AMUSEMENTS

Grey River Argus, 23 September 1937, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS

Opera House “MAD HOLIDAY.” While a Chinese dragon writhes its way across the stage, blood drips from a theatre box in San Francisco's Chinatown, and thus murder finds its unique setting in Matro Goldwyn Mayer’s mystery thriller “Mad Holiday” which will be finally screened at the matinee to-day at the Opera House, with Edmund Lowe and Elssa Landi in the leading roles, supported by Zasu Pitts; Ted Healy; Edmund Gwenn. “BORN TO DANCE.

The fastest girl on feet is Eleanor Powell dancing star of M.G.M.’s dazzling musical “Born to Dance”, which plays a return screening at the Opera House to-night. .This new musical presents Miss Powell as a small town girl who makes good on Broadway per medium of her feet. Miss Powell has a new sweetheart in none other than James Stewart in this romance of the Navy, while other choice stars are Virginia Bruce; Una Merkel; Sid Silvers; Buddy Ebsen, and a cast of thousands. The picture also introduce seven new Cole Porter hits.

“THEODORA GOES WILD.” “Theodora Goes Wild,” starring Irene Dunne in her first major role as a comedienne, will be the attraction at the Opera House on Friday and Saturday. For the first time in a career studded with such dramtic gems as “Cimarron,” “Back Street,” /“Magnificent Obsession” and “Show Boat,” Miss Dunne turns to the gay, light side of life. Playing opposite the titian-haired star in the role of a happy-go-lucky illustrator is Melvyn Douglas, one of Hollywood’s most popular actors. Others in the large cast are Thomas Mitchell, Thurston Hall, Rosalind’ Keith, Spring Byington and Margaret McWade. Miss Dunne is seen, as a small town “nobody” who becomes famous as the author of sophisticated novels. When she" falls in love with Douglas, whose estranged wife refuses to give him a divorce, she takes a page from her own novel and launches a campaign of wild escapades to gain her objective.

Regent Theatre The final screening of the present double feature programme “Arizona Mahoney” and “Let’s Make a Million” will be at the Regent Theatre to-day at 2.15 and again to-night at 8. “THE PLAINSMAN” The chaining couple who made ( "Mr Deeds Goes to Town” the de-' lightful success it was, are back in a sweeping panorama of America’s greatness in the making. “The Plainsman,” Cecil B. DeMille’s tribute to the men and women of America who brought civilisation to the plains, which begins on Friday at the Regent Theatre. Handsome Gary Cooper is cast as “Wild Bill” Hickok in the saga, and lovely Jean Arthur portrays “Calamity Jane,” famous 1 frontier-woman who loved the silent

hard-fighting peace officer, but could not have him. They are a far different pair in “The Plainsman” than they were in “Mr. Deeds”, mid yet their assignment to the leading romantic roles is regarded as a master stroke of casting. Cooper is widely known for his portrayals of the outdoor man-of-action, soldier-of-fortune and seeker-after-danger. “Wild Bill,” who was sent into the West by the government in the early seventies to find out who was responsible for selling guns to the Indians, was all of that. “Calamity Jane,” on the other hand, was a hardboiled beauty, equally familiar with shooting irons and the bullwhacker’s whip. There was something of the tomboy about “Calamity Jane” which is particularly adaptable to the hoydenish Miss Arthur. Behind this tender romance DeMille paints on heroic canvas the whole of the American frontier scene in the ten years which immediately followed the Civil War. SINDBAD THE SAILOR

For the first time Popeye the Sailor knocks his arch-enemy, Bluto, into a third-dimensional background in the Paramount two-reel, full-color animated cartoon, “Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor.” The picture, made by Max Fleischer under his newly perfected system of three-dimension cartoon photography, is part of the Regent Theatre b>ll beginning Friday.

GRAND DANCE AT RUNANGA. To-morrow (Fri.) evening 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.

REEFTON BOXING. . ' AND WRESTLING TOURNEY. Nine first class boxing contests and four willing wrestling bouts are included in the novice tourament to be held at Reefton to-morrow (Friday) night. Every effort is being made by the sponsors of the tournament- (the Reefton Boxing Association) to stimulate amatuer boxing and wrestling activities in the Inangahua district and it is hoped that all sports in the district will enthusiastically support to-morrow nights tournament..

.THE MOVIE BALL. It is not too late yet for enthusiasts to arrange their partners for the Grand Movie Ball to be held in the Town Hall next Tuesday, the ,28th of September. Already preparations are well in Irind, and everyone can be assured of a great time. It will be especially novel tobe dancing among such great stars as Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire, Laurel and Hardy, Jean Harlow Robert Taylor, and many other famous screen personalities. Handsome cash prizes of £2 2s and £1 Is will be given to the winers of the contests “Fred

Astaire and Ginger Rogers” impersonations and the "Laurel and Hardy” impersonations respectively. The following evening at 7 o’clock a grand ball for children will be held.