REGENT THEATRE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 92, 20 April 1939, Page 9

REGENT THEATRE

“BLONDES AT WORK” AND “ONE MILE FROM HEAVEN” “Blondes at Work,” another of those exciting and amusing film stories about “Torchy Blane,” the girl reporter, is screening to-day at the Regent Theatre. This is the fourth in the series of the adventures of the fast-talking, wise-cracking and somewhat hard-boiled female journalist—played inimitably by Glenda Farrell. And, as in the previous “Torchy” yarns, her boy friend, Police Lieutenant Steve Mcßride, is portrayed by big, burly Barton Mac Lane. Together, thanks largely to the girl's cleverness, she and Steve solve a difficult murder mystery and she scores a succession of scoops over her masculine competitors. There’s suspense, plenty of novel angles to the clever plot—and a good deal of fun, besides. There's romance aplenty, too. although “Torchy” gets left at the altar, as usual. Other well-known players in the cast include Tom Kennedy, Rosella Towne, Donald Briggs, Thomas E. Jackson, Kenneth Harlan. Jean Benedict and that splendid old-time favourite of silent pictures, Betty Compson, who seems to be making a successful comeback under the Warner banner. “One Mile From Heaven” is the title of the Twentieth CenturyFox picture which is the associate feature. Besides Claire Trevor, “One Mile From Heaven” features Sally Blane, Douglas Fowley, Fredi Washington, and tap-dancer Bill Robinson. “Gambling Ship” and “Mr. Wong, Detective” Good, exciting entertainment is provided by the double-feature pro-

gramme coming on Saturday to the Regent Theatre. A casino at sea gives the name to “Gambling Ship,” which carries off the honours of the programme. One of the strange things about the gambling ship is that it run on honest lines by Steve Riley (Selmar Jackson) and that a large share of the profits go to support an orphanage. However, the activities of the honest gambler do not suit “The Professor,” secretly a gang leader, who runs another sort of gambling resort, and when Riley refuses to talk business the Professor resorts to other methods and Riley is murdered. His daughter, Mollie (Helen Mack), then learns for the first time the real source of her father’s wealth, but insists on carrying on his gambling ship. The associate feature is “Mr. Wong, Detective,” featuring Boris Karloff.