ANOTHER TOPPER FILM

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 26 August 1939, Page 6

ANOTHER TOPPER FILM

Those who revelled in the delicious, fantastic nonsense of "Topper," and appreciated the polish and verve of that outstanding film comedy, will gladly welcome the sequel to it which Hal Roach has made in “Topper Takes a Trip." As this is an inevitable result of a great success, the producers have naturally taken the chief features of the previous picture and presented them again in new surroundings. So that the slim narrative can be more fully appreciated by those who did not see "Topper." this sequel (which has deleted Cary Grant's, role) contains some of the scenes of the latter. Without these, an audience might be excused for wondering what the picture was all about, so little has it of actual story development. Although the Toppers were eventually reconciled in the first picture. Mrs Topper is now seeking a divorce, especi-

ally as the eerily appearing and disappearing Marion Kerby is still pursuing the little banker and leading him into all manor of unseemly and outlageoup pranks while she remains invisible. These escapades provide great entertainment But though they are often as funny as those in •Topper,*’ they are not so well connected, so that some of them appear to be presented without any intention beyond creating an uproarious episode Also some of! these incidents have too much of a simi- * laritv to those that inspired them. The | episodes in the hotel can be quoted ! i here. Nevertheless, enjoyment of the! film is not difficult F° r those who did not see the original Topper production few will find fault j with Topper Takes a Trip” as a fairly 1 well sustained fantastic comedy along!’ hilarious and sublimely ridiculous lines, j; Roland Young is again brilliant as the 1 , harassed Topper. Constance is the mad : ‘ and merry Marion as before, and Billie ' Burke (as Mrs Topper) and Alan Mow- . ' bray (as the butler) add to the humour I ’ of the film Franklin Pangborn and I Alexander D’Arcy feature in some di- ! ' verting episodes. j.

' fanatical tribesmen against the British Army in this far-flung outpost of i Empire and skilfully interwoven among | the thrills and action is the romance ‘of two brothers—army officers—for the t ; girl betrothed to the elder, j | Patric Knowles, taller and more i j handsome than ever, and popular Richf ard Cromwell, are the brothers, lovely ? j Rochelle Hudson the girl. Douglas f; Dumbrille is the villainous Rahman I j Khan who leads the rebellion of the ) i hill tribes. Colin Tapley, Douglas ' j Walton, Halliwell Hobbes, Gilbert II Emery, John Burton, Clyde Cook, and s | Claude Allister are other members of 3 1 the all-star cast. ' j Special credit should be given to the a producers of the film which makes [ India, land of intrigue, romance and mystery, live on the screen. And every . care has been taken to present an 3 authentic picture of this British pro- . tectorate as a realistic background for

dare-revil adventure by heroes of the! British Army. For audiences who like their heroism.! gallantry and romance on a glorious scale, “Storm Over Bengal” is the picture. and apart from being great film faro, it is accredited with being the most true-to-life screen story of life on the Indian frontier that has yet been offered, for as it was produced by cooperation with British army officials :n 1 India it is singularly free from the farfetched exaggerations that have mark|ed a number of "Lancer” films. * * * * j Vivien Leigh, who has been given ■ the coveted part of Scarlet O’Hara in I “Gone. With the Wind.” has had an, ! ambition to play the part for two ; years. When she was making "Dark 1 i I Journey” at Denham in 1927 she read j ! the novel on the set. “I could play ! i Vivien. Tin sure I could live the i part—but what’s the good of hoping, i iII is bound to go to an American j ’ | actress.” I: