ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 289, 4 September 1942, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

Thrills When Indians Ride In State’s New Film Assets: One shilling. Expenditure: Pictures, 6d.; train fares to town and home again, 2d.; chocolates, 3d.; Ice cream, id. \ . . To many that simple piece of arithmetic will recall halcyon days when on. wet Saturday ’ afternoons, we tripped on. as children to the cinema, there to drown the tinkling piano with excited cheers and emerge at 5 o’clock, . faces sticky with chocolate. The hero. in those days was Bill Hart, and the villains were many hundreds of warlike Indians who whooped about in warpaint and savagery. Children today are a trifle more sophisticated (there are even a few who prefer Fred Astaire and- Nelson Eddy to Gene Autry and Wallace Beery), but, for the most part it is a poor young heart that does not still rejoice in brawny cowboys battling with half-naked Ind ans At the State this week "Valley of the Sun vvlll fulfil tlie twofold purpose of thrilling the youngsters and reviving happy memories for their Parents. .'Again the Indians ride —thousands of them—and again the white man struggles for the mastery of he West. The year Is 1868, the year-which «aw the first determined attempt to turn the great rolling plains of America s western States into homes and ■farms. But others hud been there- first—thugs and loose women bent on- -wresting quick money from the land and from the Indians; So it wasn’t easy for the honest settlors, as “Valley of the bun” shows. The stars are unusual—unusual, that is, for a Western. 'Lucille Ball and Janies Craig are in the lead, and others in the cast include Dean Jagger and Sir Cedric Hard " On* 5 the programme, too, is the bright comedy of a wife who. to punish a husband who devotes top much time to business. decides to invite her old beau to spend a weekend.. It. .becomes a hectic three days and gives the picture H? “Weekend for Three.” Dennis O Keefe, Jane Wvatt, Edward Everett Horton, Zasu Pitts, and Franklin Pangborn arc the stars.

Opera House.— A woman robbed of her beauty and venting her hatred on the worhL That is the story of “A Woman s Face,” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer s new film which opens today. Joan ,ssu W wHh anil Melvin Douglas , have associated with them Conrad Veldt and Osa Massen in the enactment' of a most powerful drama.

St. James Theatre.—Opening its run at the St. James to three houses today is "Ships With Wings.” the story of the new weapon of naval warfare, with the famous Ark Rbyal. long the despair, of Axis propagandists and all-time heroship of the Royal Navy, .taking a prominent part in the scenes. John Clements, Leslie Banks, Jane Baxter, and Ann Todd co-star with the great aircraft-carrier.

King’s Theatre.— Four sessions at the King’s .Theatre today usher in the New Zealand premiere of "To the Shores or Tripoli,” a film dedicated to the 388 men of the famous corps who wrote history at Wake Island. John Payne, Maureen O’Hara, and Randolph Scott,. have the principal parts. It is the New Zealand premiere of the 20th Century-Fox production in technicolour, telling the storj of the making of the men who are so prominent in Pacific warfare today.

Pinza Theatre.— ‘Michael Arlen’s lovable “Falcon” conies to the Plaza today in A Date with the Falcon.” a mystery comedydrama in which George Sanders leads Wendy Barrie, James Gleason and Allen Jenkins. The story is of a man-hunt and its unexpected consequences. There .IS also a Walt Disney cartoon, A Gentleman’s Gentleman.”

De Luxe Theatre— Paramount Pictures new star, .Macdonald Carey, makes his Wellington debut in the main feature of the de Luxe bill, “Dr. Broadway." With him are Jean Phillips, J. Carroll .Nnlsh, Richard Lane, and Edward Clanelli. “Affairs of Jimmy Valentine, In which the famous thief for a change goes straight, is the second feature, Dennis O’Keefe Ruth Terry and Gloria Dickson playing'the chief parts. There is also another instalment of the ’ Don M inslow of the Navy” serial.

Paramount Theatre.—A imagnificient double programme features Vivien Leigh, of "Scarlett O'Hara” fame, in Alexander Korda's "Dark Journey,” with Conrad Veldt, Anthony Bushell and Ursula Jeans; The second feature Is also a Korda production, "Catherine the Great,” which returns to give picture-goers another chance to see Elizabeth Bergner in what Is possibly her greatest characterization. Douglas ‘Fairbanks, Jun., now in the United States Navy, Flora Robson, and Sir Gerald du Maurier, are with her. Tudor Theatre.—One would hardly expect Carole Lombard and Jack Benny to be on the screen together, least of all In a film directed by Ernst Lubltsch. It is strange that Lubitsch’s "To Be or Not to Be,” set iu wartime Warsaw, should be a romantic comedy that gives the stars ample' scope. The associate feature shows Rochelle Hudson and Bruce Cabot In "Girls Under 21,” a story of longings for outings, clothes, arid life. Majestic Theatre. —"The Chocolate Soldier” is well east, full of rich musical numbers, beautifully mounted, and with ij story which would stand the test without music or big names. Nelson Eddy, singing better tlifiu ever, bus at In.£*t been rreeu from his usual saccharine parts, and is allowed to clown and become a tiglire of fun Rise Stevens, a newcomer, is not over-beautiful, has a magnificent voice and an enigmatical face. SUBURBAN THEATRES Capitol (Miramar).— "Hellzapoppiu"; "Torpedo Boat,”. Richard Arleu. Jean 1 Empire (Island Bay).—"Road to Zanzibar” Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour. Bing Crosby; “North to the Klondike.” Brod Crawford. Andy Devine. Ascot (Newtown). —"Shadow ot the Thiii .’inn." William Powell, Myrna Lo) : "Jail Holme Blues.” Nat' I’cudlcton. Ann G 'King George (Lower Jlutt).-•Taris Calling.” Elizabeth Bergner, Basil Rathbone. ~ , , .... De Luxe (Lower Hutt).— Mau at Targe" Marjorie Weaver, George Reeves: “Silver Stallion.” David Sharp. Prince Edward (Woburn >.—"Danny Bov,” Wilfrid Lawson, Grant Tyler: "The Saint’s Vacation." Hugh Sinclair. Sally (,1 VoKue (Brooklyn).—"Skylark.” Claudette Colbert. Ray Millam!: ’’Sln« of the Children,” Ruth Brewster. Tom Carver. Regal (Karorl).—"When Ladies Meet-. Robert Tavlor, Joan Crawford; “Sullivan s Travels.” Joel McCrea. Veronica Lane. Tivoli iTborndon).—"Courn of Monte Cristo.” Robert Donat. Kllssa l.andl; "l.iiily From Cheyenne.” Loretla Young, Robert I’reslon. Kinenin i Kilbirnle).—“Son ol Monte Cristo” Louis Hayward. Joan ib-unett: "I’aciiic Blackout,” Robert Preston. Martini O’DrlKcoll.