ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 21, 22 December 1937, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

STATE THEATRE. “SABOTAGE.” “Sabotage,” screening at the State Theatre 10-night, and produced by Gau-mont-British, is an excellent thriller, dealing with modern sabotage and the human drama behind it. It has fine suspense, first-class acting and the distinctive touches Hitchcock always gives to his productions. Tragedy overtakes the Verioc family when the husband, proprietor of a ( small cinema, joins a gang of saboteurs so that lie can make more money. His first exploit is to engineer a "black-out” of London, and then lie is ordered to placo a bomb in the cloak room at Piccadilly Circus. Ilis innocent wife becomes very friendly with a greengrocer's assistant, Ted,' who, however, is a detective in 'disguise, watching the exploits of Vcrloc. The husband fearfully sends Sylvia's small brother Steve with the bomb, carefully concealed in a film-can. The tragedy that follows, affecting harnilc.it; citizens and the Verioc family, is followed by police exposure, and Sylvia only finds happiness after the terrific climax of her husband’s downfall. Carefully built with all a big studio’s resources, “Sabotage” is a more than usually tense thriller. The suspense scenes cannot bo forgotten, nor can the acting of the principals'who, each and all, are at their very best. , “FIFTY ROADS TO TOWN.”

A laugh-spiced romance pungent with danger, as two snow-bound strangers find themselves marooned in a mountain lodge with only a .stuffed moose for chaperone, “Fifty Jtoads to. Town” also screens tonight, With Don Amcehe and Ann Sothern, two delightfully thrilling young stars, ill the leading roles. After watching the hilarious and exciting adventures that Lefall Don and Ann when a blizzard bundles them in for the winter, you’ll be inclined to agree that it is nice weather if you can get it 1 “Fifty Roads to Town'' starts its thrilling toboggan ride of merriment when Don Ameehe hurriedly leaves town in his car, after reciving a mysterious telephone call that someone is ready to shoot him on sight. Roaring along the road to Canada at the same time is Ann Sothern, and the addition of a motor-cycle cop to the party makes lor a thrilling three-cornered chase. After tricking the pursuing officer, the two fugitives seek refuge in the hills, but come in for a surprise when they both wind up at the same cabin.. The screen play of “Fifty Roads to Town,” based on the novel by Louis Frederick Nebel, was written by George Marion, junr., and William Consehnan. Darryl F. Zanuc-k, vicepresident in charge of production at Twentieth Century-Fox, chose Norman Tuurog to direct, with Raymond Griffith as associate producer.

REGENT THEATRE. “STELLA DALLAS.” Movie fans who have come to expecl something unusual and outstanding in a Samuel Goldwyn picture will not be disappointed when they see “Stella Dallas,” screening at. tho Regent Theatre to-night and starring Barbara Stanwyck. Advance reports from Hollywood indicate that the showmanship genius that has created some of the greatest dramas, musical spectacles and comedies in the history ol the screen, has now produced the greatest emotional drama since tho advent of sound. “Stella Dallas,” as many will remember, was previously made by Goldwyn as a silent picture twelve years age It was the biggest hit during that era and is still regarded as a landmark of the silent days. It scored a sensational success and brought film fame to the entire cast, which included Belle Bennett, Ronald Colman, Constance Bennett, Lois Morgan, Douglas Fairlbanks, junr., and Jean Ilersholt. The tensely dramatic and poignant story of mother love and sacrifice has been adapted and modernised by Victor Ileerman and Sarah Mason. In addition to Barbara Stanwyck in the title role, tile cast includes John Boles, Anne Shirley, Alan Hale, A 1 Shean, Tim Holt, Barbara O'Neil and others. King Vidor, who lias been responsible for some of the screen’s biggest hits, directed. Endowed with every showmanship and production facility which Mr Goldwyn could assemble to insure its prefeclion, “Stella Dallas” represents a picture that will be hailed as one of the real entertainment events of the year. It is releasd through United Artists. iMAYFAIR THEATRE. “THE KID FROM SPAIN.” Eddie Cantor, in “The Kid from Spain.” begins its engagement at the Mayfair Theatre to-night. It is Samuel Goldwyn’s annual presentation cf Cantor song-and-dance, following last year’s “Palmy Days” and “Whoopee” the year before. In “The Kid from Spain” Eddie marches out, neither bravely nor willingly, to show his skill and grace as a matador. Escape from tho police who are pursuing him, protection from the Mexican thugs about to put him on tho spot, the adoring eyes of tho elongated blonde sex menace and solving his room-mate's difficult love affairs are all among thbe reasons that bolt Eddie into the arena in' the thrilling, colourful climax to the story. It is a role in which tho weak-kneed, docile, helpless, boadyoyed Eddie is funny in Chaplincsque magnificence. Songs that you will have troubfe'escaping (they are worth walking a mile to hear), the smiling faces and the graceful beauty of a hundred girls, spirited dances and colour and glamour and excitement are all ingredients of this big production. Samuel Goldwyn lias donee a nice, smooth job of using his girls and his music to top off a story in which comedy seems at times too fast for comfort,. Cantor tops himself as the bouncing, bubbling minstrel. He lias never been bettor; ho has never been as good. Lvda Roberti is a wonder as a refrain for his song and as a second for his comedy. An easy grace marks the playing of Robert Young and Ruth Hall as tho romantic leads, and John Miljan and Carroll Xaish are more than properly menacing as the Mexican bad men. Sidney Franklin, as himself, is an exciting novelty to Americans who have followed- his career in the Spanish arenas in which the bullfighting .of the world centres. Ho appears at the head of the procession and gives a demonstration of the grace and skill that go into the noblo sport. “ABOVE THE CLOUDS.”

To tell tho story in pictures of the intimate life, the love and the work of camera newshaks the action must be swift and changing. There can be no hesitation and no dull periods. The life of these newsreel men 13 fast and frequently furious. One thrilling episode follows another with the rhythms of a machine-gun. And this describes the rapid fire picture “Above the Clouds,” which is currently showing at the Mayfair Theatre. There is not an idle moment in the entire story and the locations are here, there and everywhere. Actually above tho clouds, on tjie sea, at the ring-side, in the midst of traffic, at the gangster’s bedside This kalcdioscope of locations is necessary to tell this story —and it is the first time it lias ever been attempted. There are street scenes, hospital scenes and traffic jams. Scenes which are the setting of a metropolitan news cameraman’s life are developed for the staging of “Above the Clou-ls." And there are hundreds. There arc very few peaceful situations because the mail who makes the pictures you see at. your favourite theatre strives to outdo his competitors in getting thrills