Page
*
ENTERTA
TAINME
QUEENS
SHOWING TO-DAY AT 2.30, 5.15, 7.20 & 9.30
BLONDELL
SHE MAKES.
GOSSIP COLUMNISTS
TURN GREEN WITH ENVY.
AND WILL YOUR, FACE BE RED
as this intimate confidante of debu-
tantes spills the loughing low-down
on tocisty's higher upper-crush in
PERSONAL MAID'S
SECRET
-NEXT CHANGE -
HUOM
HERBERT FARRELL
in "MISS PACIFIC FLEET"
JOAN
4 SHOWS
DINY
9.30-5.13
7.15.30
GLENDA
TAKE ANY THAM OR HAPPY VALLEY BUR
ORIENTAL
2DORE TO-DAY
DAYS
ALLEN JENKINS
PPLEMING
ROAD
LANGHAN
TEL. DATE
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS. FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1936.
TO-DAY AT THE
CINEMA
Hong Kong
KING'S:-
"Modern Times"
QUEEN'S:-
"Personal Mald's Secret"
ORIENTAL:-
The Rainmakers"
Kowloon
ALHAMBRA!--
"Sylvia Scarlett"
-MAJESTIC:-
"Dangerous, Water"
STAR:-
"Peter Ibbetson"
KING'S :-
Coming
"Modern Times"*
QUEEN'S:
"Miss Pacifc Fleet ALHAMBRA --
STAR
"Tough Guy"
"Broadway Gondoller"
MAJESTIC:-
"Les Miserable"
"SYLVIA SCARLETT"
AT THE ALHAMBRA
"Sylvia Scarlett," at the Alhan- bra Theatre, présents Katharine Hepburn in a new role as a girl who disguises herself as a boy. It is a difficult part handled in the truc
TO-MORROW Hepburn manner, which is little
THE FUNNIEST SHOW IN TOWN!`
THE INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONS
OF LAUGHTER IN A RIOT OF FUN
BERT
ROBERT
WHEELER WOOLSEY
Rainmakers
RADIO
They've comered the shock-market in a wat
drama fell of dry wit
with DOROTHY LEE Picare Directed by Fred Guiol
MATINEES: 20c.-30e © EVENINGS: 20c.-30c.-50c.-70c.
ESTARE
TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW
No Prison Bars
Could Cage
Their Lovel
Most beautiful
romance
in
modern literature. Adolph, Zukin, presçula
GARY COOPER ANN HARDING
Peter
Ibbetson'
·A Perumaunt Procure with Idi Laplne John Halliday Douglass Dumbrilla Virginia Waidlar Diski. More Dirvend by Henry Hathaway
NEXT CHANGE DICK POWELL IN BROADWAY GONDOLIER'
PERSONAL MAID'S SECRET
At The Queen's
B
short of marvellous. The story it self is colourful, if episodic, but is of no consequence, for the acting far outshines it. It concerns young French-English girl who, in order to save her knavish father from prison, disguises herself as his son and helps him to escape from France to England. On the way over, they meet Cary Grant, a petty smuggler, who teaches them the tricks of his trade, and leads them Tiring inte venturesome patha. eventually of their crooked ways, Miss Hepburn suggests that they become roving players. At one of their shows she meets Brian Aherne, an artist, and falls in love with him. For the first time she has a desire to discard male attire, so, stealing a dress, she visits the artist, only to find that he is en- gaged to Natalie Paley, who later proves her fickleness by running off with Cary Grant, leaving Miss Hepburn and Mr. Aherne to "And "happiness together.
CHAPLIN'S SATIRE ON
THE
MECHANICAL AGE.
A Workman, A Waiter,
But Always
Always A Great
Comedian
The voice of Charles Chaplin was heard in a film for the first time in Hong Kong yesterday.
His long-awaited picture, Modern Times," which is said to have cost £400,000 and two years of work, was shown at the King's Theatre at Gala Premiere.
