CITY THEATRES

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21415, 6 March 1935, Page 8

CITY THEATRES

TIVOLI "THE NOTORIOUS SOPHIE LANG" A picture which brings a star to the screen for the first time always arouses expectation of new enjoyment, an expectation which is more than fulfilled by the startlingly brilliant acting of Gertrude Michael in "The Notorious Sophie Lang." It would not be enough to say that she is beautiful and talented; ior she has a distinction of manner and voice, unusual and fascinating, that excites the interest of the audience with the tang of something fresh, both in acting ability and personality. The picture gives her a splendid opportunity to show her amazing versatility: it presents her in the role of a jewel thief, obliging her not only to change her whols personality as often as she has to face new situations, but to remain equally attractive with every change. The leading man, Paul Cavanagh, plays the part of another, crook, Sophie Lang's rival, with a skill that matches her own. Between them they provide unremitting excitement and amusement. When they are finally united it is only after a never-flagging battle of wits—full of breathless and humorous situations—not only with the police but between themselves. The role of Sophie Lang's accomplice is taken by Alison Skipworth, a name which is a sufficient recommendation of delightful humour and highly finished acting. Others in the cast include Arthur Byron and Leon Errol. "MAN OF ARAN" AND "THE BATTLE" Two outstanding productions—"Man of Aran" and "The Battle"—will comprise the noteworthy programme at the Tivoli Theatre on Saturday. Superb photography and a story that is unusual both in conception and development are features of "Man of Aran." Stark drama, the relentless pitiless, surging sea, the enemy ol man, beautiful and awe-inspiring as seen on the screen, but a terrible enemy to those who live their frugal lives on the bare Aran Islands, off the coast of Ireland. Against this background is the story of a woman, gentle and brave, who has to watch and wait for the return of her loved ones, wondering whether the angry sea will be kind enough to return them safely to shore. In contrast are all the thrills of an all-night fight with a basking shark in a curragh, a tiny boat of cowhide stretched upon wooden ribs. The film is no studio produced drama. There is no amazing faking. It is life as it is lived on the Aran Islands. The actors are the residents: their parts, only the routine of their daily life and out of this Robert Flaherty has produced a masterpiece of sufficient quality to gain the Mussolini Cup for all-round brilliance. "The Battle" is a drama altogether out of the ordinary, and is taken trom the famous novel and stage play of the same name by Claude Farriere. The chief players are Merle Obcron, Charles Boyer, and John Loder. Merle Oberon. the beautiful Tasmanian star, will be remembered for her brilliant work as Anne Boleyn in "The Private Life of Henry VIII." Charles Boyer is a well-known European actor who played in the original French stage version of "The Battle." Overseas critics without exception praise this film as being not only one of the most poignantly touching stories that has ever been screened, but also one which for spectacular grandeur is unsurpassed.

PLAZA "TRANS-ATLANTIC MERRY-GO-ROUND" All the ingredients necessary for good entertainment are present in "Trans-Atlantic Merry-Go-Round," which is now being shown at the Plaza Theatre, and so skilfully are they mixed that the production is full of interest from the first scene until the last. Tuneful songs with good voices to sing them, comedy, and drama alternating throughout, clever dancing, and spectacular scenes are some of the many attractions of "Trans-Atlantic Merry-Go-Round." Gene Raymond and Nancy Carroll share the acting honours, and provide much of the love interest, relieved with some sparkling comedy moments Sydney Howard, as a perpetually drunk passenger, and Mitzi Green, with some brilliant impersonations and some good songs, are screamingly funny, and the others in the cast are almost equally as good. "MADAME DU BARKY" "Madame Du Barry," a masterly screen production, depicting the intimate life and loves of the famous beauty who ruled the court of King Louis XV., with Dolores Del Rio giving a suberb performance in the title role, will commence at the Plaza Theatre on Saturday. No pains have been spared in producing the picture, which is lavishly costumed, capably acted, and directed with real feeling and historical accuracy. Although the intrigues of the court, as in any story of Du Barry, will be apparent, the author of the current screen play has concerned himself more with the lighter side of the life of the king's favourite. Some of the reproductions are marvellous in their lavishness—the court, the palace at Versailles, and the famous Colonade .Gardens, where the grand ladies and resplendent courtiers disported themselves in gaiety and luxury, while the people starved. Nor is the picture without its dramatic moments when Du Barry lights intrigue with intrigue, and usually outwits her enemies. Yet even in these more intense sequences, the irrepressible Du Barry usually manages to end them with a laugh—at the expense of the enemy. There is also a gorgeous and novel dance staged by the famous Albertina Rasch dancers. "Madame Du Barry" has an unusually large cast of talented players in the principal roles and hundreds of others in minor parts. Dolores Del Rio has the part of Du Barry, with Reginald Owen playing opposite her as King Louis XV. > Others include Victor Jory, Osgood Perkins, Verree Teasdale, Ferdinand Gootschalk, Dorothy Tree, Anita i Louise, and Maynard Holmes. I

