CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 128, 1 June 1937, Page 4

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. Based upon fact —upon a scandal which stirred France socially and politically—"Stolen < Holiday," the Regent : Theatre's main feature, is as fine a dramatic production as one could wish; ■to see on the screen. The picture, is remarkable for its fine acting] by Kay Francis, who is aoly sup ported by Claude Rains, lan Hunter, Alison Skipworth, and others. The supporting programme has a S Ol" 0 * nation flavour. The New Zealand contingent is seen in London, me King -is. 'both seen and heard delivering ,his first public speech,, and intimate glimpses are given of the Roya 1. Family at home. Other interesting films 'complete an admirable programme. , . "Green Light," the stirring story ofi heroism', sacrifice, and love, by Lloyd C Douglas (author of "Magnificent Obsession"), makes an equally impressive film. "Green Light? will start on Friday at the Regent Theatre. Errol Flynn, whose performances in Captain Blood" and "The Charge of the Light Brigade" won him such honours, rises to even greater dramatic heights in "Green ■ Light," proving himself one of the greatest romantic "finds of the last few years in the role of a young surgeon." Lovely Anita Louise, who shares the honours, is the girl for whose sake, Flynn suffers and nearly c"ics. With her natural charm and i genuine dramatic ability, she is perfectly cast. Margaret Lindsay and Sir Cedric Hardwicke,1 Henry O'Neill, Walter Abel, and Spring Byington also give iriost convincing performances. MAJESTIC THEATRE, "nose Marie," starring Nelson Eddy and Jeanette, Mac Donald. which is m its third week at the Majestic r Theatre, surpasses in every respect al? previous films of its type. Not only for the beauty of the singing but for the aWe-inspiring outdoor scenes, the high standard of acting, and the strength of the storjr, this picture will live ml the memory for many years to come. In such numbers as "Rose Marie,". "The Indian Love Call," "Song of the Mounties," and selections from the operas "Romeo and Juliet" and "La Tosca," the stars are given ample opportunity to deijcnstarte their ability and the result is. s feast'of song. Miss) Mac Donald is cast as a leading opera linger whD, on learning that her brother has escaped from gaol and is hiding in .northern Canada, sets off to find him, and meets and finally falls in love with Sergeant Bruce, of the Mounties (Nelson Eddy). It is some lime before the tangle is unravelled and a happy ending reached. The supi ports are,very good. ST. JAMES THEATRE. Few star combinations in recent years have proved as popular as; Johnny Weismuller and Maureen O'Sullivan in the Tarzan series. Their latest film, "Tarzan Escapes," is in its second week at the St. James, and the picture shows liow well justified is the popularity of the pair. ,Th 6 High standard of previous pictures in the series is fully maintained. The story deals.with the* attempt of a blackguardly hunter, Captain Fry, to capture Tarzan while he is leading a safari- to' Taiwan's stronghold. The picture is notable' for the comedy performance of Herbert Mundin, who touches superb Heights with bis peculiarly inimitable drollery, and ior the appearance of the famous chimpanzee, Cheetah, who is so screamingly funny .and se- intelligent that every appearance becomes a joy. The sup-( ports include an "Our Gang" comedy, and a coloured cartoon with delightful touches. NEW PARAMOUNT THEATRE. An unqualified success of a difficult subject has been made by Warner, Bros, in "The Green Pastures," which is attracting large audiences to the New Paramount Theatre. Dealing with the negro conception of the great dramas of the Bible and the hereafter, "The Green Pastures" is outstanding for the magnitude of its scenes and for the effective use of the emematographer's art. Besides its unique nature, Warner Bros.' screen ersion of "The Green Pastures" is notable vas a musical production. The world-famous Hall-Johnson Choir sing twenty-five glorious choruses during the course of the film. At Auckland "The Green Pastures" broke records of two and a half years' standing. Westorn Electrics Mirrophonic Sound equipment is giving particularly fine i esults at the. New Paramount. - KING'S THEATRE. In "Borderland," now showing at the!; lOngs Theatre, another of; Clarence E. Mulford'3 well-known "Hopalong" Cassidy series is brought to pictorial life. A notorious bandit, "The Fox," has successfully defeated all