ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 54, 3 February 1937, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

STATE THEATRE. “HALF ANGEL.” Gay humour vies with thrilling mystery and sparkling dialogue with exciting romance in “Half Angel,” the Darryl F. Zanuck Twentieth Century production that opens at the tSate Theatre today with Francis Dee, Brian Donlovy and droll Charles Lutterworth featured at the head of an imposing cast that also includes Helen Westley, llcnry Stephenson and Sarah lladen. “Half Angel” raises itseß teyond the ordinary in the openingscenes, with Miss Dee on trial for the poison murder of her father. Everyone is convinced ol her guilt—with the exception of Brian Donlevy, a dashing reporter, and comical Charles Butterworth, his 'stooge.’ Donlevy’s paper is paying Miss Dee’s expenses during the trial, hoping to secure her life story. Unexpectedly, the jury return a verdict of “not guilty” and Donlevy rushes to her side. Miss Dee is whisked away, however, by Helen Westley, whose hobby is helping those in trouble. Miss Wcstlcy’s house contains a weird assortment of ex-criminals. Her husband, Henry Stephenson, strongly resents her work but is unable to dissuade tier from it. To add to the complications, three maniacs escape from a nearby asyiurn among them being Stephenson’s halfbrother. Donlevy, still on the trail of Miss Dee’s story, follows her to the house. He enters her room through a secondstorey window and she, panic-stricken, agrees to meet, him at tlio front gate. She returns to the house to find Helen \\ est.cy and Stephenson apparently dying—both of poison ! The police immediately arrest her and with her past, record there appears to be little chance for Miss Dee to prove her innocence. Donlevy still believes in her, however, and he continues investigating the crime. He unearths a sc».cs of strange clues and. convinced of a suspect’s guilt, trails him with a thrilling and exciting ruse. It is almost impossible to describe the hilarious comedy that is interwoven with the mystery, romanace and suspense.

REGENT THEATRE.

“THE GENERAL DIED AT DAWN.”

“The General Died at Dawn,” In this very sentence there is a sort of suppressi»d drama, an earnest of exciting incidents to happen. It is the title of the picture which will screen lina-liy to-night at tlio Regent. The lilm is the best ol its kind since “Shanghai Express.” It the story of the fight cf a Chinese wa; lord to steal a large sum of money, the property of those trying to free the province which groaned under his tyranny, and to buy arms with it. The money is entrusted to an American, O’Hara (Cary Cooper), to take to certain people m ►Shanghai. The plot centres round his eventful journey to that city. It tel.s how lie fell to the charms of another American, tin’s time a beautiful girl, Judy Rerne (Madeleine Carroll), who was a party, however unwittingly, to delis ering him to the war lord, General Yang (Akin lamiroff). O’Hara, Judy, Mr Wu, the agent in Shanghai, who was working for an oppressed people (Dudley Diggos), Yang and others find themselves on i ang s junkwhere the story works up to a powerful climax. Eventually O’Hara finds thal .Judy lias been true to him all the Hm*' and the picture ends on that- note. Ihe strength of’ the picture is in the intense drama which begins the moment the fi'm begins and does not ease in tension until the final blackout. 1 This drama throbs against a background which powerfully portrays the mystery of the East.. To-morrow “The Return of Sophie Long” will be screened at the Regent Theatre.