CITY THEATRES

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23662, 12 June 1942, Page 3

CITY THEATRES

- . - * I AVON “QUIET WEDDING ” An English comedy, made in spite of the diificulties of the blitz in England, is coming to the Avon in "Quiet Wedding,” starring Margaret Lockwood and Derek Farr, Anthony Asquith, the director of "French Without Tears," directed the film. The story of "Quiet Wedding” is staged against backgrounds typical of the English home and countryside. Opening with the engagement of Janet Royd and Dallas Chaytor, the film depicts in graphic and true-to-life. fashion the innumerable preliminaries to the wedding, showing how the romance is nearly wrecked as a result of Janet’s reactions to all the measurings and tryings-on, orderings and cancellings, and the sundry well-meaning but often misguided attempts to make things easier for the young couple. But with the arrival of Aufat Mary, and her suggestion that Dallas should “kidnap" Janet on the eve Of the wedding, the lovers are able to settle their differences and appreciate the fact that all the trappings attendant upon such an occasion, while irksome and somewhat overwhelming to the prospective bride and bridegroom, are not sufficiently important to be allowed to ruin their happiness. \ Others in the cast of this film, which has been received in England with the highest praise, are Marjorie Fielding, A. E. Matthews, and Roland Culver.

MAYFAIR “49TH PARALLEL” Now beginning a third week at the Mayfair, after a crowded and successful first fortnight, "49th Parallel” is a war film that ran for four weeks in Auckland. This nun is dedicated to Canada and is the story of survivors from a Nazi U-boat sunk off the Canadian shore. The six Germans try to make their way through Canada to catch a Japanese ship and the film recounts their adventures on the way. Leslie Howard, Raymond Massey, Lawrence Olivier, and Anton Walbrookact in this film as the Canadians who meet and struggle against the Nazis. Although "49th Parallel" is in four parts, the continuity is not lacking, for the adventures of the Nazi escapees smoothly knit the sections. They plunder their way through Canada in an effort to reach the neutral territory of the United States, ■ ‘ The English actress, Glyms Johns, plays the part of a beautiful orphan who meets the Nazis in the Canadian wilds and so influences one of them that he is shot by his companions for treachery.

STATE “HERE COMES MR JORDAN” Robert Montgomery has a very lively part to play in “Here Gomes Mr Jordan,” the new comedy at the State. “Here Comes Mr Jordan” is a story never told on the screen before, a comedy which dares to break every rule of film-making, dealing, with ghostly lives without the use of camera tricks.

Montgomery is seen as a fellow named Joe, a likeable personality with a sense of humour, who is obsessed with one overwhelming ambition, even to the extent of returning to earth to Inhabit the body of a murdered millionaire. In pursuit of that ambition, he is helped by sympathetic, kindly, dignified Mr Jordan, and by Mr Jordan's unique understanding of problem# and of their solutions. In the role of Mr Jordan, Claude Rains provides one of the year’s most magnificent performances. Similarly, James Gleason give* a notable performance, and Edward Everett Horton contributes another of his delightfully fuddled roles. ’ , , Evelyn Keyes, as the romantic lead, fulfils that promise of early stardom revealed by her in “Gone With the Wind” and “The Lady in Question,"

SHORTS THIS WEEK

AVON “Racing Pigeons” (Grantland Rice Sportlight); "Sailors With Wings” (March of Time’s latest issue): Avon News Service (latest world events). MAYFAIR—“Grain Harvest” (interest); “Follow Me Sing Song” (interest): British News; Fox Australian News. STATE—“Mr Elephant Goes to Town” (coloured rhapsody): ‘‘Woman in Photography” (cinescope) : "Kitchen Quiz” (novelty); Fox Australian News. LIBERTY—“BIood and Sand” ajd “Sleepers West” CRYSTAL PALACE—"Charlie Chan in Rio” and “Hands Across the Rockies.” PLAZA “Buy Me That Town,” “Cracked Nuts,” and the first chapter of "Death Marks the Trail.”

CRYSTAL PALACE “CHARLIE CHAN IN RIO” Charlie Chan arrives in Rio de Janeiro to make an arrest, but before he can reach his suspect, she is murdered! From this exciting beginning, “Charlie Chan in Rio,” the new Chan picture at the Crystal Palace, plunges into a series of startling developments. In the gay tropical playground, Chan happens upon his most deadly adversary. He finds his quarry is a woman —a beautiful creature! Amidst the splendour of sun-kissed Rio, Chan brings into play his newest weapon, an amazing “truth” cigarette; which solves the i .urder in an unusual manner. His No. 2 son is again a help to him. Sidney Toler, Mary Beth Hughes, and Sen Yung are starred. The associate feature stars Bill Elliott. Another breath-taking episode in the life of the legendary pioneer character, whose blazing guns, and flying fists rid the Western range of its notorious killers, “Hands Across the Rockies” presents Elliott with another breathless, action story. In the new film, he rides to the rescue of a young woman, sole witness to a killing, who is being forced for her family to marry the murderer. LIBERTY “BLOOD AND SAND” The popular novel of Spanish adventure, “Blood and Sand,” has been made into, a brilliant technicolour film, which begins at the Liberty to-day. Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, and Rita Hayworth head the cast. The actual photographing was done at Mexico City, so that a realistic Spanish background could be used. Also two bulls were imported from Spain specially for use in the film, Power was trained by Mexican matadors for his bullfighting part in the film. “Blood and Sand” is the gripping story of a fearless, death-defying matador, who is torn between the love of his beautiful wife and the fatal charm of an alluring temptress. With Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell and Rita Hayworth in the' key roles, the enthralling story unfolds in a colourful panorama that stuns, excite;, and grips. The associate feature is a Lloyd Nolan thriller, “Sleepers West.” Lynn Bari is also starred. PLAZA “MUTINY IN THE BIG HOUSE” The next attraction for the Plaza will be “Mutiny in the Big House,” starring Charles Bickford and Barton Mac Lane. It is the story of Father Joe, beloved, priaon> chaplain, and Red Manson, tilt

one convict who hated him, and tells how the two struggle for the confidence of Johnny Gates, a first offender* Johnny is bitter against the law that sent him to gaol for a small forgery, suspicious of Father Joe, who wants to help him, and a seemingly easy prey for the ruthless killer, Red Manson. The film becomes a struggle between the force of good and . the force of evil, as personified by the priest and the killer, and pays tribute to “the devoted men of every creed, who work day and night often ill-paid, and seldom honoured, to rebuild the lives of broken men.” The associate feature, “Sealed Lips,” a detective tale with many exciting episodes, stars William Gargaa and June Clyde, , i