PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 21753, 22 June 1934, Page 14

PICTURE THEATRES

STATE Warner Baxter, exceeding even his triumphs in ‘ Penthouse,’ 1 Paddy/ and ‘ 42nd Street/ is seen in a Pox Film s latest release, ‘As Husbands Go/ which commenced at the State to-day. The film is taken from Rachel Crothers’s successful Broadway play. Miss Crothers, who has given u ‘ Let Us Be Gay’ and ‘When Ladies Meet, has again written , a play that is human, real, .and enjoyable. Ihe picture is described as a romance tor women that men will like ft deals with the wife who is undecided whether or not she should give up a devoted husband for what at the moment appears to be a glamorous, new romance. While on a pleasure jaunt in I ans she becomes infatuated with a young Lnglishman. Before departing tor home she promises to divorce her husband so that she may be free to marry him. At.homo her husband’s charming manners and devotedness prove too much of an obstacle for her to overcome. Ihe young Englishman’s arrival makes the situation more embarrassing. Discovering that the young man is the one his wife loves, the husband proceeds to discover what type of man he is. A strong friendship is formed between the two, and the young man s admiration for the husband becomes so great that ho decides to depart and leave well enough alone. Ihe wife lealising her great mistake, tries to confess to her husband, but he sympathetically suggests he understands, and refuses to let s her tell, as they find a new happiness together. Warner Baxter, in the leading male role, gives an even better performance than he did m his last three pictures, while Helen Vinson, who plays opposite Baxter makes a charming heroine, and other members of the cast who acquit themselves with distinction are Warner Gland, Catharine Doucet, G. P. Huntley, jun., blank, O’Connor, Eleanor Lynn, and Jay Ward, The supporting programme is an attractive one, and includes all the latest gazettes and topical films deahn„ with world events. EMPIRE The principal trio of the screen adaption of Paul Osborn s play, The Vinegar Tree/ ‘Should Ladies Behave I’’, which commenced at the empire to-day, described as a wry commentary on modern life, compnsts Augustus' Merrick, a touchy but lovable old crab with liver trouble, whose picturesque country estate provides th-- romantic setting for the action, ot the story; his slightly giddy wife, Laura, who constantly cherishes o' e affairs of the past, but who somehow or other can never remember the names of tho men involved; and Max Lawrence, a specialist m -amorous adventures. Also involved are Laura s sister, Winifred, fresh from Europe and awfully sophisticated, who thinks she has Max in tow; her niece, Leone who seems so young and innocent, but who manage-, to take Max away trom Winifred from under her very nose, and Geoffry, Leone’s supposed fiance, whose life is made miserable by the presence at the .week-end party ot Jus more worldly rival. Wills are crossed temperaments clash, and a general fireworks ensues as a result of the emotional conflicts of the various persons involved with the story rising to a sidesplitting climax when young Geoffry attempt,, an heroic window-climbing act of the medieval age and meets with disastrous results. Conway Tearle, who contributed a memorable portrayal m the stage version of ‘ Dinner at Eight, heads the supporting cast of Should Ladies Behave?’ in the role ot-Mav. Katharine Alexander, star ot many New York stage successes, makes hei first film appearance in this picture as Winifred, and the roles of Leone and Geoffry are filled by Mary Carlisle and William Janney. The pivotal roles ol Mr and Mrs Merrick are, 'ot course, by Barrymore and Miss Brady. ST. ‘JAMES Notable for a cleverly-constructed plot, particularly fine dialogue, and dramatic acting in a class all ol its own is ‘ The Head of the Family/ a strikingly effective picture which commenced at the St. James Theatre tci-duy. Hero is a splendid effort m the field of brilliant characterisation standing out in polo relief against the quiet and dignified style so typical of the best British films, , and the production scores even still more heavily by reason ot the fact that a number of famous players, headed by Irene Vanbrugh, one of Britain s leading stage stars, have been recruited to interpret what is one of the most quietly powerful dramas ever screened in Dunedin. The opening scenes serve to introduce Powis Porter, the proud middleaged head of a family, steeped m traditions generations old ; his wife, cbaiining daughter, and erring son. Iheirs is a happy life built # upon security and serenity, for the Powis Porters of years cone by, conservative steel magnates, had .pyramided their possessions into great wealth. But came the Great War . • and the birth of a new era of business more enterprising, less hide-bound by traditions, more ruthless Stanmore, a young ambitious rival of the new school, accomplishes the downfall of the Powis Porters, who. single-souled in their traditional sense of security, are temporarily stunned by the sudden collapse of the family foitune. Then the father and mother take stock of the situation, and here follow the manv highlights of the film. Irene Vanbrugh, as the wife who so bravely accepts the challenge, is responsible for an effectively restrained delineation, while she is given able support by John Stuart, Arthur Maude, and I). GJaiKeSmith. There is an excellent supporting programme. GRAND To a student, of humanity the personalities of passengers travelling iy steamers plying the English Uianne between Dover and Calais would yield a rich harvest, could he be privileged to peep into their private lives, to know their circumstances, and, especially. to know exactly what urge caused them to make the trip. Such a realisation is afforded by the opening sequences of the fascinating GaumontBritish drama, ‘Channel Crossing, ■ which began at the Grand to-day. There is Jacob Van Eeden, played by Matheson Lang, a financier of worldwide reputation, who has arrived at a crisis in his affairs, and seeks to escape to the Continent. With him goes ins secretary, Marion Slade (Constance Cummings), and a lover of Marion s (Anthony Bushell), who is jealous of the influence Van Eeden apparently exercises over her. There is the newlydivorced pair who meet again at the gangway; the commercial traveller; the representative of a fashionable modiste with his two mannequins who are there to display the latest modes to the travellers while crossing; the man from Lancashire (Edmund' Gwenn), with his wife and lamily; wives seeking escape from husbands, and husbands from wives. The characters in 1 Channel Crossing ’ m short repiT.vut a collection of interesting human types, the running threads ot

