AMUSEMENTS

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 123, 16 December 1938, Page 4

AMUSEMENTS

“HAPPY LAWDENG” Sonja Henie, Don Ameche in Show Aglow with Joy— ‘‘Happy Landing”.' Joan Hersholt, Ethel Merman, Cesar Romero Featured in Silvery, Sumptuous New Musical from Hit-Maker Darryl f F. Zanuck j Big Cast in Film. A wonderful new world of joy-laden wonder comes winging from the snowsilvered Norseland with America’s newest and sweetest sweetheart. Sonja Henie—radiant beyond imagining, in “Happy Landing,” the 20th. Cen-tury-Fox production which screens at the De Luxe Theatre Saturday. This lithe, ecstatically graceful Norse nymph, who came to American motion, picture only two, pictures ago, and astonished the entire world with her skill as a skater and an actress, is radiantly re-united with her “One In A Million” sweetheart, Don •Ameche, in her third hit, “Happy Landing.”

Surpassing the- breathless sensations of “Thin, - Lee” with scintillating songs, songs and more songs, by Pokrass and Yelien, the wonder girl, breathlessly in Jove, veritably brings happy; tidings, % thrilling as even she never thrilled before. Cesar Romero, east as an egocentric orchestra leader who,'",with his companion, Don Aineolie, Jflies across the Atlantic, starts tiiis musical of superlative splendour'' on a fast moving pace. An ocean fog pdts the fliers off their conrso and they Ijand in Norway where Jean Her-, sholt’s five daughters (one of themSonja) are happily * engaged in a' “Brides’ Fair” festival. The . local 'custom that, a young liian who dances twice with a girl is proposing to) her gets Romero involved in a love affair whichi is all hero-worship on the part of a lovelorn Sonja, and all basking in the ever-satisfying warmth of egotism by Romero. Don Ameche, sincere in his indentions, tries to keep things on an even keel, but there is tin* matter of another girl of Romero’s back 1 in the States. ’The two Hier.s swing Irom Norway to Paris, Miami and New York in the course of the story.' How Romero finally is snagged by Ethel .'Merman—and how the “One. in A .Million” sweethearts, Sonja and Don, are reunited—in a silvery, sumptuous, superlative musical from Hit-Creator Darryl F. Zanuck. The two, love stories are capably handled, by Director Roy Del Ruth from the original screen play Ijy Milton Sperling and Boris Ingster. Tin* songs will be- <>n every one’s lips before many days have passed. And the thrilling scenic backgrounds to tlu* -production, numbers will amaze themovie audiences with their shimmering splendour. ‘‘Happy Landing” g(ives. you a Sonja more dazzling than sunshine ton ice.

; T i “POPEYE THE SAILOR.^-MEETS ALI BABAS iFORT'Y TH{E;VWS”

In Paramount’s two-reel, full-colour cartoon, “Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Balia’s Forty; Thieves,” which screens Saturday at the De Luxe.* , I lfeatre, .Max Fleischer lias created' ;l really oiitmitstaiiciing attraction. Done in bis patented three-dimensioned process which makes the gay characters actually live, the cartoon has the famous one-eyed sailor again doing .the seemingly impossble. With the* aid el his trusty spinach lie conquers ’ the most frightful villain lie has ever met. and proves emphatically that - “right is might.” Spectacular colour effects and unusual- settings enhance the amusing stery of how Popeye, as a eujist- guard, is called to defend a dclsort town from the depredations of d'Ali Bluto,” famous bandit leader of the forty Thieves. An amusing series of adventures finally takes Popeye to Ali Baba’s secret cave where the bandit has. his hidden plunder and the kidnapped Olive Oyl. The ‘‘big scene’ follows with a wild! fight, punctuated |,y hilarious situations with Popeye hopelessly outnumbered. How lie wins the! fight, saves Olive and regains all the bandit's loot, gives a thrilling and aimusing finish to this delight!ul eighteen minutes ol nmisoiuji’.