STATE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 109, 1 February 1941, Page 15

STATE THEATRE

An exciting comedy-thriller in which Rod La Rocque is at his best as a newspaper crime specialist, “International Crime” is the main feature on the particularly attractive double-feature programme prseented this week at the State Theatre. Astrid Allwyn plays the part of his nitwitted but eventually successful assistant with vivacity and humour. William Frawley, Thomas Jackson and Oscar O'Shea are prominent in supporting roles. Anna and her father are Czechs, he an industrial chemist with a halffinished formula for a new armour-plate and she his only relative. When Hitler marches against Czechoslovakia the old man is spirited away to the safety of Britain, but Anna remains behind and is thrown into a concentration camp. The Nazis, finding themselves badly in need of formula, go to extraordinary lengths to find out the old man’s whereabouts, which are being kept secret by the British Government and an escape is “arranged” for Anna, who does not realize that she is being used ae a decoy. On the other side of the Channel she breathes a freer air—and meets Dickie Randall (Rex Harrison), apparently a s/aside entertainer, but actually a secret service man charged with guarding the old chemist and his precious formula. Despite all the care, the Nazis are successful in abducting the old man and his daughter, and Dickie, under a suitable alias and looking more German than the Germans themselves, sets out on a voyage of counter-abduction. That he is successful goes without saying, but not before everyone concerned has been through an extraordinary and exciting series of adventures, mixed with as much hilarity ns is good for anyone. “The Rangers’ Round-Up,” the other feature, is Stan Laurel’s first essay at production and has an attractive new Western singing star in Fred Scott, whose baritone voice is heard to great advantage in some new and catchy tunes. SUBURBAN THEATRES Ascot (Newtown). —"Strange Cargo,” Clark Gable and Joan Crawford; “The Flying Irishman,” Douglas Corrigan. Empire (Island Bay).—“lrene,” Anna Neagle and Ray Milland; “Danger on Wheels,” Richard Arlen and Andy Devine. Tivoli (Thorndon).— “Foreign Correspondent,” Joel McCrea, George Sanders, Edward Gwenn and Herbert Marshall, Kinema. (Kilbirnie) —“Gunner George,” George Form by; “The Flying Deuces,” Laurel and Hardy, Rivoli (Newtown). —“Virginia City,” Errol Flynn and Miriam Hopkins; “Blondie Has Servant Trouble,” the Bumstead Family. Vogue (Brooklyn).—-"Another- Thin .Mau." Myrna Loy and William Powell; “Kid Nightingale.” Today's matinee session will begin at 1.30 o'clock, Capitol (Miramar).—“Edison the Man," Spencer Tracy; "If I Had My M ay.” Bine Crosby and Gloria Jean. A matinee session today will begin at 2 o'clock. Regal (Karori). —"Listen, Darling,” Judy Garland and Walter Pidgeon; “The Lone Wolf Meets- a Lady.” King George (Lower Hutt).—“The Great Victor Herbert,” Mary Martin anil Allan Jones. Do Luxe (Lower Hutt). —“Sherlock Holmes," Basil Rathbone and Ida Lupine; “Slting High." June Withers and Gene Autry. Prince Edward (Woburn). —“U-Boat 20.” Conrad Veidl and Valerie Hobson; “The Amazing Mr. Williams,” Melvyn Douglas ag-d Joagt Biondell