STATE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 60, 4 December 1937, Page 17

STATE THEATRE

“Angel's Holiday”

Among the many admirers of Jane Withers the new feature at the State Theatre, “Angel’s Holiday, ’ should prove popular. There is a good deal of foundation for the statement that this is her best picture. She dominates almost every moment of it, keeps the audience chuckling at her escapades and, by the time the final scenes are reached, has it in a very hilarious state. Jane is presented as the daughter of a man who writes detective stories. As a result she has acquired a passion for seeing dark mystery and dastardly motives in almost everything, a habit which does not commend her to the police, who have followed many false trails at her behest. Therefore, like the little boy who cried “Wolf” too often, she is in trouble when a real mystery a.t last comes her_ way. Through overhearing a conversation on a train she learns of a fake _ kidnapping organised as part of a publicity stunt for a movie actress (Sally Blanc). She gives this information to a reporter (Robert Kent) on a paper owned by her uncle, but he, having once been in love with the actress, decides to suppress the story. But Jane, with a juvenile passion for Kent and consequently jealous of the actress,- makes sure that it goes into print. Naturally, this scarcely makes the course of true love any smoother. However, the actress rea]Jy is kidnapped and then Jane at last comes into her element. Despite the obstinacy of the police, who refuse to take her seriously, she manages to outwjt the crooks, and then graciously stands aside in order that Kent may marry her “rival.” Near the end of the story the action is extremely vigorous and not a little thrilling, though there is a constant undercurrent of mirth. Funniest of all, perhaps, is the scene in which Jane opens the cap of a tear-gas bomb, flooding the house with the gas. Of the supporting players, special mention is due to Frank Jenks (the musical taxi-driver of “100 Men and a Girl”), and Al Lydell, an old actor with legs of india-rubber quality.