PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 23833, 13 March 1941, Page 6

PICTURE THEATRES

EMPIRE

Wallace Beery is lo be seen in another of Ins successful characterisations in 1 Twenty Mule 'ream,' which is at present being screened at the Empire. Conceited, but big-hearted, Wallace Beery plays the part of a mule skinner, whe is engaged in transporting loads of borax in the barren waste of Death Valley. But oven this tough character can fall in love, and Marjorie Ronibcau plays the part of the lady of his heart, who gives him a hard time while he courts her. Leo Carrillo is also seen in a fine portrayal of Beery’s faithful Indian companion. •RHYTHM ON THE RIVER.’ Seven new musical numbers are to be heard in ‘ Rhythm on the River,’ the musical comedy which will commence a season at the Empire to-morrow. The leading role is taken by Bing Crosby, Ihe popular radio entertainer and actor, and throughout the production he is capably supported by Mary ■Martin. Two versatile actors who are prominent in supporting roles are Basil Rathbono and Oscar Levant. Both the stars are famous on the radio, and in this attractive new musical they are given plenty of opportunity to show their talents. They sing several popular songs, and the whole picture is brimful cf comedy. A. strong story keeps the many spectacular sequences well woven together. Crosby _ brings his radio maestro to the screen with the appearance of John Scott Trotter and his band. Many Martin, of Broadway fame, who was introduced to films in the frills of t.ho gay ’nineties for ‘ The Groat Victor Herbert.’ play a modern role in ‘ Rhythm on the River.’

ST. JAMES

After the riotous comedy of ‘ Brother Rat,’ it was not surprising that Wayne Morris, Ronald Reagan, and Eddie Albert were asked to perform again in ‘ Brother Rat and a Baby,’ which is now being screened at the St. James. Added (o the fun is a troublesome baby, Peter B. Good, who leads his parents from one humorous situation to another. Murder in a hospital is the theme of ‘ The Patient in Room 18,’ the second attraction. FILM WITH HUMAN APPEAL. ‘ Dust Bo My Destiny,’ to-morrow’s attraction at the St. James, is the story of America’s migratory workers, of a boy and girl searching for happiness, battling alone against circumstances. The two young people—newly-weds—have never got a break in life. John Garfiedl, as the boy, gives one of the most brilliant performances of his career. Priscilla Lane offers another real-life portrayal as the girl who takes to the' road against all odds with the man she loves. A musical picture with comedy and romance. Universal’s ‘ Ma! He’s Making Eyes at Me,’ presents four lilting song compositions in addition to an array of dancers, singers, and comedy favourites. Constance Moore, who plays the romantic lead opposite Tom Brown in the story, introduces the new song ‘ Unfair to Love.’ She also sings the title song, ‘ Ma! He’s Making Eyes at Me,’ latest of the old-time melodies to he revived to popularity on the screen.

‘ ISLAND OF DODMED MEN ’

