AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 48, 26 February 1941, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS.

"CHARTER PILOT." ROXY-TIVOLI. Kins Morgan Lloyd Nolan Marge Duncan Lynn Barl Raquel Andrews Arleen Whelan Charlie Crane Oeorge Montgomery Horace Sturgeon Hobart Cavanaugh Paber Henry Victor Director: Eugene Forde. Twentieth Century-Fox. Also: 'STREET OP MEMORIES.' 1 with Guy Ktbbee. Lynne Roberu and John McGuire.

"Charter Pilot." a pay, rollicking, tlirulp a eked film, started its engagement to-day at tlie Koxy and Tivoli Theatres. Depicting the daring exploits of a daredevil air pilot, this new Twentieth Century-Fox picture stars Lloyd Xolan and lias Lynn Bari opposite him at the head of a stioug featured cast which includes Arleen Whelan and George Montgomery.

Paced at a fast and furious rate by Director Eugene Forde, the tilin gives the two leading players another grand opportunity to engage in more of that hysterical and entertaining romance with which they have achieved so much success in recent pictures. Xolan is a wise-cracking flying ace and Miss Bari is his girl friend. Both masters of repartee, they quickly win the approval of most audiences. Thrill is heaped on thrill and in a spine-tingling climax the pair stop battling long enough to overcome a sabotage plot in the skies.

Also screening at both theatres is a thoroughly enjoyable- and rather unusual picture, "Street of Memories." W itli Lynno Roberts, Guy Kibbee and John McGuire heading a tine featured cast, the picture relates an absorbing and inovi.ig love story. Portraying an outcast boy who has lost iiis memory, McGuire nieetfl Lynne Roberts and they fall in love. With no name, no past, no work and no money, the boy fights for a chance in life. 1 hrilling throughout, the film works up to a climax as exciting as it is unexpected. There is a sound supporting cast. ST. JAMES'. Family \crsus Fuehrer is the main theme of Metro-Goldwyn-Mnyer s masterful picture of Ethel Yance's famous, best-selling novel, "Escape." The melodramatic pace and suspense ot the original novel is skilfully retained and even increased in the film version. The engrossing story is only Malt" the reason for the fineness of this liitn, however. The other halt is the splendid acting of a sterling cast. Norma Shearer is cast as Countess Von Treek, in w.iicli part she gives a convincing characterisation. Koliert Taylor is again given a role which affords liini opportunity to display his undoubted talent for "straight ' acting. He is Mark Preysing. Conrad Yeidt. too, has hardly ever excelled his performance in an unsympathetic role as a typical Prussian general, while Xaziniova makes a welcome, if belated, return to the screen. Unfortunately, she has not much to do but lie abed and manifest anguish, but in the moments of activity allotted to her. such as the opening scenes when she castigates the political philosophy and practices of her persecutors, she displays her fine histrionic talent. Supporting the leading players is a sound supporting cast. PLAZA. Beautiful Maryland, proud in history and rich in tradition, is the setting for 20th Century-Fox's very entertaining film, "Maryland." which is showing with cons dcrable success at the Plaza Theatre. All the romance, colour and beauty of the famous State is captured in the Technicolour photography of this film and the well-known Maryland Hunt Cup race, with flaming silks flashing against green turf and blue sky as stout-hearted thoroughbreds compete, forms a breath-taking climax. Heading a remarkably fine cast is Walter Brennan ill a human, lovable rule made to order for his talents. Fay Baintcr. who won an Academy Award for her sterling work in "Jezebel." has another important featured part in this picture. Delightful and refreshing romance is supplied by Brenda Joyce and John Payne, two of Hollywood's most promising young players, while the abundant comedy is contributed by Charlie Ruggles. Hattie McDaniel, Ben Carter and Ernest Whitman. The film was directed Lv H enrv King from an original screen play I bv Ethel Hill and Jack Andrews. Gene Markov was associate producer. Hailed by many as even greater than the recordbreaking "Kentucky," this production is great entertainment. EMBASSY. An enthralling story of the struggle of two young married people in New York against loss of work, preying on loan sharks, dispossession of furniture, going 011 relief and impending childbirth in the face of poverty, with only their love for each other to keep them going. Metro-(ioldwvn-Meyer's thrilling romantic drama, "We Who Are Young," begins screening at the Embassy Theatre to-morrow. Lovely Lana Turner, in her first dramatic lead, turns in a very fine performance in the leading feminine role, while the promising young newcomer, John Shelton. gives another excellent portrayal. Backing them up is a sound supporting cast, ineluding Gene Lockhart, Grant Mitchell, Henry Armetta and Jonathan Hale. Harold S. Bucquet has made a fine job of the directing. On relief for three months an;l with his wife Rearing childbirth, the hero, mi a frothy sUrts ;t --ping on a construction job. "just to 1 e doing something," and the foreman h:.s him arrested for trespass. Tie head of the eonstr n tion company bails him out and gives him a job. From here ♦he fi'ir moves to a tense climax and later resolves into a sa'-s'ac-tory ending, making an interesting and entertaining o cture. CENTURY. Claimed to be one of the best acted British films of the year, the George King production "The Chinese Bungalow." distributed by British Lion, opens at the Century Theatre 011 Friday. Starring in this colourful drama of the East are Paul Lukas, Jane Baxter, Robert Douglas and Kay Walsh. The film is adapted from the famous stage play by Marion Osmond and Mathcson Lang, which tells the story of the marriage between East and West, and how the lives of four people are affected by the difference in tradition and custom between the two civilisations. Paul Lukas plays one of the best roles of his career, that of Yuan Sing, a cultured Chinese millionaire who marries a white girl, Sadie (Kay Walsh), and takes her to his bungalow up-river, where she soon becomes bored and flirts with a young English planter, Harold Marquess (Wallace Douglas-. Yuan meets her sister. Charlotte (Jane Baxter) and persuades her to visit them at the bungalow, where she meets Harold's brother (Robert Douglas) and falls in love with him. When Yuan discovers that Sadie is untrue to liini his mask of Western civilisation is quickly dropped and in the best Oriental tradition he murders his wife's lover and demands that Charlotte shall take her place as his wife, or he will revenge himself on Sadie as well. A superb dramatic climax is reached when the four people meet and it is left to chance to decide their fate— locked together in a Chinese bungalow. MAJESTIC. Ann Sothern, who characterises the stranded showgirl with a whiplash tongue and a heart of gold as no one else can, returns to her familiar and popular role with more hilarious results than before in "Gold Rush Maisie," which begins screening at the Majestic Theatre 011 Friday. This time Maisie, who began her screen career in a ranch setting and then jumped to tile African jungle in her second adventure, is in the middle of the Arizona desert when her old car breaks down while she is 011 the way to a cafe singing job. By the time she has finished she has even the coyotes tamed. In support is a sterling I cast of players headed by Lee Bowman, Slim Summerville and Virginia Weidier. Heralded as a thrilling action drama, the associate attraction will be Universale "South to Karanga." Based on the exciting adventures of a small group of whites in tlie African interior, the film boasts a cast of well-known players, including Charles Biekford. James Craig, Luli Deste and John Sutton. Biekford portrays a courageous American consul whose bravery and resourcefulness help to solve a mysterious murder and to quell a dangerous native uprising. Highlights of the film depict attacks by African natives on a railway train and on the headquarters of a copper mine. A series of spectacular Jin unite fxphsion* repel the savages in lli; iilm's thrilling climax.

