ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 103, 25 January 1935, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

State.—“My Old Dutch.” Plaza—“ The Gay Divorcee.” Paramount.—“ Spitfire.” Regent.—“ Blossom Time.” Grand Opera House.—Frank Neil’s Revue. Majestic.—“ Man of Two Worlds. ’ St. James. —“Now And Forever.” De Luxe. —“Babes in Toyland.” King’s.—“ The Silver Spoon.” “Blossom Time” Continues at Regent Once again Franz Schubert, God-given melodist, is glorified in "Blossom Time,” the very beautiful, artistic, and sentimentally appealing picture which is being repeated at the Regent Theatre. Whatever Schubert’s life experiences were, the gracious touch of John Drinkwater and other clever folk succeeded in what was regarded as the best musical picture of 11)34. All the more gratifying is it to know that this screen romance, which features Richard Tauber, the German tenor, so effectively, is a British National picture, screened at Elstree, in England. The setting of the story is amid all the glory of Vienna in 1820, when Schubert, the schoolmaster, sang of his hopeless love for Vicki, the 'beautiful daughter of a dancing master. The action is in keeping with the subject, and the characters succeed in carrying the observer back through the years to live in the city of dancing and song with the mighty master of who cannot master fickle Cupid in spite of his soul-searching melody. The story has the true tenderness of Schubert’s immortal melodies and, in giving it that sweet- • ness of appeal, Tauber is ably assisted by Jane Baxter as Vicki, Carl Esmond as the. Count von Hollenberg, Paul Graetz, Lester Matthews, and Athene Seyler. “Spitfire” Opens at Paramount 1 Theatre To-day Katharine Hepburn’s latest picture. “Spitfire,” which comes to the Paramount Theatre to-day, presents the star in a role that is said to be unique in the annals of the . screen. “Spitfire” is an adaptation of Lula Vollmer's celebrated stage play, “Trigger,” and in it Miss Hepburn enacts the role of a half-say-age poor white who lives in a cabin in the Carolina mountains., The large supporting cast in “Spitfire” includes Ralph Bellamy, Robert Young, Martha Sleeper, Louis Mason. Sara Haden, John Beck and others, and the production was directed by John Cromwell. The story is most unusual, and the presentation is splendid. The supporting films have been carefully selected. “The Gay Divorcee” Continuing at the Plaza Theatre > Something out of the ordinary in the way of entertainment is presented at the. Strfte Theatre in “The Gay Divorcee,” which will begin.its second week to-day. There have been brilliant, dazzling revues before, but “The Gay Divorcee” is something different in this class of entertainment. It is no back-stage story. There is quite a good plot, the settings are on an unusually lavish scale, the cast is an exceptionally strong one, and the hilarious and complicated situations that arise during the development of the plot make “The Gay Divorcee” as enjoyable :i film as one could wish for. One diverting situation follows another from the meeting, under strange circumstances, of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The story is oiily an incidental to the success of “The Gay Divorcee.” The settings are said to be the most lavish ever constructed on the R.K.0.-Radio lot at Hollywood, and one of them, representing a futuristic hotel, was so huge that an addition to the stage had to be built to provide room for the cameras. Against this magnificent setting for the picture beautiful girls and dancing men perform mass dance novelties which are vastly different from anything previously attempted on the screen. Daring, indeed, is the adagio dance. “The Continental.” the feature number of the 'production, in which the entire chorus takes part, and in which Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers give a thrilling performance. There arc several catchy song numbers, but it is the remarkable dancing that is likely to have most appeal. Coining Attraction. Coming shortly to the Plaza Theatre is anohter Ren Travers farce with Ralph Lynn and Tom "Walls. “Man of Two Worlds” at the Majestic Theatre A hew siar and superb eutertainnieni are twp contributions made to the screen b,y "Man of Two "Worlds.”' which comes to the Majestic Theatre to-day. Francis Lederer, acting sensation of the European and Broadway stage, is presented in this RKO Radio production. Stellar honours are shared by Elissa Landi. who gives a strong and vivid portrayal as the blonde siren of the story. Scientists invade the frozen north to snare specimens of animal life for the London Zoo. There they find Lederer, in the role of Greenland's greatest hunter. Taken to London, he becomes infatuated with the scientist’s daughter, and from there on the story marches to a climax. Interesting and varied supports are included on the programme.

