PLAZA THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 20, 18 October 1941, Page 12

PLAZA THEATRE

It's a far cry from.the days when Will Fyffe received 4/11 a week as his reward for playing three shows a night—namely, a nigger part, three roles in “Hamlet,” and a clog dance—to a command performance before King', George V. His struggle up the ladder of theatrical fame was a long and hard one but ■Will Fyffe hSs won his. laurels in the fields of stage, radio and film entertainment, and his latest success in the lastmentioned sphere is in the role of a determined old British sea . captain in “Neutral Port.” One is reminded of “Potato Jones, the British sea-dog for whom blockades and the like held no fear, first in the Spanish War and again in the present conflict, Will Fyffe brings to the screen a likeable characterization of such a man—the captain of the Annie Louise. Believing in the adage of “an eye for an eye” he deems it quite just that he should requisition a German vessel to replace his when the latter is torpedoed—even though the German ship is in a neutral port. His plans are rather upset by the fact that the British Consul is arranging to smuggle a radio transmitter, complete with operator, on board the German vessel which is believed to be a submarine supply ship. Nothing daunted he assays to commandeer another German vessel and is successful —only to be torpedoed again. However, he starts all over again and again there are the same complications and. ...

Viewed solely from the point of entertainment the story is not without merit and shows the tenacity of the “old British sea-dogs who carry on Drake’s heritage.” Will Fyffe gives his usual sound performance and is ably supported by Leslie Banks, as the British Consul, who really seems to be more interested in surreptitiously finishing a game of chess with the German Consul than fighting the war. Yvonne Arnaud is a famous actress and perhaps it is that which gives a rather stagy atmosphere to her performance in this film, and in any case she does seem just a little out of place as a widow to the fourth degree who owns a wine, house —somehow she seems very much the great actress conscious that she has a comparatively small part and overplaying the role in an effort to make it outstanding.

Of course none of the inferences are subtle, or perhaps oue should say subtitles are all rather obvious. There is no chance of any of the remarks going “over the head” of anyone—which may or may not be a good thing!