AMUSEMENTS.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 445, 28 May 1937, Page 8

AMUSEMENTS.

Plaza Theatre. “THREE SMART GIRLS” Deanna Durbin Is Radio’s Sensational Songbird They smiled encouragingly when she stepped up to sing. “They” were the technical crew on the Universal picture "Three Smart Girls,” screening at the Plaza Theatre; Stratford, to-night—-a picture every cinema fan in Stratford has been waiting for. The crew had seen more than one experienced prima donna falter in her first film recording.

The girl was 13 year old Deanna Durbin, noted radio soprano, making her screen debut. Instead of suffering from camera fright, which the technicians expected, Deanna sang easily, as if she were just practising. Deanna, an American girl, was born in Winnipeg, Canada, December 4, 1922. When she was a year old, her parents took her to California. Vocal experts marvel that so young a girl should have such a finely developed voice. Deanna portrays the youngest sister of the "Three Smart Girls.”

Possessing a lyric soprano voice that electrifies all who hear it, little Miss Durbin makes her movie debut in one of the gayest comedy dramas ever to come out of Hollywood. “Three Smart Girls’’ deals with the madcap adventures of three lovely daughters of a New York millionaire who join in a conspiracy to break up their father’s romance with a fortune hunting beauty.

Just to make the film even more Interesting, there is a triple romance woven into the narrative. The dialogue is brightly amusing, the situations get funnier by the minute and the songs will steal your heart away. The ravishing Binnie Barnes portrays the huntress of fortunes; Alice Brady is seen as her scheming mother Ray Milland helps the “Three Smart Girls” prevent the marriage and wins the heart of one of the sisters, played by Barbara Read. Charles Winninger is the millionaire. Deanna Durbin is the youngest daughter. The other one is portrayed by Nan Grey, who is whirled into a romance with John King. You will be enchanted by the music, thrilled by the romance and convulsed by the humour of "Three Smart Girls.”

It is advisable to book early for this film.

Merle Oberon In “Beloved Enemy”.

To-day she is one of filmdom’s first stars. The demand for her services is so great that she must reconcile herself to spending halt her time in Hollywood, where she is under contract to Samuel Goldwyn, and the other half of London working for Alexander Korda.

But glamorous Merle Oberon, who sailed for England the moment she finished "Beloved Enemy,” her latest Goldwyn production which stars her with Brian Aherne and screens at the Plaza on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, still remembers the days when doors did not fly open at her knock and “getting started” seems an unnecessarily difficult process. Before her Seventeenth birthday dawned, fate offered her an opportunity to accompany an army officer uncle on a trip to England. When It was time for him to return, however, She insisted upon remaining in London to carve out a stage career. But jobs in the theatre were not to be had. Her money went quickly. Soon her small capital was gone. London was a cold discouraging place. For want of something better she took a job as a hostess. She found she was able to obtain some extra work and for two years worked obscurely in the British film studios. Then, one lucky day, Alexander Korda "discovered” her eating in the studio commissary and signed her. Her run of luck had changed. The actress who was to play the lead in "Wedding Rehearsal” fell ill and Merle got the part. A lead in “Men of To-morrow” followed. Then came the role of Anne Boleyn In "The Private Life of Henry VIII,” which made the beauty and talent of Merle Oberon a topic of in-

ternational discussion. “Thunder in the East,” ‘Broken Melody,’ and ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel” added to her fame. Then came Hollywood. She appeared opposite Maurice Chevalier in “Follies Bergere” and was signed to a starring contract with Samuel Goldwyn, for whom she made “The Dark Angel,” “These Three” and the current “Beloved Enemy,” all of which were released through United Artists. The story «f “Beloved Enemy” casts Brian Aherne and Merle Oberon as a man and woman from two warring worlds who fall madly in love and follows their romance, carried on under fire, with both risking their lives to snatch a few hours together. Against shifting backgrounds the story proceeds to a thrilling climax. King’s Theatre. “The Crime Of Dr. Forbes” Cold-blooded murder for the sake of a guilty love—or an act of compassion beyond human law? Local theatre-goers will have an opportunity to sit in judgment on “The Crime of Dr. Forbes" when the new Fox pictures screens alt the King’s Theatre to-night. Gloria Stuart, Robert Kent, Henry Armetta, J. Edward Bromberg, Sara Haden and Alan Dinehart are featured in this widely heralded production, the story of which is based on a theme new to the screen.

