ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 21093, 27 May 1930, Page 4

ENTERTAINMENTS

’THE CIVIC. LAST NIGHT OF DOLORES DEL RIO AND CHARLES FARRELL IN “THE RED DANCE” AND EDMUND LOWE IN “MAKING THE GRADE.” Distinctly different in type the two pictures on the programme at the Civic tonight combine to provide a splendid evening’s entertainment. Fine story, great cast, artistic direction and splendid entertainment just about describes “The Red Dance.” This Fox picture is a story of the Russia during the revolution, with Dolores Del Rio and Charles Farrell in the stellar roles. The beautiful Mexican gives probably her greatest performance since her role of Charmaine in “What Price Glory,” as the peasant girl who becomes the famous Red Dancer of Moscow and a leader of the Revolution. Charles Farrell is equally effective as Prince Eugen, whose sympathies are with the people but who, n the turmoil of rebellion, is sentenced to die before a firing squad. These two young players furnish the romance of the story as well as some of the thrills. There is plenty of action thrills, humour and historical interest in this production. Rasputin, the black monk, Trotcky, the tsar and his family and other famous characters of the revolution play their parts in this, one of the best pictures seen herein many months. “Making rhe Grade,” the other feature starring Edmund Lowe and Lois Moran is most amusing, the story of the taming of a he-shrew. A youthful millionaire brought at last to see the emptiness! of his superior world, but not until he has attempted to live the life of a regular human being with dismal success, stumbling through a maze of laugh-pro-voking situations that could be devised only by the inimitable George Ade. The youth’s love for a little girl who manages a tea room proves too strong for his snobbish inclinations and she tames him. “ZIEGFELD FOLLIES REVUE.” MAJESTIC TO-NIGHT. IN “GLORIFYING THE .AMERICAN GIRL” ALL-TALLNG-SINGING-DANCING AND PART TECHNICOLOUR. Florenz Ziegfeld. Mary Eaton, Eddie Cantor, Helen Morgan and Rudy Vallee — picture these names in association with a moving picture, and you have some idea of the impressive magnitude and spectacular magnificence of “Glorifying the American Girl,” Paramount’s production opening tonight at the' Majestic Theatre. Florenz Ziegfeld’s “Glorifying the American Girl,” was supervised personally by the great glorifier himself. Mary Eaton, premier danseuse of a number of Ziegfeld stage shows, and the leading lady in the recent comedy success, “The Cocoanuts,” with the Four Marx Brothers, has the star role in "Glorifying the American Girl.” Eddie Cantor appears in an inimitable Cantor comedy skit in a revue sequence of the picture, in which appear also Helen Morgan and Rudy Vallee. Much of the dazzling spectacle of the "reduction is "resented in the full colours of the improved technicolour process. The show is a breath-taking extravaganza of lavish-handed showmanship. There are gathered for the edification of the eye, the most beautiful girls in America in what is said to be the most gorgeous array of dancing the movie world has ever seen. It is a picture that you must see if you would be up on your new show world. “Glorifying the American Girl” is all-talking-singing-dancing and parttechnicolour. A splendid programme of supporting featurettes accompany this special Ziegfeld stage show. Plans are at the Bristol, or 'phone 738 for reservations. THE REGENT. - LAST NIGHT OF RONALD COLMAN IN “CONDIIMNED,” AND ADOREE, ALAN HALE AND CLYDE COOK IN “THE SPIELER.” Additional proof that Ronald Colman is one of the finest actors on the screen in this era of talking pictures is to be seen at the Regent in “Condemned!”, his latest starring picture for Samuel Goldwyn. His performance of the handsome, gallant convict of this picture of fife in prison accented just that combination of romantic appeal, understanding humour and genuine tragic appeal which have long been features of his acting. The other members of the cast performed brilliantly as well. Ann Harding aa the appealing heroine made good use of both her extraordinary blond beauty and acting talent. Louis Wolheim turned in another of those well worked out characterizations which have made his villainous countenance a proverb in films. Dudley Digges, noted stage actor, as the brutal warden, brings a fine flavour to his first picture, and is said to have had a hand in its direction as well. “Condemned!” would be an event in pictures even without the services of such a cast, since its locale and direction earn it an extraordinarily high place. Laid on Devil’s Island, the notorious French penal colony on the coast of South America, it gave remarkable and well-exploited opportunities to director and scenarist to exploit the picturesque possibilities of “The Island of Living Death.” Pictorially, it is even more striking than Colman’s latest triumph “Bulldog Drummond.”' Its story is that of love growing between the mistreated wife of the warden of Devil’s Island and one of the convicts who serves in the warden’s house as the wife’s helper. The mad rage of the warden at hearing gossip about his servant and his wife throws them into each other’s arms before either of them has dared to speak feelingly to the other. The working out of this situation is too subtle and too satisfying to be described here—it is an absolute novelty and a complete variation on the conventional happy ending. The supporting feature “The Spieler,” is a story of camiyal life—or as we know it the showgrounds side-ehows. It has as its principal players Alan Hale and Renee Adoree, and they both talk, with the surprise being uncovered by Miss Adoree when her French accent sounds like an Irish brogue. There Is a lot of good sound stuff in addition to the talking sequences and in all the picture is all around good entertainment.