PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 24005, 2 October 1941, Page 10

PICTURE THEATRES

‘THE BIG BOSS' GRAND'S ATTRACTIVE PROGRAMME Presenting one of the strongest pleas for American political reform to be seen on the screen, 1 The Big Boss ’ heads the new bill at the Grand. Otto Kruger and John Litel have the leading roles, assisted by Gloria Dickson. This is the dramatic and thrilling story of two brothers who take different routes on their way through life, and finally cross one another’s path after a long span of years, until one is placed in the position of having to denounce his brother as a murderer or to forgo his position as Governor of a State. The theme has been brilliantly treated, and the acting of the three principals is magnificent. Thrills mount high as the action gets under way, and there is a gripping climax which is as unexpected as it is dramatic. Kruger plays the part of the older brother, who leads a life of crime, but finally wins his way into a high place just within the law. Litel is his brother, who also wins a high position for himself, but honestly. When Lite! becomes Governor and begins to eradicate the rackets, the brothers' paths cross inevitably, and gradually the younger uncovers the nefarious schemes of the elder. Faced with having to reveal that his brother is a murderer or to resign from his position, Litel has his difficulty solved for him by the other in a surprise denouement. The supporting attraction is a gripping western, starring Charles Starrett and Luana Walters. It tells the story of the attempt by an unscrupulous cattleman to run nesters off his property. 1 WE ARE HOT ALONE' PAUL MUNI AT THE MAYFAIR Written by the world-renowned author of ‘ Good-bye, Mr Chips,’ James Hilton, and directed by Edmund Goulding, ‘We Are Not Alone,’ the main feature on the now programme at the Mayfair, is a triumph of writing, acting, and directorial genius. In ‘We Are Not Alone ’ Paul Muni plays a modern fictional character, a small-town English doctor, who serves his patients with compassion and skill, but is completely unable to remedy tho pain in his own life. The star is ably supported by Jane Bryan, Flora Robson, James Stephenson, May Beatty, and Montague Love. ‘ Blondie Brings Up Baby,’ a delightful comedy, is the associate attraction. CURRENT PROGRAMMES. Octagon. —Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in the historic drama ‘ Lady Hamilton.’ Regent, —‘ Gone With the Wind,’ in technicolour, with Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara, and Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland. . ' State.— Joel M'Crea and Laraine Day in Alfred Hitchcock’s thrilling drama ‘ Foreign Correspondent.’ Empire. —James Stewart and Rosalind Russell in ‘No Time for Comedy,’ with Genevieve Tobin and Charles Haggles. Strand. —Lloyd Nolan and Doris Davenport in ‘ Behind the News,’ and ‘ Girl From Havana,’ with Denis O’Keefe and Claire Carlton. St. James. —‘The House of the Arrow,’ with Kenneth Kent and Diana Churchill, and Denis Morgan and Gloria Dickson in ‘ No Place to Go.’ His Majesty’s. —The Russian comedy, from the Soviet studios, Moscow, ‘ The Circus.’

