PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 24428, 13 February 1943, Page 3

PICTURE THEATRES

REGENT 1 A truly fine picture is current at the ißegent,' and last night's audience accorded it an excellent reception. ' Sliming Victory,' written by A. J. Cromn, one of the world's most famed novelists, is a drama with a brand-new theme. James Stephenson, .whose performance in ' The Letter ' brought him such wide acclaim, and Geraldine Fitzgerald, the notable Irish actress, who attained screen celebrity through her role in ' Wuthering Heights,', are the stars of the film. With bold and masterful strokes Cronin has. fashioned his story around the mysteries of psychiatrv, unravelling these mysteries to provide a drama-which grips the complete attention of its audiences. The story is that of a young British research psychiatrist who is on the verge of discovering a great cure for mental ailments in a "Budapest laboratory. He is discredited and thrown out of the country, but an invitation to join the staff of' a sanatorium in Scotland gives him the opportunity to continue his research. The repressed affections of the middle-aged secretary to the head doctor are fastened upon him,. and her jealousy leads to many furious scenes concerning the growing rapport between the young doctor and his pretty assistant. She seeks opportunity for revenge and very nearly succeeds. Stephenson gives a sterling performance, and Miss Fitzgerald, as Ins assistant, fulfils all the promise she gave in her earlier performances. In the difficult Tole of the mentally-twisted secretary Barbara O'Neill gives a superb POlWal - EMPIRE.

'South of Suez,' an exciting nlm of adventure in a South African diamond mine, made its local debut at the Empire yesterday. Murder, theft, and 3ealousv make up the background of this, tropical tale. In the film, George Brent is starred in the role of.an adventurous mine foreman who can take ruthless greed, unrestrained love, and merciless jungle heat in his striae. Brenda Marshall plays the part of a mine owner's daughter who seta out to prove that ißrent is innocent of her father's murder. George Tobias, whose screen career has been the most varied in Hollywood,- comes along with still another "different" characterisation. This time he is cast as a blood-thirsty, greed-ridden mine owner who is sure that Brent stands between his happiness with his wife. Lee Patrick plays the part of the wife who marries Lobias for his monev and then spends the rest of her days regretting it. She is madly in love with Brent, and proves the truth of the old adage that there is " no fury like a woman scorned ' when he disregards her affections. The him is paced in a manner that is m key with its exciting theme. All the cruelty and intrigue that one would find in a South African locale has been brought into prominence.

OCTAGON Victor McLaglen and Edmund Lowe, in their riotous comedy, ' Call Out the Marines' are once again amusing Dunedin audiences. Their latest picture, au exciting modern comedy-drama ot the service, opened yesterday at the Octagon. The story presents the pair as old " buddies " who accidentally meet in civilian life after a long separation, and who go to the races to celebrate. There they meet the attractive Vi, an entertainer at a waterfront cafe patronised by servicemen and, - unknown to them, a member of a foreign spy ring. Following Vi to the cafe,- they soon realise that their civilian attire nuts them at a disadvantage/whereupon they re-enlist in the corps, glorying in wearing the uniform again. They find that their. old commander, Captain Blake, owns- the cafe. He supposedly has been-dishonourably discharged from the marines. In reality Blake is working with the Intelligence Department in an effort to capture the spy group to which Vi belongs. The rivalry between the two devil dogs leads to, one sidesplitting exploit after another, but reaches a climax when the pair observe Blake and Vi in a suspicious situation and blunder into it, ruining Blake's scheme to trap the spy ring,-How they atone for their mistake, rounding up the spies in a mile-a-minute chase makes a side-splitting climax.

ST. JAMES A comedy thriller. ' The- Lady Has Plans,' heads the bill at the St. James this week, with Paulette Goddard. and Ray Milland in the star parts. From Lisbon Milland broadcasts news to listeners in Europe. Paulette Goddard, a reporter, is sent to assist him, and is mistaken for a spy who has plans stolen from the United States navy, drawn on her hack in invisible ink. Milland, too, believes her to be the spy, and when the real spy, Margaret Hayes, turns up it is easy to imagine the merry mix-up that follows. The second film is ' Magic in Music,' a delightful musical treat starring Susanna Foster and Allan Jones.

