RECENT

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 12078, 18 October 1933, Page 2

RECENT

“DIGGERS” HANNA AND COMPANY THE SCREEN “Say, Dig. Got a match, Dig?” —Among those to "whom the term “Dig” has become the greatest svmool of comradeship, the name ot Pat Hanna, is enshrined at the epitome of all that they wish to remember of the great struggle—the laughs, the little kindnesses, the unconscious acts of heroism and me bonds of friendship and mutual reliance bound during the testing years. It is to them that, “Diggers” which is now screening at- the -Regent will hold the greatest appeal. All the actors are Australians and New Zealanders, appearing for the first time, they- have played on the stage together for many years. Most of them have been seen on the vaudeville stage in this town. The New Zealander and the Australian, grouped in the minds of overseas writers as the “Anzac” have many a story written around their fighting qualities, their manliness, their comradeship (the comradeship of “down under”) and their “never say die” humor. “Diggers’’ brings to. ill© .spectator '.for the first time ■a picture of them “over there”, and it brings with it a thrill of pride, jit is not a picture of the parade ground soldier in the heat of battle, but rather of the soldier “behind the lines“ when humor held sway. The audience is not thr.own immediately across the years. The atmosphere its built up skilfully in a prologue showing a Digger reunion dinner, which fades from memory as scene after scene is recalled by the participants and gradually the picture takes form. There is no story—the picture would be spCf?stl if there wais one—but a series - of episodes in the war days of Chick (Pat .Hanna), and Joe (George Moon), who become in this, picture the Old Bill and Alf of the Anzac. Tile supporting programme is. made up of vaudeville . short films, each on© a gem of variety. A scenic of Melbourne is particularly interesting.