ENTERTAINMENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 9 May 1939, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS

CURRENT ATTRACTIONS \\ MAJESTIC: “FT. MARTIN’S LANE’’ s CHARLES LAUGHTON’S LATEST ’ SUCCESS. ‘ | j I 1 Few actors on either screen or stage j j to-day have played such a variety of j ( character parts as the Englishman . Charles Laughton, yet there seems to be no end of the types which l.e is called * or. to portray. In St. Martin’s Lane , w hich opens' at the Majestic on Friday ] next. Laughton is cast as a street entertainer whose audiences are ipvgri- , ably the people waiting ip queues fpr the opening of the theatres. The costers who for centuries plied the London streets. with then - donkeys and their barrows, each with a distinguishing street cry. geo red ing to their wares, are already practically extinct, moved on by The police "and i harried out of existence by rules, regulations and by-laws, made necessary by ; the ever increasing bustle and the ; ever growing volume of traffic Only the buskers as those street entertainers . are called remain, that strange little brotherhood of street entertainers, so . peculiar to London, who nightly move ground the West End theatreland. en- i tertaining with song, dance and' rcci- - tation the theatre qtie.ues that stand in 1 line outside the theatre entrances." They are an exclusive arid select*'lFtle band | wjth a code of behaviour all their | own. St. Martin’s Lane is their happy i hunting ground. Here ihpy gather Jo ■ collect the few pennies" from thp wait- ! ing queues god in i'tjp heart' of j London's thegtrelapd is set faie story of I "St. Martin's Lane” a .tale of the com- j edy and pathos of the bicker's life. " ; The buskers are one of the last links ; w ith the old. more leisurely London I but they top are dying out and w ithin J the nex| few years this picturesque 1 careiree band may be .just a memory \ of stuffier', quainter and more sedate ■ leisurely Lohffoq. the foggy, romantic. j gas-li.l city of sopg and stQry. The cast alone hi "St. Martin's Lane” j«; g formidable one witji oyer 50 players taking part Charles Lgughjon is Starred with Vivien Leigh playing the role of Libby’’ s cockpey gjrJ who be conics a great star. Rex Harrison. Gus McNaughton’ Tyrone Guthrie and Lary Adler have important in i this masterly production. STATE: NOW SHOWING. PETER LORRE IN MR MOTO TAKES A « HANCE.” AND ARTHUR TRACT 1 IN “FOLLOW TOUR STAR” ‘ State offe anotiipr of its ! except n Mini I; fine double feature pro-* gra;nnic : which have gradually become' ti 'P! sally ponuiar as the ideal fgmjjy rh s time two very excel- ] lent attractions are available and are likely to attract the attention of all pic-] tuie-goom The mysery piaster of j “Saturday Evening Post’' fame returns] to the screen when Motp Taj>£s aj Chancp.” latest in the series of adypn- i t l l res Limed on the character created by j J. P. Marquand. is screened, with Peter ! Lorre in the starring role, and a strong ; 20th Century-Fox supporting cast head-

ed by Rochelle Hudson. Robert Kent and J. Edward Bromberg. Into a weird vvildnerness of mystic temples, wells of death, native sorcery, poisonous blowgun darts and other nameless terrors, ventures the serene's most amazing sleuth to face the most sensational adventure of his perilous career as he seeks to solve a baffling mystery. Amid the treachery of the Far East, the mysj terio.us Mr Moto, through the use of clever disguises, pits his intelligence against the craftiest killers of the jungle. With the captive girl, a newsreel cameraman and his assistant, the famous defective fights his w'ay out of swell traps as poisonous cobras, msyteri.ous murdpr-s and wily high-priests. Thrill follows thrill in the sensational adventure that hits the maximum in high-speed entertainment with its mystery, iptrigups, romance and laughter. The associate feature is the popular ‘ ■drppt sipgpr,” Arthur Tracy, who refbrns in an absorbing picture based on his own ’‘life” struggle. "Follow Your Star. ’ Bright with his old favourite songs as well as new hits, containing appealing drama, and with humorous interludes, the film is one that will be appreciated by all. REGENT, FINALLY TO-NIGHT: GREAT JUNGLE ADVENTURE, "TRADER HORN" Tlirills of the wildest jungles, beasts ; in their struggles for life, savage tribes-! j men in the strange, fanatical and deadly rites of Jb£ juju: crocodiles, rhino—i every peril an explorer could face—- ! these are filmed ip "Trader Horn,' j Mptro-Goldwyn-Mayer's gigantic pag- | of savage Africa finally screening al j the Regent to-night. But it differs from | anything of the kind ever seen, for its : thrills apd its wonders surround a dra- * m.afie story—the tale of the adveoturouf ■ trader, his apprentice, and thp beauti , fui "White Goddes.s” of the savagt i Isorgi. -The famous book lives in ac- ) tuahty. as. |p tbc original of it: 'dramatic narrative. it'is enacted ir 1 talking pictures. As drama it is en grossing god as a cjirpnicle of gdven lurp it 15 amazing. One’s atavistii traits leap to life as the weird tom-tpm: 1 ushgr ip the death dance of the savagi Isorgi; one thrills at thei# weird nafivi | chants to the accompaniment of thous i onds of bare feet pounding in unisoi i ('ll the brick-hard ground. One thrill 'at "ie dramatic battles between wil< beasts, out there in the jungle when , everything eats something else to live ! And through it runs the tender hujmai * love story of a boy and the girl, thi ! young adventurer and the golden-hair |ed priestess of a savage tribe. Harr; t Carpy. in ihg title role of Trader Horn 1 , ha a splendid part which he portray r j with facile naturalness. His dialogue i | often that of the author of the book 'land he seems fairly imbued with it ’spirit. Edwina Booth, as Nina th | >vhite goddess, plays the difficult rol : i of a savage child who becomes tainei 1 j by love. It runs the gamut of emotion ■ ; and. played b the hardships of ' j jungle h ip. is upjque among characer isations. Duncan Renaldo as Peru doe 5 I splendid work, as does also Olive Gol ■ den as Mrs Trent. A dominant figur lis Mutia. the giant native who play | Renchero with all the skill of a civilis * ed actor.