ST. JAMES THEATRE.

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 94, 18 October 1939, Page 6

ST. JAMES THEATRE.

"Gone t_ the Dogs."

When Cinesound's: comedy "Gone to the Dogs" comes to the St. James Theatre on Friday, audiences will see the sixteenth-—afid the funniest film— ever to come from Australia's studios. With the inimitable George Wallace in the starring role, the picture was twelve weeks in front of the cameras . . . and When such record time is spent in shooting approximately 80 minutes of screen entertainment, then some idea as to the quality may be clearly evidenced. Telling of a pleasant little man who accidentally discovers a miraculous speeding-up tonic for racring greyhounds, the story portrays his antics as the formula disappears, the champion dog -is kidnapped,, he loses his girl, and gets trapped in a haunted i hOUse. So when everything ends happily it Is only after the dog-loving I hero has run the gamut of every guffaw known to hysteria. "Gone to the Dogs is the second production in which Geofge Wallace has appeared for Cinesound., Ms first was "Let George Dd It" Well-remembered as a grand laughparade, but which definitely takes gecohd place to this current comedy, Apkrt from its unprecedented opulence, "GOrie tO the DOgs" is also notable in that it introduces to the Australian screen petite LOis Green, blonde ahd blue-eyed star from the J. C. Williamson stage. Since appearing in the film, Miss Green has sailed for Hollywood and London for further study and experience. And whilst she Will gam much from such a trip, her decision resulted in a severe loss to the Australian film industry, because in her first film lor Cinesound she revealed those attributes which make for outstanding success. Prominent in the cast, both literally and metaphorically, is 23-stOne John Dobbie, foil for the whimsicalities of George Wallace. He has acted as stooge to the comedian on both stage and screen for many years, but according to John "Gone to the DOgs" supplied by far. the best material Upon which he has ever worked. Others in the cast include JOlin Fleeting, a new recruit from amateur theatricals who is now appearing in Cinesound's1 Will Mahoney comedy, tentatively titled "Come Up Smiling," Alec. Kellaway, Letty Craydon, Howard Craven, Cathleen Esler. Ronald Whelan, and Harry Abdy. Some of the settings in "Gone to the Dogs reveal the technical progression which earmarks every successive Australian production. :*' . '