CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 2, 4 January 1939, Page 4

CURRENT ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. "Three Loves Has Nancy," showing at the Regent Theatre, provides proof that originality of theme is not an essential factor in the production of a good box ' offic attraction. The heroine of the story is Nancy Briggs, a country girl blissfully ignorant of city life. After a wedding scene, when the bridegroom failed to attend, Nancy sets out for New York, where she becomes a kind of comDinuu ii_u~_K--pei and u'»_nu-ui need in the bachelor home of a successful author (Robert Montgomery) fhe author has been doing his best to escape a husband-hunter (Claire Dodd) and Nancy unknowingly helps him. Complications arise when the author's friend and publisher (Franchot Tone) falls in love with Nancy, It is the human interest of the story that is responsible for the picture's appeal. The supporting programme is excellent MAJESTIC THEATRE. "The Crowd Roars," starring Robert Taylor, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Frank Morgan, is continuing a deservedly successful s-ason at the Majestic Theatre. Robert Taylor is in the role*of Tommy McCoy, a New York slum boy, who, through character and perseverance, earns success and a clean reputation in the professional boxing ring. Sent down to train at tlie wealthy gambler's country home Tommy there meets a lovely girl (Maureen O'Sullivan) who turns out to be the gambler's daughter whom he has carefully kept in lgno-a.ice of his real business. Frank Morgan gives a fine character study as the ne'er-do-well drunken father of the young boxer. The programme includes two newsreels and "Jaipur, the Pink City." is one of the best Fitzpatrick traveltalks. ,Other Entertainments appear on page 16. ST. JAMES THEATRE. "Service De Luxe," now showing at St. James Theatre, is a fine holiday pick-me-up. The Madison Service in New York does everything for its clients from tying a dress tie to buying steam rollers, and supplies working minds for those not possessed of them. Lost necklaces, decamped flappers, mislaid passports, and a host of other annoyances ar dealt with expeditiously and satisfactorily, but it is not until a young man from the country arrives witn plans for a three-way tractor that things start to move. He appears to be' the one male out of captivity with a mind of his own, but when he meets and falls an love with the senior Madison partrer (Constance Bennett) he is unconsciously drawn into the clutches oi __.the service. Constance Bennett, as the supreme dispenser of service, gives wnat is prboably her brightest comedy role to date. A good supporting programme includes a New Zealand Tourist and Publicity Department film on the Dominion's clothing industries. PARAMOUNT THEATRE. "Every Night at Eight" at the Paramount is a bright musical production disguised as a comedy of life. When three girls' are caught satirising the autocratic boss in a big commercial office, they turn to the entertainment field for a living. They progress into, 'big money as a national attraction over the'air. Alice Faye, vivacious tuneful blonde; Patsy Kelly mordant humorist; and Prances Langford soulful soloist, are the three girls and it is George, Taft's band. The other feature is a thriller presenting Charles Laughton in a difficult role, that of a husband whose mind is gradually becoming unhinged through jealousy of his wife. Gary Cooper is the lieutenant who, in the endeavour to ease life for the wife, precipitates the inevitable tragedy Pop-eye as a window cleaner on a multi-storey building, and other supports complete the programme. Last night, as will be the case during the currency of the programme, a baby was given away to a member of the audience. REX THEATRE. "Secret Agent," starring M*adeleine Carroll, Peter Lorre, John Gielgud, and Robert Young, is at the Rex Theatre. It is a successor to the famous Hitchcock thriller, "The 39 Steps." Secret Agent," an adaptation of Somerset Maugham's "Ashenden," is the story of a secret serviceman who sets out to thwart a German spy during the Great War. In "The Border Patrolman," George O'Brien appears as a member of the hard-riding, hardfighting organisation of the Government force that guards the international boundary between the United States and Mexico. ROXY THEATRE. Proclaimed as the greatest motion