ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 239, 4 July 1940, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

State Theatre’s New Programme

A reversal of normal film procedure is to be met with in (lie main feature being screened al the State Theatre this week. As a general rule, a murder mystery hides everything but the identity of the u‘ ul '‘ derer till the very lust reel. In ‘ - 'l’he Mun Who M'oiililn’t. Talk,” however, the situation is different, lor it is at. the beginning of the lilni that a man who calls hiiusell Joe Monday (Lloyd Nolan) gives himself up to the police as the killer ot I’redertek Keller, a well-known business man aud uiiuing engineer. M’init is not revealed is wliy lie did it, and what his real name happens to be. Great publicity is given to the "mystery murderer,” who cousisteutly reluses to talk to the police or to. the young attorney who is conducting his defence. His photograph is published in all the leading newspapers, and a general Pl ei! sent out for his identification. M hen Alice Stetson sees the photograph, she sees that it resembles her brother who went to France in .1917, and had been reported missing. Following up the photograph Alice goes to New York and obtains an interview with Joe Monday, but nothing she can say will make him admit his identity. When the case comes before the Court, in spite of the fact that his client refuses to help in any way, the young attorney manages to put up a good light, a losing one, nevertheless. Then, suddenly, a new witness arrives, and matters have to be viewed in an entirely different light. It would spoil the story for the prospective audiences to tell succeeding events, bnt the tangled web is finally unravelled and the tale comes to a satisfactory conclusion. “The Man Who M'ouidn't Talk” gives Lloyd Nolan one of the biggest aud most arduous roies of his career, and he takes advantage of it. The supporting cast includes Jean Rogers, Richard Clark, and the always popular Eric Blorc, who manages even in the tensest scenes to infuse his own particular brand of comedy into the plot; The second feature, “Free, Bloude and 21,” is an entirely different type of film from the first, and deals with certain characters who live in and around the Sherrington Hotel for Women. Clierry Daley is blonde., beautiful, and utterly amoral, so that it is not to be wondered at when she gets herself into trouble. While “running around” with a young and promising doctor, she is partly in love with a likeable gangster, Mickey Ryan. When Mickey gets shot while robbing a seashore cafe, Cherry calls on her doctor friend to help her out of the mess. Mickey dies while the doctor is operating, and is held for implication iu the crime. He refuses to tell the truth, and his own friends have to do some amateur detection on his behalf. ("If Charlie Chan can do it, we can!”) They finally bring the true story to light, and show up the blonde in her true colours, which are not too attractive. An ironical twist is given to the story when she is finally convicted and sentenced on a charge, when, for once, she had been speaking the truth. Lynn Bari, Henry Wilcoxon, and Beth Hughes have the main roles, with Joan Dayis as the ungainly but quick-witted maid who helps to work out the puzzle. Joan Davis raises many laughs with her mannerisms.

King’s Theatre.— Alfred Hitchcock, the director of “Rebecca,” which today ends a highly successful season at the King’s Theatre, lias secured amazing subtlety in character delineation as well as rich dramatic overtones. The renowned Daphne du Maurier wrote the best-selling novel on which “Rebecca” is based, and among those who portray admirably her welldrawn characters are Laurence Olivier, as the temperamental Maxim de M’inter, and Joan Fontaine, ns the shy and unsophisticated second Mrs. de Winter.

Sensational and absorbing, “Vigil in the Night.” conceived by Dr. A. J. tronin, author of “The Citadel.” will lie shown at the King’s Theatre from tomorrow. Briefly, the story of “Vigil in the Night” is that of Nurse Lee. who has two loves —her work and her younger sister, also a nurse. Nurse Lee jeopardizes her promising career when she takes the blame for her younger sister for the death of a patient. Gointr to an industrial town, she meets Dr. Prescott, also a crusader for the alleviation of suffering and better working conditions. They share many a vigil over the sick, and his admiration for the nurse’s efficiency turns to love. During an epidemic of dread contagious disease, patients die like flies and nurses also sneenmb. Then Nurse Lee rises to the final test of tier courage. The climax follows swiftly, with Nurse Lee rewarded wit!) love and honour and her sister paying tragically bnt heroically for her mistakes.

Regent Theatre.—Paramount’s production of “French Without Tears,” as sparkling and as stimulating as a glass of champagne, was further acclaimed yesterday as outstanding entct'taininent by Regent Theatre audiences. Based on Terence Rattigan's famous play of the same name—written partly while he was still at Oxford—“ French Without ’Tears” .was directed by Anthony Asquith, whose part in the direction of “Pygmalion” made him a man in great demand both in England and in America. The principals of this frothy show which retains all the finest elements of English comedy, are Ray Milland and Ellen Drew.

St. Janies Theatre.—The inimitable George Formby is seen at his comical best in “Come On. George,” which ends an extended season at the St. James ’.theatre today. The last time George appeared oil the screen in Wellington, he was very mixed up in a brewery; this time it is horses—one. in particular—that provide the excuse for uproarious fun. .Georges'S never far away from his banjo-UKuleie, and in the course of this hilarious piece sings several new and witty comedy numbers, including “Goodnight, Fellow. Goodnight,” “Pardon Me, 1 Could Not Let the Stable Down,” and “I’m Making Headway. Now.” Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Price, Nan Grey, John Sutton, and Cecil Keliaway are but a few of the well-known and popular players who were assembled by Universal for the production of “±he Invisible Man Returns.” which will be presented by the management of the St. James Theatre from tomorrow. Suggested b.v IT. G. Wells’ “The Invisible Man. “The Invisible. Man Returns” traces the engrossin- story of n num condemned to'death “for the murder of his own brother, but who escapes after being made invisible. The Invisible Mans uncanny efforts lo trap the criminals I'.ctuillly responsible for the nrnrder provide most of Hie action, while suspense grows from a doctor's desperate attempts to find an antidote to the invisibility drug.

