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Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 459, 17 June 1937, Page 8

PLAZA THEATRE “Craig’s Wife” In “Craig’s- Wife” John Boles, as Walter Craig, has the leading male role, one of the most difficult he has ycl: been called upon to handle, and his performance throughout is faultless. His part is that of a devoted husband who gradually comes to realise his wife’s blind selfishness and petty tyranny, and in spite of all retains his love for her, even though she drives him to the point of deserting her. Boles blends the devotion and sorroy of Waiter Craig in an accomplished maimer. His performance is, if anything, somewhat overshadowed by that of Rosalind Russel, who as Harriot Craig, also fills a part which calls for skilful handling. Her role is that of a wife who finds herself losing all those things she bias worked so hard to secure, and is forced to realise that she has only herself to blame for the loss.. The wrecking qf her domestic happiness is due to her neglect of her husband and his rights as a human being. One of the most difficult tragic roles in recent years, it is handled throughout by Miss Russell in superb fashion. “Craig’s Wife” shows at the Plaza Theatre to-night.

“Born To Dance”

The tap dance of to-day is born of the folk dances of yesterday. Buddy Ebsen says that every country, from Africa to Alaska, has contributed at least one step to modern tap dancing. In one of his routines fo • “Eorii to Dance,” M-G-M’s spectacular new musical starring Eleanor Powell and showing at the Plaza for n fournight session euir.mencing on Saturday, the former Broadway star illustrates just how eajh step had arisen out of a folk dance. Ebsen said tltat he believed Americans liked tap dancing because their country is the melting pot of the world and tap dancing is the melting pot in the art of the dance.

The Irish jig has done much to giving tap dancers a variety of heel steps, while the Scotch reel has supplied spectacular toe steps that are far enough away from the acrobatic phase of dancing Ito be used for tapping, he declares.

‘‘The African race has contributed one of the most important factors' of all," Ebsen explains, “by giving tap dancers a basic rhythmic patter ,to follow. Their tom-tom step in my case—rand I believe it must be true with other dancers —has enabled me to build up many new routines.”

In “Born to Dance" Eleanor Powell once again clinches her reputation as the foremost feminine tapdancer She introduces a bewildering array of routines, even an original version of the current popular “swing” tempo.

“Men Are Not Gods” This Intriguing picture, scheduled for screening on. Thursday and Friday, stars the popular Mariam Hopkins and Gertrude lAwrence. It is a riotious comedy drama of a woman stage critic who made an adtor famous but lost her job as a result. The story is an unusual one. In the offices of the . London “Daily Posit” works Ann Williams, seem tary to Mr. Skeates, famous London dramatic critic. One night London is presented with a new production of ’’Othello” with a newcomer, Edmond Elivey, in, the titio role. Skeates, attending the first performapce, arrives late at night at Jiis office and, dist'ates to his secretary his trfticism of the produetion. This critici&m is a scathing attack upon the young actor When Skeates leave*. l , Ann Williams sits down at the typewriter and rattles off the article Twenlty minutes later the newspaper goes to press.

Next morning this critique presents itself to. readers of ithe “Daily Post” as one long hymn of praise for Edmond Davey. Ldndon marvele, and is aware that with this praise from Skeates, a new lartist has been discovered for the English stage. Mr. Skeates too, reads the newspaper and ttares aghast at the lines. From thia point things stiart to move, and the story works its hilarious way through a series of fascinating situations to a perfect climax.

KING’S THEATRE O’Riley’s Luck” Three famous football sltadiums were used’ in filming the football sequencer of “O’Riley’s Luck,” Paramount’s exeting romance of young love and college football which will be screened at the. King’s to-night. The main action was taken in the famous Pasadiena Rose Bowl, where the annual New Year’s Day EastWest classic is played. Here the famous “Trojans” of (the University of Southern Salifornii worked out for almost a month getting the necessary action and thrills of a real big-time football game. Another

game was played at the Coliseum in Los Angele-si where the Olympic Games were held in 1932, and still another was played at U.S.C.’s famous Bovard Field.

In all of these games Tom Brown, Larry Crabbe and Benny Baker participated, with real zest and vigour.. Both Tom and Larry are in love with beautiful Eleanore Whitney in “O’Riley’s Luck,” and it’s a tensely exciting football game in the famous Rose Bowl which deci’d’ss who gets the girl. There’s a. lot of fun behind the scenes in the making of some of the nation’s favourite radio programmes, and Paramount has put a good-sized hunk of it into its comedy-romance. “Easy to Take,” which will be shown on the same programme. Background for the picture is largely set in a radio studio, and John Howard, leading man, is introduced as “Uncle Roddy,” a radio children’s hour story teller. The picture features Marsha. Hunt and Eugene Pallette. Childmusicians who have won fame in concerts bblh on the stage and on the radio perform during the studio scenes; one of the most accomplished pairs is Mary 1 Ruth Kizzair, four, and Saundra Maazel, four and a half, who appear in a duet.

“The Jungle Princess” A romance in ’the heart of the Malayan jungle between a white man lost in the wilderness and a girl who had never seen a white man before is the story of “The Jungle Princess,” which will be screened on Tuesday and Wednesday of nexft. week. Dorothy Lamour, whose golden voice has captivated millions pn the radio, makes her film debut in this* picture as the child of the jungle whose only companion is a fullgrown man-eating tiger and a giant chimpanzee. Riay Milland plays the part of the explorer in the Malay jungle who is saved by the girl and then falls in love with Jier. Thrills in large measqre are furnished in “The Jungle Princess” by a stampeding elephant hertj, the ba'ttle between a man and a tiger, the fight to the death between a tiger and a leopard and the destruction of a Mislay village by a herd pf baboons. Miss Lamour sings a Malay cradle song during the course of the picture.