ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 23817, 15 May 1939, Page 12

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE “THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO” For many years Dumas’s story, “The Count of Monte Cristo,” has been popular with generations of readers and the picture version now showing at the Regent Theatre is no less popular. This was the film which launched Robert Donat on his screen career. His performance as Edmond Dantes is one of the epics of the screen. A young seaman, he js falsely accused on the eve of his wedding of a plot against the Government, and his idyllic dreams are Irudely shattered by summary imprisonment in the dread rock fortress, the Chauteau d’lf, in Marseilles harbour. Utter despair overcomes him, buried in the dungeon, but fate has many unexpected things in store for him. By secret tunnelling, an old priest, the Abbe Faria, who has been incarcerated for years, finds his way to his cell. This priest is a man of great intellectual gifts, and he holds in his possession the key to a buried treasure of fantastic proportions. He takes an interest in the young man and gives his willing pupil an education which he hopes will fit him for the task which he himself was unable to carry,out. At last the friendship is broken by the Abbe’s death, and with this event Dantes seizes the only daring chance of escape. In the dramatic version of the famous scene in the story—a scene which is one of the finest pieces of work that came from the voluminous brain of the master teller of tales—he takes the place of the corpse in a sack and he is cast over the tamparts into the harbour. There he seeks out the treasure which the Abbe has bequeathed to him, and, armed with this wealth and a burning vengeance, he sets out to exact a terrible retribution from those who brought about his living death. The whole glowing story lives again in this great picture. Few stars qould have better graced the leading role and, while the picture as a whole lives in the memory, it is his performance that makes it memorable. It is not acting, it is a living Edmond Dantes who walks across the screen. Giving admirable support is the beautiful and charming Elissa Landi as Mercedes, his sweetheart. Their broken romance, resumed when her treacherous husband has been brought to book, forms a happy ending to the story. The three conspirators als<> give superb performances—de Villefort scheming prosecutor (Louis Calhem), Danglars, grasping banker (Raymond Walbum), and Mondego, the rival for Mercedes’ love (Sidney Blackmer). Others prominent in the cast are O. P. Heggie as the Abbe, Luis Olbemi and Irene Hervey. Box plans for the rest of the season are open at H. and J. Smith’s, Rice’s Regent shop and the theatre (telephone 1938). ».

MAJESTIC THEATRE “STORM OVER BENGAL” Army life on the north-west frontier of India is the background of the story for Monogram’s “Storm Over Bengal.” The principal players at Patrie Knowles, Richard Cromwell, Rochelle Hudson, Gilbert Emery, Colin Tapley, Claude Alister and Douglas Dumbrille. The picture patrons who enjoyed “Lives of a Bengal Lancer,” should not miss this final opportunity of seeing “Storm Over Bengal,” The associate feature “Bride for Henry,” is a merry matrimonial mix-up with plenty of laughs and gay situations. The starred players are Anne Nagel and Warren Hull. “GIRLS’ SCHOOL” TOMORROW TORCHY BLANE’S ADVENTURE Lovely young womanhood has been glowingly recorded on the screen, according to a Hollywood report. Advance notices of Columbia’s “Girls’ School,” which opens tomorrow at the Majestic Theatre, hail the new film as a breathtakingly beautiful record of graduation time, of romance and coming of age at an exclusive finishing school for girls. Anne Shirley, the talented star of “Mother Carey’s Chickens,” to name her most recent film, is featured in “Girls’ School,” together with Ralph Bellamy and Nan 'Grey. Miss Shirley is cast as the scholarship winner working her way through the exclusive seminary, and Miss Grey is seen as a romantic young senior who plans to elope immediately after the senior graduation that night, with a boy friend who had kept her out 6n the moonlit campus all night. Anne, as dormitory monitor, is forced against her will to report Nan’s indiscretion, with the result that there is a strong possibility of the senior being expelled by the student council and thus prevented from graduating. From this climactic point, through a series of delightful episodes, the picture rises brilliantly to a surprising conclusion.

Another of the Torchy Blane series “Adventurous Blonde” is the associate feature tomorrow at the Majestic. Glenda Farrell is again cast as Torchy Blane assisted by Barton McLane, Anne Nagel, Tom Kennedy, Nataline Moorhead and George E. Stone. The exciting story tells how Torchy, who always scoops the other newspaper reporters is framed by her contemporaries on a bogus mystery which actually turns out to be a real thing. The complications that follow are multiple and many exciting moments ensue before Torchy unravels this thrilling murder mystery. Plans are now on view at H. and J. Smith’s departmental store box office, Rice’s Majestic confectionery or Majestic Theatre. Telephone 738. STATE THEATRE JANE WITHERS FINALLY “Miss Fix-it,” Jane Withers’s newest comedy riot, screens finally today at 2.0 and 8.0 at the State Theatre. Supporting her in this, her best picture yet, are Henry Wilcoxon, Gloria Stuart, Helent Westley, Jed Prouty and Douglas Fowley. TOMORROW, TUESDAY “PRISON WITHOUT BARS” A young and beautiful French star is introduced to British audiences in the new London film, “Prison Without Bars,” which will be shown at _ the State Theatre tomorrow at 2.0 and 8.0. The newcomer is Corinne Luchaire, 17-year-old discovery of Alexander Korda, who produced the film. As Suzanne, innocent inmate of a girls’ reformatory, Miss Luchaire has many dramatic opportunities. Embittered by the harsh regulations, Suzanne makes many attempts to escape, but each time she is captured and brought back. Her last escapade coincides with the arrival of Yvonne, the new superintendent, played by Edna Best. Despite opposition from her staff, Yvonne introduces sweeping reforms. She wins the love and gratitude of Suzanne, for whom she is trying to get a pardon. Happy for the first time, the girl is given more congenial work assisting the institution’s doctor, George Marechai (Barry K. Barnes). She speedily falls in love with him, unaware, as is everyone else, that he is engaged to marry

Yvonne. In spite of himself, Marechai reciprocates. He breaks the engagement and leaves for an appointment in India, arranging with Suzanne to follow him as soon as her pardon is through. Unaware of what has taken place, Yvonne carries on with her work. She hints to Suzanne that, subject to certain formalities, her pardon has been granted. Suzanne is blackmailed by one of the girls into com l ’ mitting a serious breach of the regula-. tions. An inquiry is held, which reveals the association between Suzanna and the doctor. Plans are at Begg’s or State Theatre, telephone 645.