Plaza The itre. —A stirring example of stark realism in film production, “Drums Along the Mohawk.” which is being shown this week nt Hie Plaza Theatre, is set against a background of colourful, romantic, nnd dramatic adventure, and heightened to breath-taking vividness by the' use of Technicolor. Claudette Colbert has a role of unusual power ns the deli-cateb’-reared girl who marries Henry Fonda nnd whom experience turns into a fearless pioneer woman who fights painted Indians by the side of her young busband. Those in support of the prraHpals include Edna May Oliver Eddie Collins. John Carrndine. Dorris Bowden. Jessie Ralph, and Roger Tmhof. Produced for Twentieth Century-Fox, “Drimis Along the Mohawk” has been du'ccted with conmuHidable skill by John bora.

De Luxe Theatre, —An engrossing murder mystery, “Charlie MeCarthy, Detective” is the main item on the partieiilarlv iitlr.'K'tive programme presenled at the'De Luxe Theatre this week. Hie Bcrgen-MeCnrthy combination s wit amt humour is as keen as ever, and the story is unusually sound. The famous Tnrp.-., known to millions of readers of Damon Runyon, are brought to the screen for the first time in “Jop nnd TCthel rurp Call on the President.” Hie well-construct-ed comedv-dramii whieli is the associate feature-length item.

Opera House. — The gallnut Gesfle brothers, the principal eharaelers of “Beilu Geste,” which will be launched on a season at the Opera House tomorrow, are convincingly played by Gary Cooper,

Ray Milland, ami Robert Preslon (as Beau, John, and Digby respectively). The supporting cast is headed by Brian Donlevy, as Markoff, the savage, half-man sergeant, and J, Carrol Naish, as Rasinoff, “Beau Geste,” which is based on the famous novel of the same name by P. C. Wren, shows bow the Geste brothers join the French Foreign Legion so that none of them shall be thought guilty of stealing a valuable sapphire, the “Blue M’ater,” from their guardian; it shows them standing together, fighting as one man against a brutal sergeant who believes that one of them possesses the gem ; ami it shows them involved in desperate battles with desert tribes, loyal to death, holding among themselves —and another —to the last, the secret of who stole tile sapphire.

Majestic Theatre. — Metro-Goldwy nMa,ver's memorable production of “The Secret of Dr. Kildare” today ends nn extended season at the Majestic Theatre. Jimmv Kildare (Lew Ayres) here turns detective to trace down the machinations of a fanatical nurse and a quack doctor who are attending a beautiful and wealthy girl Comedy, romance, thrills, and drama blend into another fascinating family adventure of the Hardys in “Judge Hardy ami Son,” which will be shown at Hie Majestic Theatre from tomorrow. This time, instead of travelling, the family stavs home. Andy Hardy, son of the family, turns amateur detective to help his father in a law case, and becomes involved with three pretty girls, who fill his life with trials and tribulations. Hie mother of the family becomes ill; for a dark hour they fear they will lose her. It is in this episode that Andy inspires his father to a new courage in a poignant dramatic scene. Andy turns hero and pilots his sister across a raging flood to their mother’s bedside. But the crisis passes, the mother recovers, Andy extricates himself from the entangling girln and all ends well. Lewis Stone, Mickey Roonev, Cecilia Parker. Fay Holden, Sara Haden, and Ann Rutherford maintain their roles of previous films in the popular series. Three pretty girls are introduced to plague, the great pnppy lover, in June Pressier. Martha O Driscoll, and Margaret Early.

Tudor Theatre.— “U-Boat 29.” that stirring drama of'the M r orld M ar in whicn Conrad Veidt is admirably east as the German submarine commander sent to a lonelv island in the Orkneys to destroy 10 of the largest battleships of the British Home Fleet, is the main attraction at the Tudor Theatre. M’oven about events in the merry Bumstead Family, “Blondie on a Budset” is the associate fea-ture-length attraction. Suburban Theatres

Kinenta (Kilbirnie).—“San Francisco,'’ with Clark Gable. Jeanette MacDonald, and Spencer Tracy; and “Swift ' enfeiinco/* ° Capitol (Miramar).—“Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” with Tommy Kelly, and May Robson; and “One Hour To Live, with Charles Bickford and Mary Nolan. Tivoli (Thorndon). —“Daughters Courageous,” with the Lane sisters and Gale Page; and “Tropic Fury,” with Richard Arlen and Andy Devine. . Vogue (Brooklyn). — “Swing Your Lady/’ wth Humphrey Bogart and Louise Fazenda ; and “Over the Wall, with June Travis and Dick Foran. King George (Lower Hutt). — Blue Beard’s Eighth M’ife,” with Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert. Prinexi Edward (M’oburn). — lhe Man They Could Not Hang,” -with Boris Karloff; and “The Gorilla,” with the Ritz B D<? C Luxe (Lower Hutt).—“Hell’s Kitchen,” with the “Dead End Kids; and “Death of a Champion,” with Lynn 1 'ucgal (Karori). —“King of the Turf, with Adolphe Menjou and Dolores Costello; and “Racket Busters,” with Humphrey Bogart and George Brent Empire (Island Bay).— On the Night of the Fire,” with Ralph Richardson; mid “British Intelligence,” with Boris Ascot (Newtown). —“These Glamour Girls.” with Lew Ayres and Lana Turuer; and “Bad Lands,” with Robert Barratt and Douglas YVatson.