Chaplin is a walter in a restau- rant where waiters have to sing. He comes on to the floor with the words of the song written down on his cuft, loses his cuffs, and has to fake the words.
So, in a pleasant baritone and with a French accent, he sings in a gib- berish of his own improvising. The words do not make sense but the theme of the ballad is abundantly clear.
The only English words I could detect were "spinach" and "pawn- broker."
OTHER TRICK
20
Chaplin can give a plausible Imitation of French, Spanish, Scot- tish, or Yiddish, and talk or sing for an hour. although the words are of Chaplin origin,
Els other new trick in the im is an exhibition of Agure-skating, superbly done on the edge of a precipice.
"Modern Times" is an extraordi- narily funny fim,
The Drst half gave me an ache in the throat from laughter of a kind I have not enjoyed since "The Gold Rush" and early Laurel and, Hardy.
But Chaplin has not been satisfied to serve up his old and ebullient slapstick in the disguise of a new tale: he has become & student of social conditions.
A SATIRE
› In "Modern Times" he has been a man with a mission. He has produced a satire on an industrial age.
It is not a vicious, biting satire but it is a protest against factories where men are forced to become machines, against an age of plenty in which children starve, against. unemployment.
"PETER IBBETSON" @
In other words, Mr. Chaplin has made a documentary film. He has made a careful record of conditions and having long considered them, thought out a tale which springs naturally from those conditions.
"Modern Times" is, in essence, the story of a factory workman and of a girl both caught in the me- chanism of the age, both struggling to find happiness.
A. writer of tragedy would have plunged into realism. harrowed one with a description of their futile fight and had them both put their heads in a gas oven.
But Chaplin is a humourist.
He exaggerates. almost covers the struggle with laughter, and has the man and the girl walk hand in hand along a dusty road towards the hills of romance.
This, if I remember rightly, is the first Chaplin film in which the fade-out has not shown Chaplin alone and pathetic.
HIS PROTEST -
The touch of satire is in the first shot, that of a mob of sheep. know not dumbly going they whither. It fades into a scene of workmen pushing in to punch the factory clocks,
Chaplin is a workman in a stee, president of the factory. The works sits in his office, languidły fitting places in a jig-saw puzzle and occasionally calling for more speed
Chaplin, with two spanners in his hand, works on an endless band. He has to twist two nuts on each plate of steel as it goes past him. His movements have the form of St. Vitve's dance. when he leaves off for lunch he cannot help jerking his arms.
It is all grand fun but Chaplin 18" registering his protest. Chaplin is chosen to be the victim of a me- chanical feeder.
food,
This is a contraption for elimina- ting the lunch hour. Its inventor has trouble with the mechanism With the filming of George Du and, in a situation of marvellous First honours go to Miss Hepburn, Maurier's immortal love master-humour. Chaplin is crammed with but the big surprise of the picture į piece. "Peter Ibbetson." which had is Cary Grant, who rises to the an auspicious premiere at the Star front rank of screen actors with his theatre yesterday, Paramount not performance of a petty Cockney only produced A cinematic smuggler. The third actor to re- achievement, but Gary Cooper. celve honourable mention is Ed- unquestionably the star of the mund Owenn, who, as the shiftless piece in name as well as fact, ac father, gives a very fine charac-complished something terization.
th
the
nature of a personal triumph in
his noteworthy characterization of the title role.
ORPHANED BY A RIOT The new leading lady. Paulette Goddard, comes into the film as an appealing dockyard gamta, or- phaned by a riot. In attempting to steal a loaf of bread she knocks the now unemployed Chaplin down.
After that their adventures are together. They try to keep house la a tumbling-down shack, take MISS PACIFIC FLEET "Peter Ibbetson." as a screen
charge of a department store, work production, has captured the
Fin a cafe, fight with the police and **Personal Mald's Secret" "a
"Miss Pacific Fleet" comes to port dream-like quality that distin-eventually escape on the open road. Warner Bros. production which shortly at the Queen's Theatre.
guished the novel, the play and opened at the Queen's Theatre with that famous quartette of Am
the opera, but has added more yesterday, is bared on a story by comedians. Joan Blondell, Glenda than all three. Lillian Day which "appeared in the Farrell. Hugh Herbert and Allen
Set in the romantic period of Saturday Evening Post. It is a Jenkins heading a cast that in- the early Victorian era. rare tale of a struggling New Yorkcludes hundreds of colas and Moore and Virginia Weidler repre- family ambitious to
senting Cooper and Miss Harding,
get ahead. marines.
