PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 21749, 18 June 1934, Page 3

PICTURE THEATRES

STATE The popularity of such light-hearted musical comedies of the type of 1 Flying Down To Rio ’ is appreciated by the majority of picturegoers, and this is seen at the State Theatre, where this film is proving .very acceptable fare. First, the story starts out with handsome Gene Raymond, darting about the country in a “ flying piano ” seeking secluded spots to compose harmony for his band. Then he takes his outfit, by air, to beautiful Rio do Janeiro, where he is scheduled to open up a new hotel with a big musical show. He falls in love with the owner’s daughter, Dolores Del Rio, and a rivalry for her hand is begun betweeu himself and handsome Raul Roulien, a native Brazilian. They engage in a musical duel, American melodies vieing with native ones for a supremacy, while tango dancers go quite mad with their convolutions. Such music'you’ve never heard, and such instruments you’ve_ never seen — the marimbola, upon which the player sits while he plays, the violao, the eavaquinho, and the cholcalho. Finally, the villains attempt to break up the romance by getting out an injunction preventing Raymond from putting on his show. When this threatens to break the heroine’s father, Raymond saves the day by taking his 200 beauties and his band aloft, where they stage the first aerial musical show in the history of the world, while lie adds to his triumph by marrying the heroine. GRAND The first feature-length New Zealand film, ‘ Romantic. New Zealand,’ which is now being screened at the Grand Theatre, is drawing the attention of all interested in their own country. The film, which was produced by Filmcraft Ltd., in co-operation with Truecolour Films Ltd. and the New Zealand Government Tourist aud Publicity Department, is one deserving of the heartiest patronage. It offers educational possibilities which are not to be ignored. In the opening scenes the life of the Maori is pictured as it was lived many years before the white man came to these shores, and from time to time the picturesque Native appears again, and his methods of cooking, playing, and fighting arc graphically described. The picture goes on to describe the discovery of New Zealand, first by the Dutch sailors and later by Captain Cook, and some of the oldest buildings in the country—those at the Bay of Islands- —are shown, as is the site of the signing of_ the Treaty of Waitangi. Modern New Zealand is next the subject of treatment, and the audience is transported by air over Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and Christchurch. In the first city the harbour, which permits huge liners being berthed at the end of the main street, is the main subject of interest, while Wellington’s charming seaside suburbs, Dunedin’s stately architecture, and the beauty of Christchurch’s willow-bordered Avon are the main features of the other cities. fiCTAGON Jack Holt, who is undoubtedly one of the. most popular of all the screen’s “ he-men ” stars, lias a typical role in ‘ Master of Men,’ at the Octagon Theatre. This star has made his mark with such virile films as ‘ Dirigible,’ ‘ Submarine,’ ‘ Flight,’ ‘ When Strangers Marry,’ ‘ The Woman ! Stole,’ ‘ A Dangerous Adventure,’ ‘ Maker of Men.’ and many others. In ‘ Master of Men ’ he has the same fighting, powerful portrayal to his credit, with similar romantic' interest. Fay Wray, seen also in ‘ The Woman I Stole ’ aud others, lias the feihinino lead. On a previous occasion Holt was a building wrecker. This time the setting is a steel factory. The proud woman is the daughter of the manager (played by the unbiquitous Fay Wray), Holt’s part is that of a rugged workman, who rises (apparently in a few weeks) from the position of foreman to control of the company. In the course of his meteoric career he invades Wall Street, a situation which gives him an opportunity of quivering and fulminating more energetically than ever. “ Must dog always eat dog?” asks the tender-hearted heroine, who is shocked by Holt’s ruthless methods of wiping out his competitors. “ That’s the way it is down_ town.” replies Holt, thrusting out his lower lip. But he does not have it all his own Way. The momentous date—October 28, 1929—is flashed on the screen; and by this time all picturegoers know what that means. The collapse on the New York Stock -Exchange sweeps Holt and others off the financial scene; but there is a fairy godfather (played by Walter Connolly) to save him from complete disaster. ‘ Master of Mon ‘ is a Columbia picture. First-class supports precede this picture. EMPIRE James Dunn, Lilian Roth, and June Knight are the principal players in the new musical film, 1 Take a Chance,’ which is proving popular fare at the Empire Theatre. The story concerns •four carnival entertainers who win fame and fortune on Broadway after many hectic adventures, which carry them through a multitude of laughs for the audience. There are six songs featured in ‘Take a Chance,’ two of which promise to be outstanding “ bits.” These are ‘ I’m a Night Owl ’ and 1 It’s Only a Paper Moon.’ Bright music, beautiful ballet girls, spectacular dance sequences, and original comedy arc features of this production. Opening at a small town carnival, the picture follows the careers of the four irrepressible youngsters safely through the villainies of a crooked gambler and a jealous actress,, and ends with a double romance between Dunn and Lilian Roth and Charles Buddy ”) Rogers and June Knight. The story proceeds by easy stages from a sideshow tent in a small-town fair, where Duke and Louie, with the assistance of Toni (June Knight) and Wanda (Lillian Roth)-are relieving the somewhat simple townsfolk of their earnings, to the stage of a Broadway revue theatre, and its passage is enlivened by the humorous complications which the activities of the two principal comedians inevitably terminate. Wanda deserts

