AMUSEMENTS STATE THEATRE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21841, 19 December 1940, Page 7

AMUSEMENTS STATE THEATRE

“STAR DUST" “Sailor’s Lady” will give place tomorrow to “Star Dust,” which stars Linda Darnell in a thrilling story that well might be the story of her own exciting rise to fame. Linda is cast as a plucky small-town girl in Hollywood scrapping for her place in the sun. In the great adventure that is the mecca of young screen hopefuls, she meets John Payne, another young hopeful. Together they share heartbreak and happiness—and find out about love. With the odds a thousand to one against them, they won’t take no for an answer. They enlist the help of talent scout Roland Young and dramatic coach Charlotte Greenwood. And when things look darkest they stage a stunt that surprises even Hollywood. Others featured in the star-studded cast are William Gargan, Mary Beth Hughes, Mary Healy and Donald Meek. Mary Healy sings “Star Dust," the ballad that inspired the film, while the popular Mack Gordon wrote two new hit tunes for the picture, “Secrets in the Moonlight" and “Don’t Let It Get You Down.” REGENT THEATRE VARIED FARE “Nick Carter. Master Detective,” is featured in an intriguing mystery story at the Regent Theatre. Plenty of adventure is provided in an attack by foreign agents on a ’plane forced down in the desert, the crash of a super-ship in a power dive, air battles and a fight between a ’plane and a speedboat at sea. Florence Rice. Una Merkel, Ann Rutherford, Mary Howard and Alan Marshall are the principals in “Four Girls in White,” a story which pays a fine tribute to the nursing profession. “My Little Chickadee” The inimitable Mae West has become something of a tradition of the talking screen, and it certainly has been a long time between Mae West films. She comes to the Regent Theatre on Saturday along with the also traditional W. C. Fields, in her latest film success, “My Little Chickadee.” As usual, Mae steals the show. She is admirably cast as Flower Belle, a daughter of the wildest west, whose education began, but did not finish, in Chicago. To her other accomplishments she adds one of being a tolerably good shot with the Western sixshooter, and achieves some fame by accelerating the promotion of several redskins to the Happy Hunting Ground. W. C. Fields has the role of an Itinerant gambler of the “gentle grafter” type, who lives very precariously on his wits. MAJESTIC THEATRE “THE LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER” “The Lives of a Bengal Lancer,” which proved a record-breaker on its previous release, has been re-issued and this stirring story of life on the Indian frontier is delighting large audiences at the Majestic Theatre. Gary Cooper. Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell and Sir Guy Standing head the cast as officers of the famous regiment. The drama arises from the conflict between Sir Guy Standing, who plays a crusty, hard-shelled colonel, and his subordinate officers. Cooper and Tone adopt Cromwell, the

colonel’s impulsive son, as their special charge. When he becomes involved with a Russian girl and is carried off by a neighbouring chieftain, Cooper and Tone follow, although the colonel refuses to go to his son’s rescue. They, too, are captured, and the chieftain employs torture to wring the secret of an enormous ammunition convoy from Cromwell. The chieftain captures the ammunition, and the Lancers, although they face certain destruction, prepare to attack in order to check the revolt which will follow. At this crucial moment Cooper hits upon a plan, and, first swearing the boy to secrecy on his own shameful betrayal, goes out to blow the fort to smithereens and save the Lancers. Outstanding supports include a “Popeye the Sailor" cartoon, latest air mail Metrotone News, a musical headliner, and a Grantland Rice sportlight. “Four Wives” “Four Wives,” sequel to last year’s “Four Daughters,” will have its local debut on Saturday at the Majestic Theatre. Priscilla, Rosemary and Lola Lane and Gale Page play the title roles. Others in the original family portrait who are prominent are Jeffrey Lynn, Claude Rains, May

Robson, Frank McHugh, Dick Foran and Vera Lewis, the gossipy “gate swinger” of “Four Daughters.” There’s a new and very delightful addition to the family, too. Eddie Albert, the young comedy star of “Brother Rat.” plays the young doctor for whom Rosemary Lane successfully sets her weddlng'bonnet in the film. Rosemary is the only one of the four daughters who didn’t “get her man” in the earlier picture. Also added to the cast is Henry O’Neill, in the role of Albert’s father. Still other additions to the family tree are four girl babies. THEATRE ROYAL VIGOROUS ACTION PROGRAMME The vigorous action programme featuring “Mr Moto Takes a Chance” and “Renfrew of the Royal Mounted,” will be screened finally at the Theatre Royal. Peter Lorre, who heads the cast, is supported by Rochelle Hudson, Robert Kent and J. Edward Bromley in a weird story of the mysterious East. “Renfrew of the Royal Mounted,” featuring James Newill and Carol Hughes, is a thrilling tale of the arrest of a gang of counterfeiters.