CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 137, 7 December 1938, Page 10

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENI IHEATKE. More vivacious and likeable than ever. Deanna Due-bin scores another bit in her latest picture, "That Certain Age," which is still drawing large audiences to the Regent Theatre. "As the daughter of a wealthy newspaper proprietor, Deanna embarks upon a troubled romance when, although regarded by everyone as a child, she makes an unwilling hero of a returned war correspondent, a part admirably played by Melvyn Douglas. Jackie Cooper, as . her boy,friend of her own age, is ruthlessly rejected in favour of the sophisticated Douglas, and the climax of the picture is provided by the efforts of Deanna's parents and Douglas himself to talk Deanna out of her infatuation. Action, sparkling comedy, and music are about equally blended in ihis bright picture, which teems with memorable incidents. There is a ghost scene which is far better than the average and other well-produced interludes are those in which the unsuccessful suitor talks with his mystified rival. Altogether it \ is a picture than can truthfully be said to suit all tastes. Included in a strong supporting programme is an illuminating review of Britain's troubles in Palestine, and a NeW Zealand "movielogue" full of interesting glimpses of the Dominion. , MAJESTIC THEATRE. Everyone who knows "More Than Somewhat," which swept all London into its engaging net a year or so ago, and "Furthermore," which followed it. will appreciate the fact that when Damon Runyon writes a story it is not . like other stories. And Warner Bros.First National have had the happy idea Qf letting him take the gangsters and "dolls" and "citizens" of whom he has made such successful use and'put them into a movie. The result is "A Slight Case of Murder," which' is showing at the Majestic Theatre. The title itself is evidence of his system of under-statement, for the slight case of murder involves four bodies in one room. But the point is that they are found by a one-time racketeer, who ~ has grown respectable since Prohibition (with disastrous effects to his business), but whose record is still not what it might be. The facts that the bank' is threatening to take over his brewery, that his daughter is engaged to a young man who has just become a policeman, that there is the loot of a big robbery hidden ,in the house and a gunman lurking about in the effort to escape with it are woven into an ingenious story, full of surprises, replete with laughs. ST. JAMES THEATRE. An intensely emotional and gripping drama heads the bill at the St. James Theatre this week. This is "Wives Under Suspicion" starring Gail Patrick and Warren William. Warren William plays the part of a district attorney whose entire energies are devoted to securing convictions of those unlucky enough to fall foul of the law Although really a good fellow at heart, he becomes, through his calling, almost dehumanised, and it is small wonder that his wife's love for him begins to fade. Suspicious of everything and everybody, he finally finds his wife preparing, as he believes, to dally with the affections of another main. A chain of circumstances lends colour to his belief, and so blind is his fury that he reaches to the verge of murder. But when he finds that his suspicions were groundless, he becomes a changed man. A special short feature on the programme is "A Nation Grows." This is a review of New Zealand's world-famous Plunket system, and is a delightful and intimate picture of the nurses at work. In "Going Places" the manufacture of rubber is interestingly pictured, as.is also the catching of seals for circus purposes. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. Setting a new standard in. good, straight comedy, the Australian picture,- "Dad and Dave Come to Town," is now in its fourth week at the Paramount Theatre. With, the veteran Bert Bailey as Dad and Fred McDonald as Dave, and a first-class cast backing this inimitable pair up, the picture makes history in the field of entertainment and is a credit to the country which produced and the characters which inspired it. From the farm and Dave's fantastic inventions to the polished surroundings of the gown salon the story proceeds in a credible and nicely-balanced manner, with one humorous situation crowding on another, and with clever dialogue to match. The laughs start from the opening of the story, when Dad falls, foul of Dave's and Joe's1 fox trap, and from then on the antics of the pair, particularly when they are being educated into the ways of the city and what the well-dressed salon proprietors should wear, are irresistibly funny. NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. Blending all the romance, fun, and heartache of two young people in Itfye, •yniversal's new drama that