ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 260, 1 October 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

MAYFAIR THEATRE. ‘‘A' STAR IS BORN.”; Janet Gaynor nnd Frcdric March arc now at the Mayfair Theatre in David O. Sclznick’s tecHninolour production “A Star is Born.” This glamorous story of a little country girl who came to Hollywood, faced the odds of 100,000 to one and sealed the heights of stardom, marks the first up-to-the-minute story to bo filmed in technicolour. Adolphe Meiijou, May Robson, Andy Devine and Lionel Stander aru featured in the supporting oast, which also includes Owen Moore, Leggy Wood, Elizabeth Jcnns, Edgar Kennedy, J. U. Nugent, Guinn Williams and others. William A. Wellman directed “A Star is Born” from a screenplay by Dorothy Parker, Alan Campbell and Robert ■ Carson. The film shows many famous Hollywood landmarks in their natural colours for the first time. Among these are the Trocadero, world-famous night club, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Santa Anita racetrack, the Billmore Bowl as it looks during the annual banquet ot the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and .Sciences, the Hollywood Legion .Stadium, where the stars sec their prize fights, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Brown Derby, celebrated eating place, and the famous intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, the centre of inovieland. The settings were designed by Lyle Wheeler and the costumes are by Omar Kiam. Lansing Holden is credited as colour designer. The photography is the work of W ..Howard Greene and the music is by Max Steiner,. ‘‘A Star is Born” is released through United Artists.

STATE THEATRE

“THE CHAPES OF WRATH.”

A deep, stirring human appeal draws audiences to the very heights of film entertainment in Darryl V. Znnuek’s production of ‘‘'the Grapes of Wrath,” John Steinbeck’s fearless novel. . The 20th Cen-tury-Fox film, which at its world premiere achieved the biggest op I bug attendance in the enLire history of New York s 22-year-old Itivoli Theatre, shows at the State Theatre to-night. Under John Ford’s honest direction the Joads come to life with all the warmth, vitality and rugged humour that characterised Steinbcclds widely acclaimed novel. Both the spirit and the letter of the book have been followed with extraordinary exactness by Associate Producer Nunnaily Johnson who wrote the screen play. ’The . many thousands who eagerly awaited this - picture will find every iota of drive and power of the original story has been retained in the screen version, Tom Joad; who is played by Henry Fonda, remains the courageous figure Steinbeck created. To follow bis adventures on the screen is an experience no movie-goer can afford 10 miss. Jane Harwell’s performance, as Mr Joad, makes it impossible to believe that Steinbeck did not have her in mind when he created this indomitable Oklahoma mother. Jane carries her audience in the palm of her hand while she laughs and cries, scolds her brood and defies the forces which would tear her family ap'-.rt. What is by all odds one of the most difficult roles in the picture, that of Casy, the garrulous, crusading preacher, is carried off with great distinction by John C’arradine.

KOSY THEATRE

“COCOANUT GROVE.”

Hie world’s most famous nightclub is brought to the screen for the lir=t time in Paramount’s (‘Cocoanut Grove,” the now film showing to-day at the Kosy Theatre. Distinctly now type of film fun is presented in this gay romance that revolves about the trials, tribulations and the final success: of an unknown swing band trying to break into the actual Cocoanut Grove, tnocca of all young band-loaders. While the production is studded with hit tunes, the story has riot been subordinated to music anti •specialties. On the contrary, each musical number makes what the movie',scripters call a “story point,” contributing to the logical development of the plot. Fred Mac Murray, last seen with Carole Lombard in “’irue Confession,” is starred as the . swing-happy voting band leader. His lovely leading lady is radio thrush Harriet Hilliard who plays a role in the picture identical with her occupation in real life. She is’ Mrs Ozzie Nelson, and sings with her husband’s band. Another Bulldog Drummond picture that more than upholds the traditional excite ment of the Drummond character’s pie tures is the new mystery. “Bulldog Drummond Comes Back,” which shows to-day at flic Kosy Theatre. The. story of tlii's Paramount film is of a chase over England, led by rhymed clues, that takes Drummond and his friends on the. trail of a gang of criminals who have kidnapped his fiancee.