MAYFAIR "THE GAY DIVORCEE" Many motion picture casts have boasted peers—even a duke or so—but RKO-Radio beats them all two better by co-starring a king and queen in the current musical comedy, "The Gay Divorcee," which is now being shown at the Mayfair Theatre. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the stars were recently crowned, by public acclaim, as the "King and Queen of Carioca" because of their interpretation of the fiery, exciting dance in "Flying Down to Rio.' In The Gay Divorcee" the great dancing pair present two new dances, one called "Day and Night," originated by Astaire and called "the dance of moods ; another the hit of the show, called "The Continental." Music and lyrics for "The Continental" are the work of Con Conrad and Herb Magidson, authors of the current novelty song, "Yes, Sir, I Love Your Daughter." Conrad wrote Champagne Waltz." ' , ~.,-„ The play, a brisk and a rollicking comedy built around a fast-moving romance involving Astaire, Miss Rogers Alice Brady, and Edward Everett Horton, was adapted for the screen from the stage play which ran a full season in New York and another fix months in London, starring Astaire.

REGENT "WHAT EVERY WOMAN KNOWS" Considerable discrimination and a fine appreciation of both dramatic and literary qualities are needed for the faithful translation.to the screen of a well-written stage play. This is all the more so when the play is by Sir James Barrie, who offers to the maker of films no opportunities for the lavish or sensational "sets" in which the screen can assert itself as a superior medium to the stage. Yet the makers of "What Every Woman Knows, which is now being shown at the Regent Theatre, have done their work well. The film version is even more than a mere translation. It is able to stand by itself, and it will be recognised by those who have never read Sir James Barrie's play as an excellent lilm, well-acted, well-balanced, and technically without a noticeable flaw. It is an admirable example of the screen meeting the stage on equal terms and losing nothing by the comparison. , , . The story is a simple one, and above all a human one, in which ambition, natural kindliness and Scottish caution are the spiritual background. Of the cast, first of all should be mentioned Helen Hayes. This actress has the remarkable faculty of turning to good account what might well be regarded as disqualifications for great acting. She is ably supported by that fine actor. Brian Aherno, and Lucille Watson and Madge Evans.

"CLEOPATRA" History contains no more famous romance than that which linked Cleopatra, Queen of the Egyptians, with Marc Antony and Julius Caesar, two of the greatest figures of the Roman Empire. Nor would it be easy to find a more romantic background than was provided in the century before Christ —the century in which Csesar added Gaul and Britain to the Roman domains and in which he sought also to bring the fabulously rich Egyptian empire under his sway. Such is the material upon which historians, novelists, poets, and playwrights have written almost without end. and such also is the source of a triumph for the screen under the guiding hand of Cecil de Mille, whose lavishly-produced historical dramas have made his name famous. "Cleopatra," with Claudette Colbert in the title role, Warren William as Julius Caesar and Henry Wilcoxon as Marc Antony, will begin at the Regent Theatre on Saturday. From the rivalry between Cleopatra and her brother Ptolemy for the throne of Egypt, and Caesar's intervention on the Queen's behalf, the story moves to Cagsar's return to Rome and his death at the base of Pompey's statue at the hands of Cassius and Brutus. With the splendour and magnitude of its scenes, involving thousands of "extras" and "properties" on a grand scale, and the tenseness of the passages between the leading characters, the picture grips its audience from start to finish. Superb acting ensures the full benefit being derived from tht producer's conceptions. Box plans arc now open at the D.I.C. CRYSTAL PALACE "LONDON SPEAKS"

The London in "London Speaks," the film which began a season at the Crystal Palace on Saturday, is the real London, the great metropolis throbbing with life and bright with a million lights. Greater Australasian Films have offered it on the screen, not as the setting for an entertainment, but as an entertainment itself; and it is almost certain to be popular. ior London is always before us—m history in literature, in the news of the day—and New Zealanders attach a certain sentiment to it. While it is a traveller's story, London Speaks" is not a travelogue, it takes the audience into London, unfolds all the scenes of romantic interest—the Tower, St. Paul's, Madame Tussaud's, Rotten Row, the Old Curiosity Shop—and leads on into exciting discoveries and adventures. Indeed everything that one has imagined one would do and see if a trip to London became a possibility is in the film. The adventure starts with the arrival of the ship in the famous docks, giving an opportunity of studying from the deck of the ship the perspective of London. Then it passes into the heart of the city and the audience realises the humour that London contains and sits back and laughs heartily at one of Britain's best salesmen in Petticoat Lane as he tries to seil a most intimate portion of ladies' apparel. Many famous people, from the King downwards, appear in "London Speaks." London's life, historic interest, and fascination, all are cleverly blended. In addition, Mr Dave McGill appear.on the stage and sings a bracket of songs of old London.