gains power from the simplicity of its theme, "Youth Takes a Fling," is showing at the New. Princess Theatre. Joel McCrea and Andrea Leeds register the best performances of their careers in the picture. McCrea is a Kansas farm youth fired with an ambition to go to sea and Miss Leeds is a department store salesgirl whose one hope is some day to wear one of the wedding gowns she sells. The associate feature is United Artists' "52nd Street," a gay musical romance, starring Leo Carrillo, Pat Paterson, and a large cast. KELBIRNIE KINEMA. Columbia's little child star; Edith Fellowes, proves the surprise of the year as a result of her singing role in "Little Miss Roughneck," which is showing at the Kilbirnie Kinema. The youngster's voice ..is unbelievable. She sings difficult operatic arias with the ease-and poise of an established prima 1 donna, and turns in a splendid allround performance. Blazing new, trails to new thrills from Arizona's hills, "Hawaiian Buckaroo," is the associate film. Smith Ballew, popular; singing cowboys, stars in the title role. Used in a Western for the first time, the exotic setting of the paradise isle of the Pacific is splendid for the vivid action of the story and the romantic singing of Ballew. REGAL THEATRE, KARORI. Errol Flynn, that handsome young Irish actor who leaped to fame overnight in "Captain Blood," is the star of the modern comedy-drama, "The Perfect Specimen," which is showing at the Regal Theatre. The story deals with an eccentric old lady possessed of many millions who has an ambition to see her grandson raised as an altogether perfect young man, and who for that reason supplies him with an abundance of tutors but keeps him confined to the limits of the family's vast estate. .. A young village girl—Joan Blondell—manages to break into the virtual prison and meet the young man. She succeeds in getting him outside of his bounds, and he begins to; understand and. love the world without. EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. •/ Acclaimed by critics on both sides of the Atlantic for her superb artistry in both dra.natic and comedy roles, Danielle Darrieux. radiant idol of the European screen, makes her American debut in "The Rage of Paris,", Universal comedy romance, which, is showing at the Empire Theatre. The gay story creates a brand-new formula for romantic adventure films. Universal s "Air Devils," a dramatic thriller of love battle royal, adventure, and comedy on a South Sea island, is. the associate film. Larry Blake, Dick Purcell, Beryl Wallace, and Mamo Clark have the featured roles.

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

KING'S THEATRE. Superb photography, part in sepia toning, permits Sonja Henie to be seen to good advantage in "My Lucky Star," which is showing at the King's Theatre. Sonja has a new role as a young American girl of Scandinavian parentage who works in a big city store. The dissolute young son of the managing director, played by Cesar Romero, has a brain-wave, and sends Sonja to a big university "under instructions to wear as many of the firm's magnificent winter clothes on as many different occasions as possible. The job is no sinecure, for many feminine hearts are seized with jealously when the pretty blonde skater appears on the college campus in a different outfit four times a day. One consolation, which makes up for this, is that the most attractive J young man in the college, played by Richard Green, has been captivated by : Sonja, and stands by her in all her difficulties. Everything leads up to the great college ice carnival, at which Sonja takes all honours. Supports include an unusually good travelogue dealing' with California and topical newsreels. PLAZA THEATRE. Since' the days when ue and Ralph Lynn and Robertson Hare gave to'talking films much of its best comedy, Torn Walls has , passed through various phases, losing, it must be. confessed, a little of his popularity. But he deserves to regain it by his latest show, "Strange Boarders," which is showing at the Plaza Theatre. .As a Secret Service worker compelled on his wedding 'night to track down a gang of spies, Walls gives one of his v best performances in recent years, scoring with Renee, Saint Cyr, the amusing. French actress, in amusing situations and intriguing drama. Twists of the plot lead Walls to: a Bayswater boardinghouse, apparently a typical place used by retired army men and so on; but m reality the scene of operations of the dangerous gang stealing Air Force secrets There is plenty of comedy as Walls ferrets out the secrets of the gang and tense drama when he becomes caught in its machinations. Good shorts complete a programme of unusual, merit and excellence.. DE LUXE THEATRE. A fast-moving newspaper story in the American style is "Personal Secretary," which is screening at the De Luxe • Theatre. Bound up with the