ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 152, 23 March 1939, Page 14

ENTERTAINMENTS

Programme At State Theatre Has Two Features The two features on the State Theatre programme, which will be presented for the last time today, are “Road Demon” and “While New York Sleeps.” “Road Demon” io packed with the excitement and suspense of automobile races and has some enjoyable comedy from the foreign dialect comedian Henry Armetta. “While New York Sleeps” involves the unorthodox solving of a murder mystery, contains rapid-fire comedy, a plot which is not disclosed in the first reel, and a very ■pleasant performance by Jean Rogers. “Next Time I Marry” and “The Law West of Tombstone.” A stormy honeymoon on wheels that finishes up in Reno with new-found romance is threaded throughout RKO Radio’s “Next Time I Marry,” in which Lucille Ball, James Ellison and Lee Bowman have the leading roles. This will be the main feature at the State Theatre beginning tomorrow. Cast as newlyweds who have taken the sacred vo'ft’s as purely a business proposition so that the bride may be eligible for a huge inheritance, Miss Ball and Ellison embark for Reno in a trailer directly after the wedding ceremony. How their hectic battling ultimately develops into real romance before their planned divorce is completed, lays the foundation for the hilarious climax. Revealing a new side of the lite of the Old West, “The Law West of. Tombstone,” which will be the supporting feature, presents Harry Carey as a two-gun Texan who seeks to establish himself as the well-meaning dictator of half a State. Backing his boasting and hie plans with a ready trigger finger, he directs a frontier romance, builde up the Arizona community in which he has settled, and carries on a feud with a bandit gang which leads to the exciting climax of the picture. Tim Holt, Jean Rouverol, Clarence Kolb. Evelyn Brent and other favourites head the supporting cast of this R.K.O. Radio production.

’’Stablemates” Concludes At St. James Theatre

A racehorse is responsible for the appearance of Mickey Rooney and Wallace Beery together in “Stablemates,” which will conclude at the St. James Theatre today. Rooney has accepted the horse as payment for his services, to save it from being destroyed, and when- Beery, a former veterinarian, operates, the animal is ready for the track again. The end of the story is not without pathetic repercussions. “The Storm.” Giant ships and thundering storms at sea provide the background for “The Storm,” an emotional story of adventure and thrills in the lives of wireless operators on American merchant ships, which will begin at the St. James Theatre tomorrow. “The Storm,” which possesses power and realism, was made from a screen play by Theodore Reeves, Daniel Moore and Hugh King, and it unfolds as one of the more virile action dramas to come out of Hollywood. Impressive scenes show a great steel freighter crashing into an iceberg and going down while Preston Foster stays at his radio key sending SOS calls. Charles Bickford adds to his standing as a skilled portrayer of rugged he-man roles in stirring fight scenes along the waterfront and aboard ship. He is cast as an adventurous and hard-fighting wireless operator, trying to keep his young brother, Tom Brown, from marrying the ship’s pretty nurse. Nan Grey. An exclusive short subject will show thousands of mourners paying their last tribute to the late Pope, Pius XI. These scenes are impressive and intimate.

“The Shining Hour” Ends

Season At Majestic “The Shining Hour,” which will end a season at the Majestic Theatre today, concerns Henry Linden (Melvyn Douglas), a well-known member of a Government farm board, who marries Olivia Riley _ (Joan Crawford), a famous dancer in a New York cafe. However, the main interest in this film version of Keith Winter’s play centres round David Linden, Henry’s brother, who is already married, and Olivia. “Mr. Chedworth Steps Out.” “Mr. Chedworth Steps Out,” which will begin at the Majestic Theatre tomorrow, is a delightful story of the “Chedworth” family, starring Australia’s favourite, Cecil Kellaway, and is perhaps the greatest “whole family” picture yet produced ■by an Australian studio. In addition to Cecil Kellaway, the specially selected cast includes Janies Raglan, Rita Pouncefort, lovely Jean Derring, Sidney Wheeler, Peter Finch and Australia’s popular 16-year-old singer Jean Hatton, who is captivating audiences everywhere by her charming performances and delightful singing in the picture. Cecil Kellaway came back on loan from R.K.0.-Radio'e studios in Hollywood for the express purpose of playing the title role. His return to Australia for “Mr. Chedworth” was the result of a' promise made to Mr. K. Hall while Cinesound were making “It Isn’t Done.”