Picture ever made of an undersea boat, Submarine D.l" heads the programme at the Roxy Theatre. The story was written by Commander Frank Wead, U.S.N., the author of "Ceiling Zero,' 1 Pat O'Brien and Wayne Morris play a couple of young submarine crewmen who have developed two great inventions—a device to shoot men safely to the ocean's surface i^ a ship is sunk, and another device to raise the U-boat itself. The DI is sunk during some manoeuvres, and the boys are successful in saving the whole crew. The supporting film is "Vivacious Lady," with Ginger Rogers in the lead. TUDOR THEATRE. "The Return of Jimmy Valentine," featuring Roger Pryor, Charlotte Henry, and Robert Warwick, which is the chief attraction at, the Tudor Theatre, is one' of the most gripping th.-illers of the underworld to come to the screen for some time. In addition, featured oa the same programme, is Gene Stratton -'orter's "Romance of the Limber -_ost," co-starring Jean Parker and Eric Linden. The two star films are in admirable balance, and in addition there are selected supports. CAPITOL THEATRE, MIRAMAR. Thrills of the racetrack form the background for a dramatic story in "Thoroughbreds Don't Cry," which is showing at the Capitol Theatre, Miramar. It introduces Ronald Sinclair, Hollywood's latest find in British boy actors. "Hopalong Cassidy Returns," another of the Harry Sherman productions based on a Clarence E. Mulford story, presents William Boyd again as the favourite Western hero. It strikes a new note by casting a woman, Evelyn Brent, as the chief villain in the plot DE LUXE, LOWER HUTT. For tonight a well-balanced programme has been selected for patrons of the De Luxe Theatre, Lower Hutt. "The Big Broadcast of 1938" has many songs and laughs. W. C. Fields, Dorothy Lamour, and Ben Blue are featured. The associate feature is "Empty Holsters," with Dick Foran, the singing cowboy, as the star. PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE. Joan Bennett, Randolph Scott, and May Robson are the stars in Paramount's dramatic thrill, "The Te'xans," at the Prince Edward Theatre, Woburn, tonight. The second feature is "Go Chase Yourself," a musical comedy hit featuring Joe Penner and Lucille Ball.

CITY AND SUBURBAN THEATRES

KING'S THEATRE. What must be regarded as the highwater mark in motion picture produc-' tion is reached in the Walt Disney animated cartoon version oi "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." which is showing in its second week at the King's Theatre. From the background of sunshine, birds, forest animals, and flowers against which the dainty figure of Snow White demurely steps, to the grey, storm-shot scenes against which the wicked queen does her tricks, the whole tale develops as a brilliant spectacle. Then there are the seven dwarfs. From the jolly old Doc, to the rubber-faced Dopey, they make an almost human appeal,- with their irrepressible joyfulness and quaint antics. They are, indeed, a tonic. Even Grumpy, in spite of his rigid dislike of females, has a way with him, and life wouldn't hold much fun for the little old men without Sneezy and his whirlwind fits of hay fever. The musical setting fits the story -perfectly. This picture is 'supported by a series of entertaining shorts, among them newsreels of more than usual interest. PLAZA THEATRE. 1 Shirley Temple-scores another great success in "Little Miss Broadway," at the Plaza Theatre. The story revolves round the adventures and misadventures of a crowd of vi.udeville artists living in a boarding-house under threat of removal. Shirley, in her own pleasant way smooths out all difficulties for her friends and for herself, in spite of the efforts of a truant officer to have her returned to the orphanage. A strong cast, including George Murphy, Jimmy Durante, and Phyllis Brooks, does full justice to the story. On the supporting programme are a "March of Time," a technicolour film entitled "The Coronation," which, is mainly • concerned with ihe pageantry and tradition of this ceremony, newsreels, and the first films ever taken of the Maginot Line. STATE THEATRE. Jane Withers returns to the screen in "Miss Fix-it," at the State Theatre. A number of films have been produced wherein a film star endeavours to stage a return to popularity, but a different note is struck in this picture, where a picture director (Henry Wilcoxon) endeavours to re-establish