ENTERTAINMENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 15 April 1939, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS

CURRENT ATTRACTIONS MAJESTIC NOW SHOWING: “SPAWN OF THE NORTH,” A MAGNIFICENT STORY OF ALASKA George Raft, Henry Fonda and Dorothy Lamour form Hollywood's newest trio as the cast leaders in

“Spawn of the North,” Paramount’s sensational drama of Alaska, is now in season. Here is entertainment on a lavish scale, with consistently sustained excitement added to beautiful photography which imbues one with a sense of the grandeur of Alaska. Raft plays a robust and devil-may-care Arctic fisherman, whose disregard for law and danger is ir, sharp contrast to his devotion to the, highest ideals of loyalty and friendship. Fonda plays Raft’s life-long friend and final reluctant enemy. Miss Lamour, cast as a frontier Alaskan woman who loves Raft, has a role distinctive on two scores. It not only marks the biggest dramatic role in her spectacular motion picture career, but in addition she appears minus the famous “Lamour sarong.” Prominent in supporting roles are John Barrymore, Akim Tamiroff, Lynne Overman, and Hollywood’s newest star discovery, pretty Louise Platt. Based on the well known novel by Barrett Willoughby, “Spawn of the North” tells a sweeping story of two lifelong friends caught in the cross-cur-rents of a war for fishing rights off the Alaskan coast.

STATE: NOW SHOWING, “THE SAINT IN NEW YORK,” FROM THE POPULAR NOVEL BY LESLIE CHARfERIS

Something new and exciting in the eternal war of modern society against racketeers and crime is melodramatically presented from a new and exciting angle in "The Saint in New York,” which comes with Louis Hayward in the chief role. Hayward, the brilliant young English actor, portrays one of the most unusual parts ever seen on the screen—that of a smiling deadly killer who turns his audacious talents to the task of ridding the world of super-criminals whom the law cannot reach. When a New York personage finds the authorities helpless against the depredations of a murderous group of gangster overlords, he turns to “The Saint” as a last resort and invites him to use his own illegal but effective methods to clean out the public enemies. And around his acceptance of the offer and his ensuing exploits, RKO. Radio has woven one of the year’s most dramatic and suspense-packed films. One by one, and at ever-increas-ing danger to himself, “The Saint” brings down six prospective victims, but during his one-man campaign he discovers a seventh criminal, the mysterious and unknown leader of all the others, whom he adds to his list, to the embarrassment of his patron. What happens in the course of the campaign, plus the romance of a mystery girl who acts as the contact between the elusive leader and the other crooks, provides the action for most of “The Saint in New York.” Hayward is cast as “The Saint.” In Kay Sutton, a brunette beauty playing her first leading role as the mystery girl, studio executives believe they have a real “discovery." Such noted character players as Sid Rumann, Paul Guilfoyle, Jonathan Hale, Frederic Burton, Ben Welden, Jack Carson, Charles Halton and Cliff Bragdo.*. are in the distinguished cast. An excellent variety of supports headed by an ever popular Walt Disney cartoon, comprises the first half of entertainment that will me greatly appreciated by the picture-loving public.

REGENT, TO-NIGHT: “MISSING WITNESSES” AND “SPEED TO BURN.” CHAJTER 3 OF THE SERIAL, GLASH GORDON’S “TRIP TO MARS”

“Missing Witnesses” shows a city honeycombed with rackets, which are headed by a certain Ward Sturgis, played by Harland Tucker. But the Governor is an honest man, and he appoints Inspector Lane (John Litel), to head a new undercover body of investigators to mop up the racketeers. Lane engages as assistants Emmet White (William Haade) and Bull Regan (Dick Purcell)—both husky fighting police. Bull is in love with Mary Norton (Jean Dale), and she enters the crusade, though secretly, for she is secretary to Head Grafter Sturgis in some of his legitimate enterprises. She learns of his extra-legal businesses, and at the risk of her life, if she is discovered puts away Bull and his aides. But there’s a mysterious murder, and circumstantial evidences makes it

seem that probably Mary was the killer. She comes to Lane’s office and reports that Ward Sturgis had taken her and his office assistant to his yacht, under the pretences of having them help him with some work. On the yacht, Sturgis got into a scrap with his assistant, shot him, and threw him overboard. Lane credits Mary’s story until they get the report that a man’s body, identified by his clothes as Ward Sturgis has been found floating in the bay. Bull, her best boy friend, is forced to place her under arrest. But the mystery is solved, Mary is cleared, the racketeers are rounded up, and the city is a better and cleaner place. The associate feature “Speed to Burn” is a heartwarmingly human story of one of the world’s most exciting sports, the film is rich with all the romance and colour of the race track. It introduces a new screen family, the Gambinis, destined for immediate favour in the affections of all filmgoers. Into the lives of the Gambinis comes the boundless love of a man for his girl, the dauntless faith of a boy in his gallant thoroughbred, and the thrill of an exciting victory. Michael Whalen and Lynn Bari head the cast.