ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 281, 26 October 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. : "GUNNER GEORGE." Never before has the world been in such dire need of laughter—the kind of laughter which springs wholeheartedly from tho antics of tho character or characters presented on the screen. To-day, more than ever, people on both sides of the Atlantic and in Australasia look to the motion picture industry to take them away from the grim realisation of the present conflict. During the last war pictures were to a great extent in their' infancy. The theatre was still the strongest force of entertainment, • and yet from tho crude attempts .of that time, a film character became famous. The British soldier of that clay speaks of Charlie Chaplin with a deep sense of gratitude. Ho not only provided a figure of fun at which disillusioned people could laugh; he not only created a fantasy world in which tired minds could escape; ho became the most important psychological factor in the morale of the army man. To-day, anotho! Englishman,"in Oeorgo Formby, has taken on tho mantle of the inimitable Chaplin. His popularity with the lighting men is undoubted, as was proved when ho recently undertook an entertainment itinerary of the military campj in England, And in "Gunner George," his latest nautical mirthquako which shows at the Regent Thcatro to-day, he is just as successful as a mirth-provoker as Chaplin was in "Shoulder Arms." There has been abundant evidence of late that audiences are definitely running away from films with a heavy and depressing background. Films with a patriotic motive are obviously a big vogue, but those dealing directly with actual lighting or intimate domestic detail uro far lrom welcome.

KOSY THEATRE. "THE LIVES OF A BENGAL lANCER" Perhaps tho most ambitious and costly spe-jtaele that Hollywood has ever attempted, ' Paramount's "The Lives of a Bengal Lancer," shows to-day at the Kosy Theatre. Foaturing Gary Cooper, Franehot 'l.'one, Richard Cromwell and Sir Guy Standing in the principal roles, "The Lives of a .Bengal Lancer" is a stirring, colourful and action-crammed story of tho exploits and adventures of England's Colonial soldiors ill India. Tho author, Francis Yeats-Brown, was himself an editor «tf the Lancers, while Aclimod Abdullah, film adapter, and four British army officers served as technical advisers during the production of tho film. Tho story 01 "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 the teeming millions of India. Cooper is a captain of the 41st iSctigal Lancors, commanded by Sir Guy Standing, when Guy's son, played by Richard Cromwell, arrives as a raw recruit. Cooper and Tone, also an officer of tho 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, a. 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 the 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.

STATE THEATRE

"JOHNNY APPOLLO." What is said to bo the most' daringly realistic gaol break ever shown on a screen provides the broath-taking climax of "Johnny Apollo," the new 20th Cen-tury-Fox drama, starring Tyrone Power and Dorothy Lamour, which shows at the Stato Theatre to-day. But then realism is the keynote of this thrilling picture, wich tells the storv of tho 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 rolo to date as "Lucky" Dubarry, the sophisticated night club entertainer, who walks out on her gangster boy friend, Mickey Dwyer, when Apollo walks into the 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 exJudge, 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 scenes include one of the most terrific hand-to-hand battles tho screen has over shown. This battle is staged between Power and Nolan and both boy's disregarded the script and gavo it everything they had. Henry Hathaway directed "Johnny Apollo'' from a screen play prepared by Philip Dunne and Kowland Brown.