ENTERTAINMENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21038, 14 February 1940, Page 11

ENTERTAINMENTS

TO=NIGHT’S PROGRAMMES ROXY THEATRE j A story which finds a notorious ! gambler and outlaw making travel i by stage coach unsafe in the fron- ! tier West, and daring to murder and ■ rob a man from whom he has just i purchased cattle, starts a desperate j man hunt in the “Hopalong Cassidy” | action romance, “Sunset Trail.” William Boyd again plays “Hoppy.” the j man who sets out to get the gambler j and make the trail safe for travel, i “The Vampire Bat” tells of the I amazing adventures of an Austrian | sleuth in endeavouring to track down ! a series of ghastly murders in a little l Austrian village, where the in- , habitants fear a terrible plague of j bats. True to Austria folk-lore, the I villagers trace the murders to a j human vampire, a mysterious being ! that takes the form of a human Iby day, and a bat by night, i Terror strikes the village, as one by i one the vampire strikes down its I prey. CIVIC THEATRE j “The Lion Has Wings” tells j how Great Britain gradually awoke to the menace of Hitlerism and I the threat to the life and liberties jof Europe, which tne German war j machine proclaimed. It is particu- ! larly inspiring in its thrilling | panoramas of British fliers and planes j engaged in defence and attack. I The film shows England’s vast preI paration to fight, not because she wants to, but because she ! must repel Nazi bombers and give j the Nazis a taste of their own agj gression. In a series of fascinating shots the picture contrasts the | spirit of the British, devoted to sport and progress, with the spirit of Nazi Germany preparing night and day for one purpose an done purpose only—war! One of the most interesting episodes of the film shows shots of the daring raid on the Kiel Canal. THEATRE ROYAL “My Dear Miss Aldrich” is an amusing romantic comedy. With Edna May Oliver, Maureen O’Sullivan and Walter Pidgeon heading a firstrate cast. It tells the story of a school teacher who inherits a newspaper. The managing editor, strong in the belief that no woman is fitted for work beyond the home, attempts to block her at every turn until, of course, he falls in love with her, with exciting and amusing results. Every member of the cast ex cells in his cr her role. Edna May Oliver appears as a puzzle addict, in the most humorous role of her brilliant career. “Navy Blue and Gold” is a very appealing story of navy adventure, with a strong cast headed by James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, Robert Young and Tom Brown. REGENT THEATRE “Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever” is one of the merriest pieces of entertainment in years. Mickey Rooney falls in love with his pretty dramatic teacher in high school, and actually proposes. He writes the school play, stars in it with Ann Rutherford, builds a prop volcano for it. The play is a howl of mirth from start ito finish. He took Romeo and Juliet for the story, moved it over to Tahiti, and let the Tahitian Juliet jump into a volcano. There is a laugh in every line. There is tender heart interest too, in the boy’s infatuation for hip very charming teacher; in then final scene together, where she brings him to a realisation that marriage isn’t the thing for a mere boy and a twenty-three-year-old girl. “GOOD-BYE, MR CHIPS” “Good-bye, Mr Chips,” hailed as one of the greatest films ever produced, with Robert Donat giving, perhaps, the finest performance ever seen on the screen, will be shown on Saturday. STATE THEATRE A clever comedy is always popular, and “ There Goes the Groom ” is one of the most amusing seen in Hamilton for a long time. Its funny situations and witty dialogue keep the audience chuckling, and the final scene comes all too soon. An exceptionally clever cast put over the comedy to the fullest effect, the players including Ann Sothern, who made such a hit in “Hotel for Women”; Burgess Meredith, star of “ Winterset and Mary Boland, who is always very funny. Local film-lovers will enjoy this clever comedy.

“ Hawaiian Buckaroo ” is as exciting as its title suggests, while its romantic setting adds greatly to the effect. It is a picture with a real punch, being bright and snappy throughout, and with a very charming romance. Smith Ballow heads a very strong cast. The two films provide excellent entertainment.