ENTERTAINMENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21212, 7 September 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

TONIGHT’S PROGRAMMES

“THE GREAT VICTOR HERBERT” j AT THE REGENT THEATRE A cast headed by such celebrities as Allan Jones, Mary Martin and ! Walter Connolly, twenty-eight of the | delightful melodies written by Victor ! Heroert, and a romance of tne show | world of the early 1900’s, make “The i Great Victor Herbert” a sparkling j production. Not so much a bio- ! graphy of Victor Herbert as a drama i of the composer’s influence over the j glamorous show world of his day, the j film tells of the romance of a stagei struck girl and the matinee idol of tne day, who meet in Herbert's gay world, And fame in starring in his operettas and happiness in their friendship with the great man.

Some of Victor Herbert’s bestremembered songs intersperse the story. Among tnem are such allround favourites as “A Kiss in the Dark,” “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life,” “Kiss Me Again” and “I’m Falling in Love With Someone.” Allan Jones and Mary Martin act convincingly and sing delightfully, and there is the new singing discovery, fourteen-year-old Susanna Foster..

The supporting programme includes the British Air Mail News, with thrilling war news; the Cinesound Review, showing the exploits of H.M.A.S. Sydney; “Blue Streak,” a Sportlight; and the Paramount Special. “IRENE” AT THE CIVIC THEATRE ! _____ “Irene” is a sparkling production, with Anna Neagle very charming in the title role. The lovely British star is cast as a little Irish shop girl who becomes a dress model, and then almost overnight emerges as the toast of New York society because • of the gorgeous gowns she wears in public as a publicity stunt for her firm. Her wealthy employer (Ray ; Milland) falls in love with her while guiding her sensational career, but j doesn’t reveal his feelings. But his j best friend (played by Alan Marshal) j becomes engaged to the beautiful ; model out of sympathy when she is | exposed as a fraud. From this novel maze of romantic complications I Blue Bown” (with Anna Neagle ! citing incidents. Important roles are played by Roland Young, Alan Marshal, May Robson, Billie Burke. Arthur Treacher, Marsha Hunt, Isabel Jewell and Doris Noland. Among the song hits are “Aline Blue Gown” (with Anna Neagle dancing and looking very lovely in the coloured scenes), “Irene” and “Castle of Dreams.” “THE JONES FAMILY” AT THE STATE THEATRE The depression came late to the Jones Family, but it hit hard, Dad’s laid up, their home is gone and they have only their trailer and family car in “On Their Own.” But you can’t keep a good Jones down, and when the depression threatens to whip the whole family—well, they trade their car and trailer for a bungalow court and end up having more fun than ever. In their usual Jones Family roles are Spring Byington, Ken Howell, George Ernest, June Carlson, Florence Roberts and Billy Mahan.

Plunging into action with the I opening scene, “One Hour to Live” j reveals Charles Bickford as a de- ! tective inspector, arresting John j Litel, a racketeer, on a murder ! charge just a few minutes after Litel ! has married Doris Nolan, a Broadway beauty who was the detective’s • former sweetheart. How Bickford* | adopts the methods of the racketeer leader to untangle a snarl of conflictI ing evidence and unmask the mysterious criminal maintains the suspense until the final scene. “RANGE WAR” AT THE THEATRE ROYAL William Boyd, as the dauntless “Hopalong Cassidy.” and Russell

Hayden as his old saddlemate. “Lucky,” ride into action again in Clarence E. Mulford’s “Range War,” to bring to justice a landowner who is making trouble for ranchers building a railroad spur which will enable them to get their cattle to market without paying exorbitant tolls for crossing his property. “Hopalong,” in order to discover who is stealing the railroad's payrolls and delaying the building of the railroad by dynamiting tracks, holds up the next stagecoach delivering a payroll himself. In turn, the outlaws hold up “Hopalong,” and thus “Hopalong” is able to work from the “inside” to thwart the landowner and hi* gang.

“What a Life,” starring Jackie Cooper, tells the story of Henrv Aldrich, described by every teacher as the worst boy in the school. The amazing situations the troubled and bewildered Henry gets himself into provide a maximum of laughs and a certain amount of pathos.

“GOOD-BYE MR CHIPS” AT THE ROXY THEATRE Robert Donat reveals his consummate artistry and acting skill in “Goodbye, Mr Chips,” filmisation of the celebrated James Hilton novel. The story is the story of the education of youth the world over. Robert Donat plays the kindly schoolmaster who comes to a large English school as a young man and passes his entire life there. He becomes the ideal of the boys in his care, and when these boys grow up they send their sons back to “Mr Chips.” He meets and falls in love with a young and beautiful girl (played very charmingly by Greer Garson), and when she ultimately dies the tragedy leaves “Chips” with a great human understanding and compassion. Among the thrilling moments of the story are the rescue of the heroine trom a peak in the Tyrolean Alps, a spectacular air raid during the World War and a great ball in the Vienna of the old days. Cricket and football matches add interest and fast action.

The Railway Department has arranged a cheap week-end excursion to Wellington for next week-end. Full particulars will be found in the advertising columns of this issue.