ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 44, 20 January 1938, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

KOSY THEATRE. “THE HIGH COMMAND.” Now showing at the Kesy Theatre Associated Talking Pictures proudly present “The High Command,” a stirring adaptation of Lewis Robinson’s powerful dramatic romance, “The General Goes Too Far,” tho story of a small band of Britishers in a far-flung outpost" of tho Empire. Lionel Atwill in tho role of Major-General Sir John Sangyc, V.C., dominates the picturo with a flawless, highly impressive performance, whil(j! Steve Goray and James Mason arc also excellently cast. Lucie Mannheim as Diana Cloam reveals tho beauty and subtlety of her art in this colourful story, which provides engrossing dramatic entertainment amidst unusual tropical settings. Diana Cloam, gracious and beautiful, returns to Port Mamba, a West African garrison town, whoro her husband is a prosperous trader. On the voyage, Major Carson, a medical officer, had paid her attention, but on arrival he is cold-6houldered for his cousin, Captain James Hovcrcll, an officer of the garrison. It transpires that Cloam is a first-rate rotter —unbearable to live with, and thus a previous attachment between Diana and Hcvorell is renewed. Major-General Sangyc, commanding the garrison, has his youthful step-daughter, Belinda, with him, and Carson makes a play for her. When warned by Sangye to keep off, Carson reveals that he knows the secret of Belinda’s birth, that Sangye is her real fathci —that he was her mother’s lover —and that lie shot the husband dead during an ambush in Ireland at the time of the Sein Finn rebellion.

The supporting picture is “Song of the City.”

STATE THEATRE. “MAKE A WISH.” The screen has not presented during the current season a more complete entertaining motion picture than “Make a Wish,” the new Bobby Breen starring vehicle filmed by Principal Productions for RKO Radio, which commences an engagement to-morrow at tho State Theatre. In no department of production has anything been neglected to make the picture a thoroughly enjoyable one, and it easily qualifibs as the best in which the young singing star has ever appeared—a pleasing mixture of comedy, romance, tuneful songs and beautiful backgrounds. Bobby combines real ability as an actor with a magnificent_ singing voice which seems even to have increased in volume and sweetness. He. is heard in several haunting melodies written by tho noted Viennese composer, Oscar Straus, the outstanding one of the group being the theme song bearing the title of the picturo itself. Basil Rathbonc, no longer the suave villain, plays a truly romantic role for the first time in his screen career, and contributes a performance which stamps him as a versatile actor of unusual attainments. The leading feminine role is portrayed by Marion Claire, famous radio singer, who gives every promise of future screen stardom. Tho explosive Italian, Henry Armetta, is vastly humorous in a characterisation that is literally a comedy gem. Others in the big cast who do especially commendable work are Ralph Forbes, Leon Errol, Donald Meek, Leonid Kinskcy and Herbert Rawlinson. Much of the action of “Make a Wish,” adapted from an original story by Gertrude Berg, takes place at a boys' summer camp in Maine, where Bobby forms a close friend ship with Basil Rathbonc, a composer. Rathbono becomes interested in the boy * lovely young mother, Marion Claire, and a romance develops between tho two, despite her fiance, Ralph Forbes. This tangled situation leaches a tensely (ha rnatic climax in her New York home, and at the rehearsal of an operctla. Director Kurt Neumann has maintained the action at a lively pace, and both he and Associate Producer Edward Gross may well bo proud of a picture which stands high in the list of the season’s best. Musical direction was in the hands of Hugo Itiesenfcld, and Paul Webster and Louis Alter wrote tlic lyrics for. tho Straus songs. “Make a Wish” is a picture which is heartily recommended. On tho same programme there will be screened the first of 1938 Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse coloured silly symphonies entitled . “Pluto’s Quinpuplcts,” all in tcchnicolour. At the 8 o’clock session the two competitors in the Bobby Breen personality contest will sing on the stage. The audience will judge the winners each evening.

METEOR THEATRE. “THE WHITE ANGEL.” What is heralded as one of the outstanding productions of tho screen, “Tho White Angel,” a First National picturo featuring the life story of the immortal nurse, Florence Nightingale, is showing finally at the Meteor to-night, with Kay Francis in the stellar role. The picture paints in fiery drama flic fight of Florence Nightingale, a wealthy English society girl, to remedy conditions in army field hospitals and the neglect of dying soldiers. All the tragedy and pathos of the battlefield is pictured in the film, as well as tho beauty of tho life of sacrifices of Florence Nightingale and her specially picked nurses. The film is set in the middle of the last century during the Crimean War, and the most thrilling scones take place at tho base hospital at Scutaria, a small Turkish town on tho north shore of the Bosphorus, and at Balaclava, where tho immortal six hundred, of the Light Brigade rode “into tho jaws of death.” No more powerful nor romantic theme could have been selected by First National than that of tho life of the great nurse who gave her all to humanity by revolutionising the hospitalisation system of tho world, and whoso efforts laid the groundwork for tho establishment of the Red Cross. The picture is enacted by an exceptionally tnlented cast of principals with more than 1003 persons in extra roles. lan Hunter, famous on the London stage and in films, and Donald Woods have the two leading masculine roles. Others in tho cast include actors famous in America and abroad both on the stage and-screen.