REGENT. Patterned along the same lines a* Tee Under-Pnp." a pattern which proved a mi and established Gloria Jean as a Uiiivereal's "A Little Bit of Heaven conies on Friday to the Resent Theat. • Producer Joe Pasternak, who introduc.xl Gloria in the previous film, is also produce, of the new .picture. As well as Gloria^ Jca six otlier players from the cast o. lne earlier success are in the coming teatur-.. including C. Aubrey Smith, as Gloria* "Grandpa," Nan Grey, as her older eiste., Butch and Buddy, and Frank JenKS. in addition the cast includes Robert aCK - Huch Herbert as Gloria's "Pop. Stuart Erwin Kugene Pallette, Nana Bryant aucl Tommy Bond—the most amazing galaxv 01 talent that has appeared in any single nim for a long time. Gloria is presented as an East Side girl who becomes a radio singing .-tar. Her rise to fame causes urail} troubles which are solved only after vioria "loses"' her voice and temporarily relinquishes her career. Eight famous exstars ot' the sc!#en are alsK) cast as O.oria s "uncles"! Tlie list includes Charles Rav. Maurice Costello, Monte Blue, Kenneth Harlan, Xoah Beery, O Mallcy, " illiatn Desmond and Fred Kelse.v. several delightful songs are incorporated in a charming film. STATE. Xow screening at the State Theatre is Warner Brothers' entertaining sophisticated comedy, "Yes, My Darling Daughter." Mark Reed's daring stage hit reaches the screen unmarred by translation and improved by ambitious staging. _ Prisci'la Lane. Jeffrey Lynn. Roland \ oung. Fav Ba inter and May Robson head a competent cast. VOGUE. The comedy pair that is ever-green in popularity, William Powell and Myrna Loy appear in one of the funniest of the:r films in "I Love You Again," current attraction at the Vogue Theatre. Powell turns in a really hilarious performance as a bachelor u lie loses his memory, with amusing consequences, and Miss Loy presents some very polished acting.