newspaper angle is a domestic tragedy from, which arises an amusing feud between the two persons responsible for the publicity given to new developments in the case. Universal have taken a story with real possibilities and produced a picture that is good enter-, tainment throughout. There are tense moments, particularly during the Court scenes and: when the murderer is caught, but there is as much humour as anything else in the picture. William Gargan plays a typical role as the wise-cracking, keen newspaper man, and Joy Hodges is an admirable foil as a girl columnist. The associate feature is "The Man Who Changed His Mind," with Boris Karloff as a brilliant brain specialist who finds the secret of transplanting the mind pf one man to the body of another, with amazing results. ■ ..■■;. STATE .THEATRE. <■ V Lying-in the harbour of New York, famous Ellis Island, the immigration station, has been the portal for many years to thousands of people seeking a new land and new. lives. In "Gateway," 20th; Century-Fox's latest production^ which is showing at the State Theatre, it; provides the scene for a drama of enthralling ' interest. The story opens on a trans-Atlantic liner which is on her way to New York. Don Ameche, a weary war correspondent, meets a bright Irish colleen, Arleen Whelan, and promptly falls in love with her only to find his hopes dashed when she tells him she is going to America to marry her fiance. Becoming involved in an affair with a foolish politician on board the ship. Miss Whelan is prevented from landing in New York and is put on Ellis Island where an inquiry into her case is held. Here Ameche sees how indifferent Miss Whelan's fiance is, but his; efforts to prevent her escaping from the island with a gangster to meet her fiance are unsuccessful until he organises a general riotV to give the alarm. TUDOR THEATRE. Presenting a dazzling array of stars and a variety of talent, "The Gqldwyn Follies," \ the glorious technicolour musical extravaganza which marks the first entertainment in Goldwyri's 25 years of picture-making to carry the producer's name, is showing at the Tudor Theatre. The musical, which i also marks the producer's swing to the colour standard, has been produced on a scale more lavish than anything the screen has ever known. "The Challenge" a stirring drama of the Alps, starring. Luis Trenker, Robert Douglas, and Joan Gardener, is the associate film. REX THEATRE. "Murder by an Aristocrat," a First National mystery drama, based on one of the most popular of Migno'n E. I Eberhart's baffling murder stories, is showing at, the Rex Theatre, with Lyle Talbot Marguerite Churchill, and Claire Dodd in the leading roles. The plot centres about the deaths of two, members of the proud and aristocratic Thatcher family. "The Big Noise/ the associate film, is a romantic comedy drama filled with i thrilling episodes and hilarious laughter. The cast includes Guy Kibbee, Warren Hull, Dick Foran, Marie Wilson, Henry O'Neill, Olin Howland, Virginia Brissac. and William Davidson. ROXY THEATRE. The Republic production, ""Call of the Yukon," adapted from James Oliver Curwood's popular novel, "Swift Lightning," which is showing at the Roxy. Theatre, is a thrilling epic of;; the frozen north. Woven into the narrative are many delightful incidents ; depicting the mateship between a colile and a savage halfwolf, half-Alsatian dog. Richard Arlen as the trapper and Beverly Roberts as the novelist are excellent in the mam roles! Ralph Reader and Gina Malo play the leading rodes in the,,supporting feature, "The Gang Show," Herbert Wilcox's delightfully different film of the attempts of a "gang" of talented youngsters to stage a revue. OUR THEATRE, NEWTOWN. "The, Great Impersonation," the greatest of all the romantic mysteries ever written by E. Phillips Oppenheim, heads the double-feature programme shewing... at Our .Theatre .at reduced j prices. Edmund Lowe plays a dual role in this exciting story of international intrigue and love, and opposite him are beautiful Valeric Hobson and Vera Engels, the lovely women in his life who finally pierce through the secret of "The Great Impersonation" and bring it to a grand conclusion. "Sweet Surrender," starring Frank Parker and Helen Lynd, is the second attractio^. CAPITOL THEATRE, MIR AM Alt. There are not many people as funny as Joe E. Brown can be when he puts his mind to it. And he really concentrates in his latest picture, Columbia's "Wide Open Faces," .which,-is showing at the Capitol Theatre. Haunting new tunes, unusual river settings, enthralling story, big dance ensembles, five leading men, and a new Jessie Matthews are the ingredients of "Sailing Along." the second attraction. Sonnie Hale was responsible for the direction of this film, which shows Jessie Matthews as the adopted daughter of a bargee who plies his way up and down the Thames.