STRAND There'are two exciting films on the new programme at the Strand. _ Those who like their movies packed with action and thrills will enjoy the new Warner Bros.' ' Knockout,' the story of a fighter played by Arthur Kennedy. Starring opposite him, in the role of his wife, is vivacious Olympe Bradna. Kennedy would like to give up the boxing game, but is always prevented from doing so by his wily manager, played by Anthony Quinn. Kennedy's wife becomes reconciled to his remaining in the ring, but later realises her mistake when his swell-headedness gets him into one jam after another. His fighting become sloppy; he falls for a publicity : seeking blonde, played by Virginia Field, and lastly his manager tells him he is washed up as a fighter. The second film has as its theme the exciting search across two continents for an international criminal. In 'The Case of the Black Parrot' William Lundigan plays the role of a young newspaper reporter who vows to bring the murderer of his sweetheart's uncle to justice. The role of his sweetheart is played by lovely Maris Wrixon, and together they have many a shuddering experience in tracking down the killer.

GRAND 'lnternational Settlement,' now showing at the Grand, deals with the adventures of a free-lance American pilot who finds himself in China's great metropolis as the city is engulfed in the maelstrom of conflict. \Var sequences on a scale unduplicated since the filming of ' The Road to Glory ' at Twentieth Century-Fox are used in this massive production. Several thousand film players including hundreds of Chinese actors, have been engaged for the war scenes and other sequences. Chief roles in ' International Settlement' are taken by Dolores Del Rio, glamorous screen beauty. George Sanders, new star discovery, June Lang, piquant little star, and Dick Baldwin, handsome young player I ' Others in the notable cast, appearing in supporting parts, are Keye Luke, youthful Chinese actor, who has won a wide following among film fans by his

work in the Charlie Chan series, John Carradine, Leon Ames, and Ruth Terry, the latter a young singer' who recently made her screen debut in 'Love and Hisses.' The second feature on the programme is ' Scotland Yard,' an exciting mystery drama in which a notorious gentleman burglar impersonates a missing banker. STATE ' Two Yanks in Trinidad ' is the title of the new film which commenced last night at the State. Tin's excellent picture stars the well-known Hollywood comedy personalities, Pat O'Brien and! Brian Donlevy, and lovely Janet Blair, playing one of her most important roles to date, is the girl with whom both the stars fall in love. ' Two Yanks in Trinidad ' is a narrative of the 1942 American Expeditionary Force, which opens in New York, where O'Brien and Donlevy are seen as racketeers. O'Brien, anxious to escape from Donlevy over.a ! slight misunderstanding, joins the army and discovers that he likes the new life.. Donlevy, who follows him to get revenge, also joins up. together with a number of his gang, but he is not very amenable to ,army discipline. He likes the army still less when he arrives in Trinidad and finds that O'Brien has become acquainted with the.prettiest girl in town. Miss Blair. „ When America enters the war, however, the pair forget their own quarrel and concentrate on more serious matters, including thrilling spy hunt and an enemy plot to " destroy the United States fleet Iby means of a minefield in the harbour at Trinidad. ■ MAYFAIR A delightful musical comedy in technicolour will be screened 'at the Mayfair Theatre to-day. The film, ' Louisiana Purchase,' features Bob Hope in the leading role, with Zorina, - the well-known ballerina, Victor Moore, and Irene Bordoni in supporting parts. The film has little plot, but the brilliant scenes,, together with the excellent music of Irving Berlin, make it a production well worth seeing. Among the song numbers ' are ' To-morrow,. Is a Lovely Day,' 'Louisiana Purchase,' and 'You're Lonely and I'm Lonely.' The associate film,' ' Target for To-night,' provides thrilling enerttainment and depicts in detail an actual raid over South-west Germany. Every detail is authentic, and the actors are the men 1 who carried out the raid.