ENTERTAINMENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21372, 17 March 1941, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

TONIGHT’S PROGRAMMES I ROXY THEATRE I ‘‘Broadway Melody of 1940'’ is a i sparkling film, with Fred Astaire \ and Eleanor Powell dancing | superbly. It has the person- j able George Murphy dancing with them. It includes Frank Morgan, ! and what comedy! It has beauty in j Florence Rice and Lynne Carver. It I has the likeable lan Hunter. It includes a bevy of clever dancing girls. And that isn’t all. Cole Porter has written five new tunes and thrown in his sensational “Begin the Beguine,” which the dancing stars do on mirrors. The story has comedy and humanness, drama and thrills. “His Girl Friday” is a thrilling modern romantic comedy set against the vibrant background of metropolitan life. Suspenseful situations, scintillating dialogue and sparkling comedy form an integral part of the picture. STATE THEATRE River's End” toils a thrilling story. James Oliver Curwood, America’s great storyteller, reached the peak of his career when he wrote “River’s End” and the thrilling tale has been brought to glowing liie on the screen. Starring Dennis Morgan, George Tobias and Elizabetn Earl, the picture relates the story of River’s End, hideout of murderers, where civilisation ends and adventure begins. Handsome Sergeant Conniston, of trie Mounties, is set out to bring back John Keith, wanted for murder. The chase leads the Redcoat through many adventures. Action, thrilling adventure and exciting romance Fill “The Gay Caballero,” with Cesar Romero back again in O. Henry’s colourful character, the Cisco Kid. “Wings Over New Zealand,” showing Dominion airmen in training, is alsp shown. CIVIC THEATRE The swearing-in ceremony of the new Governor-General, Greek Day in Sydney, and “Christmas Under Fire” are features of the programme. An amusing comparison between sedate Victorianism and modernity is afforded in “It All Came True,” the screen version of Louis Bromfield’s story. Zasu Pitts and Una O'Connor appear as two delightfully oldworld women who unexpectedly come in contact with a gangster (Humphrey Bogart) with laughable and thrilling results. Ann Sheridan plays opposite Humphrey Bogart, and the two form a strong dramatic combination. “Wings Over New Zealand,” produced with the co-operation of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, is a thrilling and impressive film dealing with the training of airmen in the Dominion. All branches oi training are dealt with, from the arrival of the raw recruit to the turning out of the smart “finished article.” THEATRE ROYAL “Dark Eyes in London” combines sensation and romance very effectively. It concerns the sinister activities of a half-mad doctor who conceives an evil plan to get rich quick by making use of certain people, then disposing of them in a horrible manner. So ingenious is the doctor’s method of killing that the deaths when eventually discovered by the police are (thought to have been caused by suicide. Suddenly Scotland Yard are presented with a valuable clue, and after a series of exciting events the murderer is tracked down. Bela Lugosi (Dracula) plays the leading role, that of the terrible doctor. “A Young Man’s Fancy,” starring Griffith Jones, Anna Lea and Seymour Hicks, is a sparkling romantic comedy, and “Wings Over New Zealand,” deals with the training of airmen in the Dominion. REGENT THEATRE “Hired Wife” is a very amusing and exciting production costarring Rosalind Russell, Brian Aherne and Virginia Bruce. Especially designed for the three stars, the picture is crammed with unusual and unconventional situations. The story deals with a girl who marries her employer, with whom she is in love, merely to get him out of a business jam. And the comedy rises out of the situations she creates by trying to keep him from the girl he loves. Rosalind Russell is particularly good as the secretary. Robert Benchley is very entertaining at the head of a large supporting cast. "Wings Over New Zealand,” showing the training of Dominion airmen, “Australians Sweep Into Derna,” and “Christmas Under Fire,” with scenes of London’s wartime Christmas, are thrilling features of the supporting programme