ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 211, 6 August 1937, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

STATE THEATRE. “SEVENTH HEAVEN.” The tcndcrc-t romance of our time lives again on tho screen when “Seventh Heaven,” the Twentieth Century-Fox production of Austin Strong’s immortal lovo story, screens to-night at the Stato Theatre, with Simone Simon and James Stewart in tho starring roles. Adapted from the stage play produced and 'directed by John Golden, “Seventh Heaven” recreates for screen audiences that star-cross-ed pair of Montmartre, Diane and Chico, two lovers who lift your heart to Ihe slat's. As tho little street waif, Diane, Simone Simon surpasses all hopes expressed for this sensational French screen find, touching the deepest places of your heart and emerging gloriously as the screen’s newest and greatest star. Opposite her is James Stewart —tall, laughing, grey-eyed—as C'lilco of the valiant spirit and the shy, yearning love. -Montmartre, most colourful and exciting of all sections of Paris, serves as Ihe background of “Seventh Heaven,” a background rich in picturesque settings and characters. There, in 1914, Chico spends his days working in the huge, subterranean l’aris sewer. Unfortunately for Cliico’s belief in God, neither of his requests to Heaven has been granted. Ho has not been made a street-washer, so that he could ■ breathe the clear air of tho streets above, and he has not been scut an in intelligent, fine wife. Chico saves Diane from being beaten lo death by tho owner of the notorious “Hole in the Sock” cafe, who has reared her from childhood. When gendarmes start to arrest Diane for throwing wine in the face of a customer who annoyed her, Chico saves her by posing- as her husband. 'The gendarmes lake his name and address, promising to check up their life from time to time. Chico finds himself stuck with Ins story, and is forced to live it out, taking Diane with him to the little garret from which he watches the beauties of the heavens at night, to forget Iho dank sower in which he toils all day. When the war comes, and Chico is called to the army, he realises that he is in love with Diane, and pledges to return to her in spirit at 11 o’clock every day.. Diane keeps the tryst, even after the Government publishes the news that Chico has been killed. Few scenes in motion pictures are more moving than that in which Chico returns to Diane, bringing a surprising conclusion to what is justly known as the tendcresl love story of our time.

REGENT THEATRE. “GOD'S OWN COUNTRY AND THE WOMAN.” llovv life in a lumber camp and a girl of the backwoods make a man of Steve Russett, formerly Iho “waster” of iho family, is the storv in “God’s Own Country and the Woman,” the latest Tcchnicolour film from tho James Oliver C'urvvood novel, which will screen to-nighi at the Regent Theatre. Tho part of Steve is taken by George Bleat, who capably fills the part of tho man of fashion, lie is recalled by an angry elder brother, senior partner in the Russett Timber Company, who takes him by force Jo the lumber camp. Soon after arriving he goes off in an aeroplane hut is forced down near tho Barton lumber camp, which lias a feud with the Riisseit company over a light of way. There is no way out, as all approaches are picketed by Russett men, who 'do not know Steve; so be is set to work in the timber on pain of starvation, by , the beautiful red-haired Jo Bartcnj who has taken charge of the camp since her father’s death, and whom Steve’s presumption has antagonised from the start. Under an assumed name he makes himself indispensable in the camp and in the end turns the losing fight . against the Russett company in her favour by dynamiting a huge jamb of logs under fire. The river and forest sconeis, in tcchnicolour and the picturesque liie in a modern timber camp, working at high pressure, give the romance which runs through the film a delightful setting.