Entertainments

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 301, 21 December 1939, Page 9

Entertainments

REGENT THEATRE TO-DAY “THUNDER AFLOAT’* Surpassing in sea thrills even the magnificent schooner sequences of “Captains f Courageous,” hitherto considered “tops” c of their kind, “Thunder Afloat” is an epic c story of naval courage, starring Wallace ( Beery in one of the most thoroughly satisfying characterisations he has ever en- 0 joyed. As the tugboat captain who joins the navy and wants to fight the war j single-handed after an enemy submarine has sunk his craft. Beery is at his blustering best. The role is not all bravado, however. It permits him to prove him- J self the versatile veteran that he is, *• schooled in every art of the screen. Chester Morris, as Berry’s bitter tugboat b rival, is effectively convincing, while t Virginia Grey, winning her most Im- f portant opportunity to date as Beery's f daughter, asks odds of no one in ability, t A most effective menace, because of the e restraint in characterisation of a part t which might easily have been a typical j melodramatic heavy, is Carl Esmond as r the U-boat commander. Others who lent < brilliance to individual featured hits are e Regis Toomey as Beery’s second in com- t mand, John Qualen as his mate, Clem g Bevans as a veteran of Manila Bay, v Douglas Dumbriile as the district com- f mandant, Jonathan Hale as Admiral j. Girard, Charles Lane and Phillip Terry as 0 naval officers. .'l REGENT THEATRE FRIDAY * “WIZARD OF OZ” |c “The Wizard of Oz” is exactly what you 1 .would expect and, on the other hand, it >- ! is far more than you expect. If you hope 1 I that L. Frank Baum’s story, which chii- t dren and grown-ups have been devouring 1 , greedily for almost forty years, has not & been turned into something unrecogms- o table you have no need for fears. EveryI thing is there, everything that made it a fascinating fantasy. No wonder millions love Oz —with its sparkling dialogue and lyrics, delightful events, the thrilling action of the story. "The Wizard of Oz” has the greatest colour camera magic ever dreamed of. The cast is diamond-studded, f Judy Garland as Dorothy proves she is p the greatest child actress of her age on r the screen and it isn’t only her lovely 1 songs which do it. Frank Morgan’s star ? rises oven higher with his performance of ,c the delightful humbug, the Wizard. Ink songs and dances, Ray Bolger as the r Scarecrow, Jack Haley as the Tin Wood- s man and Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion s again proved why they have been Broad- ; t way musical comedy and radio stars so is long. Billie Burke is eye-filling as Glinda t the Good and proves she can do more than c play feather-brained mothers. Margaret j c Hamilton is perfect as the Wicked Witch, jc Charley Grapewin, Pat Walslie and Clara 11 Blandick score in familiar roles. The ' a musical score, in which the lyrics form j a part of the dialogue is as lilting as it Is j n novel, and you’ll soon bo humming “Over t the Rainbow,” “If I Only Had a Brain,” ,c “If I Were King of the Forest” and "The jh Merry Land of Oz.” And if all this isn’t a enough, there are hundreds of the most S intriguing little Munchkins you’d ever im- , b agine, thousands of other delightful char- a acters and even trees which move. j R:

STATE THEATRE TO-MORROW “SHIPYARD SALLY” Hearty comedy, glorious singing of old favourites and new hits by the one-and-only Gracie Fields, and a strong story combine to make it incomparably the best Gracie Fields vehicle to date. Clydeside, where the story opens is seen as a period of prosperity closes and poverty and despair settle Over the workers. Gracie Fields appears as Sally, a music-hall artist who finds that to keep her, errant, father, the “Major,” in order is becoming almost a full-time job. The “Major” is played by Grade’s co-star, Sydney Howard. He buys a Clydeside “pub" with Grade’s savings and looks thirstily forward to drinking the profits. There are-no profits, however, for the men can no longer afford to pay for their beer. Gracie proves a friend lo the workers, dispensing beer and eneouragemeht without hope of reward beyond their profound gratitude and friendship. A commission is appointed in London to report on the situation at Clydebank, and Sally is sent to London to plead for a resumption of work. The “Major” decides to accompany her! Lord Randall (Morton Selton), head of the commission, is both busy and elusive. When orthodox methods fail to bring Sally an interview she uses her voice and her ingenuity. She poses as an American blues singer and becomes the hit of a party at Randall’s house; she impersonates a young man of Mayfair and passes through the portals of Lord Randall’s very- conservative—and all male—club; she continues her impersonation of the singer at a country house-party and at last her efforts are rewarded with success. Seldom has anything so funny as the male impersonation sequence been seen, and the finale, when Gracie Sings “Land of Hope and Glory,” is patriotically stirring and deeply moving. Four sessions: 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 7.45 p.m., and 10,20 p.m. METEOR THEATRE—TO-MORROW