CIVIC "ARE YOU A MASON?" Not for years has a film received such unanimous praise as "Are You a Mason?" which is now in its second week of a most successful season at the Civic All-British Theatre. Ever since the opening, crowded houses have revelled in this famous story which has been popular as a stage play for more than 30 yea'-., and which now turns out to be the funniest comedy ever presented on the screen. An outstanding cast is headed by two very popular stars, Sonnie Hale and Robertson Hare, who are given excellent support by Dave Burnaby, Lewis Shaw, and Gwyneth Lloyd, a charming newcomer to the screen. Each one of these stars is seen in- roles suiting him to perfection and they all take full advantage of, the opportunities offered. To tell the story of "Are You a Mason?" would, to some extent, spoil the enjoyment of a piece that depends for some of its success on a series of unexpected happenings. It is sufficient to say that a complex system of entanglements centres round the desire of a young wife that her husband should become a member of a Masonic lodge. It is impossible to write of all the hilarious situations that occur, and moving at a brisk pace from start to finish, the story keeps an audience in continual outbursts of laughter. "Passing Shadows," an excellent mystery drama starring Edmund Gwenn, precedes the main feature, completing a programme of outstanding merit. Box plans are now open at the theatre.

"THE BROKEN ROSARY" The British love of vocal music, proved by the persistence with which our popular ballads live year after year, without losing a fraction of their appeal, is fully exploited in the musical romance, "The Broken Rosary," which will commence at the Civic All-British Theatre on Saturday next. Music is in fact the keynote of the story, which has been ingeniously constructed to offer natural and unforced opportunities to express the varied situations in song. All the music introduced is of a type that has firmly established itself in public favour, and the ballads selected add to the picture's charm. Derek Oldham, the celebrated English tenor, is'the star, and ho is supported by the charming stage actress and singer. Jean Adrienne. With pleasing personalities, these stars are given full opportunity to show both their acting and singing ability in a charming story based on Gounod's immortal "Ave Maria." Other well-known songs included in the film are "Summer Night," "Speak to Me of Love," "Sally in Our Alley," and "Somewhere a Voice is Calling," whilst in vivid contrast to these in sentiment and character is the old vaudeville ditty, "Waiting at the Church." sung by the popular comedienne Vesta Victoria. Plans are now open at the theatre, where seats may be reserved at no extra cost.

MAJESTIC "MENACE" If the best book thrillers are those which set a problem and, by laying before the reader certain facts, challenge him to find the solution, the best screen thrillers arc those in which an atmosphere of danger, fear and mystery is created. Among those who have scon "Menace," which is being shown at the Majestic Theatre this week, probably no one who hoped to find that atmosphere produced by a good story, very fine acting and skilful producing, would say anything other than that his hopes were fulfilled a dozen times over. "Menace" is a picture of rare power, the more so because it does not rely on "spooktness" but on a credible situation. The virtue of the acting lies rhore in the high even standard attained by the whole cast rather than in any one outstanding performance. As Helen Chalmers and Colonel Crecy, Gertrude Michael and Paul Cavanagh, the leading players, do very well all that is asked of them. As Mrs Thornton, the lady whose age, for she has passed her three score years and ten, allows her to speak her mind openly and to take liberties otherwise denied, Henrietta Crosman compels attention and deserves much praise. And there are at least two other players for-spccial mention.

The theme of the film revolves about a maniac who is intent on taking the lives of three people who were wrongly accused of his brother's death. After dodging this terrible vengeance for years, the three meet in a mountain home in Hollywood, to trap the fiend, but complications ensue when unexpected guests arrive. The murderer strikes, and one of the guests dies; ho strikes again, but is unsuccessful, and the climax is finally reached after a series of exciting incidents. Others in the cast include Forrester Harvey as Crecy's chauffeur, and Halliwell Hobbes, as the butler. GRAND "MANHATTAN MELODRAMA" "Manhattan Melodrama," which provides first-class entertainment in its compelling love story studded with dramatic and intensely emotional scenes and a generous sprinkling of comedy incidents and characters, is having a return season at the Grand Theatre. The galaxy of screen stars assembled in its action to support the powerfully-acted studies of American motive forces, presented by Clark Gable, William Powell, and Myrna Loy, is bound to delight regular picture patrons, but it goes further than that. In the alternations of thrill, amusement, and gripping emotion that go to the making of the story's fascination, and in the presentment of typical high-lights of American gaiety and politics is ever present the national problem of keeping the balance between the power of the dollar and that of social probity. The supports include Chapter 11 of the serial, "Gordon of Ghost City," starring the popular Buck Jones.

LIBERTY "LAST OF THE DUANES" AND "HEAT LIGHTNING" Action and thrills a-plenty are combined in the new double-feature programme—"Last of the Duanes" and "Heat Lightning"—which was shown at the Liberty Theatre on Saturday. The spirit of Zane- Grey's popular story of the west has been completely recaptured in "Last of the Duanes." The part of Buck, the "last of the Duanes," is taken by George O'Brien. He gives a fine portrayal of the hunted but fearless rider. Lucile Browne takes the leading role opposite O'Brien, and the combination is a particularly happy one. "Heat Lightning" is a drama, enacted under the sweltering sun and the eerie, flickering heat lightning of a mid-American desert, but combining action, romance, and light comedy The laurels for acting in this picture must go to Aline MacMahon—her performance is really exceptional. She gives a fine, dramatic portrayal, and is ably supported by Ann Dvorak, as her pretty'but wilful sister, and Preston Foster, as her erstwhile lover, both of whom give polished performances.