Epic of Coster Life Showing at State Theatre One of the most famous stories of coster life ever told is "My Old Dutch,” which was presented many years ago us a silent film, and which Gaumont-Bri-tish have now made in modern talking screen form. This attraction commences to-day at the State Theatre. Betty Balfour and Gordon Harker are the stars. The film is based on Albert Chevalier’s famous song, and the well-known ballads “My Old Dutch” and “Down at the Old Bull and Bush,” are introduced into the film. Nowadays we enjoy a film from a well-sprung seat with the air around us cool and dust-free, but the hardy picturegoer of 1908 generally took his enjoyment from a flickering screen in an atmosphere full of yellow fog and squatting on a woollen bench. Lil (Betty Balfour) and Bert (Michael Hogan) go to see the original “My Old Dutch” film in such a theatre. Outside the theatre the film is advertised as a talking picture. Inside one discovers a pianist seated behind a strip of velvet with an old horn’ gramophone at his side. At the correct (or near the correct) moment, he places the needle on the disc. This is when the film shows Albert Chevalier in song, but the sound is so badly out. of synchronisation that the audience jeers until the record is taken off. Fourteen “cuts” were used from the original film, which starred Henry Edwards, Florence Turner, and Albert Chevalier, and in those days it was a smash hit. “My Old Dutch” is a veritable cavalcade of work-ing-class London life, covering a period of 40 years to the present day, and rich in the humour, pathos, drama, and sentiment of Cockaigne—that hajppily nicknamed realm in the vastness of London, whose people have no psychological counterpart in any other community in the world. The evergreen Florrie Forde, vaudeville star, plays the role of “Aunt Bertha,” and delights in the ’Appy ’Ampstead sequence with a sparkling rendition of one of. the numbers that made her famous, “The Old Bull and Bush.” Glennis Lorimer, a Gaumont-British junior star, has her first big part in pictures, while Mickey Brantford, former player of juvenile roles, has a break in pictures as “Jim.” Double Feature Programme at King’s Theatre Another well-balanced double feature programme commences this afternoon at the King’s Theatre. The first picture is “The Silver Spoon,” a mystery comedy romance, featuring Binnie Barnes, lan Hunter, aud Garry Marsh. It is the story of two noblemen tramps who take to the woods because of the same reason —a woman. As a night club singer, who tries to escape the ennui of her life, Barbara Stanwyck reveals again all her charm and tremendous dramatic vitality >n the second attraction, “The Purchase Price,” which has George Brent and Hardie Albright in the supporting cast. Laurel and Hardy Again; Comedy at De Luxe The ever-popular Laurel and Hardy will be seen at the De Luxe Theatre tonight in an entirely new and novel type of show entitled “Babes in Toyland,” which is really a pantomime. In this M-G-M release Laurel and Hardy, as apprentice toymakers, involve themselves in a series of hilarious events that are sidesplitting, to say the least. They set out to pay’off "Widow Peep’s mortgage, held by Toyland’s only villain, aged Barnaby, who is an ardent but unwelcome suitor for the hand of 80-Peep, the Widow Peep’s youthful daughter. Stan Laurel’s dumbness upsets this plan, and when he and his partner, Oliver Hardy, attempt to rectify the error, their manoeuvres get them into a flock of difficulties that includes their being sentenced to a ducking in the village pool, banishment from the Kingdom of Toyland, a fight with the hideous inhabitants of Bogeyland, and finally the foiling of the villain Barnaby. Charlotte Henry is also in the cast. Shirley Temple at St. James Theatre To-day The youthful child actress, Shirley Temple, whose charming naivete has won the heart of almost every filmgoer, is given an excellent opportunity of demonstrating her remarkable acting ability in the romantic drama. "Now and Forever,’ which will be screened for the first time at the St. Janies Theatre to-day. Tlrs precocious child has amazed critics by her outstanding portrayals in “Stand Up .and Cheer.” “Baby Take a Bow.” and “Little Miss Marker.” In this film she has to compete with the experience of such wellknown players as Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard, but her performance is quite" up to the standard set by these seasoned artists. She is her usual cheerful and lovable self, and everyone w-il take her to their hearts.