her companions in their circus booth and succeeds in finding a place for herself in revue, later bringing the producer of her show, Kenneth Raleigh (Rogers) to see Toni, when she is performing in a shady night club. Raleigh immediately falls in love with Toni and offers her a place in his revue, but her troubles are by no means over, for her two male companions, in their endeavours to assist her, merely succeed in raising such a series of extraordinary complications that for a space chaos reigns. Eventually, however, with the assistance of an accident on the stage, which robs the revue of some of its players and compels the faithful pair to assume unaccustomed roles with hilarious results, all is smoothed out, and a satisfactory conclusion is achieved. ST. JAMES Many of the best-known British radio, vaudeville, and gramophone artists are seen in ‘ On the Air,’ the current attraction at the St. James Theatre. The various players are introduced by means of a slight but quite adequate and well-told story. Each group of performers is presented in the course of the development of a slender but, nevertheless, adequate story. Dave Burnaby and Reginald Purdell are seen bidding farewell to their listeners and setting out on what is meant to be a quiet holiday. Their first stop is at a village inn, and the attractiveness of the proprietress proves the undoing of their holiday as intended. They are soon recognised as stars, and are persuaded to perform at a grand village concert, at which items are given by a number of otfier prominent performers. More entertainment follows at a cabaret, where Roy Fox’s band is the attraction, and at the end of tlie programme they discover much to their consternation that the items have all been put on the air. Roy Fox and his band, known to listeners all the world over, give one of the outstanding performances. The film opens with the Roy Fox Band about to give a recital at Broadcasting House, and two of the well-known players,- Dave Burnaby and Reginald Purdell, are starting on a holiday. They stay at a country inn, with Betty Astell as the obliging barmaid, and Anona Winn as the maid-servant. The feature of the first part of the programme is a film showing something of the wild life of Africa. It is claimed for this that some of the shots of wild animals are superior to anything which has ever previously been seen on the screen. The photographers have certainly done their best to merit this claim, and some of their close-up views of lions, monkeys, a huge python, alligators, and zebras are marvellous tributes to their hardihood and skill. Lions are seen at play appearently a foot or two away; a crocodile gobbles fish a few feet from the camera lens, and a python wriggles into the grass as though out from the camera itself. REGENT With ancient Romo as his playground Eddie Cantor has frequent opportunities to display his particular type of humour in ‘ Roman Scandals ’ at the Regent Theatre. Spectacle is piled on spectacle, and every luxury and refinement of the producer’s imagination and ingenuity is employed in a surfeit of superlative grandeur till .the onlooker begins to wonder whether the riches of the Cajsars knew the half of it; Through all this splendour romps the goggleeyed Eddie Cantor, ridiculous in the raiment of a Roman slave. Every time he opens his mouth the auditorium is filled with laughter—laughter which is smothered on the instant so that his next joke may not bo missed. The audience sees him being expelled from the corrupt Oklahoma town of West Rome, where, as a simple small-town lad. driving a grocer’s cart, he la is foul of tlio scheming mayor and the police captain. With this more or less prosaic introduction Cantor is seen trudging tho weary miles of the rustic countryside. As the miles pass he walks into one of the early centuries and finds himself on a Roman road m the sparse garb of the time. Encountering Roman soldiers, he fails to readjust his mental processes quickly enough to avoid their displeasure, and ere he enters the gates of the Internal City he is already a slave destined for the market, there to be sold to the highest bidder. Events move rapidly till, in consequence of a too democratic protest to the Imperial Cresar, he is cast into the torturer’s dungeon. From that stage of the picture events move hi rapid sequence, culminating in an ending that is in keeping with the spirit of this hilarious comedy. There is an entertaining programme of short subjects, STRAND Excellent acting, fascinating backgrounds, characters who are much alive, aud a plot which bubbles over with suspense combine to make ‘ Bombay Mail,’ at the Strand, one of the most gripping screen-play, mysteries seen in a long time. The story, written bv L. 0. Blochinan, who is well versed on life in teeming aud mysterious lm dia, has to do with the * Bombay Mail, a fast express train racing from Calcutta to Bombay, and the people on that train. These include a much-dis-liked and feared British colonial governor, a maharajah, an American miner with a fortune in rubies, an aide to the governor, who fears the loss of his position, a scientist with a live cobra in a suitcase,.a supposed Russian spy who is quite beautiful, the governor’s wife, aud an Eurasian; crook, to mention only a few. The governor is murdered. Inspector Dyke is called in on the case and is just on the point of solving the mystery when the maharajah is shot in the back. However, before the train reaches Bombay he has not only captured the killer, but lias been of much service to other characters aboard the express. Edmund Lowe does a fine job as Inspector Dyke. Onslow Stevens and the beautiful Shirley Grey supply the love interest. KING EDWARD Spencer Tracy and Fay Wray are'associated in the principal roles in ‘ Shanghai Madness ’ at the King Edward Theatre. In this romantic story, laid amongst tho thrills, adventure, and intrigue of society life, in Shanghai, Tracy takes the part of an impulsive young naval officer, while Fay Wray, playing opposite him, is given a part which suits her to perfection. There is an abundance of action in the production, which is set against the colourful, swiftly-changing background of the various quarters of Shanghai, the story carrying its principals through the naval station, the aristocratic clubs, and the native quarters. The adventures of the crew of a gun-running boat travelling up the Hoang Ho, passing through the hazards of battling armies, provide some of tho most exciting scenes of the production. The second film on the programme is entitled ‘ Only Yesterday,’ featuring John Boles and Margaret Sullavan.