A PETER LORRE MASTERPIECE Hailed as one of the most gripping and terrifying characterisations ever filmed, Peter Lorre’s portrayal of a half-demented maniac who rules a world of his own with an iron hand, is seen in ‘ Island of Doomed Men,' which opened , yesterday at the Grand. Lorre lias long been”, recognised as a master of the unbalanced mentality. In the new film, he portrays an arresting role, that of Stephen Dancl, a sadistic tyrant who recruits paroled convicts to work a diamond mine on his tiny island empire in the South Pacific. Once on the island, the workers are kept there until they either escape or die. One of the prisoners is Robert Wilcox, undercover operative who has purposely contrived to get to the island. Ho is immediately repelled by DanelV cruelty, both to the mine workers and to Rochelle Hudson, Danel's young and pretty wife. Friendless, ruling only by fear, the half-demented mine owner becomes progressively demoralised when he notices the attraction that has sprung up between Wilcox and his wife. The excesses committed by the crazed fiend eventually prove his undoing, for the convicts revolt against his harsh treatment., Charles Barton directed ‘lsland of Doomed Mon,’ and the supporting cast includes George E. Stone, Charles Middleton, Stanley Brown, and Dora Beddoe. Tearing away the veil of silence from one of the greatest current problems— Columbia’s startling expose * Girls of the Road ’ —is in support, f Scenes of frankness highlight the conditions under which thousands of unwanted women face life as homeless drifters. An outstanding oast of female players, headed by pretty Ann Dvorak, Helen Mack, and Lola Lane lends emphasis to the pitiful plight of these young unfortunates. Ann Dvorak is seen as a governor’s daughter, who sets out to help jicr father solve the troubles of these waifs whose shabby existence has come to shock many communities. Her sudden disappearance to join the ranks of these girlhoboes- worries her father, who orders police to find her. Meanwhile she passes through the abandoned culverts, cleverly hidden camps, dried-up river beds, and tumble-down shacks where these girls congregate. When the governor finally catches up with his daughter she gives him the benefit of all her experiences, thus enabling him to institute a concrete plan to help these girls rehabilitate themselves and start life anew under far more happy circumstances. Typical of the grim conditions which mark the lives of these women is the vicious free-for-all fight engaged in by 250 women in one of the “ jungles ” where they congregate.

STATE

‘The Great Profile,’ a lively burlesque in which John Barrymore presents an irresistible satire on his own stylo of acting, is being shown at the State. Barrymore appears as a once great actor who, through fondness for Ihc bottle, falls from his high-position and is compelled to take a. part in a society woman’s boring play. The weakness of his part infuriates him, and on the opening night of the play he gives an astonishing and highly unorthodox interpretation of ins role, and indulges in a riot of nonsense that completely ruins the play as such. COLOURFUL WESTERN SCENES. Most of the sweeping outdoor scenes for ‘ Kit Carson,’ the him which will commence a season at the State to-morrow, were photographed on location at Kayenta, Arizona, next door to the Navajo reservation, and hundreds of the Navajo Indians participated in the filming. The great scenic beauties and amazing topography of Monument Valley were chosen for the major location site because of their natural magnificence and complete isolation. The ‘ Kit Carson ’ cameras operated on a mile-high plateau flanked by eroded 'buttes, tablelands, and pinnacles out out of a strata (hat was once 16,000 ft high. The weird formations combine the eroded fantasies of wind and rain. Based on the roal-Jife story of one of the boldest and most dashing adventurers in American history, ‘Kit Carson ’ has Jon Hall playing tile title role.

OCTAGON

Among the new generation of film stars I wo who stand out highest in the public favour arc Laurence Olivier and Vivieno

Leigh, and it is these two young people who are cast in ‘ Twenly-one Days Together,’ which is being screened at the Octagon. Based, on a Galsworthy theme, the film contains the mixed elements of excitement, humour, suspense, and, above all, romance that triumphs over difficulties. COVERING THE WAR. Appreciation of the intrepid group of American newspapermen who are serving as the nation’s eyes and ears during the European tunnoil as ihe unsung heroes who risk their lives daily m order to keep their own people informed of the rapidly-shift-ing panorama of war, is given by Walter Wangor in his dedication of 1 Foreign Correspondent,’ which will have its local premiere at the Octagon to-morrow. While ‘Foreign Correspondent’ is in no sense a war picture, Wanger feels that it offers an opportunity lo pay tribute to a group to whom the' whole world owes an overwhelming debt of gratitude. “To those intrepid ones who wont across the seas to be. the eyes and ears of America—to those forthright ones who early saw the clouds' of war while many of us at home were seeing rainbqws—to those clearheaded ones who now stand like recording angels among the dead and dying—to the foreign correspondents, this motion picture is dedicated.” This is (lie dcdicalion which introduces ‘ Foreign Correspondent.’

