ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 146, 15 March 1940, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

St. Janies Theatre In "Blackmail, ’’ which will have its initial showings at. the St. James Theatre today, Edward G. Robinson plays JAlm Ingrain, an oilwell shooter who tries to live a new life under an assumed name after an escape from prison Io which he had been unjustly sentenced. William Ramey, the actual criminal, chances upon Ingram after his escape, and, professing humility am] friendship, secures Ingram's confidence —but only so that he can blackmail hint, and then have him returned to the prison camp. Ingrain promises his wife I Ruth Hussey) and his son (the eight-year-old Bobs Watson) that he will come back to them with his record clean; but he learns of further treachery by Ramey, seethes within himself as he burns for revenge, and at last makes a dash for liberty so that he may carry out his vengeance against the man who has betrayed his trust. "Beau Geste.” Heroic, roaring, lusty adventure is cptomized' in "Beau Geste," which will be the Easter attraction, at the St.'-James Theatre. Gary Cooper plays Beau Geste, and Ray Milland and Robert Preston Beau's brothers. Based on the novel of the same name bv V. C. Wren, "Benn Geste” is the story of three gallant brothers who join the French Foreign Legion to demonstrate their loyalty to one another in the lace ofbeing accused of the theft of :t valuable sapphire. Paramount Theatre "Owd Bob,” Alfred Ollivant's worldrenowned story of sheepdogs and their masters, has been brought to the screen with Will Fyffe in the leading role of Adam McAdam. and it will be the main attraction at the Paramount Theatre from today. In the original story old Adam had a son whom he continually beat, but the director of the film considered this, neither entertaining nor romantic, so a daughter was substituted for t.he son —not that she receives any beatings. The daughter does have a rough time of it. however, fending off the neighbouring creditors, preventing hetfather from drinking too much whisky, and being forbidden the house when her father discovers her love of David, the handsom young farmer. The daughter and David’ are played by Margaret Lockwood and John lx>d(p- respectively. Glyn and Storm, the dogs that portray Owd Bob and the villainous Black Wull, make a deep impression. Effectively setting off James Cagney’s peerless ferformnnee ns a racket hunter in "Great Guy,” which will be the associate attraction, is Mac Clarke. State Theatre The funniest Laurel and Hardy comedy, yet, "A Chump at Oxford” is the main feature at the State Theatre. “A Chump at Oxford” traces the careers of two street cleaners who, capturing a bank robber —not that they mean to —are asked by the president what they would like as a reward. They elect to be sent to Oxford for an education, and there they become the targets of many jokes. A fast and exciting drama of Czarist Russia, “The Rebel Son” is the other feature. Hary Baur, the Continental actor of fame, plays the lead, and ho is supported, among others, by Roger Livesey. King’s Theatre Ail the "stuffphat ‘romantic’ dreams are made of” has found, its way into “Over the Moon,” which today enters the second week of a season at the King's Theatre. Merle Oberon plays Jane Benson. tlie young Yorkshire maid who suddenly inherits £18.000.000 and determines to do the thipgs of which she lias so often dreamt. June is stubborn, she is pigheaded, she scoops shovelfuls out of her millions and scatters them over her cavalcade of .hangers-on. but all the time she keeps her bend, and in spite of complications, her heart. That is not so hard as it may seem, because she has already lost it to Freddie Jarvis, a doctor,

