AMUSEMENTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20055, 29 September 1939, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS

REGENT THEATRE LAST DAY: “THERE’S ALWAYS A WOMAN” Film stars will remember Columbia’s fun-filled show, “There’s Always a Woman,” in. which Melvvn Douglas and Joan Blondell were paired as Bill Reardon, and his scatter-brained wife, Sally. The Reardons will appear for the last time at the Regent Theatre to-night in “There’s That Woman Again,’ which, as the title implies, concerns the further misadventures of the detective couple. Douglas subtly augments his previous characterisation of the wife-suffering detective, while Virginia Bruce rises to new comedy peaks as an even more delirious Sally. There are countless jewel thefts, mysterious disappearances, murders, robberies, plots, and counter-plots, but through it all romps Sally with the ease of the legendary trapeze artist. Alexander Hall directed this one with deft feeling for farce-flavoured mystery drama, and with a superbly turned story and capable cast, has produced another Columbia creation of sterling entertainment. —To-morrow: Lew Ayres in “Calling; Dr. Kildare” — “Calling Dr. Kildare,” a production which reveals in entertaining fashion another episode in the life of the voung physician who was made so popular in the first picture of the scries, will oDcn its Gisborne season at the Regent Theatre to-morrow. All the leading parts are taken by the same players as in the former production, Lew Ayres in particular being very convincing in the title role. He runs into dangerous trouble in helping a victim, of a gangster bullet, but once concerned in the' matter, which leads to- the arrest of an innocent man, he keeps on with great determination. Professional reputation, personal safety and discouraging difficulties make no difference to him, and the working out ol the thrilling mystery provides enjoyable and unusual entertainment from some of the leading players of the screen.. The cart of Dr. Gillespie, the kindly old doctor who watches oyer the life of his protege with a guardian eye, is again delightfully interpreted by the veteran actor Lionel Barrymore, while other members of the cast arc Nat Pendleton, Lana Turnci, Laraine Day and Lynne Carve:. There is also an enjoyable associate programme, including “Penny’s Picnic,” a Pete Smith item in beautiful Technicolour, and "Giant of Norway,” •i further of the popular “Passing Parade” series.

MAJESTIC THEATRE GEORGE RAFT IN “THE LADY’S FROM KENTUCKY” AND BOBBY HOWES IN "SWEET DEVIL”

Paramount brings a last-moving story to the Majestic Theatre to-day in “The Lady’s From Kentucky,” with George' Raft, a new-comer Ellen Drew, and those perennial merry-makers, Hugh Herbert and Zagu Pitts. The story is about a gambler who is so fond of gambling that be even sells his blood for a transfusion of course, so that he can shoot craps, play cards and finally shoot the works on a slow horse. Looking through his belongings lor something to pawn he comes across an old bill of sale entitling him to half an interest in a thoroughbred colt. He is all ready lo sell the deed, but lie changes his mind when he sees the horse win his debut race. Raft figures he is in clover. He has found four horseshoes that bring in the money but his partner disillusions him when she tells him that though the colt is speedy they will have to wait until he matures, for if they race him too early the horse would be finished. Ellen Drew turns, in a fine performance as Raft’s horse racing partner, George Raft gives another winning performance as the betting-mad gambler. Adroit comedy relief is supplied by Hugh Herbert and Zasu Pitts. Farce-comedy with music; a rollicking story of a lovelorn girl’s fake suicide which results in a visit to the rescuer’s house-party, and of complications which ensue; fast-moving developments which readily get laughs on “heroic” rescue; skirmishes of a delicately tipsy heroine with a long-suffering butler; lively bedroom farce; and a large-scale free-for-all fight among males ending in a friendly custard-pie battle among ladies—this Jack Buchanan production, “Sweet Devil,” leaves little out that could possibly beguile the popular fancy and in the lignthearted mixture of farce, slapstick, delicate alcoholic whoopee and romantic comedy, it is certainly a considerable laughter banquet. Furthermore, the frolic has the seasoned antics of Bobby Howes and his irresistibly comic features, and an infectiously gay performance by Jean Gillie in the title-role. An added attraction is the seventh chapter > of “Buck Rogers.”

KING’S THEATRE

“THE STORY OF VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE”

Adhering closely to the real-litc story of Vernon and Irene Castle, a world-famous dancing team of a quarter of a century ago, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ new starring vehicle, ‘The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle,” which opens its Gisborne season at the King’s Thcalic to-day, is reported to lie the finest musical 111 nr of recent years and the greatest of all the pictures in which these two favourites have teamed. The story opens with Vernon Castles early career as a knockabout comedian with Lew Fields, and his first meeting with the then Irene Foote, who persuaded him to give up cheap comedy in favour of dancing. How the two married on the proverbial shoestring, went to Paris and neaily starved before Ihey got a start as a team, is revealed in delightful fashion. Their meteoric rise to fame in dance engagements which took them across two continents until their reputation was established as the outstanding dance duo of their time: the breaking up of the team when Vernon enlisted with the British Forces on the outbreak of the Great War: and his untimely death in an air crash, are the main ingredients in a story which is depicted in impressive and tuneful fashion. Ideally suited to portray the roles of their noted terpsiehorean predecessors, Astaire and Miss Rogeis interpret many of the dances that the Castles created and made famous. The Castle Walk, the Castle Waltz, the Texas Tommy, the Tango and the Maxixe, are among the more spectacular of these routines, and they are presented ip authentic reproductions of the cafes and ballrooms where the Castles had their biggest successes. With its wealth of dance and song and with its absorbingly authen-