efforts by the Texas Rangers and the Mexican secret police to capture him, nnd the services of "Hoppy" (William Boyd) as a discredited former honorary lieutenant of the Rangers are invoked. The supporting feature, "The .Accusing Finger," an indictment of capital punishment, is a striking illustration of tha queer twists which - can be given criminal cases by a chain ' of circumstantial evidence. Paul Kelly, • |Harry Carey, and Marsha Hunt head ■ the cast. Also, on the programme is a splendid Fox • movietone newsreel of ' • ;ihe Coronation, giving both detail and !.;, yista of the Royal spectacle. ! i SHORTT'S THEATRE, ■■> Bubbling with laughter, and bursting with song, roguish Jane Withers •is starred at Shortt's Theatre in her •'.\ioyoUs Fox hit, "Little' Miss Nobody." : The picture follows the adventures '■■I bf a, merry orphan through a series :'-of escapades both hilarious and ; pathetic. Featured in ihe strong sup- ; porting cast are Jane Darwell, Ralph :: jftlorgan, Sara Haden, Harry Carey_, and ; Betty Jean Hainey. A lovely miss in :-; danger and - outlaws who test the :; mekle of the Rdyal Canadian Mounted ; Police furnish peril and adventure ':, aplenty ; for George O'Brien ~in "O'Malley'of the Mounted," the action- : crammed Fox' drama, which is also : screening. ■'■ The hew features at Shortt's Theatre on Friday' will be "Professional Sol- '■ .dier". and "The Country Beyond." ~:'- CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR, . ;■•'■ \ "Magnificent Obsession," which is : 'screening at the Capitol Theatre, is the ■ 'very fine film version of Lloyd C- ■ '^Douglas's best-selling novel. Irene : -Dunne proves her amazing acting ver- ■ satility, achieving reality with equal sue- ',: cess in-humorous as in tragic situations"; ; Robert Taylor plays opposite her in a ■ 'compelling role. The death of a ; -Avealthy collector by a' mysterious •; bullet, -and the subsequent killing of ■■'■ a museum- custodian in an even more .: fashion, are unravelled in ,: -"The. Plot Thickens," which is also - showing with James Gleason and Zasu '■ pitis i heading the cast. ■ f REGAL THEATRE, KARORI. •'■! ', '•Ramona," a Twentieth Century-Fox , triumph, is screening at the Regal : .Theatre,; Karori, featuring Loretta : ;Young and Don Ameche at the head of an exceptional cast including Kent T Taylor, Pauline Frederick, Jane Dar- . well, Katherine De Mille, and John -. Carradine. One of the year's outstanding cinema achievements, ; "Ramona" sets new standards in the :fields of colour, scenic beauty, and romance. It was produced entirely in ; -the new perfected technicolour. ■ ■ EMPIRE THEATRJE, ISLAND BAY. ■; A powerful 'screen-story of an:attor- . jey whose past returned to interrupt a brilliant political career, but which at ' the same time pointed the way to love, : 5s excitingly told in RKO-Radio's : "Criminal Lawyer," showing tonight at ■: the Empire Theatre. As an additional 'feature, Richard Dix.-a favourite with ■:•'■■ Empire•: patrons, will be seen in_ a :■'thrilling: aerial action-drama, The 'Devil's Squadron." Supporting Dix. are KareaiMoiley^nd^a-all^tarxast,

GITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

PLAZA .THEATRE.,., ;; '~ ,) '■ Of intense interest on the programme at the Plaza Theatre this week is the flrst film of the Coronation proceedings to be shown in the Dominion. The film, a Fox Movietone newsreel, portrays the wonderful spectacle of the Empire's greatest pageant. The scenes along the route and in the Abbey are extraordinary, and one responds to the unbounded enthusiasm of the massed crowds that saw the King and Queen go by. Indeed, those who see the picture • see a great deal more than many of those who were on the spot. Another timely "scoop" on the programme is a glimpse of. the King and Queen and the two Princesses in their grounds, where the Royal Family poses for the cameraman. The other featured picture is "Girl in a Million," the season for which.is extended. It stars Sonja Henie, the world's champion ice skater, who shows she can act as well as skate. Adolphe Menjou and Jean Hersholt are also featured. Entertaining supports complete the programme. DE LUXE THEATRE. Jean Arthur, fast becoming the favourite woman star of the film companies, and George Brent appear together in the unusual "More Than a Secretary" which heads the doublefeature programme at the De Luxe Theatre this week. Supporting parts are filled by Douglas Dumbrille, Ruth Donnelly, Reginald Denny. and Dorothea Kent. . The second film on the bill is "Conflict," from