ENTERTAINMENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 December 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

OPERA HOUSE—Finally To-night: I “THE REAL GLORY.” Next Attraction (commencing To- ! morrow: “BROADWAY MUSKETEERS” and “GRAND JURY SECRETS.” “BROADWAY MUSKETEERS.” Pathos, comedy and spine-tingling melodrama were blended to produce the sentimental and yet vividly exciting picture, “Broadway Musketeers,” which commences at the Opera House to-morrow, with a cast that boasts three leading women — Margaret Lindsay, Ann Sheridan and Marie Wilson—not to mention six-year-old Janet Chapman who comes in for her share of acting honours. The plot of the screen play starts with a reunion of three girls who were , brought up together in ah orphan asylum, and then it follows their strangely interwoven fortunes, which leads one to dishonour and death, a noble death, and the other two to dearly-won happiness. Others in the cast include John Litel, Anthony Averill, Dick Purcell, Richard Bond, Dewey Robinson and Horace MacMahon.

“GRAND JURY SECRETS.” Conflict between two brothers, one a newspaperman, the other an assistant district attorney, as to just how secret, a Grand Jury probe should be, and additional differences over a young lady in whom both are interested, provide the dramatic motivation for the punch-packed drama, “Grand Jury Secrets,” which also commences screening at the Opera House to-morrow. With John Howard cast as the newspaperman, Gail Patrick as the young lady in question and Harvey Stephens as the assistant district attorney, the story starts rolling as Howard attempts to get the lowdown on a Grand Jury probe which his brother is conducting. He is stymied for a while, but by the clever use of a compact shortwave radio he steals the story and breaks it wide open. His methods eventually lead him into danger—and the story progresses to a dramatic conclusion. The cdst also includes William Frawley, Jane Darwejl and. Porter Hall.

REGENT Now Showing: ’’THE EARL OF CHICAGO.” Robert Montgomery, whose talents for comedy are well known, oddly enough scored two of his biggest hits in “Night Must Fall,” which won him nomination ’for the Academy Award, and “The Big House,” both dramatic character studies. Now he has been given another opportunity for character portrayal in the most un-> usual motion picture of the year, “The Earl of Chicago.” From the time he read Brock Williams’ ’original story about a Chicago gangster, Silky Gilmount, who enherits an English estate, and becomes the Twelfth Earl of Gorley, Montgomery wanted to play the role and he did not rest until he had persuaded the studio to assign him the part, interested in criminology, he was fascinated by Silky as a character. During a visit to Washington while preparing for the picture, Montgomery visited J. Edgar Hoover, a personal friend, and did research on the idiosyncrasies of gangsters. Among other items, he picked up one that made Silky an interesting gang character. He learned the surprising fact that there are a number of big shot gangsters who have a psychopathic fear of guns, and this queer mental quirk about guns makes Silky’s distorted personality different from any screen gangster yet pictured by Hollywood. Because the. first quarter of the film moves to England for its scenes against such backgrounds as the House of Lords and the Tower of London, the picture has been brought to the screen with a true British flavour. Edward Arnold heads a distinguished supporting cast in the new picture. Others in featured roles include Reginald Owen, Edmund Gwenn, E. E. Clive, Ronald Sinclair, and Norman Varden. Patrons are advised to make reservations early by. ringing The Theatre Booking Office, 601.

BLAKETOWN CITIZENS’ HALL. The dancing public will remember the popular dances held in the Blaketown Hall -in other years, and will be looking forward to the first weekly learners’ dance to be held in the same hall to-morrow (Wednesday) evening. The interior of the hall is not recognisable in its new modern appearance, and the. first-class floor is in even better condition than formerly.