AMUSEMENTS

Grey River Argus, 16 August 1944, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS

Ooera House

Now Showing: “Irene,” starring Anna Neagle and Ray Milland. “IRENE” Having- run continuously on Broadway for nearly two years and a naif a dozen road show companies which toured America with songs that climbed to the popularity peak and stayed there for years even to the present day. That’s the record of “Irene” the successful musical comedy hit, now showing at the Opera House, with its amazing technicolour sequences, a wealth of production novelties and a star-spangled cast of favourites, headed by Anna Neagle and Ray Milland, with Alan Marshall, May Robson, Bill e Burke, and Arthur Treacher in featured roles. It’s songs too are revived, “Alice Blue Gown”, “Irene," “Castle of Dreams,” with swing variations, also foreign rendition of “Alice Blue Gown” added. The tunes are also sung in Chinese to the accompaniment of whining and plunking Chinese instruments. But the basis - of the film is still the “Irene” story, the story .of the little Irish girl who sails under false colours from a sales-girl to the heights of society and into a romantic shipwreck.

Regent Theatre Now Showing: “Friendly Enemies” starring Charles Winninger and Charlie Ruggles. Based on a famous Broadway stage comedy “Fr’endly Enemies” starring Charles Winninger and Charlie Ruggles is now showing at the Regent Theatre. The story concerns the opposite views of two German lads who left Germany some years before the first world war to seek their fortunes in America. One finally becomes a 1 wealthy brewer and the other a banker. In spite of the fact that they are cont’nually having hotheaded arguments for and against German politics they still remain firm friends. The brewer proves an easy dupe for a spy ring to which he contributes a large sum of money allegedly to promote peace but only to find his money used to make possible the blowing up of an American troopship on which his only son is sailing. How the “friendly enemies” get together to outwit and finally trap the leader of the spy ring provides one of the h’ghlights of this laughter-provoking film. A pleasing. romantic element is provided by James Craig (the brewer’s son) and Nancy Kelly (the banker’s daughter.)