who look a ciianee when site became rich, and threw it away when she became intolerable. A good doctor mid an honest man cau hud something better to do than romp Bbout Mr. “Jane Benrsoii.” lie contracts himself, paradoxically, to adulation and unhappiness in a pretentious Swiss innsing home for wealthy feminine hypocmidriaes. That begin.-, the grand pursuit, because Jam- is determined to recover her man, and lie is equally determined to lie recovered —at bis own terms. Regent Theatre Directed by I’nul Stein, ‘'•’ uisol ;, was vesterday released at. the hegiiit Theatre. Memorable for I 1 ';. I ’/.'.”’ 1 . I .'; 1 "-’'?, -Fire Over England” and ntbeong Heights.” Flora Red son is the principa , and she is supported to realm tn eflei.6 Robert Newton. Ann I od< . <■*"> 'J> Tmme, Reginald Tale, and Belle Clu.is '"stark drama enters the lives ol the people of the village ot N ™ *h.rFble anonymous letters, written with a ‘ L knowledge- of the recipients nnsdee Is, starts first seiindiil. then a l,ri !" “• aide. and eventually murder. As' ’’ the culprit makes a mistake aim.tin mine get II Clear line of notion. Hie lion is amazing, the gniltv PJ<>' D' Us unsuspected ms the depths tint in “l'2ln’ Ben" is not all sombre shadow, however, for there is some sly coined' ■ trncted from the foibles of th ? ," j '. dames who busy themselves with the J t oct ion of tjie culprit. Plaza Theatre Preserving all the colourful of the novel by Louis Bromfield, Da F. Zanuck’s version of lhe Kam Came” has again been retained for a further week at the Plaza Theatie. • 'Lov breaks with the "perfect wife tiadition to play the amorous Lady Ldmn-i Esketh Tyrone Power has his most 10 inantic role as the high-caste Hindu M - geon, Major Rama Snlti. who pn> 's ' - one great love of Lady Eskcth’s life, n George Brent is seen as the worldly 1 Ransome, a ghost out of L . !ld ’'i n vco 1U romance-strewn past. Brenda JoycC, <Jcovered following a nation-wide seat i. heads a brilliant supporting cast m J. role of Feren Simon, the .resh VOUIU beauty whose love gives the woild-ve< . Ransome a new lease of life. Majestic Theatre The Marx Brothers, maniacal murderers of Old Mau Gloom—or what you will —are tit their craziest and wildest in "At the Circus,” which will begiuja season at. the Majestic Theatre today. Groucho plays a lawyer, J. Cheeiei Loophole, who Jias never won a case, Chico a roustabout; and Harpo the assistant. World’s Strongest Man in a circus. In support of Hie Marxes not that they -want support, tlicy are good enough 'by themselves to "go dowu anywhere —is Kenny Baker, of radio fame, as part-owner of lhe circus:; Florence Rice, as tlie star equestrienne and his sweetheart; Eve Arden, as the Upside Down Girl; Nat Pendleton, as the Strong Man; Margaret Dumont, as the usual society dowager; and .many others. The Strong Man, the L'psi’de Down Girl, the Midget, and the crooked manager of the circus connive to trick Baker out of bis share of the circus. They demand 10,000 dollars from him; though they have already stolen that amount, from him and hidden it in the gorrilln’s cage. Harpo and Chico summon Groucho to fight Baker’s cause—and so begins a riot of fun. Tudor Theatre The principals of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” which will begin a return season at the Tudor Theatre today, are Jmnes Stewart, and Jean Arthur. The director was Frank Capra. Jefferson Smith is picked to go to "Washington because lie is thought to be simple. He is a starry-eyed young man who takes his politics from the speeches of his heroes, believes that the country stands for something, and strives to do something for it. Arrived in Washington, Smith finds what the party machine is up to —a piece of graft hidden away in a Bill to provide relief for the unemployed, and he determines to tight it. But the machine has an answer to that, and before he can begin his offensive he is caught: in a trap set by the man he .admires most. How he refuses to lie still in tlie trap, and eventually manages' to escape to wt matters to rights in the eyes of all good Americans, is effectively done. The screen version of Margaret Sidney’s famous childhood classic, “Dive Little Peppers and How They Grew,' will be the associate attraction. Ronald Sinclair, or Ra Flould, the New Zealand boy actor, appears.

De Luxe Theatre "Code of the Secret Service.” with Ronald Reagan, Rosella Towne, and Eddie Foy. jtin., in tile leads, will lie tne main attraction at. the De Luxe Theatre from today. “Code of tlie Secret Service” is based on material compiled b.v M • H. Moran. ex-Chief of the United States Secret Service. Noel Smith was the director. Ann Nagel and Robert Kent are fe.atured in u Gang Bullets,” which will be the associate attraction.' New Opera House A mystery-eomedy, "The Cat and the Canary'' 'has been transferred to the New Opera' House, and will have its initial showing there today. Based on Jonn Willard’s stage play of the same name, the cast is headed b.v Bob Hope, Paulette Goddard, John Beal. Douglass gomerv,' Gale Sondergaard, Elizabeth Patterson, and George Zuceo. . A mansion in the Louisiana marshes is the setting. , ■When seven people are in attendance at the mansion to hear the reading of the deceased owner’s will, all except one being a potential heir, the chills nud fun begin. On lovely Joyce Norman becoming the new owner she is immediately menaced by a hairy, murderous crenhire, “The Cat.’ ’and it is all that lAall.v Campbell can do to save her from tlie clutches of “The Cat,” what with strange, ominous noises, whisking hands, a murder, and mysterious passage-ways.