him. Jane Withers is cast as this director's niece, and she decides that she will visit this great man. Gloria Stuart, formerly the director's secretary, takes her under her wing. . Between them they decide to get the director back to his former position. The supporting film, "Speed to Burn," featuring Michael Whalen and Lynn Bari, is a thrilling tale of the race tracks. NEW PRINCESS THEATRE. "Second Best Bed," written by Ben Travers in his most piquant style, is showing at the Princess Theatre. Tom Walls is a desirable bachelor who so far forgets himself as to criticise the footwork of a beautiful young contestant in a tennis tournament Jane Baxter marries this cave-man, only to discover that he has ideas concerning a "wife's place in the home." His handling of the situation is marred when his wife suspects his innocent partisanship of a village girl. Hilarious complications follow, but the fact that husband and wife are truly in love leads the way to a happy ending. The associate feature is "King of the Newsboys," starring Lew Ayres, Helen Mack, and Alison Skipworth. OUR THEATRE. Chevalier and Jack Buchanan are co-starred in "Break the News," the main attraction showing at Our Theatre. Jack Buchanan appears as a chorus boy. His partner, Chevalier, and he consider that their inability to "set the Thames on fire" is due to the lack of publicity they receive. He stages a murder—of himself; goes into hiding in the South of France, and leaves his ill-fated partner to be tried for the supposed crime. His plans go awry, however, and it is only in the nick of time that he is able to save his friend from the gallows and achieve the notoriety on which he has set his heart. "Command Performance," starring Arthur Tracy, is the associate feature. KILBIRNIE KINEMA. Forced to choose for ever between the man she loves and the son she can never claim for her own. That is the situation confronting Barbara Stanwyck in "Always Goodbye," the new 20th Century-Fox hit now showing at the Kilbirnie Kinema. A combination of thrills and laughs and romance is the Warner Bros, mystery-melodrama, "The Invisible Menace," with Boris Karloff as its star. There are as many laughs as there are nerve-tingles in the movie—and Boris doesn't even wear an outlandish make-up. He plays an ordinary, middle-aged civil engineer, and there's nothing horrifying about that breed. EMPIRE THEATRE, ISLAND BAY. One of O. Henry's greatest stories, "The Badge of Policeman O'Roon," is now at the Empire Theatre, Island Bay, in Paramount's "Doctor Rhythm," a hilarious musical comedy starring Bing Crosby, Beatrice Lillie, and Mary Carlisle. Dr. Bing goes out masquerading as a policeman to help a friend in distress, and is given a life sentence by the girl he is assigned to guard. Brian Donlevy is back with his old "feuding- partner,", Victor McLaglen, in "We're Going t6 Be Rich." McLaglen and Gracie Fields are co-starred in a story about a ne'er-do-well dreamer and his music-hall songstress wife. THE NICOLA COMPANY. New features are included on the programme now being" presented by Nicola and his company at the Grand Opera House. Foremost among these is the 'much-discussed, but seldom seen, Indian rope trick. He is the only white man to have ever performed this illusion. Another outstanding feature on the programme is what Nicola claims as the absolute triumph of his many years of study with magic. Entitled "The Wizard's Dream," it takes the form of a magical playlet embodying four or five illusions which even have the professional magicians of the world baffled. Al de Clercq, the last of the Hollywood hillbillies, also gives a new and diverting act. Among the company appearing with. Nicola are Lucille Roberts, "the girl with the X-ray eyes," Miss Marion Eddings. Nicola's principal assistant, Sherry and Alf, Broadway comedians, and Dobsky, Nicola's awkward assistant, who blunders consistently through the performance. Miss Lucille Roberts, the mentalist.j will give a special matinee, for ladies only, on Tuesday next. BROOKLYN THEATRE. Two very fine features will be presented at the Brooklyn Theatre tonight, in which there will be comedy, romance, and mystery. The first feature. "Sing You Sinners," will star Fred Mac Murray, Ellen Drew, and Bing Crosby. "Bulldog Drummond in Africa," with John Howard and Heather Angel, is a mystery picture. There will be selected supports.