Kent, a young physician, goes to trial for the alleged murder of Bromberg, a noted scientist engaged in research which he hopes will lead to a cure for a fatal spinal disease. The etents leading to Kent's trial begin when Bromberg, hearing of the excavation of some prehistoric skeletons in Arizona bearing unmistakable symptoms of the disease, decides to visit the scene and laaves his laboratory and beautiful young wife, Gloria Stuart, in Kent’s care. The young doctor and Gloria, Without knowing it, fall in love. Suddenly word comes that Bromberg has been badly injured in an accident and Kent and Gloria rush to the scene. There they find Bromberg hopelessly enduring angOny, for he knows that his injury, cannot be cured. Kent and Bromberg's other associate realise their helplessness. They know that they can do nothing to lessen the Injured man’s terrible pain—and they know he cannot recover. Suddenly Bromberg dies—and unmistakable evidence points to an overdose of narcotics. Circumstantial evidence points to Kent as the administrator of the drug—and amidst condemning publicity he is brought to trail, where the prosecution points out that the young doctor is in love with Bromberg’s wife. Did this Dr. Forbes violate his sacred oath? The answer, startling and surprising, supplies one of the most unusual climaxes ever filmed.

“Music Is Magic”

Bebe Daniels, who is featured in a leading role in the Fox musical romance, “Music Is Magic” (also on the same programme), returns to the screen, after a two-years’ absence. Alice Faye tops the cast in the picture in which Miss Daniels enacts the role of a motion picture star whose popularity is on the wane. In “Music Is Magic” she reveals the charm which made her one of the favourites of the silent screen. During the Course of her great career, she has played almost every conceivable type of role. “Without Orders” The rugged, mountainous country of the north-west forms the setting of “Without Orders,” RKO Radio’s exciting romance of commercial aviation, which will screen ati the King’s Theatre. The producers have packed plenty of .thrills and a notable amount of heart interest Into the screen version of this Peter B. Kyne story, and a finely-chosen cast and excellent direction combine to make the picture an outstanding ottering. The plot centres around' the professional rivalry of two transport flyers and their personal rivalry over a pretty air hostess. One of the pilots, the son of the owner of the lines, comes to work for the company after a sensational career as a stunt flyer, but his unfitness to handle a big transport plane is evident to everyone but his doting father. The flyer twice endangers the lives of his passengers by his foolhardiness and cowardice. A clever handled romance; and a gripping climax when a plane is lost in a storm over th© Idaho mountains and the leckless pilot deserts his post, afford absorbing moments to film-goers. Robert Armstrong and Pally Eilers. «n the roipantic roles of an exper

enced pilot and bis- stewardess, turn in finely char.ictissd porl.ayals Both are pilots -n real bfe Hilarious comedy played against a background of a newspaper cameraman’s adventures forms the theme of “They Wanted to Marry,” RKO Radio’s latest screen romance, also on the same programme. The picture deals' with the dizzy love affair between a roving photographer and a society heiress. The two fall in love soon rafter meeting at a fashionable wedding, but no mat. ter what road they take toward getting married, they wind' up in the city gaol without benefit of matrimony. This result is' discouraging to the two participiants, but it offers plenty of laughter to the audience. The situations are further complicated by an indignant father, a timorous butler. a well-meaning friend and. last, but not least, “Emily,” the hero’s carrier pigeon.