AMUSEMENTS

Grey River Argus, 9 November 1939, Page 12

AMUSEMENTS

Opera House Final Screenings: “STOLEN LIFE” The powerful story of a who stole another’s life, and had choose between joy and happiness or sorrow and sin. is delightfully told n "Stolen Life,” starring Elisabeth Ber°ner and Michael Redgrave, to oe. finally screened at the Opera House ' to-day and to-night. Next Attraction: "HEART OF THE NORTH.” "Heart of the North,” the Warner Bros, production in Technicolour, which comes to the Opera House tomorrow I Friday i for a short season, is a thrill-packed and completely authentic tale of that famous law enforcement body of the Canadian north-west, the Royal Canadain Mounted Police. Produced on the lavish scale characteristic of all Warner Eros. Technicolour specials, the picture has all the elements required by a first-rate outdoor film —adventure, action, suspense, the beamy and interest of unfamiliar landscapes, and a large cast of popular players. Heading the list are such well-liked performers as Dick Foran, Gloria Dickson, Gale Page, Janet Chapman, Allen Jenkins, Patrie Knowles, and James Stephenson, and the chiel character roles are in the capable hands of actors like Russell Simpson, Joe Sawyer, Joseph King, Anthony Averill and Arthur Gardner. The first thrilling episode in the story is the. holding up by a band of outlaws of a little river steamer that is tarrying priceless furs and miners’ gold from the trading post to civilisation. From then on the story details lhe clover identification by Foran, an officer of lhe “Mounties,” of ’the "master mind” behind the holdup. Interwoven is a love theme whose interest is heightened by lhe fact that one of the girls, Gale Page, represents to Foran the lures of civilisation and sophistication, while the other, Gloria Dickson, represents all of the appeal of the untamed wilderness. New Serial: "FLAMING FRONTIERS.” There’s a thrill to every foot of film in Johnny Mack Brown’s new Universal serial of the old west “Flaming Frontiers” which commences at Saturday’s matinee al. (heOpera House. In this the king of all western sprints which has 15 fast, furious episodes you will sec swaggering, roistering devil-may-care heroes of lhe old west, in larruping excitement on lhe death trails of (he open prairie. Don’t , miss chapter 1. “The River Runs Red,” al. next .Saturday’s .matinee and t lien at every Saturday matinee for 15 weeks. REGENT: NOW . SHOWING—“BLONDIE” AND RENEGADE TRAIL.” “BLONDIE”: Rollicking fun and farcical situations-, blended with emotional touches, arc the prime characteristics of this excellent picture. The plot revolves around the astonishing ability of sincere but blundering Dagwood to get himself into diversified trouble. In this particular instance, the young husband and father has innocently become involved with a gold-digging girl named Elsie, who, working on his naive sympathy, nas wheedled him into signing her note for several hundred dollars. Elsie has vanished, and Dagwood is left literally holding the sack. To make .1 worse, liis endorsement was backed by a lien upon his household furniture. Blondie, knowing nothing ol Chis, and with a .young wife’s characteristic inability to resist lhe treaciiJtous .pitfalls of the “easy payment p'nn,” has secretly dipped deeply m.o debt, for brand new furniture. She

plans the new furniture as an anm versary surprise for Dagwood. Swift ly, then, with rollicking risibility, tn< story rise.? to a hilarious comedy cli max. Miss Singleton and young Laki are superb as the married couple Larry Simms is a lovable Bab} Dumpling, and another four-year-old Dan Mummery, proves a scene-steal-er as Baby Dumpling's playmate Baby Dumpling’s antics lend a familiar and character touch to the pic ture, while Daisy, the dog, has a distinctly major role. “RENEGADE TRAIL". “Wind} Halliday” is the law-enforcing mar shal of a wild frontier town; “Hopalong Cassidy” comes closer to being “hooked" by a beautiful woman than he has ever been before; the villain is so crooked that he joins up with rustlers to terrorise his own wife and son —these are only a few of the surprises in store for local outdoor action fans whe.n they see Paramount’s “Renegade Trail” at the Regent Theatre! With William Boyd playing “Hoppy,” George Hayes the /grizzled “Windy,” and handsome Russell Hayden completing the leading trio as “Lucky Jenkins,” "Renegade Trail” relates a thrilling story of “Hopalong’s” campaign to sav'd a woman rancher from being blackmailed by her convict-husband and to uphold the reputation of his pal, "Windy, who is responsible for the maintenance of law and order in the com munity. Cast in prominent supporting roles, under the direction of Lesley Selander, are Charlotte Wynters, Russell Hopton, Sonny Bupp and the popular male quartet, "The King’ Men.” FINAL COBDEN DANCE. The final dance of the season at the Cobden Convent Hall to-night will be a carnival affair with a large variety of novelties. The Cobden Convent dances have been extremely popular during the winter months, and the committee has made extensive preparations to make tonight’s grand finale a memorable one. The Embassy Orchestra will supply popular’ modern and old time dance music, and the ladies’ committee has prepared a delicious homemade supper. The floor is in excellent order and a splendid night’s en tertainment is assured patrons. THIRD GALA NIGHT DANCE. People are always willing to popularise something' distinctive, and it is this that contributed to the great success of the dance conducted by the St. Jbhn Ambulance in Schaefs Hall last Saturday night, when over 250 dancers assembled for a bright and enjoyable evening’s dancing. Once again the dancing public of Grey-

mouth were enthusiastic in their praise of the orderly and efficient wav these dances are being conducted.' This Saturday night, the St John Ambulance present their third Gala Night Dance, which promises i to be even more successful than any previous dance. The popular Mayfair Orchestra will, once again, supply excellent music for popular modern and old-time dances, and the usual bumper novelties will again he a featu.ro of the programme. ST. JOHN BABY CARNIVAL. St. John Ambulance, whose good works are legion and on whom greater service than ever will be entailed because of the war, is aiming to raise a Centennial fund of £50,000. The process is taking a novel form: A baby competition on a Dominion-wide scale. In our own district a competition will be held, likewise in Reefton. Westport and Hokitika, and the winners in these centres will then be presented to the people to select the winner for the Westland centre. In other parts of the two islands, similar contests will be held, and then the winners of the separate centres will be offered, the one to represent the South and the other the North Island. From the Island finalists the winner for New Zealand will be chosen. Valuable prizes are offered through the series of competitions, culminating with a prize of £5OO for the champion. baby in New Zealand. Naturally, a] keen interest will be taken in the competitions, both the local ones and J those that follow. St. John Ambu-| lance should benefit considerably fin- ■ ancially. In so worthy an object no' one should begrudge what help they ca n give. Unostentatiously, St. John Ambulance is giving good service in the community and any help given to it will he returned in even greater; service. > There are over 900 babies eligible for the competition in Greymouth, | and as St. John Ambulance is a wot-1 thy object there seems no doubt that most of these will be entered, judging, by the number of applications already received at the Regent Theatre. j 1 I