PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 23749, 3 December 1940, Page 5

PICTURE THEATRES

REGENT Any studio that puts Fred. Astaire and Eleanor Powell together in a dancing picture cannot possibly go wrong m the field of entertainment. Well, Metro-uoid-wvn-Mayer not only did not do wrong on ‘ Broadway Melody of 1940,’ the current attraction at the Regent, but it has given the public the best Melody picture ever and the greatest musical picture of the year. There is plenty of dancing for dance lovers in this picture, and there are plenty of tuneful songs, six in number, by Colo Porter. ANOTHER dr KILDARE CASE. After the style of previous ‘ Dr Kildare ’ auccesses, the latest of this most entertain- . ing series. ‘ Dr Kildare’s Strange Case,’ has proved itself to have just as great an appeal as its predecessors. As in the past, Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, and Larraine Day take the leading parts, with able support forthcoming from Nat Pendleton, Shepperd Strudwick, and Samuel S. Hinds. The story, which was written by Max Brand and Willis Goldbeck, is guaranteed to keep the audience thrilled and amused alternately throughout. 'Dr Kildare’s Strange Case ’ will be screened at the Regent on Friday next. EMPIRE Introducing what might well prove to be one. of the most successful comedy partnerships of fiimdom, Paramount’s tuneful • Road To Singapore ’ is at present being shown at the Empire. Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, as Josh Mallon and Lannigan respectively, play into each others hands in a manner which produces light entertain- . ment of a very high standard. lAN HAY AND KING-HALL COMEDY. “Two skirts sleepin’ aboard! There’ll be ’eadaches in ’igh places,’’ predicts the corporal of marines in ‘The Middle Watch,’ which will be Friday’s attraction at the Empire. The ’eadaches materialise in no uncertain manner when the admiral boards the cruiser that shelters two young charmers during a very eventful night.' It is all quite innocent, of course. Jack Buchanan, as the captain, has the Dickens of a time explaining just how innocent things are to a very crusty admiral, played by Fred Emney. The admiral’s turn comes later, when his wife joins the party. lan Hay and Stephen Kmg-Hali are the authors of this .enormously successful comedy. ST. JAMES Two pictures of widely different type but equal appeal form the double-feature programme at the St. Janies. Fay Bainter, Frank Craven, Genevieve Tobin, and Edmund Lowe head the cast of ‘ Our Neighbours—the Carters,’ the main attraction. The second picture is ‘ Golden Gloves,’ which is a story exposing the racketeering in boxing circles in the United States. DOLORES DEL RIO RETURNS. A typically action-filled comedy performance by Wallace Beery, a sparkling return to the screen by Dolores Del Rio, and a stalwart and convincing characterisation by leadingman John Howard combine to provide thrilling entertainment in ‘ The Man From Dakota,’ Civil War story, which will be the main attraction on Friday at the St. James. Ealing studios wore transformed into a veritable community of the eighteen-seventy Seriod for the production of ‘ A Young lan’s Fancy,’ a romantic comedy co-star-ring Anna Lee and Griffith Jones, which will be the second attraction. GRAND A thrilling story of crime and parental lore is unfolded in ‘My Son is Gini ■ which heads the current programme ai e Grand. ‘Cafe Hostess,’ the sccbnd' li.ui, is another drama dealing with a waterfront gambling den. LIVELY PRISON COMEDY-DRAMA. Weaving four themes into one, ‘ Millionaires in Prison,’ which heads to-mor-row's programme at the Grand, is a comedy-drama and stars Lee Tracy as a kindly but determined convict king of - a penitentiary. His dealings with several rich men, sent to the institution for various crimes, make up the entertaining plot threads of the story. Linda Hayes and Virginia Vale play the leading feminine roles. , Exciting adventure and romance are blended in ‘One Crowded Night,’ the second attraction, in which the entire action takes place within 12 hours at a lonely auto camp on the Arizona desert. STATE ‘ All at Sea,’ with Sandy Powell at the head of the cast, is providing excellent entertainment at the State. Sandy Skipon, whose general attitude to life is so carefree that he seldom keeps a job for long, is messenger in a great chemical factory when the story opens. A STORY OF THE LAND. Comedy is inherent in great drama. This was the watchword of Darryl F. Zanuck’s production of ‘ The Grapes of Wrath.’ John Steinbeck’s best-seller, which John Ford directed and Twentieth Century-Fox willpresent at the State on Friday. “ Steinbeck, like many another genius, was unsparing in his use of wit,” Associate Producer Nunnally Johnson, who prepared the screen play, pointed out. “He builds drama that bites at your heart by salting it with humour.” The film version of ‘ The Grapes of Wrath' has Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, Jane Darwell as Ma Joad, John Carradine as Casy (the preacher), Charley Grapewin as Grampa, Dorris Bowdon as Rosasharn, Russell Simpson as Pa Joad, 6. Z. Whitehead as Al, John Qualen as Muley, Eddie Quillan as Connie, and Zeffie Tilbury as Grandma. OCTAGON • Turnabout,’ from Thorne Smith's novel, is enjoying an extended season at the Octafon. Adolphe Menjou, Carole Landis, and ohn Hubbard, who take the principal roles, all give convincing performances. SUCCESSOR TO ‘THE HURRICANE.’ Edward Small knew that he had a truly great screen property when he decided to produce ‘ South of Pago Pago,’ the epic of the South Seas romance and intrigue which will be commenced at the Octagon on Friday through United Artists release. That is why lie spared neither energy nor expense, and that is why he chose an impressive cast headed by Jon Hall, who won sensational fame as the hero of ‘The Hurricane.’ Other important names in the cast include Frances Farmer, Victor M'Laglen, Gene Lockhart, Douglas Dumbrille, Olympe Bradna, and Frances Ford. Edward Small has a number of successful films to his credit, including ‘ The Count of Monte Cristo ’ and ‘ The Man m the Iron Mask,’ and in ‘ South of Pago Pago ’ he has produced the biggest thriller since ‘ The Hurricane.’ STRAND The story of two horses, El Diabolo and Whitey, the one a black killer and the other a sagacious and gentle animal, is told In ‘ King of the Sierras,' which heads the programme at the Strand. The second pie-

ture is ‘ Gambling on the High Seas,’ in which a story is told of excitement and drama on a gambling ship which is anchored just outside the three-mile limit. MAYFAIR Lovely Deanna Durbin attains new heights of stardom in her lastcst film, ‘ It’s a Date.’ which is now showing at the Mayfair. She is seen as the daughter of a famous star of increasing age. The supporting film is ‘ Money to Burn,’ an hilarious comedy featuring the Gleason family.