“HELL DIVERS.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 493, 30 June 1932, Page 3

“HELL DIVERS.”

Spectacular Air Drama for Regent. ‘•Lady With a Past,” starring Con stance Bennett, heads the excellent pro gramme at the Regent Theatre. Thrills v plenty are promised in "lie! Rivers,” the sensational and spectacu lar air drama which will head the ne\ bill at the Regent Theatre on Saturday Wallace Beery, remembered for his ex cellent performances in *' Min and Bill and " The Champ.” is co-starred in this romance of American n a v y with Clark Gable, who has appeared in several of this year's greatest successes. Hell Divers ” was made with the full co-operation of the United States Navy at the Panama manoeuvres, aboard the aircraftcarrier, Saratoga, at the North Island aviation base and in the Caribbean Sea. For the firs time in the history of the screen, tin new -Hell River” 'planes, which art capable of diving straight down—twe miles in less than thirty seconds—seen in action. Among the many thrilling scenes in this M.G.M. productioi are the landing of a giant Zeppelin oi the deck of the Saratoga, and the pass ing of the huge warships through the locks of the Panama Canal with less than a foot to spare. In addition hundreds of aeroplanes perform sensational battle formations and give exhibitions of stunt flying. The story deals with the rivalry between Wallace Beery, as a navy veteran, and Clark Gable, a new type of sailor and typifies the conflict between old and new ideas in naval operations. The central romance is between Beery and Marjorie Rambeau, as a keeper o i a Panama resort, who has waited years for ‘‘her man.” In the climax. Beery gives his life in rescuing his rival, in line of duty, carrying on the true spirit of the navy. Among the dramatc highlights arc the estrangement of Cable and hissweetheart through Beery's practical joke, and the founding of the enmity between them; the sensational fight in the Panama resort; the 44 breaking” of Beery at the court-martial; the sensational crash during a night flight; the wreck of an observation 'plane, and Beery's thrilling rescue flight, terminating with the spectacular '* crack-up ” j on the deck of the aeroplane-carrier i ship; also the impressive funeral at j sea, with 'planes in formation showing j the empty* space of the aviator who ; had gone.