AMUSEMENTS

Grey River Argus, 11 February 1938, Page 12

AMUSEMENTS

Opera House “LOVE ON THE RUN.” “Love On - the Run,” screening at the Opera House to-day and to-mor-row, is the reunion of that most delightful of love, teams—Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Francot Tone. Marked by the directional wizardry of W. S. Van Dyke, who must be getting tired of the plaudits heaped upon him for “San Francisco,” “Rose Marie” and “His Brother’s Wife,” the new Crawford-Gable romance unfolded itself with verve and spirit, one of the most entertaining com-edy-melodramas of the year. Having recently scored an outstanding sue • cess in “The Gorgeous Hussy,” Miss Crawford in the new picture reverts to light comedy. As an American heiress abroad she gives a portrayal that ranks her with her very best. Gable provides an admirable companion for her adventures in a role paralleling the spontaneity and freshness of his part in “It Happened One Night.” The American heiress’ millions are cordially desired in exchange for a shoddy title. When she discovers the facts, the wedding is called off. At that point, Gable enters the scene as a newspaper correspondent. To avoid complications the girl agrees to dodge her almost in-laws by joining Gable in a stolen plane. He’s no great shakes as a pilot, but they get off, and Joan receives a huge bouquet of flowers at the airport. In the air, they discover a note in the roses, and learn that the owners of the plane are spies The gift of roses was a case of mistaken identity, but it gives Gable a swell story. A rival reporter enters the case, and the trio is chased all over Europe by spies until the proper exigencies enable them to turn the tables. The increasingly popular Franchot Tone has one of his best portrayals to date as the rival reporter whose sense of humour is as contagious as his smile. Reginald Owen and Mona Barrie disport themselves with the proper air of menace as members of the spy ring, and excellent bits are contributed by Ivan Ledebeff, Charles Judels, and William Demarest. “Love On the Run” may be safely listed as one of the pictures for which you get your money’s worth and more! The shorts comprise a special short Jeaturette, “Hollywood Party,” with Elissa Landi as hostess and a galaxj of stars; Joe E. Brown, Clark Gable, Constance Bennett, Freddie Bartholomew, Charlie Chase, and the famous Marcus Show Girls. Also Pete Smith Speciality, and Metro News. Regent Theatre “Take My Tip” will have its final screenings to-day. “CHAN AT THE OLYMPICS.” In a mad relay of thrills, shudders and bafflement, with a hundred thousand wildly cheering spectators, every one a suspect, in the great stadium, death holds the stop watch, starting Charlie Chan on his greatest case in the Twentieth Century-Fox mystery hit, “Charlie Chan at the Olympics.” opening at the Regent Theatre on Saturday with Warner Oland in the title role. “Even champion athlete cannot outdistance murder!” observes the wily Chinese sleuth, adapted from the character created by Earl Derr Biggers, in the race-paced thriller pitting him, at appalling odds, against a murderous spy ring. Striking at canny Chan through his “number one” son, again played by Keye Luke, the ruthless gang, headed by Katherine de Mille and C. Henry Gordon, steal from under the very eyes of the government a secret airplane radio-control device, not omitting murder in’the process. To save his son, Chan follows the thieves to Europe, overtaking their ship, which is carrying teams to the Olympic Games, by Zeppelin. Among the athletes aboard are Pauline Moore and Allan Lane, a romantically inclined, muscular young pair selected by the spies as proper dupes to smuggle the radio device ashore. In the bit of sleuthing of his career, Chan rounds up criminals by the substitution . for the secret robot of a radio directionindicator,* which reveals their hideout to the police. Directed by H.i Bruce Humberstone with John Stone as associate producer, the film was adapted for the screen by Robert Ellis and Helen Logan from an original story by Paul Burger. “BAR 20 RIDES AGAIN." The management of the Regent Theatre have secured for the Popeye Club matinee to-morrow one of the “Hopalong Cassidy” series, in which “Bar 20 Rides Again."