PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 23862, 17 April 1941, Page 5

PICTURE THEATRES

ST. JANES

W. C. Fields is cast in a comedy role which fully brings out-his talent in ‘ Ihe Bank Dick,’ the main feature at the St. James. ‘ The Bank Dick * presents Fields as a ne’er-do-well maii-about-town, who accinomally captures a bank bandit and is rewarded with the position of special officer in the bank whose funds he has saved. Gene Autry excels himself in ‘Carolina Moon/ which is the associate film. 1 ON YOUR TOES.’ ‘ On Your Toes/ which will bo the main attraction on the programme corning to the St. James to-morrow, stars the graceful Zorina and humorous Eddie Albert. Tt tells the story of a bewildered American youth who, through a comic series of accidents, finds himself the male star of a mad Rnssian ballet troupe which —also bewildered by what is happening—finds itself trying to present a “ jazz ballet.” While there cannot help being moments of loveliness as Zorina and an assisting' chorus of ballet artists demonstrate • their artistry, the emphasis throughout the picture is on comedy, and even the two ballets winch are performed in the course of the production are directed at the spectator’s funny bone. ‘ The Midas Touch ’ supplies strong support for the main feature.

STATE

Paul Muni heads the cast in ‘ Hudson’s Bay,’ I lie current attraction at the Slate. Pierre RacUsson, portrayed by Muni, is a reckless Canadian, and in Hudson’s Bay lie is the main character in a story of the frozen north. ‘ Hudson’s Bay ’ opens in England with the banishment of Lord Crewe, ably portrayed by John Sutton, for his drunken pranks. King Charles 11., played by Vincent Price, exiles the nobleman to savage Canada. There he meets Paul Muni and Laird Cregar. A tremendous figure of a man, Cregar portrays Radisson’s fur trapper companion. Lord Gooseberry. The trio journey to Hudson Bay and return the following year witli a fortune in pelts. They go to England and organise a fur-trading company, and later return to America, bringing with them Morion Lowry, brother of Gene Tierney, Sutton’s fiance. Lowry incites massacre when lie gives whiksy to the Indians. In order to prevent a war Muni has him shot in a dramatic episode. On their next trip to England their company is presented a charter at a regal ceremony.

STRAND

Called upon to bring a gang of “ fifth columnists” to justice, Nick Carter faces the most baffling of his_ cases in 1 Sky Murder,’ which is now being screened at the Strand. Accompanied by the “ Bee Man ” and a charming girl detective (Joyce Compton), he finds the solution of the mystery in the same suave manner that is known to thousands of filmgoers. The second feature is ‘ I’m Nobody’s Sweetheart Now,’ which has Dennis O’Keefe and Constance Moore in its leading roles. 'THE LEATHER PUSHERS.’ Reviving the title of one of the most popular film series on record, a new action drama, * The Leather Pushers,’ costarring Richard Arlen and Andy Devine, will come to the Strand to-morrow. Alien is seen as a hard-punching contender for the middle-weight crown who battles his way to victory through a series of spectacular and exciting events. Devine is his faithful trainer and friend. Public enemies, “ muscling in ” on the music business, set the lively comedy pace for Universal’s musical farce, .‘I Can’t Give Yon Anything But 'Love, Baby,’ which will also bo shown.

OCTAGON

Capacity houses are the order at the Octagon, where Charlie Chaplin’s ‘ The Great Dictator ’ is enjoying a successful season. This film, which. satirises Hitler and his underlings, Goebbels and Goering, also creates amusement at the expense of Mussolini, the Fascist dictator. There is a capable cast, including Paulette Goddard, Jack Oakie, Henry Daniell, and Billy Gilbert. The story concerns the adventures of Chaplin, who finds himself in the shoes of a great dictator. His subsequent misadventures make delightful entertainment, replete with the famous Chaplin brand of comedy, and the audience is kept in throes of laugh-

ter. SUSPENSE AND COMEDY

A ‘LONE WOLF ’ FEATURE That fascinating, fictional rogue, Michael Lanyard, returned to the Grand yesterday in a sparkling melodrama, spiced with comedy, charged with thrills, and flavoured with romance with the opening of Columbia’s ‘ The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady.’ Warren William again portrays the lightfingered, light-hearted adventurer, and Jean Muir bears the other half of the title role burden in the new thriller. Easily the best of all the Lone Wolf adventures, the- new film crackles across the screen at a breathtaking pace under the deft hand of Sidney Salkow. Ably supported by a cast that includes Eric Blore, Warren Hull, Victor Jory, and Roger Pryor, the gentleman adventurer jauntily foils police and crooks with equal facility and delightful humour. A diamond necklace is the prize the Lone Wolf is after in his latest escapade. Two murders are committed when the gems disappear, and Lanyard is blamed for both of them. However, it is one thing to blame the Lone Wolf and another to apprehend him, as the police find out. After a thrilling series of encounters with both the law and the underworld, the debonair scoundrel manages to locate tile necklace and the killer; With typical Lone Wolf audacity he unmasks the real culprit and delivers him to the authorities in a thrilling series of sequences. Wistful, tender, and heart-warming in its presentation, Columbia’s ‘ Five Little Peppers in Trouble ’ is the. supporting feature. Introduced to the screen just a short time ago by Columbia, the Little Pepper series has rapidly grown in popularity until today they rank with the Bumsteads and the Hardys as one of the foremost families of the screen. Edith Fellows, gifted young actress, once more appears as Polly Pepper, tho little mother of the group. Dorothy Ann Seese, who scored such a sensation in tho earlier Pepper hits as angelic, little, golden-haired Phronsie, the baby of the family, is back once more. The role of Mrs Pepper is again portrayed by Dorothy Peterson, who has also appeared in ‘ Too Many Husbands ’ and many oilier hit. films. Ronald Sinclair, young Now Zealand star, wlio scored so brilliantly as Polly’s boy friend, is back again, along with Pierre Watkins, who plays the part of lovable oUI grandfather King.'

