AMUSEMENTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19979, 3 July 1939, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS

KING'S THEATRE “TOPPER TAKES A TRIP”: HILARIOUS COMEDY “Hal Roach’s “Topper Takes ’a Trip,” now showing at the King’s Theatre, is one of the gayest and most uproariously funny comedies to reach the screen this season. Beautifully staged, brilliantly directed and played expertly by a hand-picked cast, this new film deserves to be placed conspicuously on every screen fan’s “must” list. Roland Young again plays the role of Cosmo Topper, the bewildered banker, who is about to lose his prim and conventional wife, played by the ever delightful 1 Billie Burke. Constance Bennett, beautiful and glamorous, portrays again the ghostly Marion, Kerby, who is anxious to assist the unhappy Toppers in regaining marital happiness. An exceptionally outstanding supporting programme includes the latest “March of Time,” the over-popular Fox Aussie News, a delightful coloured item. "Fox Hunting.” an Andre De La Varre travelogue, “Marseilles,” and a Pathe Pictorial. REGENT THEATRE DEANNA DURBIN IN “THREE SMART GIRLS GROW UP” A glorious triumph is scored by Deanna Durbin in. (he latest and greatest production of that charming and refreshing star, ai tin- Regent Theatre, in “Three Smart Girl;- Grow Up” it is far and away the best oi .lie Joseph Pasternack-1 lenry HosierDeanna Durbin pictures, a triumph for each of these fortuitously affiliated artists, for Universal and, in a large and important sense, for the motion picture art-industry. What was true of "Three Smart Girls” then, as box office records' proved, is true-plus of “Three Smart Girls Grow Up.” Miss Durbin has grown up, artistically as well as by two adolescent years. “Three Smart Girls Grow Up” is in full fact "Three Smart Girls” grown up, and the glad news; about it is that it is a full three years better. The new picture is as all-purpose as the old one was, somewhat more so on .wo minor counts. Miss Durbin's singing, in the first picture, was regarded is remarkable considering her age; ner singing in the new picture is remarkable without regard to her years. Charles Winninger’s unfalherly infatuation with; a blonde of dubious intent in the first film, was ever so (lightly inimical to juvenile sympathy; this time he plays a father any iid could love. This, time the eldest of the three sisters again is played by Nan Grey; Helen Parrish substitutes .'or Barbara Read' as the in-between

dstcr, and again Nella Walker plays die mother, this time with more opportunity to display her ability. Ernest Cossart is again, the helpful butler, out Robert Cummings, as the principal young man, is a newcomer to the picture and to Universal, which gave him i long term contract the morning after the preview, in acknowledgement of a commanding performance.

MAJESTIC THEATRE LAST DAY: JUDY GARLAND AND FREDDIE BARTHOLOMEW IN “LISTEN DARLING’ “Listen Darling,” which concludes to-,night, is one of those human comedy-dramas which are enjoyed by everybody, being filled with tenter sentiment, charming romance amd merry comedy, and witlh -a “child interest” that is always aippead'ing. Freddie Bartholomew gives one of iis best performances, and Judy Garland, besides acting convincingly, sings delightfully. Mary Asdor and Walter Pidgcon, two of the best players of The screen, head the adult members of the cask. The interest of the aud.ince is held throughout by ibe entertaining story. The supporting programme (includes, “Ancient Egypt,” a coloured travelogue; “How io Sub-let,” a Robert Benchlcy Oddity; “The Wrong Way Out,” one of the popular “Crime Doesn’t Pay” series; “New Roadways in Science,” and the latest newsreels. —To-morrow: Akim Tumiroff and Anna May Wong in “King of Chinatown” — The violent belvind-'the-'seenss

struggle for power in a big-time racket gang forms the action-packed story of Paramount’s new crime film. “King of Chinatown," which comes to the Majestic Theatre to-morrow wiitih a large cast of familiar character players. Akim T.imirotT, who has scored such outstanding “hits” ol late in "Spawn of the North" and “Escape from Yesterday,” is the principal racket chief, while J. Carol Naisli, one of illhc most menacing, oi screen menaces and handsome young Anthony Quinn are the other principals in the vicious fhrce-corncred struggle. Anna May Wong, film dam's favourite Chinese actress, gets mixed up. -wifii gangland's worst hoodlums and comes out the winner. Caslt in the colourful role of a woman-sur-geon, Miss Wong faces a dramatic dilemma when called upon to save the life of Chinatown’s' most vicious racketeer, knowing that ho .is 'her father’s mortal enemy and a coldblooded murderer as well. After her professional code has forced her to perform the necessary operation, an exciting series of events, in which she plays no .s-moll part, leads to the breakdown of the gang and the realisation of her intense ambition to sen. an ambulance corps to war-torn China. An interesting supporting programme will include a timely film entitled “Inside Goods." which gave: some (inside m,formation vrcgnrrt'mg the R.A.F. men in training, "FoxHunting," "Beauty talks, Super Athletics, a Betty Boop cartoon, and the latest Paramount news.