“BROADWAY SERENADE” Packed with musical, romantic and eyefilling thrills, “Broadway Serenade,” starring Jeanette MacDonald, opens tomorrow at the Meteor Theatre. Definitely one of the “must see” list, “Broadway Serenade” lias not missed a trick in including all of the elements of top flight entertainment. Unlike most films in the musical category, this one contains a story which holds interest from the first scene until the fadeout. In brief, it is the tale of a young married couple, she a singer, he a composer-pianist. As a team they play most of New York’s cheap night clubs until a lucky break starts the girl climbing high on the ladder of musicalcomedy success. The boy is left behind to battle for recognition as a composer and to master the jealousy which eventually breaks up the marriage. The story moves in two extremes of locale, the glittering show-world of which the girl becomes a part and the garret-room whore her husband is struggling to briug himself a success of which she may be proud. Seldom has Jeanette MacDonald had a better opportunity for both her dramatic and vocal abilities. For the first time since “San Francisco” she carries the vocal honours singly. Her songs have been wisely selected to please diversified audiences. There are favourites of the Gay Nineties, grand opera selections, and a dash of the day’s hit tunes. In each case the songs are set against colourful backgrounds. Lew Ayres, as Miss MacDonald’s composer-pianist husband, gets his best role to date. He is Ideally suited for the part and turns In an outstanding performance. lan Hunter forms an interesting third point to the romantic triangles and comedy is spilt three ways between the always hilarious Frank Morgan, as a Broadway theatrical producer, and his two chorus girl shadows, Virginia Grey and Rita Johnson, who battlo to the death for his affections. KOSY THEATRE—TO-DAY “ISLE OF FURY” For stark drama, wild adventure and unique romance set in a weirdly glamorjur background, few piotures can compete with the Warner Bros, production, ‘lsle of Fury,” the guest night attraction now at the Kosy Theatre. The picture, pased on the Somerset Maugham novel ‘Three in Eden,” is packed with thrills from start to finish, including the rescue af men washed into the sea from a ship smashed on a jagged coral reef in a terrific storm—battles with knife and gun between outlawed white men, half-castes a,nd natives—and greatest of all, a titanic struggle to the death of two men caught in the snakelike tentacles of an octopus it the bottom of the ocean. Underneath It all there is seething passion in the hearts of a man and a beautiful girl, bof.n pf whom fight desperately to control their love, because the girl is the bride of the master of the island. But love and hate ire hard to hold In bounds and when the husband discovers the romance he sets forth in a towering rage to slay his rival, whom he had called a friend. The sterling cast is headed by Humphrey Bogart, Margaret Lindsay and Donald Woods, the three who are ensnared by a triangular romance. "Stage Struck.” Novelty and originality set “Stage Struck” distinctly apart from anything heretofore seen on the screen, the second feature featuring Dick Powell and Joan Blondell. “There are death-defying scenes of hilarity performed by those Monarchs of Madness, the Yacht Club Boys (released faom the Nut House especially for this engagement)—while Dick Powell vocalises—Joan Blondell tantalises—and the whole town rhapsodises over the most convulsing bombardment of laughs ever presented on the screen. Warner Bros, round up a round dozen of Hollywood's merriest stars and turn them loose in a new and different kind of story that gives Dick Powell his greatest chance to turn on that famous voice of his —Joan Blondell turns on the heat—and the Yacht Club Boys turn the screen with their dizziest ditties to date.” “The Oregon Trail.” Raging prairie fires, gun fights with ruthless outlaws, and Indian vengeance are thrilling elements to be seen in the third episode of “The Oregon Trail,” Universal’s 15-chapter serial.