AMUSEMENTS.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 313, 19 December 1936, Page 8

AMUSEMENTS.

Plaza Theatre. For three nights, to-night, Monday and Tuesday next, the Plaza Theatre, Stratford, will ring to the glorious voice of Arthur Tracy in the ‘‘Street Singer’s Serenade.” This sparkling musical romance centres “round the success gained by' a mere street singer who, because of insistent persuasion of a music hall manager by a chorus girl, eventually wins fame on the stage. The chorus girl is played by Anna Neagl© and a delicate romance is l w r oven into the musical thread of the play. The musical numbers sung by Arthur Tracey are all a riot, particularly’ “The Whistling Waltz,” which became one of the song hits of the year. The picture shows for three nights at the Plaza, to-night, Monday and Tuesday next.

King’s Theatre. Columbia’s “The Final Hour,” featuring Ralph Bellamy l and Marguerite Churchill, will head the new’ screen programme at the King’s Theatre to-night and on Monday. Produced under the direction of D. Ross Lederman from a story by Harold Shumate, “The Final Hour” relates the experiences of a ‘ once powerful, prosperous lawyer who hits the dregs after a series of marital difficulties. Bent on suicide, he meets Marguerite Churchill, who gives him a new strength and a new ambition to battle his way back. To help Bellamy, the girl enlists the aid of her employer, an ex-gangster, played by John Gallaudet. Bellamy grows to love the girl who befriended him but trouble ensues when Gallaudet is murdered by a former mobster pal. The girl is accused of the murder, and for the first time in his. career, Bellamy is hopelessly unable to best the law.

In a startling climax, the threads of the story are woven into logical and highly exciting denouement, “with the once discouraged lawyer achieving his most brilliant success. In addition to the principals, the fine supportng cast includes Lina Basquette, George McKay, Marc Lawrence and Elisabeth Risdon. A brand new comedy team has hit .the screen n for the purpose of presenting C. M. Woolf’s latest hilarious farce entitled “Public Nuisance No. 1.”

Famous on the London stage for their lively partnership in “Jill, Darling,” Arthur Riscoe and Frances Day have united forces on the screen, resulting in a picture .that bristles with wisecracks and shows no mercy on your aching sides from start to finish. As Frances Travers, a little shop girl who wins a charity ballot, Frances Day is delicious, bubbling over with life and naughtiness—her gaiety and lightness are so impudent, and yet so gracious. Arthur Riscoe, who is one of the most fluent comedians in British or any other films, began his stage career in Australia, after his service in the Australian Expeditionary Force during the Great War. Perhaps it was here that he developed his sharpened sense of humour, and his hobby of telling stories. His most popular story, however, concerns his adventures in Northern Queensland, when he was touring there and the show ran out of money. Uptakes 20 minutes to tell, and he has dined out on it successfully for ages. The film shows at the King’s Theatre, Stratford, tonight and on Monday.

“Waiata Four” on Monday Next. Special arrangements have been made by Stratford Theatre Ltd to secure the engagement of the “Waiata Four” on Monday' and Tuesday nights next. The ’’Waiate Four” is the male quartette which recently attracted the attention of Senia Chostiakoff, the Russian tenor now in New Zealand, and on his recommendation was engaged by the National Broadcasting Service to broadcast from YA stations early in the New Year.

The “Waiata Four” will present plantation and Maori melodies as well as humorous and novelty numbers, and will sing a complete change of items each night. The quartette is something quite different from anything which has been heard in the theatres for several years, and a programme of unusual merit has been prepared. The personnel of the quartette includes Mr 11. S. Allwright, who was one of the, original “Melody Four” which broadcast from 2YA at weekly intervals for two years,. Other members of the party are Messrs C. 0. Pratt (first tenor), B. Malone (second tenor), and C. J. Roberts (second bass). This will be the final Taranaki appearance of the “Waiata Four” before going on tour of the North Island.