“The Young In Heart” Finishes At King’s Theatre “The Young In Heart,” a lovable and laughable stoty of the Carleton Family, who live by their wits and their charm, and who can boast of having been asked to leave only the best places from the Riviera to London, will finish a season at the King’s Theatre today. “Trade Winds." Produced by Walter Wanger for release by United Artists, “Trade Winds,” which will begin at the King’s Theatre tomorrow, is probably one of the more provocative and exciting motion pictures within recent months. About Kay Kerrigan (Joan Bennett), “Trade Winds” shows her fleeing from San Francisco after a murder of which she believes herself guilty. Dyeing her blonde hair black as a disguise, the girl travels halfway round the world in her flight from the law. Her steps in and through the fascinating Orient are dogged by S_am Wye (Fredric March), a blase detective with a grand sense of humour and an excellent appreciation of beautiful women. Ralph Bellamy and Ann Sothern, teamed as the second romantic leads, contribute rich comedy performances—Bellamy -as a stolid, book-trained sleuth ; Sothern as a scatter-brained but charming and welldressed secretary. Such countries as Hawaii, Japan, China, Ceylon, India and the little-known Laccadive Islands, are among the colourful .backgrounds against which the action unfolds. Dorothy Parker, Alan Campbell and Frank R. Adams wrote the screen play, and this explains the continuous flow of sparkling dialogue and crackling wit, as well as the convincingly dramatic situations which make the film rich in suspense, drama and humour.

“Pygmalion” Shows At Plaza

The east of “Pygmalion,” a film made from the play of the same name which was written by George Bernard Shaw and which is showing at the Plaza Theatre, is composed of actors and actresses most of whom are new to the screen. Leslie Howard, who has the part of Professor Higgins—the modern Pygmalion whose Galatea is a Cockney flower-seller, is not new. however. Among those who are are Wendy Hiller, as the illiterate Cockney who. under her Pygmallion's guidance conducts herself with easy dignity at an ambassador’s reception, and Wilfred Lawson as I lie flower-girl’s dustman father whose observations on marriage and “middle-ela£>s morality” are full of pungent, wit.

“Housemaster” Begins Today At Regent Theatre

' Adapted from the lan Hay long-run-ning play of the same name, “Housemaster,” which will begin at the Regent .theatre today, shows the story of a mid-dle-aged housemaster, devoted to his boys, who finds that the newly-appointed beadmaster ir> gradually trying to get him to resign. Matters are made worse when hie three charming but irresponsible wards descend upon the school, upsetting all routine and almost causing a mutiny. Otto Kruger plays Charles Donkin, the lovable housemaster, Diana Churcnill, who received high praise in 1937 with her sympathetic portrayal of the young wife in “The Dominant Sex,” has the part of the eldest of the three wards, and shows herself as a brilliant light comedy actress. Rene Ray and Rosamond Barnes are her madcap sisters. Though comedy predominates, “.Housemaster” is human, sympathetic and cleverly contrived. “Youth Marches On.” a special short subject which was made by members of the Oxford Group Movement at a suggestion made at a camp in Regina, Canada, will bo included in the supporting programme.

Two Pictures At De Luxe Revolving about “Hopalong Cassidys’ campaign to avenge the murder of one or his closest friends, a wealthy rancher, and rout a gang of bandits who, have been plaguing the untamed Mexican cattle country is “In Old Mexico,” which, together with “Illegal Traffic,” will end, a season at the De Luxe Theatre today. Going on in the United States of America today in spite of the efforts of the Government to rout it, a racket, the transportation of fugitives from justice across State and national borders, is the subject of “Illegal Traffic.” “Men of Yesterday” and "The Scrapper.” “Men of Yesterday” and “The Scrapper,” featuring Mickey Rooney, will begin at the De Luxe Theatre tomorrow. Stewart Rome, with Ella Shields and George Robey, is starred in “Men of Yesterday,” Mickey Rooney is starred in “The Scrapper.”

Last Day Of “Suez” At Tudor Theatre

“Suez” will show for the Inst time at the Tudor Theatre today. This film is about Ferdinand de Lesseps, builder of the Suez Canal. Loretta Young and Annabella share top honours with Tyrone Power as Ferdinand de Lesseps, in portraying the two loves that drove the French genius on to the completion of his great project.