ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 92, 20 March 1939, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

KOSY THEATRE. “THE LAST EXPRESS.” A now, colourful and romantic detective character is brought to tho screen by Kent Taylor in “Tho Last Express,” Universal Crime Club production now showing at the Kosy Theatre. As Duncan Mac Lain, private 6leuth who pursues lieautifu) blondes as fearlessly as he tracks down killers, Taylor ferrets out a murderer from a collection of a dozen suspects, recovers 300,000 dollars in ransom money and plates a gangstor chief behind bars while solving ono of the most puzzling c-ascs of detective fiction. An outstanding cast was assembled for the picture, headed by Taylor and Dorothea Kent, the latter us the blonde “mystery” woman. New York City and its giant subway system is the modern setting for the mystery, which maintains an air of ceric suspense until the final fadoout. A cross-fire of threats and gunplay from two sides, the district attorney’s ollioe and a gangster mob, catches the detective “in the middle” and keeps him iltero all through tho story until the tinal solution. “FRESHMAN YEAR.” The accent is on youth this week at the Kosy Theatre, where the second attraction is “Freshman Year,” the first picture of a sparkling new series by Universal on tiie love, laughter, heartbreak and song in modern college life. It is a realistic comedy drama with music, principal roles being played by Dixie Dunbar, William Lundigan, Constance Moore, Ernest Trucx, Stanley Hughes and Frank Melton. METEOR THEATRE. “GANGSTER'S BOY.” Jackie Cooper, who scored such worldwide success in “Boy of the Streets,” gives an even greater performance in Monogram's “Gangster's Boy,” now showing at ilia Meteor Theatre. A stirring, dramatic story of the high school generation, “Gangster’s Boy” is a vehicle perfectly suited to young Cooper’s extraordinary talents, and it gives him opportunities he lias never had before. The plot concerns Larry Kelly, high school hero, leader of his class in scholarship and on the athletic field, whose lifetime ambition is to go to West Point. Everything is set for Carry uiilil liis father, 'J ini “Knuckles” Kelly, one-time racketeer, “retires” and comes to Millford to live with his beloved wife and son. lairry does not know of his father's past, but he finds out when the newspapers try to run Tim out of town. I any's school friends turn against him all except Julie Davis, his “girl friend,” and Bill Davis, her brother and Barry’s best friend. These two stick to him in spite of their father’s extreme displeasure. Larry gives his graduation address amidst the jeers of the crowd, and when his team mates finally rally round, lie goes lo the school dance. Driving Bill and Julie home, there is an accident, and Larry takes the blame for Bill, who was driving. He is thrown in gaol, charged with drunken driving, for a bottle lias been found in liis ear. Things look black for 1 airry, who believes he cannot go to West Point on account ot his lather, and that lie must protect Bill so that lie can go. A dra.niatic climax ensues a.s Judge Davis, upholder of the law, and Tim Kelly, opponent of tho law, face each other across a courtroom, with a boy's honour at stake.