!!
Dickie
Their
but lacking the proper contacts. The picture is based on the rul-respectively, as children, are next The plot involves a perfectly eff☺ | Licking comedy by Frederick door playmates in Paris. cient maid who enters the empty life Hazlitt Brennam and is said no childhood friendship is cut short only to be hilariousy funny but when, Dickie, left an orphan, 18 to carry a humorous love triangle taken to London by hid uncle. between Miss Blonde 1, Jenkins Douglas Dumbrile, to be educat- and Warren Hull, the radio star ed. Years later, their patha cross who has the romantic role in the
of a struggling couple, and through her adroit manipulation and con- tact boosts them from a humble apartment to a Long Island estate and to fortune.
of production.
Ruth Donnelly has the role the maid who is the real inspira-' tion behind the rise to fortune. Misa Donnelly although she plays a semi-comedy role to start with;
again in a curious way. Cooper, an ambitious young architect, is Miss Blondell and Miss Farreli sent to an estate, owned by John design some new are teamed as a couple of wise-Halliday, to
Fate throws, the cracking chorus beauties who run racing stablés.
à concession of an amusement beloved "Mimsey" of his youthful park on the Pacific Coast.
They
days in his way as Halliday's whe.
chorus beauty, Miss Blondell, and prison. one of the local pugs.
Cooper is
From this point on, their
ves
"Modern Times" proves that Chaplin is not only the first come- dian of the screen, but that he is one of the finest producers.
Except for incidental music, Chaplin's song and a gramophone record of a voice. It is a silent fim. The astonishing thing is that its allence is a relief after the babble of talking pictures. ("C"),
TO-DAY'S RADIO PROGRAMMES
(Continued "From Page 4).
gramme.
the
AIR-CONALFINED THEATREN
SHOWING TO-DAY AT 2.30, 5 IC, 7.15 & 9.30 P.M.
He's back.ogain
in the greatest
triumph of his careeri
CHARLIE
Chaplin MODERN TIMES
written, directed and produced By CHARLES CHAPLIN Batuurid then UNITES ART1372
ALSO, MICKEY MOUSE in "MICKEY'S GARDEN" LATEST WALT DISNEY'S CARTOO IN BEAUTIFUL TECHNICOLOUR.
ALHAMBRA
NATHAM RD, HDWNLOON DU NY.
110:730 & 9,30 • TEL. 56856
TO-DAY & TO-MORROW
The Screen's Dramatic Firebrand
KATHARINE
HEPBURN
Sylvia
Scarlett
CAREY
in the story of a reckless girl, foot- loose on the trail
of adventure.
She disguised as a
beggare to play o band in'a dengar-
FRANT
NE
me game with a
EDHUND GWENN
gray of ruthless
SUNDAY: JACKIE COOPER in "TOUGH GUY "
TO-DAY
& TO-MORROW THEATRE
MAJESTIC
At 2.30, 5.20,
7.20 & 9.20 PM..
JACK Holt DANGEROUS WATERS
LA-UNIVERSAL-PICTURE
Sunday: "LES MISERABLE” with
5 pm-In the Spinning Room towards Eventide." Gerda Hof- mann, Soprano; Margit, Doerr, Contralto'; and three Instru→ ments. Arranged and con-
ducted by Paul Elbern 5.30 pm.—News and Economie Re-
view in English.
