AMUSEMENTS

Camp News, Volume 1, Issue 27, 14 June 1940, Page 8

AMUSEMENTS

STATE THEATRE. The famous Crazy Gang have been caught out. A member of the Islington studios’ technical staff who was engaged on the Gang’s third film, “Frozen Limits,” now at the State Theatre, has, during the course of his association with the boys, made a study of their pet gags perpetrated principally on visitors. So, if you are lucky or unlucky—enough to be received in the presence of the team Nervo and Knox, Flanagan and Allen, Naughton and Gold, look out for the following gags, which are almost certain to be played on you. Here they are, in order of precedence:— Cutting the finger tops off your gloves. Putting a coat of black grease paint round the rim* of your hat. Tieing your shoe laces together. Drenching you with a concealed water squirter. Salting your coffee or tea. Bangers in your cigarettes. Putting a bag of water in your pocket.- Wet sponges on seats. Cutting an inch off your trousers. To their fellow-artistes in “Frozen Limits” and in the Paladium crazy shows, the Gang has a special list of \ tricks of which many notable stars have fallen victims. In this film Syd Walker unravels another human problem just as he did thousands of others over the 8.8. C., London. In the “Band Waggon” series every week for twelve months Walker received thousands of postcards in answer to his weekly appeal.

“What Would You Do, Chums?” and this . lovable fruity, friendly, Cockney junk man with his tales of curious how-do-ye-do’s comes to the screen in a film titled the question he has asked millions \of radio fans, “What would you do, Chums?” at the State Theatre. . He relates in a hospital the story of a five-year-old episode and the question is what would you do in such a case ? The logical reasoning of this junk-man-philosophy proved correct for the central character of the narrative appears unexpectedly as a nurse on the scene of the tale-telling, and once more this fellow of the world rejoices in another deed of goodness. The supporting cast includes Cyril Chamberlain, Jack Barty, Wally Patch, Julian Vedey, Lenard Morris, Andrea Malandrinos, Peter Gawthorne, ,Gus McNaughton, Arthur Finn, and George Street. The feminine lead is playind by versatile Jean Gillie, the girl whose giggle in “Brewster’s Millions” endeared her to a million hearts.. She is young, very lovely, quite unspoilt by her success and with the powers of extraordinary acting ability for a comparative newcomer to the screen. KING’S THEATRE. “REBECCA.” OUTSTANDING FILM THRILLER , ' WITH CAST OF BRILLIANT STARS With Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine heading a cast of outstanding players and with a story filled

with drama, suspense and mystery, David 0. Selznick’s latest production “Rebecca” is released by United Artists, and is screening at the King’s Theatre. The film is brilliantly directed by Alfred Hitchcock, known internally as a master of intrigue, crime and mystery on the screen. “Rebecca” is the film version of the best-selling novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier. It was prepared for the screen by Robert E. Sherwood and Joan Harrison and retains all the gripping drama of the original book. Laurence . Olivier, who last year made a tremendous hit as the hero of “Wuthering Heights,” plays the role of Maxim de Winter, the socially prominent owner of Mandreley, the vast Tudor estate where most of the action unwinds. To this house he brings his second wife, played by Miss Fontaine, a shy and unsophisticated person who can hardly be compared to

the glittering and brilliant former mistress of Manderley, Rebecca, now dead. But though Rebecca is dead, her forceful personality and dramatic beauty still continue to dominate Manderley and to haunt the lives of those who wander through its immense rooms. Judith Anderson, as the sadistically cruel Mrs. Danvers, George Sanders as Jack lavell; Nigel Bruce, C. Aubrey Smith, Reginald Denny and Gladys Cooper are othe rimportant players.

Alfred Hitchcock, the director who ♦ brought a new status to screen intrigue and melodrama, has directed “Rebecca” with startling impact, with amazing subtlety as to character delineation and with rich dramatic overGladys Cooper are other important and engrossing swiftness from its initial scene to the final fadeout. Brilliant pictorial backgrounds include London streets, old taverns, a coroner’s office’ a boathouse facing a windswept bay on the coast of Cornwall, and the largest which depicted the Tudor estate, being two stories high and containing a drawing room, library, dining room, foyer and two upper storey wings.

PLAZA THEATRE. “EVERYTHING HAPPENS AT ; NIGHT.” A completely different-type of picture for Sonja Henie, screening at the Plaza Theatre, in this 20th CenturyFox film Darryl F. Zanuck presents the famed skating, star in a combined dramatic and comedy role. Sonja’s amazingly developed acting ability makes her perfectly at home in the story and of course there are sequences in which Sonja disports not only on skates But on the sheer, shimmering ski slides of the Alps. Although Sonja’s role is essentially dramatic, light comedy touches are injected when Ray Milland and Robert Cummings, as two rival newspaper reporters, fall for her and fight for her love as well as for one of the biggest stories of the day. Directed by Irving Cummings with a deft touch, “Everything Happens at Night” is exceptional entertainment. TUDOR THEATRE “HIS GIRL FRIDAY.” The year’s wildest, wittiest whirlwind of romance is, according to ecstatic advance reports, contained in “His Girl Friday,” which is being shown at the Tudor Theatre from Friday. Cary

Grant and Rosalind R w , principals, and Ralph Re l *l ; . featured. Well knwn for comedy , and fast-™/ hl? Howard Hawks was the 8 S From the Columbia ' M Girl. Friday” is iant *M with romance and fun. q N as the maddest man V'ho'lM newspaper, Rosalind Russel/J pricious, captivating ace» Bellamy the fuming fret/j ance agent to whom ; the „ 8 is , engaged. Against a bad,?? drama and tragedy, these th»J move through exciting 7 events which climax each 7 breath-taking manner ° 1 - “Five Little Peppers. at u first New Zealand screening associate feature. Mi