CITY THEATRES

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24749, 14 December 1945, Page 4

CITY THEATRES

AVON “KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY” “Keep Your Powder Dry,” the new Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, which will be screened this week "at the Avon Theatre, is said' to have everything which goes to make good family entertainment. A fast-moving story ot three girls from different walks of life who enlist in the women’s army corps, the film stars Lana Turner, Laraine Day, and Susan Peters. As Valerie Parks, Lana Turner appears as a spoiled girl who enlists in order to qualify for an inheritance. Laraine Day plays Leigh Rand, who has been raised in army camps, where her father is an officer. Susan Peters appears as Ann Darrison, the wife of an officer serving overseas. “Keep Your Powder Dry" tells the story of th-- friendship and fights among these three women. The supporting cast incldes Agnes Moorhead, Natalie Schafer and Lee Patrick. STATE “HOTEL RESERVE” The tactics employed by a foreign agent to gain secret information of a vital French port, and the manner in which he is prevented from completing his mission, provide much exciting action in RKO Radio’s “Hotel Reserve,” which is the current attraction at the State Theatre. The film is based on Eric Ambler’s novel "Epitaph For a Spy.” The leading role is taken by James Mason, who appears as a young doctor suspected of espionage. His frantic efforts to clear his name and discover the real culprit form the basis of the story. Lucie Mannheim takes a leading part, and other roles are taken by Clare Hamilton. Patricia Medina, Herbert Low. Raymond Lovell, and Julien Mitchell. The screen play was written by John Davenport,'and the film was produced by Victor Hanbury. CRYSTAL PALACE e “HANGOVER SQUARE” “Hangover Square,” a 20th Century Fox drama, starring Laird Cregar, Linda Darnell, and George Sanders, will continue its season to-day at the Crystal Palace Theatre. The film tells the story of a brilliant young composer, George Harvey Bone (Laird Cregar). who suffers from lapses of memory during which he commits brutal, cold-blooded murders. Linda Darnell has the role of a beautiful music-hall girl for whom Bone throws away a career as a serious composer so that he can write her songs, George Sanders appears as the young psychiatrist detective who discovers Bone’s secret. Featured in the cast are Glenn Langan, Faye Marlowe, and Alan Napier. Hangover Square" was directed by John Brahm, and produced by Robert Bassler. PLAZA “BETWEEN TWO WORLDS” A film with an unusual subject, treated in an unusual manner,, "Between Two Worlds,” will commence a season to-day at the Plaza Theatre. The story deals with eight travellers who find themselves on an ocean liner after a bomb has demolished the bus in which -they were travelling ■ At first they mistakenly assume that they are on their way to America, since all have reasons for leaving Europe. But there are many odd and disturbing factors about their voyage which defy all reasonable explanation. The [ film arrives at an explanation only after the ship has travelled an immeasurable distance, and it is a start-, ling and unexpected port which awaits the passengers, and the audience. The leading players are John Garfield. Paul Henreid, . Sydney Greenstreet, Eleanor Parker, Faye Emerson, and Edmund Gwenn. MAYFAIR “SUNDAY DINNER FOR A SOLDIER” Anne Baxter and John Hodiak have the leading roles in 20th Century Fox’s comedy-drama, .“Sunday Dinner For a Soldier,” which will be screened again this week at the Mayfair Theatre. The film possesses a novel setting in a lagoon on the Florida gulf coast. Here, on a weather-beaten houseboat, live a family, whose burning desire is to have a soldier guest at Sunday dinner, as their neighbours do, John Hodiak piays the part of the soldier who comes to dinner and instantly becomes the idol of the household. Anne Baxter appears as Tessa Osborne, and Charles Winninger has the role ef the garrulous but kindly grandfather Osborne. Other featured players are Anne Revere. Connie Marshall, Robert Bailey, Bobby Driscoll. Jane Darwell, and Billy Cummings.

SHORTS THIS WEEK AVON.—“Salt Lake Diversion” (Fitzpatrick Travel Talk in colour); “Somewhere in U.S.A." (miniature); “Track and Field Quiz” (Pete Smith); “Uninvited Pest” (colour cartoon); Paramount British News. PLAZA. “Falling Hare” (Technicblour cartoon); N,Z. Weekly Review. CRYSTAL PALACE.—“CIimb- • ing the Peaks” (camera thrill); "Sultan’s Birthday” (Technicolourcartoon); “Jewels of Iran'’ (Movietone adventure); Gaumont British News. STATE.—“Battle of Supplies” (topical); “Court Craft (Sportscope); “Fall Out—Fall In” Walt Disney cartoon); Fox-Aus-tralian News. MAYFAIR.—“A Wolf’s Tale” (Terry Toon cartoon); “Trolling for Strikes” (sport); British. International, and Fox Australian News.

LIBERTY “ESCAPE TO DANGER” How an intrepid young school teacher defeats her country’s enemy is the basis for the adventure film cape to Danger," which will commence a season to-day at the Liberty Theatre. The film co-stars Ann Dvorak and Eric Portman. who will be remembered for their performance in ‘‘Squadron Leader X.” As Joan Grahame. compelled by the enemy to unearth her country's vital war plans, and suspected by Scotland Yard of subversive activities, Ann Dvorak is said to give an excellent performance. The heroine’s activities take her from occupied Denmark to the headquarters of the chief Nazi agent in England. There is an unexpected and dramatic climax. The second feature is the comedv. "The Adventures of a Rookie.” in which Dally Brown and Alan Carney have the leading roles.CENTURY “DOUBLE INDEMNITY” Paramount’s “Double Indemnity," starring Barbara Stanwyck. Fred MacMurray, and Edward G. Robinson, will be screened to-day at the Centura Theatre. The screenplay is an adaptation of James Cain’s novel, and deals with a conspiracy by an insurance salesman and an avaricious woman to cheat the company out of a large sum of money. The film describes how the criminals are caught, through their own consciences. after having committed the apparently perfect crime.

EMPIRE “ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN” The story of a Methodist minister and his family, "One Foot in Heaven,” based on Hartzell Spencer’s biography of his father, will be screened this week at the Empire Theatre. Fredric March appears as the minister who had one foot in heaven and the other invariably in trouble of some sort The role of his wife is taken , by Martha Scott. The second feature is "The Girl from Monterey,’’ a comedy featuring Aranda, and Edgar Kennedy.