REGENT THEATRE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 164, 14 July 1933, Page 10

REGENT THEATRE

•'GENTLEMAN TOR A DAY.” ‘‘Gentleman for a Day,” the production showing finally at the Regent Theatre is big in every way, in story, in cast, and in setting. “Gentleman for a Day,” which has Douglas Fairbanks, jnr., and Joan Blondell at the head of a cast of 3090, is the story of a group of people thrown together by circumstances in one of the great railroad terminals of the country. The drama covers only four hours a day, but it is packed with thrill and romance. One of the fastest action stories brought to the theatre in many seasons, it originally was a play written by Gene Fowler. “Diggers in Blighty’’ To-morrow. If there is any doubt about the ability of Australian producers to make the laughable, clean and technically acceptable comedies of the type now so much in demand in Australia and England, it will be immediately dispelled by witnessing Pat Hanna’s hilarious comedy, “Diggers in Blighty,” whien comes to the Regent Theatre to-mor-row. This film, which is Pat Hanna’s first independent production, is a sequel to “Diggers,” and graphically proves the fact that enormous strides have been made in local film production. “Diggers in Blighty” is a splendid achievement for all concerned in its production, and its director, and star, Pat Hanna, deserves every congratuation. The photography is excellent, the sound first-rate, and the acting is excellent, the sound first-rate, and the acting of the individual artists is as good as anything we have seen for some time. The story is mainly concerned with three lovable, but irresponsible, Australian Diggers— Chic, Joe and Scotty, and tells of how they receive ten days’ “Blighty” leave for capturing and extracting valuable information from several German officers. Several records were broken during the making of “Diggers in Blighty.” One reason for this was that the actual time taken for the production of this film is the shortest on record for an Australian talking film of corresponding magnitude. There are more interior sets in “Diggers in Blighty” than any previous Australian 11m. Pat Hanna, who as well as being rhe star of the production, directed it also said that by speeding up the production of a film, yet paying every attention to detail, the result Is a grear saving in expenditure, and brisker action in the story. Some of the many interior sets constructed for this picture include those of a chateau, a troopship, an English country home, a luxury hotel, dugouts and trenches, a hospital and a London street scene.