PLAZA THEATRE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 208, 3 September 1934, Page 12

PLAZA THEATRE

“JACK AHOY,” WITH JACK HULBERT. 4 ‘ln “Jack Ahoy,” which commenced screening on Saturday at the Plaza the inimitable Jack Hulbert is at the top of his form. The picture opens with a splendid five-minute parody of the part played by the gallant PearAdmiral Ponsonby in the Battle of Trafalgar. Then the scene shifts to the modern British Navy, where Jack Ponsonby, the Admiral’s great-grand-son, after having failed the officers’ examination at Dartmouth, joins up as an A. 8.. determined to work his way to the top. There he falls in love with the admiral’s daughter, charmingly played by Nancy O’Neill, a young Australian actxrcss of considerable ability. Jack makes an amiable nuisance of himself in following her about, and when his ship, 11.M.5. Stupendous, is ordered to the Far hast to check pirate activity in Bias Bay, he manages to get himself a dress suit and to attend the consular ball. Meanwhile, the pirates, with the assistance of Larios (Henry Peterson), who is passing as an intermediary with the British authorities, have stolen a British submarine. During his search for a dress suit, Jack and his rather slow-witted henchman Dodger (Sam Wilkinson) stumble on a. piratical conference, and are forced to smoke drugged cigarettes until they cannot distinguish real from imaginary happenings. On the trip out, Jack, by his actions in trying to explain to the Admiral (Alfred (Drayton) his feelings towards the latter’s daughter, has made the admiral think him insane. At the ball, his suspicions of Larios’ guilt being confirmed by a scene with Conchita (Tamara Desni), an operative of the gang, Jack tries to tell the admiral all about it. In trying to avoid what he believes to be a madman, the admiral is kidnapped, and also his daughter, by the pirates. From

then on the action becomes still faster and more furious. Jack and Dodger break into the pirates’ lair, rescue the prisonc/’s, and escape in the submarine, which no one knows how to work. They are chased and shelled by a pirate speedboat; They perform “loop the hoops” and “barrel rolls” under the water; they ram the boat, and then attempt to torpedo her; they are fired :it and missed by ’the whole British',

Fleet. depth charged by destroyers, and bombed by aeroplanes. AH ends ha.ppily, however, and Jack gets both the promotion and the girl. The supports are excellent, including as they do. portions of the fourth cricket 'l'est. between the English and Australians. and the first Rugby Test between the All Black and Australia. The shots arc first-class, and should not be