PREDERIO MARCH... CHARLES LAUGHTON'
INDIAN ARMY CHANGES
The retirement of Generál Str Kenneth Wigram six years before 'reaching the age limit will make | way for the advancement of Lisu-=- tenant-General Bir Henry E. áp R. 5.45 p.m.-Till Eulenspiegel.” Pryce and Sir John Coleridge later. A play about that Lovable Rascal Major-Generals Bir D. Deane,
by Eduárd Refracher."
Bruce Hay and Sir Arthur. Moens Management: E. Kurt Fischer. are the seniors for promotion to: 6.45 p.m.-News and Economic Re-Beutenant-general.
view in German
.DJQ.
ABC.
is given an opportunity in this picture to show her dramatic abf- are put out of business through Scarcely has their romance begun.30 pm-Philco-Frigidaire Pre-
to bud, and they have tasted their.
sentation featuring "Tarzan of lity. In a tensely dramatic scene, the cane ringing skill of Jenkins.
the Apes." Hugh Herbert promotes a beauty first happiness together when she reveals to her daughter that
a prize Halliday, the jealous husband, 7.45 pm-Elizalde y Cia. Pro- she, the maid, is her mother, al- contest which includes though the girl thinks her real fight with 5,000 votes awarded the threatens to shoot Cooper, and in
7 p.m. Concert of Light Music, parents are the wealthy and aris-winner to give to his girl friend, the ensuing argument, is himself e p.m. Hispania. tocratic persons by whom she has This is staged between Jenkins, accidentally "kiled. been brought up.
who has fallen in love with the subsequently sentenced to life 30 p.m.-Welcome Tourist Pro-8 pm News in English-Sign off
gramme for Passengers Aboard |-
Dollar 8.8. President 8.15 Little German Broadcasting. Anita Louise, as her daughter,
... Coolidge. and Frank Albertson play the ro-
Laughs tumble over each other in become a dream fantasy in which 845 pm-Stock Quotations and 9 pm-Bign of for South Asia mantic roles, and are an unusually
a series of hilarious situations to each joins the other in a beaut
Local Market Reports. pleasing' pair of screen lovers.
a melodramatic, although Caugh- ful; unfailing love that covers the
9 pm. Hispania-Zarzuelas. Arthur Treacher is riotously able climax, in which there is a span of a lifetime, though prison 10.30 pm-8im On funny as a six necked butler kidnapping, a motor boat chase walls are the physical...: earthly..
patronizing the for the abducted girl and a free
which separates maid, although quite in love with for all battle including not only Their moments together, in their her,.::
the sailors but their sweeties. dream world, are especialy heart- Warren Hul musical comedy stirring ones, tragic but skillfully and radio star, sings a song blended with faith, tenderness specially written for the produc- and romance.The transition from tion by M. K. Jerome and Herb the real to the dream realm; is Magidson.
adeptly managed,"
who insists
ON
The talented cast is headed by Margaret Lindsay, Warren Hall, Henry O'Neill, Ronnie Cosby, Gor- don Ellott, Florence Fair and Maude Turner. Gordong
barrier
them
BERLIN PROGRAMME
450pm. Call DJB. DJN, DJQ
(German, English), . German Folk Song 6.56 6m. Greetings to our listeners,
(Germ., Engl.).
9.05 p.m. Call DJA and DJE (Ger-
man. English)
German Folk Song
0.10 pm-Greetings to our Listers-
Contralto; and three instru- ments. Arranged and 0073- “ducted by Paul Elbern
"10 p.m-News and Economic. Re- view in English on 'DJN, DIE and in Dutch on DJA, DJB, 0.15 p.i-To-day in Germany.
Sound Pictures. *-
10.30 pm-3he Artistic Betting, of
-- the Olymple Games, t ́ ́A "Tálk with Hans Schweitzer-
Mjolnir.
9:15 pm--News and Economic Re-
view in German on DJA, DJE, | 11.45 pm-Military Concert; in the
de" interval:.
**When we were DIN, DIB. 9.30 "In the Spinning-Room to- abroad."
wards Eventide," Gerds Hof-12 midnight-Bign of DJA DJE mant, Boprano, Margit Doerr, 3" DIB; DJE (German, English),
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