ENTERTAINMENTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 30 November 1940, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

CURRENT ATTRACTIONS REGENT, TO-NIGHT: “GRAND JURY SECRETS” AND “INVITATION TO HAPPINESS” A thrilling, fast-moving story of a reporter who gets himself into trouble by attempting to reveal the investigations of a Grand Jury panel sitting under the supervision of his own brother is told in Pax-amount’s “Grand Jury Secrets.” John Howai-d, cast as the reporter, uses a short-wave radio set in a clever way to unearth the fact that his brother, the assistant district attorney, played by Harvey Stephens, is launching a grand jury pi*obe into the activities of a crooked investment house. Howard breaks the stoi-y, alarming one of the investment house partners, amusing the other, and enraging his brother, who is accused by the other papers of tipping off stories to his brother. Gail Patrick is cast opposite John Howard in the role of the fiancee of Harvey Stephens, William Frawley is cast as a newspaper photographer, Jane Darwell plays the role of mother of the clashing brothers, and Porter Hall is cast as a member of the crooked investment trust. James Hogan directed. The associate feature, “Invitation to Happiness,” is a drama which presents an emotional problem that might develop in the lives of any couple. It is the story of a prize fighter who marries a society gii’l. Determined to become champion, his work takes him away from his wife. She is unhappy, but realised that it is the only work he knows how to do. While he is away barnstorming around the fight circuit, a son is born to them. The boy grows up to hate his father, to hate him bitterly because he knows his mother is unhappy. Yet these three people realise that somehow they must find happiness and remain united. Their groping. their efforts to understand each other make this picture one of the best dramas of the year. Irene Dunne and Fred Mac Murray are co-starred as the young couple, and Billy Cook plays the role of the son. MAJESTIC, TODAY: “DR. KILDARE’S STRANGE CASE,” WITH LIONEL BARRYMORE, LEW AYRES AND LARAINE DAY. Fourth of the dramatic hospital stories, with Lew Ayres as the impetuous young interne, Dr. Jimmy Kildare, and Lionel Barrymore as the irascible but great diagnostician, Dr. Leonard Gillespie, “Dr. Kildare’s Strange Case” concerns itself with Ayres’ lone-handed fight to prove that a surgeon-friend is

unjustly accused of performing a delicate brain operation that caused madness in the patient. This picture presents the first picturisation of the use of insulin shock treatment to rouse a person out of insanity and bring him back to mental normalcy. Dramatic highlights of the feature include the actual administration of the insulin shock treatment, and reactions of the patient following the treatment and a bird’s-eye view of a delicate brain surgery. In the name role. Ayres again is convincing, impetuous and earnest in the characterisation that has caused him to be referred to as “Dr. Kildare” as often as he is called Lew Ayres. Still, he manages easily to inject whimsical touches that have made the Kildare character a lovable one. As the great diagnostician, Nionel Barrymore seems to be effortless in his acting. He is Dr. Gillespie to the core. Laraine Day is again seen as Nurse Mary Lamont, in love with Ayres-

‘CAVALCADE OF ACADEMY AWARDS” SHORT

This 30-minute novelty should be seen by everyone who loves films Produced under the personal supervision of Frank Capra it’s a "who’s who” of Hollywood and in passing parade shows clips of all the winning hits of the last twelve years. “Seventh Heaven.” “Min i and Bill,” “Cavalcade.” “Disraeli,’ “All , Quiet.” “Goodbye Mr Chips,” etc., including two actual technicolour shots from the most discussed film of the year, “Gone With the Wind.” We are then introduced to the winning stars, Jannings, Gaynor, Baxter, Pickford, Shearer, Barrymore. Dressier, March, Hayes, Laughton, Hepburn. Gable, Colbert, McLaglen, Davis, Muni. Rainer. Tracey, Donat, and Leigh, etc., 116 stars in all. The camera then switches the I audience to the Academy Banquet of 1939 at the famous Cocoanut Grove in Hollywood and shows the glamour of the presentation of the award to the year’s winners.

STATE: “REBECCA.” DAPHNE DU MAURIER’S THRILLING NOVEL

An exciting event in the history of motion pictures took place last night at the State Theatre, where David O. Selznick’s .production of "Rebecca/’ based on the best selling Daphne du Maurier novel, was unreeled in all its i moving brilliance and dramatic impact’. ' Directed by the brilliant and gifted j Alfred Hitchcock. “Rebecca” is one of !

the most exciting and suspenseful pictures to reach the screen this season. It is not only excellently and thrillingly staged, it is acted by a cast of topnotch actors who were chosen carefully j for their special talents. Heading this I line-up are Laurence Olivier and Joan 1 Fontaine, who play the starring roles, while in their support are Judith Anderson. C. Aubrey Smith. George Sanders, Nigel Bruce, Florence Bates and Gladys Cooper. Olivier is cast as Maxim de Winter, a prominent society man who is famous for his vast Tudor estate called Manderley. To this house he brings his second wife, played by Miss Fontaine, a shy and unsophisticated person who can hardly be comj pared to the glittering and brilliant former mistress of Manderley, Rebecca.

now dead. But though Rebecca is dead her forceful personality and dramatic I beauty still continue to dominate Man. derley and to haunt the lives of those who wander through its immense rooms. Judith Anderson, as the sadistically cruel Mrs Danvers, turns in a screen portrait which is unforgettably brilliant, and the performance of Olivier and Miss Fontaine must be rated as being unsurpassed on the screen this season. Alfred Hitchcock, the director who brought a new status to screen intrigue and melodrama, has directed “Rebecca” with startling impact, with amazing subletv as to character delineation and with rich dramatic overtones. The picture moves with telling and engrossing swiftness from its initial scene to the final fadeout. Add to this brilliant pictorial background, an excellent musical score and you get a pretty neat idea of why David O. Selznick’s newest picture, “Rebecca,” is not to be missed by all those who seek real entertainment.