PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 23576, 15 May 1940, Page 7

PICTURE THEATRES

GRAND

A drama of life in prison is told in 1 Behind Prison Gabes,’ which commenced at the Grand to-day. The central figures in this film are played by Brian Donlevy, Jacqueline Wells, Joseph Crehan, and Paul Fix. Two men working in the State Attorneygeneral's office, believing that gangsters who have been sentenced for robbery arc guilty of more serious crimes, assume false names and get seat to tho same gaol. More than three-quarters of tho film take place within the walls of a large cell-block, and startling exposures are said to be made of the manners and habits of present-day prison life. A new and novel element is injected when a. daredevil detective masquerades as a convict in order to get a gang of desperate criminals. Brian Donlevy, action star, portrays a member of the State Attorney-general’s office who is trailing a. gang of bank robbers. The clever crooks get themselves in gaol for a minor offence so as to divert suspicion from themselves. Tho detective is sentenced to tho _ same prison. And then the inn begins. Edmund Cobb, one of the bad men in ‘ Call of the Rockies,’ Charles Starrett’s stirring Western action film, which will be in support, was a leading man in filmdom back in the old days, when pictures were still in their infancy. Corning from a long line of Western pioneers, be is one of the most popular of Hollywood’s “ villains,” particularly in cowboy roles. Onco again film-goers will thrill to the singing and music of the sons of the pioneers, five real cowboys, who sing and play an assortment of musical instruments under the able direction of Bob Nolan, former Arizona biiekaroo. This musical quintet will appear with Charles Starrett and Iris Meredith in Columbia’s latest Western thriller, ‘Call'of the Hookies.’

STATE

Starring Shirley Tenqile, who is supported by Margaret Lockwood and Randolph Scott, ‘ Susannah of tho Mounties ’ is at the State. Susannah is the solo survivor of an Indian massacre and is rescued by a Mountie patrol. The Indians fear the Redcoats and believe that their appearance means that soon there will be soldiers to crush them in their native homes. But Susannah reassures them. MADCAP COMEDY, The story of ‘ Tho Housekeeper's Daughter,’ which will be screened at the State on Friday, concerns the mad happenings which take place iu the home of the socially prominent Randalls when the scion of the family falls in love with alluring Hilda, tho housekeeper’s daughter, and becomes involved in tho mysterious murder of Gladys Fontaine, the Broadway actress. Robert Randall, played by John Hubhard, remains in town for the summer while his family is sojourning at a glittering sea resort, and almost singlehanded breaks open the crime. But not before his fashionable house is overrun by a mob of gangsters and newspapermen. With romance and crime marching side by side, an hilarious climax is provided in a big fireworks scene—when a gang of underworld hoodlums who in--vado the house where Joan Bennett is staying is put to flight by Adolphe Menjou with the aid of a barrage of fireworks.

REGENT

A city of great green bubbles which serve as houses, a forest of flexible trees which reach oiit with their branches as though they were human arms, and fantastic fields with giant flowers which move, like humans, aro among the strange scenes which taxed the ingenuity of skilled Hollywood technicians and are /among the settings of ‘ The Wizard of Oz,’ film version of the L. Frank Baum fantasy, which heads the bill at the Regent. BETTE DAVIS STARRED. ‘ Dark Victory,' which will begin a season at the Regent on Friday, is a film with a human, appealing story of a great love that will be remembered by filmgoers long after others are forgotten. There are few actresses who could fill the difficult role successfully, and of those few none could give a more moving performance than does Bette Davis. In the role of Judith Traherne, a beautiful young heiress, whose life is clouded because of an approaching and implacable fate, she gives what she herself considers is her greatest performance. When she falls in love and chooses to live happily while she can, forgetting her fears, the film reaches a moving climax

