ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 24001, 16 December 1939, Page 18

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE “FOUR DAUGHTERS” » an outstanding picture “Four Daughters,” the Warner Bros, picturization of a famous story by Fennie Hurst, will open at the Regent Theatre today. A moving tale of four devoted sisters who fall in love with the same man, the film has one of the most unique casts in motion picture history. Given stability by the presence of such tried and true performers as Claude Rains, May Robson, Frank McHugh and Dick Foran, the cast is made remarkable by a couple of striking circumstances. _ First, it marks the only time in motion picture history when three sisters not only played important roles in the same picture but were, in fact, cast as sisters. They are, of course, the Lane girls Priscilla, Rosemary and Lola. The fourth sister, incidentally, is P' a Y" ed by Gale Page, who is said to fit beautifully into the Lane ensemble. The Warner studio also chose this vehicle to introduce simultaneously two of the most promising young actors it has ever presented in its long history of star-making. They are Jeffrey Lynn, tall, handsome and charming—a promising candidate for feminine-heart palpitator, No. 1, and John Garfield, already famous on the Broadway stage as a young character actor. Lynn plays the captivating youth with whom the sisters all fall in love. He, however, shows a clear preference for the yonugest, played by Priscilla Lane. The announcement by Priscilla of her engagement to Jeff rev is a sad blow to the other three girls but one from which they manage to recover easily, especially since they are all so devoted to Priscilla that no question of jealousy is involved. AU seems to be going smoothly until the day that Jeffrey and Priscilla are to be wed. It is then that a down-at-heel musician, played by John Garfield, tells Priscilla that her oldest sister, portrayed by Gale Page, is deeply in love with Jeffrey and is broken-hearted over the impending wedding. The bond between the oldest and the youngest of the girls is so deep that Priscilla cannot bear to be the instrument of her beloved sister’s unhappiness. Acting upon a sacrificial impulse, she runs away only a few moments before her scheduled wedding to Jeffrey and marries Garfield. This starts the chain of circumstances which make the story or “Four Daughters” a rich and human experience. And while the mood is sometimes that of tragedy, it has many gay and light-hearted moments, and it ends, indeed, on a note of uproarious comedy. The supporting programme is again good and includes news reels showing outstanding events in connection with the war, including the surrender of Warsaw and happenings in England during the crisis. Box plans are at H. and J. Smith’s, Rice’s Regent Shop; and the Theatre.

CIVIC THEATRE SPECIAL FEATURES A hilarious, eccentric comedy of mixed relations and millionaires is “Woman Chases Man,” showing at the Civic Theatre at 2.0 and 7.45 today. It is the latest and in some respects the most outstanding of the “crazy” films which have proved so popular with theatregoers. Pure farce and clever cross-talk round off a film which is entertainment from start to finish. The outstanding star of the picture is Miriam Hopkins, whom it becomes hard to imagine as the picture proceeds as the glamorous “Becky Sharp.” She is one of those rarest of all actresses, one who can score with equal effect in romantic drama and in straight comedy. Her performance as the girl architect who sets out to carve or chisel herself a job from the heart of a presumed millionaire is the highlight of the picture. The “millionaire'* is Charles Winninger, who plays one of those parts for which is he famous. Joel McCrea is also successful in the role of the young millionaire. Hailed as one of the most successful dramatic films of the year, “South Riding,” the filmization of Winifred Holtby’s best-selling novel of that title, is the Civic’s second attraction at 2.0 and 7.45 today. The main characters are superbly played by a distinguished cast headed by four popular stars, Ralph Richardson, Edna Best, Ann Todd and Edmund Gwenn. The wellknown story revolves around the intrigue of shire politics which takes-place as a result of a scheme for slum clearance in the country of South Riding. Box plans are at Begg’s or Civic, telephone 1744. STATE THEATRE “THE STORY OF ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL” . With Don Ameche playing the title role, supported by a cast that is remarkable from all angles, the film “The Story of Alexander Graham Bell,” should give Southlanders a treat when it screens at the State ~ Theatre at 2.0 and 8.0 today. Darryl F. Zanuck, the producer, has approached this biography from the right angle, concentrating on an authenticity and a strict regard for truth that has, unfortunately, been only too lacking in some other films of this type. That he is a dramatic actor of great perception and force Ameche shows amply, but he is not alone, for others of similar calibre are Loretta Young, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn, Spring Byington and Sally Blanc. There is great romance in the story of the telephone. This is the story of a man who dared to dream, who suffered and starved for his ideals, who saw his friends tempted to desert him, but who persevered and was guided to a great destiny by a woman’s love. With its action in a little Massachusetts town in 1875 the film presents a vivid cross section of the life of the time. “The Story of Alexander Graham Bell” is worthy of anyone’s support. Specially selected supports complete the programme. Box plans are at Begg’s or the State Theatre, telephone 645.

MAJESTIC THEATRE “HERITAGE OF THE DESERT” Zane Grey’s “Heritage of the Desert” which features Donald Woods, Russell “Lucky” Hayden, Evelyn Venable and C. Henry Gordon and will be presented at the Majestic Theatre today, tells of the adventures of an Easterner who owns a Western cattle ranch but finds that a once-productive property is now a burden to him and he goes West to investigate. He finds that his representative has been swindling him for years and how he wins back his property against overwhelming odds forms the basis for the story of this exciting western romance. Paramount has assembled a strong cast to interpret J. Edgar Hoover’s “Persons In Hiding,” which is picturized as “Under Cover Doctor.” The story deals with the doctors who hide behind the cloak of their profession to amass hugh fortunes by attending to Wounded gangsters. Lloyd Nolan, J. Carroll Naish, Heather Angel and Janice Logan

have the character parts in this exciting G-man drama. This picture will be screened at the evening session only. Latest Cinesound News will also be screened. Plans are now on view at H. and J. Smith’s departmental store box office, Rice’s Majestic confectionery or Majestic Theatre. Telephone 738.

REGENT THEATRE, GORE The attraction at the Regent Theatre, Gore, tonight is “Little Tough Guys in Society,” starring Mischa Auer, Mary Boland, Edward Everett Horton, Helen Parrish and Jackie Searl. The supporting picture is “For Love or Money,” a story of the New York underworld starring June Lang and Robert Kent. ST. JAMES THEATRE, GORE Second in the “Dr Kildare” series, featuring Lew Ayres and Lionel Barrymore, “Calling Dr Kildare,” which opens at the St. James Theatre, Gore, tonight, carries on the adventures of a young physician with a bent for amateur detective work. There is also a good selection of shorts.