TIVOLI THEATRE. "The Great Garrick" is a gay comedy of the eighteenth century, starring Brian Aherne and Olivia de Havilland, at the Tivoli Theatre. While it is a costume play —the period being the 1750's and the - locale the theatres of London and Paris —it is not drama, nor is it a serious biographical sketch of David Garrick, who was at that time the world's greatest actor. In the words of Mervyn Le Roy, who produced it, "The Great Garrick" is just a whole lot of fun. David, it would seem, was a gay, rollicking fellow, as well as a great artist, and he speeds happily through a great number of adventures—especially a pleasing romance with lovely Miss de Havilland. A notable supporting cast includes Edward Everett Horton, Melville Cooper, Lionel Atwill, Luis Alberni, Henry O'Neill, Lana Turner, Fritz Leiber, and Linda Perry. The second attraction will be "Mountain Justice," with George Brent and Josephine Hutchinson in the leading parts, and from 7 o'clock each night there will be selected shorts. RIVOLI THEATRE. Bette Davis and Leslie Howard are well remembered as a team for their outstanding work in "Of Human Bondage" and "The Petrified Forest," but fine as were both of these, their clever comedy "It's Love I'm After," at the Rivoli Theatre, brings them to the screen in their finest picture. The story is an intricate tale woven around the life of a great Shakespearean actor and his leading lady who are of course Leslie and Bette Davis. At times madly in love with each other, they are also sorely beset by professional jealousies. A simple letter of introduction provides some of the greatest dramatic moments seen in "Letter of Introduction," the second film. The first occurs when Andrea Leeds takes the letter to Adolphe Menjou, screen and stage idol. For Menjou discovers that Andrea is his daughter. Through this same letter of introduction, Menjou meets Edgar Bergan and Charlie McCarthy, SEASIDE THEATRE, LYALL BAY. One of the greatest comedy casts ever assembled in Hollywood, including Alice Faye, Adolphe Menjou, Gregory Ratofr, Ted Healy, Patsy Kelly,'Michael Whalen, and the Ritz Brothers, is featured in "Sing, Baby, Sing," Twentieth Century-Fox production, at the Seaside Theatre, Lyall Bay. "Educating Father," new Fox film, featuring' The Jones Family, is also being presented. It is a happy comedy of life with an average American family. KING GEORGE THEATRE. Will Fyffe, the great new character actor, and a remarkably clever sheep dog, are the prime actors in "Owdi Bob," a simple - -id touching story told i against a background of glorious Scottish scenery. George O'Brien is a fullblooded hero in "Border G-Men."

DE LUXE THEATRE. "Rich Man, Poor Girl" is showing at the Ob Luxe Theatre Robert tfoung, a multimillionaire, makes no secret of | his affection for Ruth Hussey, his secretary, and he asks her hand in mar riage. Family pride and domestic diffi culties make Miss Hussey try to put him off. After reasoning with her, he decides to show her and her family that his intentions # are sincere. To convince them he joins the family circle, and endures all manner of petty annoyances. Still success is far distant until he plays his trump card of announcing his intention of giving all his fortune away to charity. Laugh follows laugh as the individual members of the family strive to persuade Young to retain his wealth. "The Last Express," is a thriller of intense dramatic action, starring Kent Taylor. GRAND THEATRE, PETONE. "Alcatraz Island" is the attraction now at the Grand Theatre. The story deals with a powerful racketeer, (John Litel), whose one wish, when he is imprisoned for income tax evasion,; is to rejoin his daughter, now in 'love with a district attorney - (Gordon Oliver) and his own sweetheart (Ann Sheridan). This desire is thwarted time and again by a former mob-man seeking revenge. STATE THEATRE, PETONE. "That Certain Age," Qeanna Durbin's latest starring production. is at the State Theatre. The picture is the fourth to come from this remarkable singing youngster who has made screen history ever since she first appeared in "Three Smart Girls' some two years ago. Cast in a supporting role in "Three Smart Girls, the production, was hardly started before Universal studios realised they were in possession of a wonder child PALACE THEATRE, PETONE. George O'Brien has another twofisted role in "Painted Desert," which is now showing at the Palace Theatre. Fist fights, gun battles, hardriding, and some of the most spectacular sequences fiver filmed are woven into the fabric of this exciting picture. Laraine Johnson has the feminine lead. "Talent Scout" tells of what goes on behind the making of piqtures and stars Donald Woods, Jeanne Madden, and Fred Lawrence. REGAL' THEATRE, KARORI. . Universal's latest Crime Club mystery production, "Danger on the Air," is showing at the Regal Theatre, Karori Gripping drama and eerie mystery scenes are given a most unusual setting, in the interior of a great national broadcasting headquarters, where the intricate plot is developed to its amazing finish. In Universal's , romantic comedy drama, "Carnival : Queen," Dorothea Kent portrays the heroine who takes personal charge of her carnival and wages a fight to the finish with the thieves. N