the Jack London story, "The Abysmal Brute." The picture, acted out by John Wayne, Jean Rogers, and Eddie Borden, is colourful, exciting, and romanac. There are also specially-chosen short subjects, including the latest newsreels. , ... .. A- sprightly romantic comedy, Universal's "When Love Is Young," comes ■to the De Luxe Theatre on Friday next, featuring Virginia Bruce, Kent Taylor, and Walter Brennan. The picture blends the pathos of a deeply human experience with the brilliance of Broadway's laughter and _ song. The associate feature will be the mystery thriller. "The Man Who Lived Twice." starring Ralph Bellamy and Marian Marsh. STATE THEATRE. The'perilous*\vork of the United States Coast Guard, on ice patrol and on rescue duty in heavy seas, is graphically depicted in "Sea Devils," starring Victor McLaglen, Ida Lupino, and Preston Foster, which is now showing at the State Theatre. The film js noteworthy, largely on account of the excellent marine scenes and-convincing storm sequences, and also for the easy continuity ol the plot, which' combines a welcome ■ amount- of humour with plonty. of .romance and drama. McLaglen has a role after his own heart, that of a hard-bitten, hard-drinking officer in the Coast Guard, who determines, in- his blunt and stubborn manner, to see that his daughter marries a man who'will not have the same faults as himself What happens when the girl falls'in love with a happy-go-lucky sailor can easily be imagined. Included among the supporting items are nev/s----reelSy a travelogue, and • a natural history-feature. REX THEATRE. San .Antonio, Texas, 'site of the Alamo, where a vivid page of Amen-, can history was written. Sees the clock; turned back to 1865 in. the adaptation, of.a Zane Gr6y story, "West of the Pccos," starting Richard Dix, which is showing at1 the Rex Theatre. Early sequences of this exciting picture' are laid in the Sail Antonio "of the -period immediately following the Civil War. A mother's battle to save from destruction a family that is "builded upon sand," is the thematic thread in R.K.O.Radio's "Strangers All," which is also on the bill. May Robson and Preston Foster head the cast, which includes William Bakewell, Florine McKinney, James Bush, Susan Kaaren, Samuel Hinds, Clifford Jones, and Leon Ames. ROXY THEATRE. With Charles Quigley in the breezy character of a go-getting young reporter and-Rosalind Keith-as a charming but.spirited secretary--to a grand opera'star,' Cblumbia's; new comedy-' drama, "Find the Witness,'" is showing at the Roxy Theatre. The picture is a swift-moving one with a cast of such high capabilities that the featured roles are lent well-rounded ~and' balanced support;, "Three *>. Married Men," the supporting film, featuring Roscoe Karns, William Frawley,,Lynne Overman, and Mary Brian, provides rapid-fire laughs. . The story concerns the events before and after the'marriage 6f Karns: a'M*Miss Brian,'members of two families who are not on speaking terms. , -;.; . v v .;-,■■. .;■ ■■'-■ "■'■■pßiNtESS'''theatre: ":: ;• A novelty in musical pictures with a hilariously funny story as a thread on which the wood's' foremost coloratura soprano strings her pearls of song, is offered to picturegoers in '"The Girl from Paris," which heads the bill. at. the Princess Theatre, with a star cast—Lily Pons, Jack Oakie, and Gene Raymond. The associate attraction, "Sensation," starring John Lodge, is the inside story of a murder hunt;—, Fleet Street versus Scotland Yard, with a ruthless newspaper. reporter expos; ing "a defenceless woman's most precious secrets to provide front-page^news for a sensation-loving public. Other leading players are Diana Churchill. Margaret Vyner, and Jerry yerns. tIILBIRNIE KINEMA. i "It's Love Again" and "Rangle River" conclude tonight at the Kilbirnie Kinema. "East Meets West," starring George Arliss, which comes to the yKilbirme Kinema tomorrow, is melodrama of a robust nature s with Arliss , giving a characteristic performance as a crafty Sultan who replenishes his exchequer by deft diplomacy involving Great Britain and an Eastern Power. The picture is a rich offering for all lovers of spectacle and drama. "Fire Over England," from A. E. Mason's celebrated novel depicting that romantic period of history preceding the defeat of the Spanish Armada, will be the other feature. Supporting Flora Robson, as Elizabeth, in this magnificent production are Leslie Banks, Laurence Olivier. Vivien Leigh, and Raymond Massey, together with a cast of thousands.. ! ; -..;■: '; OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. The story of "Banjo on My Knee," the 20th Century-Fox picture which is the main attraction showing at Our Theatre tonight, is set in the locale of Tobacco Road and offers something entirely different in screen-plot construction, with its drama of • the shantybooters on the lower Mississippi TUvtirV. Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea* are co-starred in the leading roles atid: a strong supporting cast includes Helen Westley, Walter Catlett, and Buddy; Ebsen. "Blue Smoke." an open-air comedy-drama of gypsies and boxing, starring Tamara Desni, is the second attraction. STATE THEATRE, PETONE. An impressive array ot screen favourites supports Bobby Breen in "Rainbow on the River," which is showing at the State Theatre, Petone. The boy singer heads a stellar group that includes May Robson, grand old lady of the theatre; Charles But* terworth, popular deadpan comedian; Louise Beavers, noted coloured actress; Benita Hume, beautiful English stage and screen star; Alan Mqwbray. polished' English' actor; Henry-.: O'Neilil; Marilyn Knowlden/and Lillian; Yarbo> .■ /''': GRAND -THEATRE, !i;; •-. "Show Boat," with the memorapie romance and drama of Edna Ferber's novel and the lingering melody and rhythm of Jerome Kern's music, Is showing at the Grand Theatre tonight, Irene.Dunne, the,star, and Allan Jones. capture the imagination in the romantic singing roles. Charles Winninger Helen Westley, Helen Morgan, "and Paul Robeson are prominent in the magnificent supjjortinit cast.

TIVOLI XHEAXKE. "Anthony Adverse," Warner Bros.' masterpiece based on the vivid story of Hervey Allen's monumental literary classic, is screening.,, at' the Tivoli Theatre. The picture ■. follows tha romantic adventures of Anthony Adverse through five countries, across the seas, and over three continents. For mammoth sets, for colourful and picturesque backgrounds, for, dynamic action, for the unusual characterisation of ■ its tremendous ca'sjf.'fr.om Fredric March,' tile', star, down ,to the smallest bit player," for the,glamour- of its romance, its human' interest, and sheer, unadulterated ehte'rtainment, this picture is unsurpassed^ 'Iti has a tremendous cast, with 98';sbeaking parts, and 2500 bit players and extras. But all this, while full of colour, is but the background for a drama of human lite, its loves and hates, its hopes and its disappointments; its desires, and passions; its vain and futile struttings, and its vast achievements. Fredric March is ably supported by Olivid de Havilland, who has her first great emotional role. 'Others in the cast \Wclude Edmund Gwenn, Anita: Louise, Claude Rains, and Louis Hayward. Selected short subjects are being shown from 7 p.m. to B.la p.m. RIVOLI THEATRE. For the first time the rugged, twofisted Clark Gable of old and lovely Jeanette Mac Donald, with the voice that thrills, are brought together,- with Spencer Tracy sharing stellar, honours, in "San Francisco," the main feature at the Rivoli Theatre. "San Francisco' has drama, love interest, comedy, ana spectacle. The story is "■ the story of the Barbary Coast of thirty years ago, , opening on New Year s Eve, 1906, and continuing through one of the most disastrous dramas of the • century, the San Francisco earthquake and fire. A dilemma faced by a woman—gaol on the . one hand, or dishonour in the eyes of two children whom she adopted and brought up as her own on the otheris the basis Of the tensely dramatic and gripping Paramount motion, picture, "Valiant is the Word for Carrie," which is also showing, introducing Gladys George, famous stage actress, to the screen. PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. "Laburnum Grove," adapted from J. B. Priestley's comedy success, and starring Edmund Gwenn, Sir Cednc Hardwicke and Victoria Hopper, is screening at the Palace Theatre,1 Petone. Dick Foran, the singmg' cowboy, has the main role in the associate feature, "Moonlight on the Prairie,' a new type of Western drama. Snort subjects are screened from 7.30 to is i p.m. SEASIDE THEATRE, LYALL BAY. , "Alibi for Murder," Columbia's murder mystery, opens tonight at the Seaside Theatre with William Gargan, Marguerite Churchill, and Gene Morgan in the' leading roles. The film deals with'a murder case, m which I all suspects have an airtight alibi. The I second attraction is "Aren't Men Beasts?': taken from the successful 'stage farfce and featuring Robertson Hare and 'Alfred Drayton. There will be selected featurettes from 7.30 p.m.