EMPIRE

With Madeleine Carroll, Fred. Mac Murray, and Sterling Hayden heading (he cast, the Empire's attraction, ‘ Virginia,’ is a simple tale set in the beautiful surroundings of (ho old rebel State of Virginia. The story is that of a young girl who returns to the family estate in Virginia after being absent since childhood, to find that the country is as old-worldly as it ever was. Sho finds that, the Virginians bavc an arrogant scorn of the northerners, who buy up largo tracts of land in Virginia merely for pleasure purposes, and the plot is concerned with the way in which the girl manages to educate those on her estate to the new regime in the other parts of the country.

‘THE SEA HAWK.* * The Sea Hawk,’ with Errol Flynn in the title role, will have its first local showing to-morrow at tTie Empire. The glorious saga of a Robin Hood of the seas, ‘The Sea Hawk ’ lias ben hailed by the critics, who have previewed it in Hollywood ns one of the screen’s greatest adventure stories. Leading his men to the four corners of the earth, swooping down on the ( gold cargoes of mighty galleons, Flynn is superb as the daring Sea Hawk. Featured with him are Brenda Marshall, Claude Rains, and Flora Robson. Rife with dramatic incidents, ‘The Sea Hawk’ is a thrilling saga of the seven seas, with Flynn as Geoffrey Thorpe, most feared of the privateers of Queen Elizabeth’s day.

REGENT

Cast as a young peasant girl, Deanna Durbin captures fresh honours in * Spring Parade/ now showing at the Regent. Deanna finds herself transported to Vienna, and unexpectedly courted by a young cor-poral-drummer, who also aspires to be a composer. Trying to help the corporal, Deanna hides some music of his in the pastry cooked especially for the Emperor. Immediately the cook is thrown into prison for attempting to poison the Emperor, and Deanna has to have an audience with the ruler to explain. Deanna finds that she has gained favour in the eyes of the Emperor, and that she has been invited to the Court ball. In the final scene at the Court Deanna sings to the accompaniment of the orchestra, which ls conducted by the corporal. •SUSAN AND GOD.' Joan Crawford and Fredric March, a new co-starring duo for the screen, score one of the sensational surprises of the year in ‘ Susan and God/ which will be opened at the Regent to-morrow. As the social ‘gadabout/ Susan, who adopts a new social movement as a fad and attempts to convert. all her friends while ignoring the tangle of her own family life, Miss Crawford wins new spurs as a dramatic actress. March turns in one of his most convincing performances as Barrie, the inebriate husband. who gradually wins control of the situation.

MAYFAIR

Tiie two films now screening at the Mayfair are ‘ Proud Valley,’ featuring Paul Robeson, and ‘ Adventure in Diamonds,’ with George Brent and Isa Miranda in the leading roies. Especially written for Paul Robeson, ‘ Proud Valley ’ offers him great scope for his magnificent voice, which is heard to advantage in the film. He is supported by famous Welsh community choirs in the rich Eisteddfod sequences. Tiie supporting film tells the story of a young R.A.F. officer whose craving for excitement leads him into thrilling intrigue witli a beautiful diamond thief.

GOLD RUSH DRAMA

BULLDOG DRUMMOND SUPPORTS A thrilling drama of the Yukon in. the gold rush days is told in ‘ The Barrier,’ which, with 1 Bulldog Drummond’s Peril,’ is being shown at His Majesty’s. This Rex Beach adaptation features a particularly strong cast, including Leo Carrillo, Otto Kruger, and Jean Parker, all of whom give excellent performance? in this’Virile film of the outdoors. Another of the popular ” Sapper ” novels has been filmed under the title of ‘ Bulldog Drummond’s Peril,’ and it, too, presents mystery and thrills in good measure. John Howard, John Barrymore, and Reginald Denny are featured. • MAN ABOUT TOWN.’ A compromise between the musical film and tho sophisticated comedy is achieved with excellent results in ‘ Man About Town,’ which will head the programme at His Majesty’s to-morrow. Jack Benny with his aide, Rochester, provides some of the brightest wisecracks._ Sophisticated to a degree, abounding in bright, sparkling humour and presented by an allstar cast, ‘ Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife,’ the associate attraction, is unquestionably one of the best films of its type. Gary Cooper is the hero.