AMUSEMENTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21819, 23 November 1940, Page 12

AMUSEMENTS

MAJESTIC THEATRE “FRENCH WITHOUT TEARS” The Majestic Theatre has long been noted for its excellent films, comedy, drama, romance and adventure, and the latest success, which begins a season this afternoon will be numbered among the best of its class. “French Without Tears” is a comedy in the English style and contains ail the refinements, the witty dialogue and the humorous situations that could be expected. The first impression of the film is that it should offer great scope for comedy, and as the story progresses that impression becomes a certainty. The situations and the dialogue are handled in a typical English manner and the whole film is a tribute to restrained direction. The story begins

and ends in a French school for budding diplomats. Everything progresses smoothly—or comparatively smoothly—till one of the boarders, all of whom are men, announces that his sister is coming unexpectedly to visit him and stay for a while. Ray Milland’s acting is really good and he is ably supported by Ronald Culver. David Tree and Jim .Gerald. Ellen Drew is the blonde and does her part ample justice. Janine Darcey has the part of the little French maid who is in love with one of the men who falls for the blonde newcomer. The rest of the programme is made up of the latest newsreel, a “Popeye the Sailor” cartoon, a Grantland Rice sports feature showing the popularity of bowling in America and English and Australian news reels. REGENT THEATRE “WAGONS WESTWARD” Everything comes in twos in the Republic picture, “Wagons Westward,” which is coming to the Regent Theatre to-day. There are two sisters, two brothers, and two weddings in the outdoor drama about the wild hectic days after the Civil War in lower New Mexico. Ona Munson and Anita Louise play the roles of the two sisters, Julie and Phyllis O’Conover, dancehall girls in a frontier saloon, who think they are in love with the same man. Chester Morris plays a dual characterisation, the first of his career. He portrays twin brothers, who are identical in appearance but completely opposite in character. The story of “Wagons Westward” revolves around a government law officer, Chester Morris, who captures and imprisons his own twin brother, a notorious killer, and poses as him in an effort to destroy his gang, of outlaws. The ringleaders among the terrorists are portrayed by Buck Jones, Guinn Williams and Douglas Fowley. The comedy touches are injected by George "Gabby” Hayes, in the role of a toothless old man, the uncle of the twin brothers. STATE THEATRE A FINE COMEDY “Charley’s (Big-Hearted) Aunt,” is showing at the State. Audiences are helpless with mirth at the antics of Arthur Askey in his latest starring opus. The film version is a modern one, adapted from the recordbreaking stage farce. Never has a film comedy of a stage play been presented with such brilliance—Askey’s rip-roar-ing impersonations of a visiting Aunt by a scallywag Oxford undergraduate to prevent expulsion, has audiences absolutely rolling with laughter, while the flirtation in a punt by the said Aunt with the unsuspecting Proctor, a midstream upset, the rescue of Askey by a bevy of girls and risque complications when they try to tend and redress him, provides a climax to this riotous and hilarious comedy. Richard Murdoch is Stinker; Graham Moffatt is Albert, and Moore Marriott is Jerry, and all three give the star tireless support. J. H. Roberts and Felix Aylmer are Dean and Proctor, respectively, and each acts with a seriousness that gives excellent contrast to the fooling. There is very little connection between this farce and the original “Charley’s Aunt,” but the new version more than competes with the old. THEATRE ROYAL DOUBLE PROGRAMME “Beyond To-morrow,” which is showing at the Theatre Royal, is a film that is different, unusual. ” filled with tense situations and entertainment. This picture is one that will linger long in the memory of those who are privileged to see it. Charles Winninger has never done a better piece of acting. Richard Carlson, in the role of a young Texan who is the heart interest of Jean Parker and Helen Vinson, gives the best performance of his promising young career. Jean Parker equals her famous work in “Sequoia.” Miss Vinson. in the role of “the other woman,” is faultless. And C. Aubrey Smith and Harry Carey, as two partners of Winninger, and Maria Ouspenskaya, give characterisations of great distinction. Warner Bros, have got away from the stereotyped sort of setting usually associated with pictures of crooked gambling. In making “Gambling On The High Seas,” with Wayne Morris, Jane Wyman, Gilbert Roland and many others in the cast, they have given audiences something “different” from the lavishly appointed gambling places perhaps on top of skyscrapers. The locale of the greater part of this intriguing story provides possibilities galore for situations packed full of the kind of action which one naturally expects to see in a film of this type.