AMUSEMENTS

Grey River Argus, 22 September 1937, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS

Opera House “MAD HOLIDAY.” To-day, Opera House patrons may enjoy a movie within a movie — the murder of an international jeweller on a coastwise steamship between Los Angeles and San Francisco —a second murder in a Chinese theatre in San Francisco’s Chinatown. 'These are the ramifications of one of the most unusual mystery dramas. “Mad Holiday,” which comes to the Opera House to-day and to-night with Edmund Lowe and Elissa Landi in principal roles. Edmund Lowe, appearing as a Hollywood star, sick at being typed in mystery parts, walks off and takes a fateful steamer voyage. Miss Landi, playing the author of the picture out of which he has “walked,” also embarks on the steamer, determined to bring the actor back. When a hoaxed murder turns out a real one of complications begin. Zasu Pitts and Ted Healy, an uproarious comedy team if there ever was one, are a master stroke of casting. It must have been a comparatively simple assignments for both stars for they had practically but to play “themselves.” Lowe, during his career, has played a detective in innumerable pictures, the most recent of which was his part of Philo Vance in “The Garden Murder Case.”

“THEODORA GOES WILD.” “Theodora Goes Wild,” a rollicking Columbia production, introducing Irene Dunne to fans in her first comedy assignment, will be shown for the first time at the Opera House on Friday. Supported by an exceptionally strong cast, Miss Dunne is permitted to run fancy free through a sprightly tale of a small town girl who wins her big-city man in a bigcity way. Melvyn Douglas appears opposite in the leading role, Thomas Mitchell, Thurston Hall, Rosalind Keith, Spring Byington, Elisabeth Risdon and Margaret McWade round out the cast. Miss Dunne’s beautiful voice is heard in several songs, among which is the popular favourite, "Be Still My Heart.”

Regent Theatre “LET’S MAKE A MILLION.” At the Regent to-day, there arrives Paramount’s “Let’s Make a Million,” a story of one man’s bonus and how it grew, with Edward Everett Horton as the vet, and charming Charlotte Wynters as the girl he intended to marry. To Horton, a typical smalltown business man in a typical American small town, the bonus is a godsend. One thing he wants to do is to make Miss Wynters his wife. But his maiden aunts, Margaret Seddon and Margaret McWade, the “pixilated” pair, have other plans for his money. Horton loses all his own money in a stock swindle, also tne money of most of his pals who wanted to make millions. Then Horton gets his money back in an entirely unsuspected way, and becomes a rich man. The. film ends with him and Miss Wynters bound for Niagara Falls

after a series of hilarious circumstances. “ARIZONA MAHONEY.” Paramount’s “Arizona Mahoney,” a madcap travesty of the woolly west, with Joe Cook, “the one-man circus” in the title role, comes to the Regent Theatre to-day. Cook, the funny man, is a stranded carnival operator, who assists his bashful assistant, Robert Cummings, in his courtship of beautiful June Martel. Larry Crabbe, an amiable bandit, is aLso out for Miss Martel’s hand, and engages in considerable shooting to please the girl. The three lovers are besieged by a rival bandit, upon whom Crabbe preyed. Cummings rides and gets hold of Cook, who rides to the rescue on an elephant. Cook clowns, dances, juggles, does acrobatics, and wins out. “SINBAD THE SAILOR.” Popeye the Sailor swaggers his way through a three-dimensioned world of colour in the Paramount two-reel animated cartoon, “Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor,” coming on Saturday to the Regent. The film, longest cartoon picture yet released

by any company, was made for Paramount by Max Fleischer. “THE PLAINSMAN.” Men who knew “Buffalo Bill” Cody and other figures of the old West, veterans of the Indian wars, army and fashion experts, and a host of every description, poured into Hollywood when Cecil B. DeMille set under way his new Paramount spectacle, * “The Plainsman,” which comes on Saturday to the Regent. GRAND DANCE AT RUNANGA? On Friday evening next, a Grand Dance will be held at the Miners’ Hall. Runanga, under the auspices of the Runanga organisation which are promoting the “Argus” Machine Fund. The dance, which will start at 8 p.m., will include both modern and old time numbers, and there will also be various novelty dances, for which the Committee are offering good prizes. The floor is perfect, and the music will be likewise, while the admission charges are within the reach of all, viz., ladies Is, gentlemen Is 6d. It is expected that there will be a crowded attendance on the occasion.

IKAMATUA GOLF BALL. Ikamatua Golf Club intend to make their second annual ball on Saturday next, September 25, even more successful than last year’s. There will be spotlights and novelties galore, Two prizes of one guinea each will be given for a lucky spot and a Monte Carlo. The ladies’ committee are making elaborate preparations for a de luxe sit-down supper, and' are catering for a Targe assemblage. Ron Stopforth’s Marina Orchestra will supply the music. All who attended last year are assured of an even better time on this occasion, as it is expected to be the ball of the season. GREY EISTEDDFOD. A meeting of the executive of the Greymouth Eisteddfod was held on I Monday. The Treasurer, Mrs. Trott,i presented an interim statement of receipts and expenses in connection

with the recent festival, disclosing a satisfactory result. It was decided to organise an effort shortly to provide the nucleus of a fund for next year’s festival. Accounts totalling £l6O 10s lid, were passed for payment, including the prize-list. Consideration was given to the rules and those requiring amendment were brought up-to-date. Thanks were accorded Messrs L. Courteney, who took charge of the dress circle, Duggan (Runanga) who assisted with Mesdames Trott and P. Warnes at the ticket-box, Mesdames O. McLean, T. Learmont, E. R. Moss and R. T. Bush for taking charge of the morning and afternoon tea, and Messrs E. R. Moss and O. McLean (Vice Presidents), for valuable services as stage managers. A letter was received from the Technical School Board, expressing the hope that the Executive would consider holding the festivals during the holiday periods to enable the scholars to attend to their examination and other work during the school period— It was resolved to co-operate with the schools, as far as possible, in future. The dates for next year’s festival were left in abeyance - pending the fixation of the school term holidays in August-September.