ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 263, 5 August 1942, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

St. James Theatre— Heading the cast o£ “The Fleet’s In,” Dorothy Lainour is ably supported bv William Holden, Eddie Bracken, anil Betty Hutton, and Jimmy Dorsey and his blind, which puts over some excellent numbers. This band is now rated among the top three or four in the United States. Will Hay’s latest picture, “The Black Sheep of Whitehall,” will open its Wellington season on Friday.

Plaza Theatre.— The film version Of Richard Llewellyn’s “How Green Was My Valley” telescopes the events of a "good many years of Huw Morgan’s life into a two-lionr span. Donald Crisp plays the part of the father. Sara Allgood gives a performance as austere and dignified as Crisp’s; but to little Roddy McDowell must go half the praise earned by the film.

Tudor Theatre— Douglas Fairbanks’ double part in “The Corsican Brothers” is of the Franehi twins, separated in body by the surgeon at birth, but strangely "connected in mind and emotions although their upbringing and environment are as different as Paris and the Corsican mountains. The second feature, “The Great Swindle,” stars Jack Holt and Marjorie Reynolds.

Regent Theatre. —In “Tile Doctor ami the Debutante,’’ Dr. Kildare continues to minister to the sick and the theatregoers Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore are as much in the picture as ever. To see ''Bahama Passage” one would think that God bad created the West Indies to the specifications of a Hollywood techntcolour cameraman, so well do the islands fit the colour niediiiinh on the films. In such a tropical setting as Dorothy Lamour is often, to be found In, Madeleine Carroll and Stirling Hayden act a torrid romance.

Majestic Theatre.—The adventures ol’i a society girl takes a chance and a love against which she has been warned, are told in ‘'Johnny Eager.” The impulsive heroine is played bv Lana Turner and her chosen by Robert Taylor. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer go so far as to term the film a dramatic blast and a romantic explosion.

Opera House.—Whatever the merits of Jane Austen's writings, they are hardly classed as “fun riots,” yet that is how the advertisements describe the film version of ‘‘Pride and Prejudice.” Be this, as it may. the picture is a good one. starring Greer Garson, with Mary Boland, Edna May Oliver, Maureen O’Sullivan, Ann Rutherford and Laurence Olivier.

King’s Theatre.— Though those familiar with the New Zealand Army will not nnd much in common between it and the U.». Marine Corps ns depleted in “Call Out the Marines,” that Bhould not stop them enjoying Hie picture, in which Victor. MeLaglen and Edmund Lowe are starred. This new effort is just as good as their previous ones, and in practically every scene they manage to get themselves into trouble. It goes without saying that a girl is usually at the bottom of the trouble. “Ladies in Retirement” opens on Friday.

State Theatre.—“Confessions of Boston Blackle,” moves through an assortment of giin-tights and fist-fights, with Chester Morris keeping one step ahead of the police at all times. He spends his time dodging cops and killers in . order to solvo the homicide for which he has been blamed. As though being a constant target were not enough. Blackle’s efforts to clear himself are further complicated when a beautiful young -blackmailer attempts to “sell *him out.” „ ~ „ The second film. “Torcliy Gets Her Alan, sees the whole Toruhy cast go through the melodramatic hoops again aud the customary happy ending.

Paramount Theatre.— lu 1913, when hardly anyone dared to mention venereal disease in public, a Frenchman, Eugene Brieux, wrote a play trying to show that It did more harm than good to conceal knowledge of the diseaye’ts dangers:’. The English version of the play was called “Damaged Goods,” aud the play has since been made into a film, which is now showing at the Paramount Theatre. This is by no means the first occasion on which “Damaged Goods” has been shown, but so topical is its message these days that no one will complain at its revival. Showing with it on the same programme te Gene Stratton Porter’s “Freckles Comes Home. Featured are Johnny Downs and Gale Storm.

Do Luxe Theatre.—“Butch and the Baby” and “Unseen Enemy” end their season toOpening tomorrow Is “The Ghost of. Frankenstein.” which continues from the point at which “Son of Frankenstein, last of the series, ended. It opens with the dynamiting of the Frankenstein caHtle, an action which fails in its objective, to destroy the monster and his mad friend, Ygor. The monster, played by Lou Chaney, and Ygor, enacted a second time by Bela Lugosi, proceed to the village in which Dr. Frankenstein, second son of the mou-ster-crcator, lives in anonymity as far as his kinship to hic> infamous father is concerned. Sir Cedric Hardwicke Is effectively ca«t as the new Dr. Frankenstein who “inherits” the monster. Ills daughter, played by Evelyn Ankers, urges the doctor to destroy the monster, but Ins scientific mind causes him to attempt a daring experiment. Frankenstein at* tempts to place a normal brain in the monster, to convert him into a docile creature, but a treacherous assistant takes a hand in the surgery and the monster emerges more fearsome than ever before. “Don’t. Get, Personal” is the second feature. Both are showing for the first time in New Zealand. SUBURBAN THEATRES ' Vogue (Brooklyn).—“The Parson of Pauauiiut,” Charlie Ruggles, Ellen Drew; "Mr. Dynamite,’’ Lloyd Nolan, Irene Hervey. Regal (Karori).—“ 1 inie Out tor Rhythm,” Rudy Vallee, Ann Miller; "Champion Chumps,” Joe Brown, Aparina Kay. Ascot (Newtown). —“North-West Passage,” Spencer Tracy, Robert Young.; “Blondes at Work,” Glenda Farrell, Barton Mae Dane. Tivoli (Tborndon l. — Firefly, Jeanette MacDonald, Allan Jones; ‘‘lrene.” Empire (Island Bay“lnvisible Woman.” Virginia Bruce. John Howard, John Barrymore; “San Francisco Docks,’ Burgess Meredith, Irene Harvey. King George (Lower Hutt). —“So Ends Our Night,” Fredric March. Margaret Sulla van. De Luxe (Lower Butt).—“l he Done Wolf Keeps a Date.” Warren William; “A Young Man’s Fancy.” Seymour Hicks, Anna Lee. ... Kinctna (Kilbirnie). —“ 1 hey Shull Have Music.” Antln-a Leeds, Joel McCrea. Jascha Heifetz; “North to the Klondike,” Brod Crawford. Andy Devine. Capitol i.Miramar). —“The Mau Who Lost Himself,” Brian Aherne, Kay Francis; “Lady iSearfaee,” Dennis ()’Keefe, Judith Anderson. Prince Edward (Woburn).—“Stand In.” Leslie Howard. Joan Biondell; “Moon Over Burma.” Dorothy Lamour. Robert Preston.