AMUSEMENTS

Camp News, Volume 1, Issue 12, 1 March 1940, Page 8

AMUSEMENTS

CITY AND EXHIBITION

PLAZA THEATRE. It takes a lot of courage for a star to change charactrizations at the peak of a successful career—particularly if the change is from “sweet” to worldly roles. But lovely Myrna Loy. found the courage to play the amorous Lady Esketh in Darryl F. Zanuck’s production of “The Rains Came,” the Louis Bromfield best-seller which co-stars her with Tyrone Power and George Brent, at the Plaza. After four years of playing the perfect wife and sweetheartit all began with “The Thin Man” —Myrna made no secret of the fact that she was pretty tired of smiling sweetly and would welcome an opportunity to delineate a bit of . celluloid wickedness for a change. But. she admits that she was completely bowled over when Zanuck, production chief at 20th- Century-Fox, called her up one day and asked her how she’d like to play Bromfield’s lady of many loves. She .hadn’t expected to be quite that wicked! “I thought the matter over for almost a week,” Myrna said. “I had felt for months that I was being typed and thought that movie-goers must be as .satiated with my exemplary cinema conduct as I was.” So she took the role and, according to advance reports, her portrayal of the woman who was regenerated by her love for the fascinating Major Safti, played by Tyrone Power, will win Myrna a host of new fans.

STATE THEATRE. MANY CONFLICTS SEEN IN NEW O’BRIEN FILM. How a courageous federal marshal brings law and order to a small frontier community during the early days of the West is vividly told in “The Marshal of Mesa City,” 'George O’Brien’s latest out-door drama at the State Theatre. “The Marshal of Mesa City” depicts in exacting: detail a phase of the

early settling of -the West, in the warfare that raged between outlaws and peace officers who were fighting to bring order to the turbulent towns of the American frontier.

O’Brien is seen in one of the most dramatic roles of his long career as a fighting marshal who defies crooked politicians and crooked law enforcement officers in an effort to clean up Mesa City, where he has. accepted the job of peace officer when the town’s marshal' is killed by an outlaw.

The climax comes when O’Brien is arrested on : trumped-up charges by those trying to destroy him. The star fights his way from a burning gaol to defeat his enemies, and brings the picture to an unusual ending.’

A notable cast is seen in support of O’Brien, including Virginia Vale, Leon Ames, Henry Brandon, Harry Cording, Lloyd Ingraham, Mary Gordon and Slim Whitaker. David Howard directed this RKO Radio production.

A film produced at the request of thousands of radio fans throughout the U.S.A. “Meet Doctor Christian,” starring Jean Hersholt, at the State Theatre. “Meet Doctor Christian” is the first of a new series of films based on the first films to have transferred a radio character to the screen without altering its interpretation. In an effort to insure true characterisation of the starring portrayal, several situations were adapted from Hersholt’s radio scripts. Hence, the theatre-goer will view the real “Doctor Christian”.when he sees the film. With the story centring around the vents and people of a small Minnesota town, Hersholt portrays one of the most important roles of his lengthy career. It is his creation of the thoughtful and humanitarian physician that is said to make for a touching and warmly human story.

KING’S THEATRE. “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” Frank Capra’s latest Columbia hit, co-

starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart.

Hailed from coast to coast as Capra’s most brilliant screen achievement, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” is justifying that acclaim by shattering all records of previous Capra successes, which include “It Happened One Night,” “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” and “You Can’t Take It With You,” adjudged the best pictures of their respective years.

A gay, exciting, warmly emotional comedy drama, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” is enacted by a truly outstanding cast. In addition to Miss Arthur and Stewart, who share the romantic leads, Edward Arnold, Thomas Mitchell, Claude Rains, Guy Kibbee, Ruth Donnelly, Eugene Pallette, Beulah Bondi, Harry Carey and H. B. Warner play prominent roles.

“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” presents Stewart in the title role — a sincere, idealistic young man who overnight becomes a national sensation. , Miss Arthur is cast as secretary to Stewart when the latter is appointed to fill an unexpired term in the United States Senate. Complications both serious and comic crowd upon one another in swift succession, mounting to a climax that makes audiences want to stand up and cheer. TUDOR THEATRE Film audiences viewing Walter Wanger’s “Eternally Yours,” co-star-ring Loretta Young and David Niven, which commenced a return season at the Tudor, through United Artists release, are to be treated to the distinct thrill ,of diving headlong toward the New York World’s Fair from an airplane 15,000 feet high. Then a parachute will open and the “audience” will float earthward.

Producer Wanger sent a camera crew and two airplanes from Hollywood to New York to film a spectacular delayed-opening parachute leap from a plane into a bay near the Fair site. To give the jump realism and natural thrills, a special camera was constructed and encased, with its motor and a time-clock, inside a cork and rubber box.

The camera equipment was fastened to the parachute harness to record the wild gyrations normally made by a man’s body on a delayed opening jump, the shock of the opening, and the swinging that occurs until gravity steadies him down and he floats to safety. Since the camera always represents the audience in the filming of a picture, this unique chute jump will give theatre audiences an experience only one person in a million ever has — that which comes to those who “bail out.”

predation of the Gw„ 1 nial Committee to the/// powers of the bands ./A, township of normally 12 /» was increased to 5000 f m ' J. W. Barnard, P resid rarapa R.S.A., said he J him representatives f roni ,' to Martinborough. He * larly struck with the l at ?? “Old Diggers” who had/,/ to the colours at a ti me ivlle ' tiny of the British Empire ' threatened. 1 > A visit was made to the f hill overlooking the camp comprehensive view was seeold Trentham and new he Parties' broke up escorted I R.S.A. men who described theV units of camp life. The succes? gathering was greatly assisted, valuable and appreciative S ; rendered by Sergeant Chris ft and willing assistants in their ing duties. All good things ct: an end and very reluctantly ft. itors were “marched out” by ftto the Main Road.