ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 166, 13 June 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

KOSY THEATRE. “THE GREAT O’MALLEY.” That over-popular Irish, film star, Pat O’Brien, has the title role in “The Great O’Malley,” a melodrama of life in New York’s colourful East Side which shows at, the Kosy Theatre to-day. Pat is a policeman this time. Ho is Officer O’Malley, a tough, hard-boiled copper who cannot see beyond his rule book until a little crippled' girl and a lovely school teacher humanise him. By the time the final fadeout ends the story he is a regular- fellow, just as Pat always is, in films indeed, in real life. Sharing stellar honours with him, Humphrey Bogart, who scored so greatly as the killer in “The Petrified Forest,”/ again runs amok 1 of the law. Variety programme giving through the medium of hotel life, and on a cabaret set, an array of English variety artists some of whose names arc household words is seen in “Variety Parade.” Mrs Jack Hylton winds up the show in characteristic style, the artists including Nat Gonclla, “Hot” trumpet player, and his band, who open the show, Teddy Brown and his xylophone, Harry Tate as a ditlicry business man, Sam Browne, the radio singer, Nom the well-known clown, Archie Glen, who does a “drunk” scene very well, the O’Gorman Brothers, the Sherman Fisher Girls, the Conora Kids, Ernest Shannon, who does impersonations, one of Gordon Harker being particularly gooa, G. S MeKin, who burlesques in funny style, and gives ins well-known impersonation of a Girl Guide, the Radio Three, harmony singers, and others, the whole making a complete variety programme of entertaining turns.

REGENT THEATRE. “GOOD-BYE, MR CHIPS.” “Good-bye, Mr Chips.” dames Hilton’s charming novel- of the life of an English school teacher, brings to audiences, following his triumph in “The Citadel,” Robert Donat, together with-. Greer Garson, beautiful English actress. Third of the pictures filmed in M-G-M’s English Studios, “Good-bye, Mr Chips” tells the story of a kindly schoolmaster, starting his career in his twenties, becoming a veritable institution in a big English school and shaping the careers of boys destined to become great men. As “The Citadel” dealt with medical ethics, so the new picture goes deeply into the heart of education. Donat brings deep understanding to the role, which carries him through four periods. His makeup is enhanced bv the psychology which makes the characters fairly live at each age. Miss Garson is a compellingly skilful actress as well as beautiful. Terry Kilburn, the appealing youngster of “Lord JefT” and “A Christmas Carol,” has an interesting role, playing four generations of boys who attend the school, grow up, and. send their sons back. Dramatic highlights include the rescue of the heroine in the Tyrolean Alps and a spectacular air raid during the World War, with football and cricket games at famous English schools adding thrilling and exciting moments. Skilful human interest touches are supplied in the deft direction of. Sam Wood.