STRAND

Mischa Auer, Nan Grey, Tom Brown, Eddie Quillan, Edgar Kennedy, and Allen Jenkins arc involved in an entertaining mix-up in ‘ Margie,’ which heads the current programme at the Strand. When Auer, as a banana “ baron,” helps a young actress to get a job, her somewhat ineffectual husband leaves home in a huff, and paves the way for a series of entertaining interludes. The second picture is ‘ The Indian Nation,’ a story of the early settlement of the American West, in -which Richard Dix plays the part of a marshal of a mushroom frontier town. BABY SANDY STARRED. Hollywood’s number one child star, Baby Sandy, turns tomboy for her role in ’ Sandy Gets* Her Man,’ the comedy film which the Strand will present to-morrow'. Surrounded by a hand-picked cast of favourites, including Stuart Erwin, Una Merkel, William Frawley, Fdgar Kennedy, Jack Carson, Wally Vernon, and Edward Brophy, the little actress is presented in the most hilarious adventures offered in any of her pictures to date. First picture in what bids fair tc be a highly popular series, ‘ Nancy Drew—Detective ’ will bo ‘the associate picture. Bonita Granville is in the title role, and -Frankie Thomas talented youngster from the New York stage, is seen as her boy friend and Watson.

REGENT

The outstanding dramatic features of ’ The House of the Seven Gables,’ which is now showing at the Regent, are a curse that persisted through the ages, and a love that could not be defeated by misfortune and disaster. In the principal roles are Margaret Lindsay as Hepzibah Pyncheon; Vincent Price as Clifford Pyncheon, her distant cousin; George Sanders, as his brother, cruel and grasping Jaffrey Pyncheon; Nan Grey, as Phoehe Pyncheon; and Dick Forau, as Matthew Maule. • EDISON THE MAN ’ Viewed either as entertainment or as interesting pictorial biography of a man whose inventions piled up the world’s debt of gratitude to him for boons conferred that revolutionised the comfort of home life in the course of the past half-century, ‘ Edison the Man ’ is a great picture, and its initial screening will be made at the Regent to-morrow. Not so much the wizardry of' Thomas Edison’s inventive genius and the glowing products of his fertile .brain,v as, the-human interest side of his life goes to the making of the picture’s attractiveness. Breaking through the barriers in a dozen different phases of life where the vested interests of a century stood guard against change, Edison naturally reared his head as Public Enemy No. 1 to thousands of moneyed enterprises. It is the story of struggles and heartbreaks, of genius against conservatism, which is presented, with attention to the romance of Edison’s domestic life as well as his troubles.

STORY OF THE CASTLES

ASTAIRE AND ROGERS TEAMED • The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle ’ is the attraction at the Mayfair. Based on the lives of the Castles, it deals with the gracious years immediately preceding and during the first World War. In New York at that time the Castles set the whole town' dancing, and from them originated such dances as the Tango and the Maxina. It is not surprising that to play this part such dancing idols as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were selected, and in this picture they have their greatest film achievement. The second feature is ‘ Parole Fixer,' which is an expose of parole corruption in America, and is based on authentic revelations gathered by J. Edgar Hoover, the originator of the G-men.

1 THUNDER AFLOAT'

WALLACE BEERY STARRED The principal production on the new programme at His Majesty’s is ‘ Thunder Afloat,’ a stirring story of the activities of the American sub-chasers in the last war. Wallace Beery and Chester Morris have excellent roles as members of the crew of a sub-chaser, and Nan Grey provides the romantic interest. The second picture is ‘ Tell No Tales,’ an intriguing and exciting detective story modelled on the lines of ‘ The Thin Man.’ Melvyn Douglas makes the most of his part as a carefree detective who, during his investigations into the disappearance of a number of important persons, becomes involved in a series of exciting and unexpected situations. ■'hotel IMPERIAL.’ Isa Miranda, blonde and beautiful European actress, has the leading feminine role, opposite Ilay Milland, in ‘ Hotel Imperial,’ the film which will head the bill at His Majesty’s to-morrow. ‘The Gracie Alien Murder Case ’ will be in support.