ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 122, 22 April 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

METEOR THEATRE. “GOLDEN BOY.” Unquestionably unique in treatment and in theme, Columbia’s “Golden -Hoy” which screens to-night at the Meteor Theatre to prove that Hollywood, when it wants to, can turn out definitely superior entertainment. The new film, directed hy Rouben Mamoulian and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Adolphe Menjou and William Holden, is based upon Clifford Odct’s romantic drama. “Golden Boy” tells of a young violinist, impatient and tired of working toward the day when he will he a success on the concert stage, who rapidly fights his way to the top in the prize-ring. In his swift climb to pugilistic stardom, he ruthlessly tramples upon the hopes of his musicloving father, ignores the cryings-out of hi» own conscience. He becomes brutalised by his new environment, until his love for a disillusioned young woman—the only person who really understands the tremendous conflict raging within him—causes him to give up the ring and return to the forgiveness of his family. Of the utmost importance in any consideration of “Golden | Boy” is the performance turned in hy new j comer William Holden, making his motion i picture dehut in the all-important title j role. This handsome youth is so convincing jin his “Golden Boy” characterisation that jwe risk little in prophesying stardom and j tremendous popularity for him. Flawless performances hy Barbara Stanwyck and Adolphe Menjou add charm and a certain exuberance to the picture. Miss Stanwyck is so ideally cast that one forgets her identity and remembers only Lorna Moon, the girl who finds romance for the first time when “Golden Boy” tells her his dreams. Mr Menjou is superb as the cynical, harassed fight manager. Other splendid performers in important roles include Joseph Galicia, Lee J. Cobb, Edward Brophy and Sam Lcvene. MAYFAIR THEATRE. “THE BIG GUY.” Co-starring Victor McLaglen and Jackie Cooper in one of .the most dramatic stories lo come out of Hollywood in recent months, New Universal’s “Tho Big Guy” screens to-day at the Mayfair Theatre. McLaglen, whose rugged performances have won him the screen’s highest acting honour, the Academy’s Award, |>ortrays a prison warden who is trapped hy the same motives he condemns in the convicts under his care. Cooper has a new ami different type screen role as the youth entangled in a web of circumstantial evidence which leads him into disaster. J leading tho supporting cast is Ona Munson, who played Belle Waiting in “Gone with the Wind,” Peggy Moran, youthful screen beauty in the romantic load opposite Cooper, Edward Brophy, the comedy-; menace, and Alan Davis, Jonathan Hale, j Russell Hicks and Milton Ivihbo “Code of the Secret tScrviee,” the second in the Warner Bros.’ series of pictures depicting the exploits of the United States Secret Service, showing to-day a.t the Mayfair Theatre, with ltonald Reagan again in the starring role, as in the first film of the series, “Secret Service of the Air.” Reagan Inks been assigned the dangerous job of breaking up a hand of counterfeiters operating across the Mexican border. In the course of his assignment lie narrowly escapes execution by Mexican authorities for the supposed murder of one of his own pals. and twice escapes death hy a hair s breadth when lie falls into the hands of the gang. Daring' secret service agents rout enemy spies, a phantom man steals the meteorite box and the boro crashes inlo a speeding train in “Thundering Rails," the fifth exriting episode of “The Phantom Creeps, 12-cltaplcr Universal serial showing to-day at the Mayfair Theatre with Bela Lugosi. Robert Kent. Dorothy Arnold and Regis Toomey in the starring roles. STATE THEATRE. “HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME.” A romance between a gypsy girl and a mendicant poet, the unholy plotting ol a powerful nobleman and ihe courage anti sclf-saeriliee of a deformed outcast comprise the principal themes of “lhe Hunchback of Notre Dame.” the current impressive version of Victor Hugos classic. With Charles Laughton scoring the characterisation triumph of his career an tho pitiable and admirable Quasimodo, the cathedral bell-ringer, the film a.so presents his new protege, Alaurcen 0 Hanr, as tlie gypsy dancer-heroine of this momorable offering. Laid in the Paris of 1482. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” Uses place in and around the famous Notre Dame cathedral, Sainte Chape le and other landmarks which are reproduced m enormous sellings peopled l with a record cast of 3500 players. When the gypsy is sentenced to the gallows for a crime o. which the King's High Justice is gm.t\. Quasimodo saves her irom the cxecutionci at the cost of hie own life, but not before lie causes the nobleman's confession and restores the dancer io her poet-lover, lhe streining of the cathedral by a mob which is singularly opposed by Quasimodo and the bell-ringer's swift-moving efforts cn the girl’s behalf form the gripping climax of the spectacle drama. Sir Cedric Hardwieke, Thomas Mitchell. Edmond O'Brien, Alan ’ Aiarshal, p Waller Hampden and Katharine Alexander form staunch slipport for Laughton in this RKO Radio picture directed hy William Dietetic.