Amusements

Northern Advocate, 13 May 1939, Page 2

Amusements

| Chan and “The Average j Man” At Regent' Hollywood has found a new Charlie Chan. He is Sidney Toler, who makes his first appearance as the famous fictional sleuth created by Earl Derr Bigger, in “Charlie Chan in Honolulu,’’ which opened at the Regent Theatre last night. Toler, resembling the popular conception of the detective ,to a degree, nevertheless imbues the role with his own personality, and the new film, punctuated with hilarious comedy, is more thrilling and dramatic than ever. Chan is called in when a man is murdered on a boat in Honolulu harbour, and finds himself confronted with a body, a young girl who lias been carrying 300,000 dollars, now missing, across the Pacific, a bewildered scientist, and a motley crew. Another victim is murdered, and an attempt made on the life of Chan himself before he clears up the mystery. Phyllis Brook, Son Young and Eddie Collins also appear in the cast. The other big feature on the programme brings a comedy fresh from the producers in “Thanks for Everything.’’. Here Jack Haley appears as "Mr. Average Man,” in the toils of Adolphe Menjou, and Jack Oakie, who arc trying to commercialise him. The result is one of the funniest and freshest farces to come to the screen in years. Also on the bill of fare is the first of the 1939 series of the March of Time, "Prelude to Conquest,” featuring Hitler’s preparation for his march intoCzechoslovakia.