REGENT THEATRE.

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 132, 7 June 1939, Page 5

REGENT THEATRE.

"White Banners."

A glorious successor to "Magnificent Obsession" and "Green Light"—"White Banners," also adapted from a bestselling novel by Lloyd C. Douglas, opens tomorrow at the Regent Theatre. It is a moving tale, entertaining and full of the idealistic fervour so characteristic of Douglas's' work. Like its two predecessors, which enjoyed such huge popular success, "White Banners" has a message to convey—the message of courage in the face of adversity. But the film does no preaching—it simply lets the extremely capable cast live a thrilling human story that carries its message, by implication, straight to the hearts of the audience. That the story seems to be lived rather than acted is , a tribute to a splendid cast. Fay Bainter, who has long been celebrated as a stage player, made her first screen impression with "Quality Street" and followed up with her appealing character role in "Jezebel." In "White Banners," Miss Bainter is Hannah Parmalee, the humble peddler of kitchen knives who keeps her white banners aloft in the face of spiritual travail that would have defeated anyone with less than the utmost in courage and nobility of soul. After seeing the picture, it is impossible to imagine any other actress but Miss Bainter in that role. Claude Rains, as Paul Ward small-town school teacher and amateur inventor, around whose household the story centres, gives an excellent demonstration of the range of his remarkable gifts as an actor, for his is a thoroughly sympathetic role, and, as all filmgoers know, he gets most of his acting practice in villain roles. The boy around whom much of the story revolves is played by Jackie Cooper, who. at fifteen, is proving that it is not necessary for child stars to retire when they grow up. Playing opposite Jackie, in the part of Paul Ward's daughter, is Bonita Granville, erstwhile "meanie," who is not a bit behind Rains in demonstrating that she, too, can play sympathetic characters. Paul Ward's wife is portrayed by Kay Johnson, a screen favourite of many years' standing.