ENTERTAINMENTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 July 1941, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

{OPERA HOUSE: —Finally To-night: I “VILLAGE BARNDANCE’’ and -: “SALOON BAR.” Next Attract| tion (Commences Tomorrow): -j “CONVOY.” . j No film in recent years has so , I gripped the imagination as “Convoy,” . I which commences at the Opera House ■ I to-morrow, for an extended season. ; With a canvas crammed with highgeared thrills, desperate adventures, ■ resounding naval encounters, pulsat- ; ing acts of individual heroism and ■ adorned with bluff, sardonic humour \ of the British bluejacket and men of J the Merchant Service, this large scale I i production fulfils up to the hilt every J demand lor a topical drama extolling I Britain’s command of the seas. A I I flagship, expecting leave, is ordered to ! sea without a breathing space to coni voy a fleet of merchantmen. Among . the latter is a tough old skipper who -1 thinks he can do better away from the I convoy and takes his ship, packed I with refugees, on a course of his own. lOn the flagship the Captain (Clive (Brook), is disconcerted to find the AdImiralty have appointed as his lieu- | tenant the man who ran away with l his wife and left her stranded. The ! girl in question is on the refugee ship,’ (which is soon in difficulties with a l U-boat. The flagship Captain ignores I her SOS lest he imperil the rest of (his charges, but (he Lieutenant disi patches a plane to its assistance, only ( to have it shot down. Though the I captain’s wife is saved, and explains (away his bigoted misjudging of his j younger colleague, the flagship has j to engage single-handed the German i pocket-battleship, “Deutschland.” i The whole production is alive with ac- ! tion from end to end, with every in- ! gradient of popular entertainment ; skilfully moulded into a film you will 1 really enjoy and long remember. John Clements plays the part of the Lieutenant, Judy Campbell as the lovetroubled wife, and Edward Chapman as the tramp skipper. REGENT—“The House Across the Bay” With George Raft and Joan Bennett sharing stellar honours and a strong supporting cast featuring Walter Pidgeon, “ Gladys George, Lloyd Nolan, and Juno Knight, “The House Across the Bay.” is now showing at the * Regent Theatre. Based on a story by Myles Connolly, the central figure is Brenda Bentley, played by Miss Bennett, a young girl whose husband is sent to prison for income tax evasion. This role, outstandingly dramatic, gives the alluring Miss Bennett wide scope as she is seen as a singer and dancer in addition to her dramatic opportunities. In one sequence of the film she sings and dances “Chula Chihuahua,” her own interpretation of the South American rhumba, and later introduces “I’ll Be a Fool Again.” Its story revolves around the women who are left behind to battle their own odds and to retain their faith and balance while their husbands are serving terms' behind prison bars. Miss Bennett therefore presents a composite picture of a whole group of women who wait for that dim to-morrow when at last their husbands will be free. too. Among the outstanding sets created and designed for the film were a swank New York night club, where the action of the story begins, authentic prison cells, a streamlined racecourse and many others. Patrons are advised to make early reservations.