ENTERTAINMENTS

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 59, Issue 4221, 8 December 1939, Page 8

ENTERTAINMENTS

AT THE REGENT.’ AGAIN TO-NIGHT. “TROUBLE BREWING.” There’s “ trouble brewing ” for “ Detective” Formby and a real treat of hearty laughter in store for patrons of the Regent Theatre at present, for George’s latest film is presented. Produced by Jack Kitchin, and directed by Anthony Kimmons — the team responsible for all Formby’s recent screen achievements—i“ Trouble Brewing” is unanimously acacclaimed “his funniest film,” eclipsing even that previous outstanding success, “It’s in the Air.” High praise, but well merited. This time George is cast as a compositor whose burning ambition is to become a crime investigator. Aided and abetted by Googie Withers and Gus McNaughton, he succeeds in running to earth a gang of counterfeiters whose exploits have been baffling the police. Before George achieves his triumph, however, he and his fellow amateur criminologists go through a series of screamingly funny misadventures in pursuit of their quarry. COMMENCING SATURDAY. “ FISHERMAN’S WiHARF ” Brimming with human interest and rich with humour, Bobby Breen’s newest and most appealing motion picture, “ Fisherman’s Wharf,” is scheduled for preesntation at the Regent Theatre, beginning to-morrow. With young Bobby as the star, and featuring Leo Carrillo, Henjy Armetta, Lee Patrick, and Slicker, the famous acting seal, at the head of its supporting cast, the film stands apart as a screen vehicle. Bobby himself, as the rough, happy-go-lucky son of Carrillo, a Sicilian fisherman of San Francisco, has never been seen to better advantage. In his new role he displays talents only suggested in his past performances. With a song on his lips and a pair of clenched fists, he sails into this new characterisation with a vitality and a virility not before repealed_ Gone is the goodygoody boy; he now stands on his own sturdy feet, and lets quips and fists fall where they may. Another factor which places this picture above previous Breen films is the fact that the story locale offers a unique background. Laid against a setting of San Francisco’s colourful Fisherman’s Wharf and the famous Golden Gate Bay area, the film for the first time projects the picturesque and gay life of what is freqeuntly called the American Mediterranean.

AT THE EMPIRE.

TO-NIGHT AGAIN. “ EX-CHAMP.” Once winner of the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Award for fine acting, and lauded for his great characterisations on the screen, Victor McLaglen stars ip his latest production, Universal’s “Ex-Champ,” which is now at the local Empire Theatre. McLaglen is noted for the rugged characterisations he enacts for the cameras_ In “Ex-Champ ”he appears as a broken-down ex-champion prizefighter proud of two possessions a championship belt and a worthless, snobbish son who disdains his father’s home and his rough and tough associates. Although “ Ex-Champ” has as an atmosphere the boxing ring and training quarters, it cannot be regarded as a prize-fight story. It deals primarily with the sacrifice McLaglen makes to attempt to save the snobbish son when the son is in danger. In the supporting cast will be seen Tom Brown, featured as an embryo fighter whom McLaglen grooms for a championship battle; Nan Grey has the role of his daughter; Donald Briggs is the snobbish son; William Frawley is a training camp hangeron; Constance Moore takes the part of a Park Lane blue-blood in love with the son, and Samuel S. Hinds is I a kindly boxing commissioner. I COMMENCING SATURDAY. “I STOLE A MILLION.” If you can imagine an innocent little snowball ' starting to roll, growing larger, rolling faster until it becomes a veritable avalanche roaring to a deafening crash—you have a fair understanding of the mad adventures of the title role in Universal’s “I Stole A Million,” which is the next attraction at the Empire Theatre. George Raft plays the part with such sincerity that one lives every moment of his mad career as the man who wanted to go straight but decided he couldn’t. He fights hard to try it again when he meets the girl of his dreams. She inspires him to great heights. But minor misdemeanors of his past haunt his new happiness until he turns at bay against the world. Then comes action that is said to have even astonished Hollywood. The girl?—Claire Trevor, whose popularity has recently soared to still higher peaks because of her great portrayal in “Stagecoach,” and her weekly performances as “Loreli” with Edward G. Robinson on the coast-to-coast radio show, “Big Town.” Supporting this co-starring team are Dick Foran, the romantic rival; Victor Jory, building for menace; Henry Armetta, whose presence you know means comedy; and a cast of principals that are well known for consistently good portrayals.