PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 24082, 31 December 1941, Page 3

PICTURE THEATRES

NEXT ATTRACTIONS STATE The State’s current attraction, ‘ The Ghost Train,’ starring Arthur Askey in the modern version of the popular stage play, wilt enter the third week of its Dunedin season to-morrow. The story centres round Fat Vale railway station, where the ghost train is said to pass at midnight. Askey is among a party of passengers stranded at the lonely junction, and they all take part in the 1941 climax which exposes the whole affair as part superstition, part “ fifth column ” gun-running. But it is Askey’s film from first to last, for there is scarcely a moment when he is off the screen. Askey is as funny in figure and gesture as lie is in speech, and his cavortions and gagging make up a greal part of flie film. Richard (Stinker), Murdoch, Kathleen Harrison, and Moreland Graham'are also in the cast. EMPIRE William Powell protends to be a lunatic to keep Myrna Loy from divorcing him in their newest “ man and wife ” adventure of the screen, ‘ Love Crazy,’ which opens at a midnight matinee at the Empire this evening. The story revolves about Powell’s antics as a supposed lunatic, until the alienists become convinced that this crazi- | ness is on the square and decide to lock j him up. Then his efforts to prove his sanity make him look crazier still amid comical adventures ranging from impersonating a woman to chewing up a gramophone record. Comedy higlilights include the absurd psychopathic examination of Powell, his digging a hole in a city street, his masquerade as a society _ woman to escape the authorities, his comical troubles in a faulty elevator, and other hilarious antics. REGENT Dancing is added to the long list- of Deanna Durbin's talents in ‘lt Started With Eve.’ which will open to-morrow at the Regent as the Universal star’s tenth film. Famous as a singing star and an accomplished actress in botli drama and comedy. Miss Durbin gave more than a hint, of her dancing prowess by performing | the difficult czardas in ‘Spring Parade.’ Now Deanna emerges as a stellar dancer by executing (he conga, with co-star Charles Laughton as her partner, in the new romantic comedy. ‘lt Started With Eve’ is the story of a hat-check girl who is introduced to the millionaire as bis son’s fiancee. She agrees to assume the pose when the old man is believed to be dying and wants to meet the fiancee, whom the son cannot locale. The father begins a recovery, but the hatcheck girl is forced to cqplinue the deception, under embarrassing circumstances.

OCTAGON At a special late session at the Octagon this evening, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy will be seen in their latest production, * Great Guns.' In this film the old' favourites take over (he army, and in true Laurel and Hardy style with ail the usual absurd adventures so characi eristic of them. ‘ Great Guns ’ is different, however, in this respect, that instead of improvising their script as they go along, the new film cmi bodied a clause which permitted them to approve the script before they worked on the picture. This system has worked out ranch better fc-r ail concerned. There was plenty of room for the comics to improvise—and they did insert several spontaneous gags. But tlie important point is that ‘ Great Guns,’ un-like most of the Laurel and Hardy comedies (hat have gone before, lias a definite beginning, middle, and ending, GRAND 'Golden Hoofs,’ I he main at traction at the Grand 'and, starring Jane Wilbers, is easily the best produelion in which the young star has appeared. Jane lias appeared in all kinds of interesting sellings, but the new produelion, which is being screened along with 1 The Man at the Gate,’ must be designated her lies! vehicle to dale. The exciting sport of racing serves as tho background for ‘ Golden Hoofs,’ and Jane is co-starred with Buddy Rogers, nto returns to the screen after an -absence of some years. Cast as an expert trainer of trotting horses, she finds herself under orders to shift, her team from her establishment, which has been acquired by Rogers for bis racing stock. An amicable j settlement, however, enables Jane and ! Rogers lo co-operate. ‘The Man at the Gate,’ Ihe associate feature, is a thrilling story of an old seaman, starring Wilfred Lawson. ST. JAMES The St. Janies will open its new programme to-morrow with as sinister and weird a feature as lias been seen for many a month, ’ The Black Cat’ is replete with murders, Hie terrors of an old and mysterious bouse, ami the exciting atmosphere of wailing eats made hideous by the chills of llmnder si onus, t he cast including Basil Rnlhbone, Hugh Herbert, Brod Crawford. Bela Lugosi, Ann Gwynne, and Claire Dodd. Ralhbone appears in (be. role of a mercenary, conscienceless relative, Mis, Somh-rgaard is seen as a morbid housekeeper, and Lugosi as the keeper of the cats. Action in Ihe eerie film lakes place I in the lonesome country mansion of an eccentric old woman (Cecelia Lol'tns) and in the fantastic elTecis which amplify 1 ho startling sequences of Ihe story, excellent entertainment is afforded. The supporting feature is ‘ ’Flu- Singing Hill.’ a Western drama, with Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Mary Lee,. STRAND John Wayne and Ona Munson, who appeared together in 1 Gone With ilie Wind,’ 'The Dark Command,’ and ‘ Stage Coach,’

are ideally cast, in historical roles, this time in ‘ Lady from Louisiana,’ the main attraction on the new programme which will open at tiie Strand to-morrow. Miss Mnnson is cast as the beautiful and imperious daughter of the New Orleans lottery promoter, played by Henry Stephenson. Wayne is the young crusading Yankee brought down to the southern metropolis by reformer Helen Wcstley lo put the lottery out of business. The two meet and give rise lo dramatic complications when Ihe southern belle’s father is killed. Feeling that the man she loves is responsible, ‘ The Lady from Louisiana’ tries to expel him from her heart, but love finds a way.