EMPIRE

That sensational melodrama ‘ Angels With Dirty Faces ’ is at the Empire. During a boyish escapade together Rocky Sullivan (James Cagney) is caught by the police and sent to reform school; Jerry Connolly (Pat O’Brien) escapes. Rocky grows into a hardened criminal. Jerry becomes a uriesb. ROMANCE AT BALI. A lovestruck young woman department store executive chasing a carefree blade to Bali, an ardent opera singer trving to convince her that she should marry him, a window washer telling her sho should come out of her shell of smugness and claim the man she loves, are just, a few of the romantic and comic highlights of Paramount's ‘ Honeymoon in Bali,' which will have its first local showing on Friday at the Empire, with Vml. Mac Murray, Madeleine Carroll, and Allan Jones co-starred. Miss Carroll is cast as the young oxecuive, Fred, as the adventuresome one, while Jones is seen us the opera singer. In the development of events Madeleine meets Fred, flees to Nassan to avoid him, and finally winds tip chasing him to Bali to tell him she loves him. Also seen in important roles aro Helen Broderick, Osa Masson. Carolyn Lee (child “ discovery”), and Akim Tamiroff,

ST. JAMES

There is plenty of action at the St. James. The films ‘ Honeymoon Deferred ’ and ‘ Man From Montreal ’ arc both excellent examples of their kind. In addition a further batch of competitors in the St. John baby contest is being screened. Edmund Lowe has a polished role in ‘ Honeymoon Deferred,’ in which ho appears as .a private detective. ‘ Man From Montreal ’ is a drama of a young trapper unjustly suspected of murder.

SECRET SERVICE DRAMA. ' Code of the Secret Service,’ the second in the Warner Bros.’ scries of dopicing the exploits of the United States Secret Service, will be opened on Friday at the St. James, with Ronald Reagan again in the starring role as in the first film of the scries, ‘ Secret Service of the Air.’ Reagan has been assigned the dangerous job of breaking up a band of counterfeiters operating across the Mexican border Brovina herself to be one of the screen’s most delightful comediennes m addi ■ tion to her other talents, Kay Francis gives one of her best performances in ‘ Women Are Like That,’ which will be in support

OCTAGON

Latest of a long line of spectacle films dealing with the forging of Britain’s Fanpiro is ‘ Four Feathers,’ at tlie Octagon. Produced entirely in teriinicolmir, the story deals with the exploits of a young'army officer, played by John Clements, .who resigns ibis

commission on the eve of the regiment’s departure for Egypt. • He is branded as a coward by his friends, who send him white feathers. Alone he sets out for Egyjit, where ho joins the army of dervishes who are striving to overcome Kitchener, and succeeds in saving the lives of many of his former comrades He takes the horrible disguise of a branded Sengali, poses as a dumb native, and undertakes adventures of heroism and dare-deviltry which help the array win the Battle of Omdurman and which save his friends from death at the hands of the Mahdi’s soldiers.

STRAND

There is good, popular entertainment at the Strand. Gone Autry is seen in another of his western roles, and the Bumstoad family is presented in another hilarious misadventure. ‘ Rootin’, Tootin’ Rhythm ’ is the title of the Autry production. ‘ Blondie Takes a Vacation ’ is full of good humour and is pleasantly spiced with melodrama.

RACKETEERS AND SOCIETY. The law puts the public enemies behind bars, but racketeers of law release thorn to prey on society again. That point is rnado by the Paramount drama, ‘ Parole Fixer,’ based on the J. Edgar Hoover book, ‘ Persons in Hiding,’ and coming lo the .Strand on Friday. The story comes from the revelation by the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that over oue-qnarter of the nation’s criminals are men who have been favoured by parole,or other forms of clemency A romantic, adventurepacked story of a daring bandit who is miraculously reformed by a Mexican family he has phinned to defraud and rob is told in The Llano Kid,’ which will be in supnort. Tito Guizar stars, and Gale Sondergaard, Alan Mowbray, and Jane Clayton play important supporting roles.

MAYFAIR

The successful adaptation to the screen of the Gilbert ami Sullivan comic opera, ' The Mikado,’ is coupled

with ‘ East Side of Heaven ’ at the Mayfair Theatre. 1 The Mikado ’ is filmed in colour, so it loses none of its brilliance in its transference to the screen. Kenny Baker has a starring role. Bing Crosby and Mischa Auer are aided by Joan Blondcll and the baby, “ Sandy,” in ‘ East Side oi Heaven.’ Several songs, which are now verv well known, are presented in the style for which Crosby is famous.