STATE THEATRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 March 1939, Page 2

STATE THEATRE

“SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS.” The outstanding picture, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” will be finally shown tonight at the State Theatre. “STRAIGHT, PLACE AND SHOW.” The great attraction at the State Theatre tomorrow will be “Straight, Place and Show,” the Ritz Brothers’ latest comedy. Richard Arlen plays the apex of an attractive triangle — Ethel Merman keeps singing her songs to Dick and they keep reminding him of Phyllis Brooks. The Ritzes take charge of the romance and things soon get completely out of hand. The roje of a millionaire sportsman in “Straight, Place and Show” is no out-of-the-or-dinary portrayal for Arlen, even though his recent screen appearances have been on the open ranges of the wide West. In his more than 70 Hollywood productions Arlen has played roles varying from a Chinese coolie to a South American engineer. He found his greatest change in that he had to hate horses for the new role. He is engaged to Phyllis Brooks, who is such a rabid horse-fancier that Arlen plays second-fiddle to her stable pets. Exasperated by this state of affairs, he offers his fiancee a wager. If her favourite mount, Playboy, wins no races within three months she must give up horses. If he does win, then, says Dick, “I will build a stable off the bedroom!” Playboy loses; and here is where the Ritzes come in. Arlen presents the horse to them and the fun begins. Phyllis breaks off her engagement to Arlen and tries to buy Playboy. But the Ritzes have promised not to sell him. In order to raise the entry fee, and incidentally to insure Playboy’s winning, the Ritzes engage in some tall and hilarious promoting on the eve of the big race, getting themselves involved with what Runyon would call some very desperate characters indeed.