ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 50, 29 January 1937, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

STATE THEATRE. . “WHITE FANG.” The lawlessness North-country vibrant with romance an< drenched with drama, once again flashes across the screen 'n “White Fang,’’ Jack London’s thrill-laden sequel to “Call of the Wild,” which screens finally to-night. Featuring an exceptional cast, headed by Michael Whalen and Jean Muir, and including Slim Summerville, Charles Winninger, the original “Cap'll Henry” of radio fame, John Carradine, Jane Darwell and Thomas Beck, “White Fang” is a stirring story of adventure, ranking with the screen’s greatest outdoor dramas. Whalen, fresh from triumphant roles in “Professional Soldier” and “The Country Doctor,” here has his most ambitious part and gives promise of becoming one of the outstanding young men of the screen.

“KING OF THE ROYAL MOUNTED.” Zano Grey’s “King of the Royal Mounted” screens linally .; at the State Xhcatro to-night on what will un-. doubtedly bo acclaimed as one of the beet double-feature programmes that has .ever come to Palmerston North, Robert Kent is starred and Rosalind Keith and Alan Dineheart head tile supporting cast. As the title indicates. Zane Grey’s new hero is a member of tho Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the locale is the primitivo rugged country of Northwest Canada. Into this wild section, presided over by Robert Kent as Sergeant King, come Rosalind Keith and Alan Dinehart, Kent linds out they are travelling under assumed names, his suspicions are aroused, and he decides to make a further investigation. Kent discovers that the girl is attempting to gain a half-interest in a valuable mine, operated by . Frank MeGlynn, sour., Rosalind’s father, until killed in a supposed accident, was McG-ynifs partner. MoGlynn also discovers Rosalind’s true identity and decides to present lier with her rightful interest’ in the mine. Before lie can do so, he is murdered —with suspicion pointing at both- Miss Keith and Dinehart. Dinehart takes tho girl and attempts to escape, with Kent torn between love of the girl and his sense of duty, following on the trail. In the . _ majestic vastness of the Canadian Rockies whore the jagged Rockies stand sentinel over the wilderness, tho picture comes to a climax, exciting, breath-taking, thrill-packed. REGENT THEATRE. “THE GENERAL DIED AT DAWN.” “The' General Died at Dawn,” In this very sentence there is a sort of suppressed drama, aii earnest of exciting incidents to happen. It is the title of the picture which will screen to-night at the Regent Theatre. The film is the best ql its kind since “Shanghai Express.” It is the story of the fight of a Chinese wai lord to steal a large sum of money, the property of those trying’ to froe the province which groaned under his tyranny, and to buy arms with it. The money is entrusted to an American, O’liara (Gary Cooper), to take to certain people in Shanghai. The plot centres round his eventful journey to that city. It tells how ho fell to the charms of another American, this time a beautiful girl, Judy Perrie (Madeleine Carroll), who was a party, however unwittingly, to delivering him to the war lord, General Yang (Akin Tamiroff). O’iiarn, Judy, Mr Wu, the agent in-Shanghai, who was working for an oppressed people (Dudley Digges), Yang and others find themselves on Yang’s junk, where tile story works up to a powerful climax. Eventually O'Hara finds that Judy has been true to him all tho time and the picture ends on that note. The strength of tho picture is in tho intense drama which begins the moment the film begins and does not case in tension until the final blackout. This drama throbs against a background which powerfully portrays the mystery of the East. On file one hand you have a train hold-up, where O’Hara.) is captured. • Then you are taken to Shanghai, the superimposition of- the West on thn unchanging East, to. a European hotel, where men are. murdered and extraordinary incidents happen. You have the mysterious junk in tile harbour, mysterious in shape, sinister in intention, mysterious in its approach up a harbour itself one .of the most sinister in the world. it is Hie scene oil that junk, where' the “general died at dawn” which the, actors give the best of their talent, in fact,- have most scope to "do so. It is - a moving and fascinating picture in which the acting is far above the average. Cooper is at his best, while the audience will want to see more of the beautiful Madeleine Carroll. TamirofF does wonderful work as Yang.