AMUSEMENT GUIDE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 150, 26 June 1940, Page 10

AMUSEMENT GUIDE

PICTURE THEATRES. century —George Sanders In "The Saint's Double Trouble." CIVIC —Alice Faye end Richard Greene In "Little Old New. York." MAJESTIC —Ann Sotnern In "Congo Malsie" and John Warwick In "Branded." ROXY —Warren William in "The Lone Wolf Strikes" ana Preston Foster In "Care Hostess." ST. JAMES' —Nelson Eddy and Ilona Massey In "Balalaika." OXFORD —sonja Henie In "Everything Happens at Higlit." REGENT —Douglas Fairbanks and Margaret Lockwood In "Rulers or the sea. ,, PLAZA —Laurence Olivier ana Joan Fontaine in 'Rebecca." EMBASSY —nay Milland and Ellen Drew In I "French Without Tears." STRAND —Deanna Durbln in "It's A Date." iDE PARlS —Continental Films: "Un Carnet Dβ Bal." ADELPHI —Guest night.. ALEXANDRA— Guest Night. AMBASSADOR —"The Lambeth Walk" and "Beg. Borrow or Steal." AVONDALE— Guest Night. ASTOR —"Who Killed Gail Preston" and "Tip-Off Girls." BERKELEY (Mission Bay) —" The Ice Follies." BRITANNIA— "Lucky Night" and "I've Cot a Horse." BIRKENHEAD— "Man About Town." CAPITOI Guest Night. CRYSTAL PALACE—Guest Night. DE LUXE —"Missing Daughters' , and "Brother Rat." EMPRESS —Guest Night. GAIETY —"Care Society." GREY LYNN— GU£St Night. MAYFAIR —"Always in Trouble" and "Vampire Bat." NEW ROYAL —Guest Night. PRINCE EDWARD —Guest Night. PRINCES8 —Guest Night. PEERLESS — "Frontier Marshal" and "Heaven With a Barbed Wire Fence." PICTUREDROME— Guest Night. RIALTO —Guest Night. V! RECENT (Epsom) — Guest Night. REGAL —Guest Night. STATE (Symonda Street)— " Babes in Arms." STAR— "Sweethearts" and "Rich Man, Poor Girl." STRAND (Onehunga)—Guest Night. STATE (Onehunga) —Guest Night. STATE (Davenport) — Guest Night. TIVOLI— "The Lone woir strikes" and "Cafe Hostess." .. .." .„._■ TUDOR— "Finn Avenue Girl." '" *'" VICTORIA— Guest. Nigfot,

REGENT. An honeet reporter confined behind prison bare for something he has not done and a "tough gangster whose character is saved by his gratitude to the reporter for a good deed once committed—these are roles in which Jamas Gagney and George Raft respectively shine 'at their brightest in Warner- Brothers' prison melodrama "Each Day I Die," beginning a season at tlie Regent Theatre on Friday. In daya of yore George Raft won renown ia "tough-guy" roles and there is nothing half way about his highly explosive return to the underworld. Unrelieved tension sets in with the framing of the reporter and relaxes only when the gangster he hae helped to escape returns to gaol voluntarily, and. 'mid Khot and ehell climaxing ;i frustrated prison break, rings a confession from the criminal responsible for the framing. According to advance reports, the film, while starkly graphic in its depiction of brutality and suffering, contains a moral, which, alt?iough not stressed, eomee through strongly. Jane Bryan, George Bancroft and Stanley Ridgee are eeen in minor roles. William KeigMey directed. PLAZA. Brilliant acting, smooth work by the production staff and a faithful following of the original etory combine to make "Rebecca," at the Plaza Theatre, one of the outstanding films of the year to date. The story was adapted from the widelyread novel by Daphne du Maurier. Unlike

most scenarios similarly treated, it lost nothing in ite screen form, and the nim vividly recounts the etory of the way iu which the home of a young, recently-mar-ried couple is grimly'overshadowed by tne spirit of the first, dead wife of the husband. The abiding spirit of thie immoral wanton, Rebecca, is a real and tangible thing to the over-sensitive second wife, making her more nervous and introverted than before. The etory develops strongly along these lines, culminating in a powerful climax when the tension ie at last shattered. Bouquets are due to Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine for great worij in the leading roles. Mies Fontaine has never before had a starring role, while Olivier is still a comparative youngster in screen experience, but eacji acts like a veteran. George Sander*, Judith Anderson and Nigel Bruce are also outstanding. MAJESTIC. Rip-roaring action ie the keynote of "Danger on Wheels," thrilling drama pi the speedways, opening on Friday at >ue Majestic Theatre. Stars are Richard Arlen and Andy Devine, who have appeared together with considerable success in previous films and are said to be better than ever in their latest vehicle. Arlen ie seen at the outset as a daredevil teet driver, who goes through death-defy-ing etunts in testing new automobiles. Later he becomes a. racing driver and the thrilling climax of the film comes when he hurtles to victory in the famous Indianapolis speed classic. Devine is excellent

as Arlen'e faithful but slow-witted mechanic. Peggy Moran, a vjvackrae voung player who is rapidly rising te etardoni introduces the romantic interest and makes a charming heroine. Prominent supporting roles are filled by Herbert Corthell. Harrv Bradley and Sandra King. Bruce Cabot, Marta Labarr and Tamam Desni are the stars of the second attraetion, "Traitor Spy," an unusually timely drama centring round the insidious work of Nazi espionage agents in Great Britain.