ST. JAMES THEATRE.

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 40, 15 August 1940, Page 4

ST. JAMES THEATRE.

"Dad Rudd, M.P."

In these dark days of international strife, the motion picture industry is playing a commendable part in assisting to maintain the morale of the people in providing relaxation from the grim realities of the times. None have recognised this fact more than the British Government, which, despite the handicap of tremendous ; difficulties, have encouraged the studios to carry on the production of British pictures for British people. Thus it is in keeping with this aim of the Brit- ; ish Government that Cinesound, Aus- j tralia's Premiere Studios, should at j this time be releasing Australia's fun-. niest film. Continuing the adventures j of "Dad and Dave," two of the most j popular characters in Australia, Dadj Rudd, M.P.," opens tomorrow at thei St. James Theatre. Comedy predominates in the production, but there is! also a flavour introduced with the. stressing of the necessity of water con- , servation for the man on the land, but i it is the finale in the House of Par- ; liament that the film strikes a stirring ; patriotic note that will thrill the heart | of every Britisher. In this sequence! "Dad Rudd, M.P." (Bert Bailey), as j a real Australian, one of the pioneer i stock, pays a sincere tribute to the i valuable contribution this young nation . is making to the Empire's war effort, j Cinesound's policy of continuing the; "Dad and Dave" films has had its i critics, but they have been outnum- j bered by the legion of supporters of i this popular type of entertainment. I "On Our Selection" was tbe first ofj the series, and incidentally Australia's first talkie production, and the pheno- j menal records of this evergreen pic- \ ture, which has been repeated again j and again, still stand in the many the- ] atres throughout the Commonwealth, j Bert Bailey and Fred Macdonald, the original "Dad and Dave," were the stars of "On Our Selection." They also portrayed the same roles in Cinesound's "Dad and Dave Come to Town," the picture which holds the honour of being the only Australian . film to be screened in the West End of London.