whose lives, at first as separate as the poles, are suddenly seized and tangled by Fate. Rapid-action drama of great intensity is the result. The realism of its quay-side and shipboard scenes records an outstanding triumph for screen technique, while the story' itself is correspondingly credible. So many people have been either witnesses of or participants, directly or indirectly', in some major scene of life’s many dramas that for tlu larger proportion of any audience some episode or other of ‘ Channel Crossing ’ must touch some chord of memory ; while, to everyone, the picture cannot fail to be of absorbing interest. The supporting programme is a varied one. STRAND The young man's, father was trying to keep him away from women, but only succeeded in catapulting him into the greatest romance of his life. Ibis is what happens in ‘ Cross Country Cruise/ the fast-moving comedy-drama which takes the audience on the transcontinental trip of a great passenger bus, and which commenced a season at the Strand Theatre to-day. Lew Ayres, in the custody of a burly supermtendent, is being sent from New York City to a lumber camp owned by his father in California, but he catches sight of a pretty face while on the way to the railroad station, and his predatory instincts come to the surface. He learns that tho girl is making the trip on a bus, so without further ado be induces his friendly guard to go on the selfsame bus. It will be a much better way to see the country! But he does not know that the &irl is eloping with a married man, nor . that this man s suspicious wife will insist on accompanying her spouse. Rollicking fun and tickling situations give 'vyay to tragedy as the bus proceeds on its way acx-oss the continent, but the ripening romance keeps pace with the speed of the flying bus. In addition to June Knight, Ayres’s supporting cast in ' Cross Country Cruise ’ includes Alice White, Alan Dinehart, Minna Gombcll, Eugene Pallette, and many others. The supporting programme is an attractive one. IGTACON It is not often that two full-length pictures of the quality of ‘ Brief Moment 1 find 1 Xlie Ninth Gmest- ,me screened on the same programme, yet that is the fare that is offered at the Octagon this week. In ‘ Brief Moment ’ Gene Raymond’s, personality and Carole Lombard’s beauty find perfect co-ordination. Gene plays the part of the son of a wealthy banker who is <nven so munificent an allowance that he does not need ,to work. He becomes an idle and dissolute waster. Marriage to a. night club star does hot change him. The old, old story of the brokenhearted wife making a man of her husband by encouraging him to work and have ah object in life proceeds to an ending with love triumphant and with bad habits of years mended in one moment—a brief moment, perhaps—or repentance inspired by a woman’s devotion. Both the stars deserved a better story. Their portrayals are excellent m the circumstances. Raymond handles the part of the pleasure-seeking man-abput-tovrn splendidly, and Ins restraint in the scenes which the director had included to secure emotional background is most satisfying. Lack of restraint would have spelled the ruin ot all entertainment in such a story. Carole Lombard’s acting is polished. Ihe dialogue is very effective, and the supporting cast has been carefully selected. There are nine important roles apart from the two filled by the stars, and in each the actor or actress is admirably suited and acts well. An engrossing mystery story, constructed around a novo plot, forms tho basis of Ninth truest, the other picture, and the producers have chosen as the setting for the him a penthouse high up on one of New York’s mighty skyscrapers, and in unusual surroundings and an atmosphere of tense drama a sequence of incidents seemingly at first having no bearing on one another, but as it transpires, all interconnected, is played out. ■ Genevieve Tobin and Donald Cook have the leading roles, and they are supported by a strong cast that includes Hardic Albright. ; * REGENT In three years, with his ‘ Whoopee, ‘ Palmy Days/ and ‘ The Kid From Spain/ Eddie Cantor must have brought millions of dollars to Samuel Goldvyyn s coffers. He has now literally burst upon Dunedin in his fourth annual screen spectacle, ‘.Roman Scandals, which commenced its second week at the Regent Theatre to-day. In his new picture Eddie of the pop-eyes gets into every kind of scrape that ravishingly beautiful girls and the gorgeous barbarism of the Romans under Emperor Valerius can suggest. Eddie (Latinised as “ CEdipus,” pronounced Eddipus) manages to escape a veritable multitude of impending deaths, including being boiled in oil, shot with arrows, flogged to death, flayed alive, thrown to the lions, poisoned, and tortured with white-hot irons. No wonder he wants to know if anyone died of old age in ancient Rome. When thrown out of the twentieth century town of West Rome, U.S.A., and inexplicably transferred to Rome of the Csesars, he protested that the legionaries couldn’t kill him; he wasn’t born yet, and it would be birth control! The lavish display of the Goldwyn Girls and their Adnmm costuming that startles even sensual Rome provide an assurance of box office success. ‘ The Kid From Spain ’ may have been daring, but it was not in tho same gasp as ‘ Roman Scandals.’ The supporting programme includes Walt Disney’s latest cartoon. KING EDWARD Ann Harding, who in the course of a fairly long career in talking pictures has contributed some outstanding performances to the screen, has the leading role in ‘ The Woman in His House, at the King- Edward. Miss Harding usually makes a brilliant success as a woman of the world, possessed of real character and with a wealth of experience of life behind her. In this latest picture of hers she is able to give such a presentation as the mistress of a man she loves and one able to be his true companion. Playing opposite her'in the leading male role is Leslie Howard, in whom discerning critics see one of the most brilliant actors of the moving picture world.