ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 211, 5 August 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

STATE THEATRE. “HE MARRIED HIS WIFE.” “He Married His Wife” shows at the State Theatre to-day. Joel McCrea and Nancy Kelly aro the stars in this gay hit and they receive marvellous support from a cast including such winners as Roland Young, Mary Boland and Cesar Romero. Darryl F. Zanuck was in charge of production and the film hears his expert mark. It bears also the deft touch of Director Roy Del Ruth who handles this comedy in just the way it should have been done. The screen play by Playwright Sam Heilman, veteran Scenarists Darrcil Ware and Lynn Starling, and Author John O’Hara, is packed with perfect situations and repartee gems that make the dialogue eonstanfly sparkle. Their story opens with Joel and Nancy together in celebration of the first anniversary of their divorce. Although they were, and still are, very much in love, Joel’s passion for horses and horse racing broke up the match and now he is paying heavy alimony. Ho lias just bought another plug which has delayed his latest payment, so Nancy has him thrown into gaol forthwith. Joel sees the 'only v/.y out of the situation is to have Nancy marry again and with the advice of his lawyer, Roland Y'oung, sets the stage for a romance between her and Lyle Talbot, a very colourless and unromantic young man despite his two recent years in Persia. Joel arranges for perfect weather, moonlight, plenty’ of solitude and romantic music for Nancy and Talbot at Mary Boland’s week-end party, where he hopes to get Talbot to pop the question. MAYFAIR THEATRE. “THE LIGHT OF WESTERN STARS.” Brimming with colourful characterisations, with action of the six-gun variety, and with romance under the arched blue vault of western skies, “The Light of Western Stars,” latest of the great Zane Grey’s stories, is now showing at tho Mayfair Theatre. Produced for Paramount under the guidance cf Harry Sherman, directed by Lesley Selander, makers of many a Zane Grey film, the picture shows the mark of this pair of experts. Under their hands, _ Victor Jory becomes an honest-to-goodness bad man with redeeming qualities beneath a hard exterior, Jo Ann Sayers made a lovely heroine, an aristocratic Eastern girl who sets out to reform Jory after being forced to marry him at the point of a gun, and Russell “Lucky” Havdcn was just as good as he ever has been in the “Cassidy” series. Others, including Morris Ankrum. Noah Beery, junr., J. Farrell MacDonald and Ruth Rogers, show why they have become' favourites of Western fans. These fine performances are grafted upon a story which starts. with the marriage already mentioned, and goes into high gear as the heroine attempts to reform the hero, who becomes embroiled in gun battles and chases galore. On the score of action and romance, this ono will please lovers of outdoor films.

Also screening on tho same programme: Judith Barrett in Paramount’s “Women Without Names,” tho scnsation-packcd drama of the Joyce King gangland’s greatest menace: and then another action packed drama of “Tho Green Hornet.”