ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 115, 13 April 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

STATE THEATRE. ‘MEXICAN SPITFIRE.” Tempestuous Lupc Velez and her inimitable style ot comedy, combined with ) tho laugh-making proclivities of the rub-ber-legged comic, Leon Errol, will com- I incncc to-morrow at the Stylo Theatre, t when “Mexican Spitlire” will be screened. • The feminine firecracker, Lupc, plays Ihe t title role in this laugh-feast which divides ' its locale between New York and I Guadalajara, Mexico. A sequel to the I star's recent comedy, “The Girl From < Mexico,” the current RKO Radio lilm > again presents the actress as a Mexican i entertainer married to Donald Woods, ad- i vertising man. 'J'hc plot of the story revolves around tbo efforts of Linda ilayes, l as the groom’s jealous cx-liancee, to break 1 up llie marriage so that she can marry i the personable young man. In this cause i slie lias the support of Elisabeth Risdou, the groom’s snobbish aunt. On the other hand Leon Errol, the uncle, is heartily in accord with the marriage, although his blundering efforts to straighten out their marital troubles always boomerangs. As a result of one of llieir schemes which backfires, Lupc and the uncle hud themselves fleeing to Mexico, Errol to avoid arrest for forgery and impcisonation, and Lupc to obtain a quick divorce in the heat of jealousy. George O'Brien is starred in ' “Legion of tbo Lawless” as a two-listed lawyer who is even handier willi a Colt than with a law-book. This is established after lies has hung out his shingle in a frontier town where it develops that no lawyers are wanted, and where a so-called Vigilante gioup attends to all the affairs of llio district. The group is merely a cloak under which u small band of killers operate to terrorise the entire community. O’Brien decides to exterminate them. \\ lien a railroad surveys a new route through the town, the members of the gang plan to drive out the homesteaders and ranchers along the proposed right-of-way and. tile on the land for themselves. O’Brien endeavours to organise the intended victims, and this leads into the thrilling climax of the picture when he single-handedly takes on llio leader of the mob and in a scries of gun-battles manages 1o restore law and order to tlic community. METEOR THEATRE. ‘•ROSE MARIE.” Much as flic film public liked “Nauglily Marietta,” ‘■Sweethearts'’ and ■‘Maytimo,” it finds “Rose Marie,” which is now showing at the Meteor Theatre, to contain more appeal than any picture Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy have produced. Like its forerunner, “Rose Marie” was directed by \Y. S. Van Dyke and produced by Hunt Stromuerg, who again | combined their talents to give ibis picture, one c,f the finest productions to feme cut of Hollywood m a long tune. Replete with haunting music, a tender love slorv, magnificent photography and backgrounds, it is truly the/ film seusatjon ol the year. Miss MacDonald plays the name role, an opera star who travels disguised. into the' wilds in search of her dissolute brother, a criminal from justice. Nelson Eddy portrays Sergeant Bruce, as fine a “Mountic” as ever rode a horse. Assigned to bring the criminal to justice, there is the thrust of personal duty when these two meet and fall in love. With all its outdoor scenes made against natural backgrounds of surpassing beauty iu the i mountain-lake country of the Sierra Ncvadas, “Rose Marie” is a pictorial work of art.' The musical numbers arc brilliantly staged and brilliantly sung. One of them, the Totem Role sequence, is peopled bv more than a thousand dancers. Spectacular in its giant effects it will go on record as one of the mest thrilling scenes ever brought to the screen. A strong supporting cast includes Janies Stewart, Reginald Owen, Allan Jones. George Regas, Robert Greig, Una O'Connor and Lucien Littlefield. KOSY THEATRE. ‘•KEEP SMILING.” | Grade Fields lias never given lie; mil lions of followers a greater feast of fun than she dees in her second 20th CenturyEox release, “Keep Smiling,” the attraction at 'the Rosy Theatre to-night. From llio first riotous moment, when we meet her as a burlesque “Tommy,” having difficulty with her uniform, to the triumphant scene at a luxury beach pavilion, she is the life and soul of the year’s brightest screen parly. The story of "Keep Smiling” provides filnigoers with a refreshing and happy tonic. A riotous show is being staged in a provincial theatre by a touring music-hall' troupe. with Grade Fields as the star. Their manager, played by Joe Mon, has agreed to givo charity the proceeds, but is discovered atm tempting to keep most of t ho money himself. Grade leads the troupe in rebellion and they walk out on Mott. Penniless, they determine to start their own company. Grade takes I hem all to her grandfather's farm. Avis (Mary Maguire), the troupe’s rouhrette; Bert (Roger Liveseyl, the pianist; Denis (Jack Donohue), and six other members of the company go with Grade to the farm. They completely upset the routine of the place with their rehearsals in the open air, infuriating old Sitar Gray (Edward Rigby). It is a stray dog !(“Skippy,” of “Thin Man” fame) who eventually helps the troupe to success, at a seaside pavilion, but only after the villainous manager has been severely dealt with. "Army Girl,’’ the second attraction, can ho catalogued as one of the really outstanding productions of this year. It is definitely not a war picture—but a refreshing romance filmed against a thrillteeming background of a peacetime army. Take a story that is filled with action and spectacle; one that is filled with comedy, romance, drama. melodrama and pathos; combine all those elements and you have the story of “Army Girl.”