CITY THEATRES

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23051, 20 June 1940, Page 2

CITY THEATRES

CRYSTAL PALACE “ BARRICADE ” COMING Two Americans live a startling drama, trapped in a remote United States consulate besieged by fierce Mongolian bandits,. in “Barricade, ’ a thrilling 20th Century Fox picture which begins to-morrow at the Crystal Palace. Alice Faye and Warner Baxter are co-starred in the film. With death apparently only an hour away, these two learn to love m the face of peril and their efforts to resist the bandits and fight their way to safety provide thrilling entertainment in the best screen manner.

Featured in the cast supporting Alice Faye and Baxter are Charles Winningcr, Arthur Treacher, Keye Luke and Willie Fung, under the direction of Gregory RatofE. Alice Faye is cast as an American entertainer, on an international hotel circuit who gets in trouble in China as eye-witness to an assassination and flees from the danger only to land right in the midst of a savage battle; Baxter plays a journalist hot on her trail who follows Alice to the American compound to find himself in love with her in the face of extreme peril. The supporting feature will be “Around the Town.” “Outside the Three Mile Limit” and “Call of the Rockies” are now showing. PLAZA “ WATERFRONT ” COMING TO-MORROW “Waterfront,” a rough and brawling tale dealing with the lives, the loves, and hates of the brawny men who load and unload the ships that come to a typical American seaport city will be the new attraction at the Plaza to-morrow. Produced by Warner Bros., it has a cast in which Gloria Dickson, Dennis Morgan, and Marie Wilson are featured, and which also includes such reliable players as Sheila Bromley, Larry Williams, Aldrich Bowker, Frank Faylen, and Ward Bond. Bonita Granville and Frankie Thomas are the stars of the second .attraction in this programme. In “Nancy Drew —Detective,” the well-known heroine, with the valuable assistance of Ted Nickerson, her favourite boy friend, succeeds in rescuing a rich old spinster from a gang of kidnappers and in virtually thrusting the kidnappers into the hands of the police. “British Intelligence” and "Private Detective” are now showing.

AVON

« BEAU GESTE ” COMING

The new version of “Beau Geste” will be shown to-morrow at the Avon, Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, and Robert Preston take the leading roles. The gallant brothers Geste are played with gusto by these noted actors. Cooper brings the strong-siient-man technique for which he is famous to bear on the role of Beau, the oldest of the trio. Milland and Preston are superbly cast as his younger orothers, John and Digby. The supporting cast is headed by Brian Donlevy, who gives an excellent . portrait of the savage, half-mad sergeant, “Markoff”; Susan Hayward, hitting just the proper note of romance in her scenes with Milland; J. Carroll Naish as Rasinoff, Donald O’Connor as young Beau are all very good in their roles. . , , “Beau Geste,” which is based on the novel by P. C. Wren, tells how the Geste brothers join the French Foreign Legion in order that no single one of them shall be accused of the theft of a valuable sapphire from their U Now in its third week at the Avon, "Gulliver’s Travels,” the colour cartoon from Jonathan Swift’s famous satire, is proving popular with both adult and child .audiences. MAYFAIR « MR SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON ” An excellent comedy, an exciting drama, a story with witty dialogue and wise truths for those who care to see them, and an entertainment of the highest quality; this is not an exaggerated description of “Mr Smith Goes to Washington," the new film at the Mayfair. James Stewart, in the title role, gives an outstanding perforance that will surely win him an important award. With him as* a star is Jean Arthur (who was in both “Mr Deeds Goes to Town” and “You Can’t Take It With You.”) LIBERTY TWO COMEDIES “Raffles,” starring' David Niven and Olivia de . Havilland, is the story of a rogue; “The Divorce of Lady X” is the story of a daring young woman, who falls in love in strange circumstances, and stars Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier. David Niven as “Raffles,” the hero created by E. W. Hornung in “The Amateur Cracksman,” is surely the most successful popular criminal ever to appear on the screen.

STATE “VIGIL IN THE NIGHT” AS NEXT ATTRACTION “Vigil in the Night,” A. J. Cronin’s powerful human document of the courage and devotion dernanded oi the girls who choose nursing for a career, has been brought to the screen by RKO Radio, with Carole Lombard, Brian Aherne, and Anne Shirley m the stellar roles. The film is coming to the State to-morrow. Carole Lombard and Anne Shirley play sisters of contrasting characters and temperaments. Carole Lombard glories in her consecration of self to the service of others; she thrives on working hard to cheat death of a victim. But Anne Shirley bitterly resents havnig accepted her sister’s judgment that nursing is a noble profession. To her it is drudgery—slavery. The story is an excellent interpretation of 'the nursing profession, and should be immensely popular m Christchurch. There is a “March of Time” film also in the programme. Sonja Henie’s latest film, “Everything Happens at Night,” is now in its second week at the State. CHRISTCHURCH CINEMAS, LIMITED “The Women,” starring Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford, begins at the Regent to-morrow. “It’s a Wonderful World” is now showing. “Hitler, The Beast of Berlin,” begins to-morrow at the' Majestic. “The Cat and the Canary,” starring Paulette Goddard and Bob Hope, is now showing. “Catherine,” starring Danielle Darrieux and John Loder, begins at the Tivoli to-morrow. “Rose Marie” is now showing. Robert Montgomery and Virginia Bruce in “Yellow Jack,” and George Sanders in “The Saint in London,” are at the St. James’. \ “Music For Madame,” starring Joan Fontaine and Nino Martini, and Edward G. Robinson in ‘‘l Am the Law,” are at the Grand. CENTURY THEATRE The new programme at the Century Theatre features two popular pictures with well-known stars. “Men With Wings,” a technicolour production starring Ray Milland and Fred MacMurray, traces the whole history of aviation in America. “Painted Desert” is a western film, featuring the popular out-door actor, George O’Brien.