ENTERTAINMENTS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3812, 23 September 1936, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT. AGAIN TO-NIGHT. “FRISCO KID.” One of the most dynamic and colourful dramas of the year, “Frisco Kid,” was shown on the screen of the Regent Theatre yesterday for the first time locally, with James Cagney heading the all-star cast. Warner Bros, have produced a number of pictures with historical backgrounds and authentic as well as outstanding characters, such as “ Silver Dollar,” “ I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang,” “ Twenty Thousand Years in Sing Sing,’’-and others; But none surpasses “ Frisco Kid ” in the intensity of its action, in exciting episodes, and in its flaming colour and picturesqueness. Set on the Barbary coast of old San Francisco in the early fifties, it is a story of the tumultuous goldrush days when adventurers from the world over congregated on Frisco’s waterfront. In this seething hell-hole were gathered criminals, cut-throats, murderers, gamblers, women of the demimonde, and every type of human shark who lived by preying on his neighbour. AT THE REGENT. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. “ DRIFT FENCE.” Zane Grey, who is without a peer as a storyteller of the West in its unbridled days, wrote “ Drift Fence,” which Paramount has produced, and which opens on Thursday at the Regent Theatre. Packed with thrills and bristling with danger, this action drama provides exciting entertainment for young and old. Featured roles are played by Larry “ Buster ” Crabbe, Tom Keene, Katherine De Mille, Benny Baker, Glenn Erikson, and Stanley Andrews. “Drift Fence ” dramatises the conflict between the big and small ranchowners, when all land was considered common property for grazing purposes. Taking advantage of this situation, a gang of cow-rustlers enlists the aid of a young rancher to keep the vast lands of his neighbour from being enclosed with a fence. At the last moment, realising that he has been made a tool of cattle thieves, he changes sides, and helps a Texas Ranger bring the outlaws to justice. A fine romance is interwoven with “ Drift Fence,” which has entertaining sequences of broncho-busting, stamnedes, and fist and pistol fights. AT THE EMPIRE. NEXT WEEK-END. “THE AGE OF INNOCENCE.” R.K.0.-Radio Pictures’ current presentation, “ The Age of Innocence,” to be screened at the Empire Theatre next week-end, is said to be a perfect entertainment vehicle for those who appreciate the sentimental beauties of life. It was adapted for the screen from Edith Wharton’s power-

ful novel of the same title, a Pulitzer Prize story and a best-seller of 1920. Laid in the mid-Victorian era in New York, the film deals with a poignant romance—that of a beautiful woman of the “ 400 ” whose great and immaculate love for her childhood sweetheart is stifled by conventions on the one hand and her loyalty and strength on the other. Irene Dunne and John Boles are costarred in the principal roles, supported by a brilliant cast which includes five great players from the New York Theatre Guild, And Julie Haydon, Theresa Maxwell-Conover, and Leonard Carey.