ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 217, 13 August 1937, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

STATE THEATRE. “TIIE WOMAN I LOVE.” Promising one of the most vital dramas distinguishing the motion picture screen, “The Woman I Lovo” screening to-night at 8 o’clock and 10.20 o’clock at the State Theatre, has been produced as a romantic action picture starring Paul Muni and Miriam llopkina and featuring Louis Hayward in a domestic triangle developed amid the frenzied days of the World War on the Marne front and mounting to a sensational denouement during a spectacular air battle fought by two French flying heroes whose heartache;? over.one woman form the motive of the story. The picture comes from RKO Radio, which has lavishly mounted and cast the production as one of its major offerings of the season, basing the magnitude of the affair upon the power of its theme and the eminence of its principal players. Particular interest is attached to Paul Muni s role, for Muni | has won top honours for the best performance as an actor during the past season. The award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences went to Muni for his title role in “ r J he Story of Louis Pasteur.” The Minneapolis Journal's national poll of critics also resulted j in a victory for Muni and a gold medal j award, the ballots being cast for Muni’s role in the above picture. Inspired by the famous European novel “L’Equipage,” by Joseph Kessel, “The Woman I Love ’ dramatises the suspenseful emotional conflict arising out of the love of a young aviator for the wife of his elder friend I and pilot. As played by Paul Muni, the • pilot: Miriam llopkins, the wife; and | Louis Hayward, the junior airman, the three characters are all sympathetic. The I night before departing for the front lines, LouL Ilayward, as a young volunteer in the French flying service, meets and protects a beautiful girl, Miriam llopkins, during an air raid on Paris. lie rapidly tabs head over heels in love with her. When he arrives at the air base of his squadron, he is assigned to Pilot Paul Muni, and as the result of their harrowing battles in the air together, a strong friendship ensues. When the young flier returns to Paris on liberty, he is stunned [ to learn that the girl lie loves and who now passionately* loves him, is the wife of his friend, the pilot. The action then races to a thrilling climax. An ambitious French picture from the same them was produced by Anatole Litvak. This director was brought to America to work on RICO Radio’s picture ,with Albert Lewis in .charge of production, because of his knowledge of French aviators’ psychology I which plays an important part in the | characterisations as well as because of his intimate technical experience with the j story’s background. RKO Radio had a | small shipload of properties sent over ; from Trance to insure the authenticity of' production. j

REGENT THEATRE. “EVELYN PRENTICE.” Life’s most potent dramas are wrung from the courtroms. Thus, realising the value. of story material to be found in American courtrooms, Metro GoldwynMayer studios again have teamed William Powell and Myrna Loy for the third successive time, this time in the gripping courtroom drama, “Evelyn Prentice,” 'which screens finally at the Regent tonight. Murder, divorce, criminal plots of every kind, physical and spiritual victory, ruined cai'cers/' 1 despair, heartaches, frustrated ambitions, tragedy and humour —all these and many' more stark realities of life serve as inspiration for literary, stage and screen masterpieces. It is such a story that brings Powell and Miss Loy, accepted as the ideal husband and wife of the screen, to the theatre public for the third time. t Their first appearance together was in “Manhattan Melodrama” — Powell as. the gamin of the slums who rose to become the Governor of a great State and confronted with 1 tho ordeal of condemning his childhood playmate to tire electric chair; Miss Loy as the woman ho lied trken from that friend, to make j her his wife.' The success of this‘•picture demanded a return -of the Powell-Loy (cam. Their second picture was the rollicking film of • Dashiell Hammett’s humorous detective novel, “The Thin Man.” After that there was no escaping a third teaming of Powell and Miss Loy. And now they again appear as husband and wife in the screen version of W. E. Woodward’s powerful novel of the courtrooms, “Evelyn Prentice.” As in their previous pictures, Powell and Miss Toy have been given an excclient supporting cast, including Una Merkel. Henry Wadsworth. Harvey Stephens, .Tsabcn Jewell, Rosalind Russell, Edward Bropliy, Cora Sue Collins and Jessie Ralph.