he never felt at home, James Barton brings to the screen the role of the explosive Captain Zena* Henry Webster, trying hard to settle! down and cool his temper so that ha could be accepted by the woman (Helen Westley) to whom he had been proposing for 20 years, but \yhoi would never have him because of hi* roving disposition and his terrihl* temper. “ROBERTA." Among the musical highlights of “Roberta,” to be screened on Saturw day, are “The Pipe Organ Number,* “Let’s Begin," “Yesterday,” '“I’ll Bsj Hard to Handle,” “Lovely to Looij At,” “Smoke Gets in Yomr Eyes,*' "Russian Refrain” and “Touoh of! Your Hand." Fred Astaire and Glnge* Rogers, the two dancing stars, almost talk with their feet in some of the numbers. Playing the romantic lead opposite Irene Dunne in the role of the football hero is Randolph Soott ROXY THEATRE. A dramatic screen story of exceptional power is “ One More ‘River,** with Diana Wynyard and Frank La\w* ton in the starring roles. The novo* was written hy the late John Galsworthy as the last in the Forsyte Saga, and in it he details the story of a tragi* marriage in high society, with a London matron fleeing from her sadlsti* husband in Ceylon and being unjustly suspected on account of her subsequent friendship with a young mad whom she meets on shipboard. “ Bureau of Missing Persons,” Reveals for the first time on the screen the secrets of 'that department of the police whose business it is to find men and women who are kidnapped or who strangely vanish from sight of their own accord.