OPERA HOUSE. A double-feature programme of more than usual interest and entertainment is the offering at the Opera House. "Springtime in the Rockies," the associate feature to the main film, "Sing Me a Love Song," is anew release in New Zealand. Gene Autry, the world-famous singing cowboy, with the assistance of sundry guitars, laces an action story with tuneful numbers, and finds the girl he is looking for when a party of girl graduates from a cattle college go west to the ranch managed by Gene and owned by one pf the party. "Sing Me a Love Song" has its full quota of catchy songs, all I sung by James Melton. Melton is a young man who falls heir to a large department store, and when the business is heading for the rocks is per- j suaded to take an active interest. He decides to start from the bottom and joins the music department, which provides a natural outlet for his rich tenor. There he meets Patricia Ellis, a pretty blonde. Finally he casts off his mask—he is working under an assumed name—and averts a financial catastrophe. PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. Sketched in bold strokes against a colourful background where the desert meets.the sea, "Border G-Man," RKORadio s outdoor drama, which is showing at the Palace Theatre, casts George O'Brien in the type of fast action role that made him a universal favourite. As a Federal agent, O'Brien receives a dangerous assignment to track down a gang of smugglers shipping arms, munitions, men, and horses to a foreign nation in violation of America's neutrality laws. The second attraction, "Variety Parade," is a musical and comedy show of screen, stage, and radio stars. GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. Wallace Beery, who has played everything from a Mexican bandit to a wild animal trainer during his versatile acting career, now comes to the screen as the owner and barkeeper of the Marseilles waterfront cafe in "Port of Seven Seas," which is showing at the Grand Theatre, Petone. Frank Morgan, Maureen O'Sullivan, John Beal, and Jessie Ralph: also" have roles in the picturesque new drama., STATE THEATRE, PETONE. Nelson Eddy and Eleanor Powell are. co-starred for the first time in the lavish musical "Rosalie," which is showing at the State Theatre. Nelson Eddy and Eleanor Powell supply the romantic interest in this tuneful melange, which varies in locale between a football game, a military college, a transatlantic aeroplane, and the colourful, mythical kingdom of "Romanta." The pairing of Eddy and Miss Powell was a happy idea. BROOKLYN THEATRE. The late Warner "Gland, supported by Keye Luke and Joan Marsh, is featured in "Chan on Broadway," which will be shown tonight at the Brooklyn Theatre. The strangest case that ever-shook a hall of justice is depicted in "One Mile From Heaven," the second film, with Claire Trevor, Sally Blanc, and Douglas Fowley. MASSED BANDS. Next Sunday afternoon at the Basin Reserve eight bands will take part in a massed display under the auspices of the City Council. Last summer these fixtures attracted very large attendances, and the public showed much enthusiasm, the thrilling music and the brilliant spectacle providing delightful entertainment. The brass bands will march from the Gas Company's corner, Courtenay Place, at 2.45 p.m., the Regimental Pipe and Drum Band from the corner of Cuba and Vivian Streets, and the Caledonian Society's Band from John Street, at 2.30 p.m. Upon arrival at the Basin Reserve various evolutions will be performed and an excellent programme of music will be played by the massed bands as well as a march by each unit. MUSICAL RECIPROCITY. ' Musical reciprocity between Wellington and Auckland, which was discussed in the city at a conference as far back as April, 1912, between the late Sir Henry Brett and the committee of the Royal Wellington Choral Society, will be an acknowledged fact at the Town Hall on Saturday evening next. Mr. Colin Muston, • who will be the guest conductor at the performance of "The Messiah" to be given by the combined Wellington and Auckland , Choral Societies, arrived today. He will have a well-trained chorus and orchestra of 450 performers under his direction. Incidentally, this performance will mark the twenty-first occasion upon which Mr. Muston has conducted Handel's masterpiece in the Dominion. Mr. Muston intends to leave no stone unturned to make Saturday's performance an outstanding event in this city. Tomorrow - ; night he will have a rehearsal for chorus only at St. John's Schoolroom, and on Friday for orchestra and principals as well as a short rehearsal on Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Town Hall. The soloists are Misses Myra Sawyer. Molly Atkinson, Messrs. Joseph Battersby, and Russell Laurenson. The box plan is at the D.I.C. "MODERN PALESTINE." A public lecture on the subject of "Modern Palestine" will be delivered at the Regent Theatre on Sunday next, at 8 p.m., by Dr. Benzibri Shein, of Jerusalem, representative of the World Zionist Organisation. The Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop, will preside, and the Hon. P. Fraser, Minister, of Education, will also address the audience. Illustrating the lecture, Dr..Shein will prejsent a full-length talking film, entitled "Land of Promise," depicting Jewish achievements in Palestine. SUNDAY PICTURES. At the De Luxe Theatre on Sunday evening next the Port Nicholson Band will present the circus romance "The Three Maxims," with three great stars, Anna Neagle, Tullio Carminati, and Leslie Banks. "The Three Maxims" is a film which runs the whole gamut of emotions , from the boisterous lightheartedness of the early circus scenes to the tensely-dramatic climax. i