ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 262, 3 October 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

METEOR THEATRE. “DUST BE MY DESTINY.’’ ' The Meteor Theatre will present to-day “Dust 130 My Destiny,” with John Garfield and Priscilla Lane, the two outstanding star discoveries of the past season. Based on the novel by Jerome Odium, the new film probes deeply and poignantly into the problems of the young “nobodies” of this generation, who wander about seeking jobs and “a place to hang their hats.” Garfield and Mi»3 Lane meet and fall in love when he is sen-, teneed to a short term on a .work farm for vagrancy. Her stepfather, one of the foremen of the farm, makes it so tough for. them that they are forced to run away. He chases them, but drops dead of a heart attack. Unaware of this, they go on, and are married. When they hear, oyer a radio news broadcast, that Garfield is wanted for the murder of the foreman, she wants him to go back and prove his innocence. But his previous experiences with the law have proved to him that there is little chance for a “nobody” once he is in the ' grips of the law. So they start fleeing across the country in the hope of finding a place whore they can get a new start.. But each time things begin to look promising, they find themselves in danger of being found out, and have to pull up stakes and move on. At last, however, after he has heroically' risked his life to help in the capture of bank bandits. Priscilla tells the police who he is, risking his love for her in order to put an end to the ceaseless wandering. On the witness stand, she swears his innocence, and it is largely through her appeal and her account of their life together, that the jury returns a verdict of “Not Guilty ”

REGENT THEATRE. “THE OLD MAID.’* “The Old Maid,” co-starring Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins, shows at the Regent Theatre to-night. Filmed by Warner Bros., it has been hailed by ore-view audiences as the outstanding dramatic event of the year—a rare combination of brilliant talents in the fields of acting, writing and directing. One feminine star ■—especially if she be that double Academy winner, Bette Davis—might be considered sufficient for a photoplay, no matter how great. But in “The Old Maid” there are two. Besides Bette Davis there is the lovely and highly capable Miriam Hopkins, who has starred in many a top-uolch production on her pwn. The girls have equally important parts. This is the first time, since they reached stardom, that either has ever shared acting honours with another player of her own sex. “The Old Maid” was .written first as a novel by Edith Wharton, often called the “arislo--crat of American writers.” She will be remembered as the author of “Ethan Fromc” and “The Age of Innocence,” among many other books. Then four years ago, Zoe Akins, the brilliant dramatist, transformed the book into a stage play which not only bad a long run in Now York but won the Pulitzer Prize for that year, the highest award that can be bestowed upon a dramatic production. With Miss Davis and Miss llopkins in the picturisation of “The Old Maid” are such players as George Brent. Jane Bryan, Donald Crisp, Louise Fazenda, James Stephenson, Jerome Cowan, William Lundigan, Cecilia Lottos, Janet Snow, Dc Wolf Hopper and Rand Brook.

MAYFAIR THEATRE. “A STAR IS BORN.” Janet Gaynor and Fredric March are now at the Mayfair Theatre in David 0. Selznick’s teclinieolour production “A Star is Born.” This glamorous story of a little country girl who came to Hollywood, faced the odds of 100,000 to one and scaled the heights of stardom, marks the first up-to-the-minute story to. be filmed in teclinieolour. Adolphe Menjou, May Robson, Andy Devine and Lionel Stander are featured in the supporting cast, which also includes Owen Moore, Peggy Wood, Elizabeth Jenns, Edgar Kennedy, J. U Nugent, Guinn Williams and others. William A. Wellman directed “A Star is Born” from a screenplay by Dorothy Parker, Alan Campbell and Robert Carson. The film shows many famous Hollywood landmarks in their natural col-

ours for the first time. Among these are the Trocadero, world-famous night club, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Santa Anita racetrack, tho Biltinore Bowl as it looks during the annual banquet of tho Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,' tho Hollywood Legion Stadium, where tho stars see their prize fights, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Brown Derby, celebrated eating., place, andi the famoCis intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, the centre of movieland. The settings were designed by Lyle Wheeler and the costumes arc by Omar Kiam. Lansing Holden is credited as colour designer. The photography is the work of W . Howard Greene and the music is by Max Steiner. “A Star is Born” is released through United Artists.