TO-MORROW’S PROGRAMMES STATE There can be little fault to find in Alexander Korda’s selection of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier for the leading roles in the historical romance ‘ Lady Hamilton,’ which to-morrow will enter its third week in Dunedin, having been transferred to the State. Not only does this film unfold a stirring love story against a background of immense spectacle, but it also portrays the critical years when Lord Nelson saved the British Isles from invasion. The screen play was written by B. 0. Sheriff, with only the slightest of deviations from authenticity. The story concerns the spectacular fcareor of Emma Hart, tho daughter of a blacksmith, who became Lady Emma Hamilton, wife of Sir William Hamilton, and her romance with Lord Nelson, England’s greatest naval hero. STRAND Depicting a merry mix-up of romantic escapades, Universal’s ‘ Double Date,’ a gay, modern comedy, ' comes to the Strand to-morrow. Edmund Lowe, Una Merkel, Peggy Moran, and Rand Brooks head the featui’ed cast of comedy favourites, which includes Tommy Kelly, Eddy Waller, Hattie Noel, William Ruhl, and others. Relating the efforts of a determined young sclioolgirl and swaggering schoolboy- sophisticate to guide their errant adult relatives away from the pitfalls of love, the film is said to be keyed in sparkling dialogue. The production was directed by Glenn Tryon, former comedy star of stage and screen. Lowe essays what must be one of the most humorous roles of his brilliant career, while Hiss Moran and Brooks, who plays the son, team up.to make life miserable for their respective relatives. The supporting film is ‘ Bachelor Daddy,’ with Baby Sandy, Donald Woods, and Franklin Pangborn. HIS MAJESTY’S At His Majesty’s to-morrow will be seen the screen version of Lloyd C. Douglas’s ‘ Green Light,’ in which the hero. Errol Flynn, soars to new heights. The romantic idol of ‘ Captain Blood,’ ‘ Charge of the Light Brigade,’ and ‘ The Sea Hawk ’ finds enchanting new love worlds to conquer in the person of Anita Louise. A strong supporting cast includes Margaret Lindsay, Sir Cedric Hardwicke as the strangely haunting Dean Harcourt, Walter Abel, and Henry O’Neill. ‘ My Bill,’ starring Kay Francis, is the supporting feature. ST. JAMES Boris Karloff is starred in Monogram’s ‘ The Ape,’ which comes to the St. James to-morrow. Creating screen monstrosities has been Karloff’s lot for some time now, and in ‘ The Ape,’ adapted from the sensational horror piay of the same name, Karloff plays a half-crazed scientist who dons the skin of a gigantic ape by night and roams in search ‘of victims to sacrifice to science. The supporting feature, ‘ Gaucho Serenade,’ presents Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette as rodeo stars abandoned by their manager in New York. Supporting players include Juno Storey, Clifford Severn, Mary Lee, Walter Miller, Smith Ballew, William Raid, Joe Crcbam, and Lester Matthews. REGENT

“ So far as I know, no one has come forward to claim the championship for rapid reading’ of Margaret Mitchell’s novel,” said Victor Fleming, director of ‘ Gone With the Wind,’ which is about to enter a second week at the Regent. “ It is difficult for me to imagine anyone completing a careful digest of the book in less than 24 hours of actual reading time. Mr David Selznick and I sought to get all of the memorable events of that book into an evening of screen entertainment. As it turned out, the story is told in three hours and fortyfive minutes of film. Whatever problems wo had on ‘ Gone With the Wind ’ were inconsequential alongside that of creating a story to satisfy the world’s greatest pre-sold critical audience any film has ever had. Miss Mitchell had told us what would be authentic, and we had to duplicate it. We had no’ authority to heighten any situation or minimise any other. What is more, any important period picture has its headaches. You can’t use 60 principals and 9,000 supporting players without realising you’ve been through the mill. Nor can you fail

to appreciate the responsibility of a motion picture which has accumulated a mdhon working hours from those who helped make itrea1 ’ EMPIRE Ann Sothorn brings new laughs to audiences in her latest comedy, ' Dulcy, which will be released at the Empire to-morrow. ‘ Dulcy ’ outlines the exploits of a modern young woman wh'o has good ideas, but whose faculty for running other people’s affairs get them as well as herself into hilarious difficulties. An ace cast of comedians support Miss Sothern in featured roles of the production. Her leading man is lan Hunter,

who adds another to his long list o£ dependable performances. As the nervous airplane magnate, Boland Young leaves nothing to he desired in his interpretation. Billie Burke is excellent as usual, and Reginald Gardiner plays a slightly unbalanced gentleman with gusto. Young love is represented by Dan Daily, jun., and Lynne Carver. OCTAGON Eichard A. Rowland's new United Artists picture ‘ Cheers for Miss Bishop,’ which is to commence screening at the Octagon tomorrow, has been widely acclaimed as one of the screen’s greatest triumphs. Martha

Scott, the principal actress, whose name is news to-day, is said to have added an. other immortal character to the screen gak lery of unforgettable women in the rolei of Miss -Bishop. Thrilling romance andl poignant drama sweep through the in« tensely-emotional story from the novel by Bess Streeter Aldrich.- The cast, headed by Martha Scott and William Gargah, was hand-picked, and includes such sterling character actors as Edmund Gwenn, Sidney Blackmer, Marsha Hunt, Sterling Holloway, Dorothy Peterson, and Donald Doug las.