AMUSEMENTS

Grey River Argus, 15 March 1940, Page 4

AMUSEMENTS

Opera House NOW SHOWING: “POUR JUST MEN.” The thrilling melodrama, “Four Just Men,” based on Edgar Wallace’s famous novel and brought smoothly up-to-date to give a smashing climax very topical m its content will' be screened at the Opera House to-day and to-night, also to-morrow and Monday. The Four Just Men “go into a huddle” over sinister machinations of a deadly foreign foe, with intentions of a colossal, nature, which means the destruction of the British Empire, and using really strong hemen methods without too much regard of the ordinary law, they set their world by the ears The story opens in a foreign country where one of the quartette is imprisoned and is •daringly rescued by his colleagues. He has secured information that discloses an attempt to bring disaster on the British Empire, and they proceed entirely on their own initiative to foil the plotters. The scene transfers to London, where three of the just men are doing their share, whilst No. 4 is abroad, locating the source of the trouble. He gets the right information, and returns perilously to headquarters. A newspaper office, with its reporters working hard to discover the identity of the just men, provides another problem to the quartette, who must at all costs mantain the secret of their identity. The really topical part comes in when a scheme is mechanised by the opposing Powers to get control of the Suez Canal, Britain’s “Key to the East,” which would throw the whole world into a war of frightfulness, second to none ever waged. The British Government is depicted as somewhat somnolent even while wide-awake beneath the surface, butjt takes one of the Just Men to impersonate a member of the House of Commons, and to deliver a rousing warning, which, in a moment of intense and powerful emotion, is the driving force that sends the “tight little Island” into gripping action. Modern documentary shots of Great Britain’s preparedness on land, sea, and air make a rousing finale to a piece of fine, exciting, and Ipgically true for the most part, entertainment. In keping with this spirit of service, self-sacrificing—-call' it whai you will, the names of the stars portraying the title roles of “The Four Just Men” are withheld. They do but point the way we all, perchance, may some day bo compelled to follow in the defence of the chain of Empire.

Regent Finally To-night: '‘’The Terror” and “Brother Rat.” Commencing Saturday: “WINGS OF THE NAVY.” The Warner studio’s pre-eminence m the field or pictures dealing w th life in the various divisions of the armed forces of a nation v a? first established several years ago with the pioduction of “Here Comes the Navy.” Since then such pictures as •'Devil Dogs of the Air’ and “Submarine D-l’’ Lave enab lo u this studio to continue its rsupremacy with “Wings of the Navy.”. Perhaps the background of the story, which, as the title implies, is the American naval aviation service, lends itself more, readily than any

other arm of defence to the purposes of thrilling drama. And perhaps it is just that the story is better than those of all previous pictures. Whatever it is, “Wings of the Navy” emerges as a completely compelling production that holds the spectator continuously engrossed from the first minute to the last and has him on the edge of his seat a good part of that time. Filmed with the full co-operation of the United States Navy, the production has an educational side in that it gives the spectator a thorough comprehension of the extent and competence of the U.S. Navy’s air establishment. None of this exposition is presented pedantically, however. It is all worked in as part of the story, and much of it is presented in a manner that is often awe-inspiring as well as exciting. Such as the scenes showing a progressive take-off by 150 student fliers at the Pensacola training school, the take-off of forty-seven huge bombing and patrol seaplanes from San Diego Harbour on a mass ocean hop; and the mass return of forty-four of these ’planes. Interwoven with all this, there is a winning and thoroughly human tale of two brothers who are both navy fliers, and there is a charming love story which for a time threatens to develop into a tragic triangle but is nicely resolved at the end. The inpressive cast is Leaded by George Brent, Olivia De Havilland, John Payne and Frank McHugh. Bookings are expected to be heavy for this attraction, and patrons are advised to make early reservations.