ST. JAMES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 685, 10 June 1929, Page 15

ST. JAMES

“PAT HANNA’S DIGGERS” The third programme of Pat Hanna’s “Diggers," proved very entertaining to the large audience at the St. James Theatre again on Saturday evening. Pat Hanna and his company, which seems to increase in strength from week to week, understand well the problems of popular taste, and their programmes never fail to give amusement. Outstanding in the third selection of song, dancing and wit are some of the delightful sketches by Joe Va.lli, Pat Hanna, Iza Crossley and Stan Lawson, such as “Changed Glasses," “Gipsy Love," a short domestic comedy, and a post-war* melodrama, “Joe’s Girl.” The Diggers’ war-time memory takes a humorous turn this week. Tommy was a two-up fiend in the trenches; so successful that he charmed the Prince of Wales, beat the King for his crown jewels, sent the Queen weeping to her room, and won five bob when he told the yarn. It sounds a bit tall; but Pat Hanna’s men put it over, as they put over many other good things. Then there are some more songs by Ernest Ivopke and A dele Taylor, and good work by the ballet and the Diggers’ Orchestra.

GRAND AND LYRIC “NEW YEAR’S EVE” Underworld films have often erred in over-accentuating the drama too heavily for the average theatregoer. Mary Astor, however, has kept away from this evil in her former pictures of the submerged tenth, "Dressed to Kill” and “Romance of the Underworld," and in her latest vehicle, “New Year’s Eve,” the love interest and comedy phases of the story have been fully treated. “New Year’s Eve,” which is at the Grand and Lyric. Theatres, is a lively and diverting tale of a tenement Cinderella and her search for* a suitable Prince. The search leads her through a network of complications in w r hich dramatic and comedy moments have been cleverly alternated. This in turn has resulted in increasing the popular* appeal of the picture, and in making it thoroughly worth while entertainment. “Kitty,” which is also being shown, is a delightful English story from the author of “Sorrell and Son,” and stars Estelle Brody and John Stuart.