ENTERTAINMENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 November 1939, Page 12

ENTERTAINMENTS

OPERA HOUSE: Now Showing: “CONFESSIONS OF A NAZI SPY.”

It has fallen to the Opera House . to present, over a period of year’s, some memorable films,, but “Confessions of a Nazi Spy.” now being screened, is one that is really “epochal.” for it leads a new line of pictorial presentation; is history to the minute, translating the news to the screen, and is powerful and useful propaganda. Put in story form with many authentic shots it produces _an effect that no amount of mere words could achieve. The narrative is..direct and concise, dramatic afld vital, and though made, especially to serve American uses, it none the less has special warning value to New Zealanders. Its gripping power is terrific and those Who see it dice will want to see it again. It shows the constantly widening area, of ...Nazi . work, the blighting spread' of . Nazism like a disease in a crop, the terror which can haunt' our freedom-loving' community when the hateful espionage system with its cruelty, deceit, and heartless hatred inoculates it with its virus and paralyses with its terrorism. Nazism is immensely attractice to the egocentric: avid for personal power, ambitious for self only and for country ■ r only as a larger self/ and conceivably it could be welcomed by the slave soul too supine to think for itself. Francis Lederer throWfe on the screen just such a characterisation of the man who would betray America to the Nazis. Immensely his finest performance, Edward G. Robinson as the G-man who finally foils the- machinations of the underground workers in the espionage ring, is magnificently adequate to his job. Paul Lukas as the Nazi leader in the States, the idealist, adoring the Fuehrer, and seeking to save the world by imposing | fatherland ideas upon the land of his| adoption, making fiercy speeches ini the German-American Bund to inflame his hearers, also gives a great performance. Dorothy Tree as. the girl spy, the chief friend of George Sanders, turns in an excellent delineation as one of the leading spies. The ter-, ror of the poor wretches when caught) by the gestapo and sent back to Germany for incarceration in a concentration camp is pitiable in the extreme. An impressive point is the astonishing manner in which the tentacles of the octopus had wound themselves in and amongst the social and business life of the country, in home and factory, office and shop, in the Navy and Army, everywhere the little men and women passed on the world, the message, for the “sitting pretty” heads in the Fatherland. Mail would pass from America or Europe! through the hands of a woman acted i by Eily Malyon, in a small Scottish | town, who was finally uncovered bvj the curiosity of the postman who ask-! ed for the strange stamps for his wee laddie, when British authorities pounced on her. Very surprising is the disclosure of the extent to which the youth of the movement in the States had grown, girls and boys being regularly trained with Nazi' thoroughness, ~ the swastika being) quite openly displayed, and the Nazi) salute given consistently. The speech of the Judge at the trial.scene is admirable in its quiet significance. In the cast are several Germans who, however. consider it more' prudent to use < assumed names, showing by this the i nower of the regime that might take i Its vengeance on them. No one should

allow this remarkable picture to pass without viewing it, for it is ’a definite warning to New Zealand.

REGENT: FINALLY TO-NIGHT—- ' “FLIRTING WITH FATE” AND “PERSONAL SECRETARY.” COMMENCING SATURDAY: “YOU CAN’T CHEAT AN HONEST MAN” and “EX-CHAMP.” “Charlie McCarthy” and Bergen. Nearly IS years ago a small block of ordinary Michigan white pine began to assume the features of an impish boy. Under the artistic hands of Theodore Mack, Chicago wood carver, grew a face so human that to-day it is the world’s most valuable piece of wood. Its actual value is £lOOO, placed on it by insurance companies. Its intrinsic worth is many-times that amount: The one and only “Charlie McCarthy” appears with W. C. Field and ..Edgar-Bergen in “You Can't Cheat an Honest Man.” “Charlie’s” first public appearance was. with Edgar Bergen,’ whom he describes as the man responsible for all of his mistakes. They went to a neighbourhood theatre not far from Bergen’s home in Chicago. Their early struggles brought them very close together, as hardships so. frequently do. Success v.as a long time in coming to them. EuUwhen it came in the Summer of 1936. it came with such a rush they scarcely knew what was happening. Supporting Fields, Bergan and “McCarthy" are “Mortimer Snerd,” Constance Moore, Mary Forbes, Thurston Hall, Princess Baba, John Arledge, Charles Coleman, Edward Brophy, Arthur Hohl, Blacaman and Eddie Anderson.

THE ASSOCIATE FEATURE.

Some half-dozen one-time prominent boxers appear in “Ex-Champ,” which stars Victor McLaglen. Among these is Joe Glick who, in his hey-day, fought Benny Leonard, Rocky Kansas and other top-ranking lightweights. Others include Art Lasky, Al Bayne, Frankie Dolan, Frankie Grandetta, and High Loman. Kid Chissell, one-time welterweight championship of the Third Battleship Division of the Pacific Fleet, snagged himself a well-pay-ing role in the picture. He appears as a boxing champion whom Tom Brown meets and defeats. Although “Ex-Champ” has an atmosphere of the boxing ring and training quarters, it cannot be regarded as a prize-fight story. It deals primarily with the sacrifice McLaglen makes to attempt to save the snobbish son when the son is in danger. In the supporting cast will be seen Tom Brown, featur-l ed as an embryo fighter whom McLag-l len grooms for a championship battle.) Nan Grey has the role of his daughter: Donald Briggs is the snobbish son; William Frawley is a training cafhp hanger-on; Constance Moore takes the part of a Park Avenue blue blood in love with the son; and Samuel S. Hinds is a kindly boxing commissioner.

The second episode of “The Lone Ranger’’ will also be shown. Patrons are advised to attend early as the serial will be presented first, commencing at 7.45 sharp. ’Phone 601 and book your seats. GLADSTONE BALL The grand summer ball at Glad-1 stone Hall, to-night, will undoubtedly 1 be the star social attraction for this week-end. Plenty of novelties, a well controlled floor, a .splend'id supper and a popular dance programme to music by the Peerless Orchestra will add to the unrestrictive enjoyment of what is sure to be a record attendance.