ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 280, 25 October 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

METEOR THEATRE. 'NICK CARTER, MASTER DETECTIVE.’ Walter Pidgeon and Rita Johnson, who proved their appeal as a romantic team in tho prison drama, “6000 Enemies,” combine forces again in ‘Nick Carter, Master Detective,” which shows to-day at the Meteor Theatre. Story of the supersleuth who was tho hero of the popular dime novel series of a generation ago. “Nick Carter, Master Detective,” presents Pidgeon in the title role as a detective called in to solve the mysterious. disappearance of plans for a super-aeroplane. Miss Johnson, of “Edison the Man” fame, is seen as a plane stewardess. The story and characters have been brought entirely up to date, and glimpses of imaginative, aircraft of the future lend a Jules Verne touch. Readers familiar with the original Nick Carter and audiences meeting him for the first time will alike find thrills fn the plot ingredients; an attack by foreign agents on a plane forced down in tho desert, the crash of a super-ship in a power dive, a kidnapping, murder mystery, air battles, and a fight between a plane and a speedboat at sea. Supporting I'.dgcon and Miss Johnson are Henry Hull as an eccentric inventor, Stanley C. Ridges as a nefarious doctor. Donald Meek as an amateur detective and Addison Richards as a plane manufacturer. Jacques Tourneur, of “Crime Does Not Pay” short subject fame, directed, with Lucien Hubbard producing. There is an outstanding associate programme. It costs no more to reserve at Millar and Giorgi’s, ’phoiiG 5182, or theatre 5753.

STATE THEATRE. “JOHNNY APPOLLO.” What is said to be the most daringly realistic gaol break ever shown on a screen provides the breath-taking climax of “Johnny Apollo,” the new 20th Cen-tury-Fox drama, starring lyrone Power and Dorothy Laniour, which shows at tho Stale Theatre to-day. But then realism is the keynote of this thrilling picture, wich tells the storv of the banker’s son who turned from college man to mobster when the father he idolised was sent to prison and his wealthy friends turned against him. Tyrone is seen as “Johnny Apollo,” while Dorothy Lamour has her best role to date as “Lucky” Dubarry, the sophisticated night club entertainer, who walks out on her gangster boy friend, Mickey Dwyer, when Apollo walks into tho picture. Edward Arnold is,/ the banker father. Lloyd Nolan plays Dwyer and others in featured roles are Charley .Grapewin, who is cast as a tippling exi Judge, turned underworld lawyer, and Lionel Atwill. Involved in the gaol break' sequence are Power, Nolan and Arnold and among its many breath-taking thrills the scenos include one of the most terrific hand-to-hand battles the screen has ever shown. This battle is sraged between Pctwcr and Nolan and both boys disregarded tho script and gave it everything they had. Henry Hathaway directed “Johnny Apollo” from a scieen play prepared by Philip Dunne and Rowland Brovvn.

KOSY THEATRE. “THE LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER” Perhaps the most ambitious and cosily spectacle that Holly wood- has ever attempted, Paramount’s “The Lives of aBengal Lancer,” shows to-day at the Rosy Theatre. Featuring Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell and Sir Guy Standing in the principal roles, "The Livos of a Bengal Lancor” is a stirring, colourful and action-crammed story of tho exploits and adventures of England’s Colonial soldiers in India. The author, Francis 'Yeats-Brown, was himself' an oiticor of the Lancers, while Aclimed Abdullah,* film adapter, and four British army olficcrs served as technical advisers during the production of the film. Tho story oi “The Lives of a Bengal Lancer” is that of the extraordinary bravery, discipline and skill that has enabled a. mere handful of English officers to hold sway over lire teeming millions of India. Cooper is a captain of tho 41st Bengal Lancers, commanded by Sir Guy Standing, when Guy’s son, played by Richard Cromwell, arrives tss a raw recruit. Cooper and Tone, also an officer of the regiment, take over tho training of the young lad, but. on a visit t«. an adjoining province, Cromwell becomes involved with a beautiful girl and is kidnapped by Mohammed Khan, si. hostile leader, who hopes that his father will pursuo him and thus lead the Lancers to disaster. Cooper and Tone follow and are caught when they attempt to free Cromwell. Under torture, Cromwell discloses tho whereabouts of a tremendous cargo of ammunition. Mohammed Khan captures the ammunition, brings it back to the fortress and prepares to lead a revolution against the British.