ENTERTAINMENTS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 157, 29 March 1939, Page 5

ENTERTAINMENTS

Charles Bickford Featured In “The Storm” At St. James

A feud rises between brother amt brother—with a girl Between —which ends only when the girl, a nurse, saves the younger brother's life by performing an operation for acute appendicitis at sea, the surgical instructions being wireleesel from another vessel, in “The Storm,’’ which is at the St. James Theatre. Tlie elder brother is Charles Bickford and the younger, Tom Brown; the nurse is Nan Grey. Preston Foster comes into the story as Bickford’s friend who is lost at sea, and Barton AiacLane is the captain who lets him sink. This provides tlie excuse for a subsequent rough-and-tumble betweeu Bickford and Mac Lane. Andy Devine and Frank Jenks capably take charge of most of the comedy, which is an rugged as one would expect from the setting. Possessing power and realism. "Tlie Storm" was made from a screen play by Theodore Reeve®, Daniel Moore amt Hugh King, and it unfolds as one of the more virile action dramas to come out of Hollywood. Impressive cecncs show a great steel freighter crashing into an iceberg and going down. “Escape From Yesterday.” "Escape From Yesterday,” the Paramount film which will begin a season at the St. James Theatre on Friday, teams Akim Tamiroff with Frances Farmer and Leif Erickson. Returned Soldiers Form Theme Of Both Films At De Luxe . Returned soldiers from the theme of "Tlie Scrapper” and “Men of Yesterday,” which are showing at the De Luxe Theatre.

The Loy (Mickey Rooney), in "The Scrapper,” has a right to be bitter, because his father is a gallant war veteran whose shell-shocked nerves have brought about his degradation. Nobody appreciates this except the kindly young schoolmistress (Anne Nagel). The "men of yesterday” in “The Men of Yesterday,” are British ex-eervicemen. They have seen war, and they do not want to fight again ; even more, they do not want their children to fight. “Manhattan Melodrama.” Beginning at the De Luxe Theatre on Friday, "1110011311311 Melodrama” lias William Powell, Myrna Loy and Clark Gable in the featured roles. King’s Shows “Trade Winds” Joan Bennett plays Kay Kerrigan, a girl who flees from San Francisco after a murder of which she believes herself guilty, in “Trade Winds,” now ut the King’s Theatre. Dyeing her blonde hair black as a disguise, Kay travels halfway round the world in her flight from the uaw. Her steps in and through the fascinating Orient are dogged by Sam Wye (Fredric March), a blase detective with a grand sense of humour and an excellent appreciation of beautiful women. Ralph Bellamy and Ann Sothern are the second romantic leads. Colourful backgrounds against which the action unfolds, are in such countries as Hawaii, Japan, China, Ceylon. India and the littie-known Laccadive Islands. “The Young In Heart” Screens At Tudor Theatre Performances of merit are given by Robert Young as tlie father, Billie Burke ns the mother, and Janet Gaynor and Douglas Fairbanks, jun„ as the daughter and son respectively, members of the Carleton family who are the subject of "The Young in Heart.” which is the main attraction at tlie Tudor Theatre. “Road Demon.” the supporting attraction, has au exciting highlight in the failure of a new steering gadget placed on a racing car driven by Tom Beck.

Pathos And Humour In Picture At Majestic Theatre

Good luck talas are popular on the screen, and when Mr. Chedworth (Cecil Kellaway) wins an incredibly lucky double at the races, n hich nets him £lOOO ; buys hundreds of "dud” gold-mining shares at 2/- each, which miraculously become gilt-edged; and stumbles over a counterfeiter’s horde, all after being given notice to quit his job at £5/10/- a weelq "Mr. Chedworth Steps Out,” which is at the Majestic Theatre, should lie popular. Also, his younger daughter wins a radio ■singing contest; his elder daughter makes a good match; and Mr. Chedworth himself, after adventure, pathetic, humorous and exciting, with criminals and police, asserts his authority over his hen-pecking wife. The 16-year-old singer. Jean Hatton, is particularly appealing. She has some of the natural unaffected charm of Deanna Durbin.

"Dead Men Tell No Tales.”

A crime play that more tjian lives up to its eerie, ominous title, "Dead Men Tell No Tales,” will be tlie next change, at the .Majestic Theatre. Emlyn Williams has the key role and his playing of a sly, diabolical villain, is clever work. His characterization is convincing in this blood-curdling thriller, which should prove particularly attractive to those who like crime pictures.

“Dead 1 Men Tell No Tales” is considered by most London and New York critics to, be the most powerful murder mystery film ever conceived. It is particularly interesting for several reasons—first., it is the adaptation of Francis Beetling’s world-famous novel “The Norwich Victims”; and secondly, because it •introduces Emlyn Williams to the screen. He it was who created the role of Danny, tlie uncanny murderer of “Night Must Fall” iu tlie stage version. He not only created this role—he was the author of the story.

Regent Theatre Presents lan Hay’s “Housemaster”

The fine atmosphere of the school and the clash of principles which motivates the drama in lan Hoy’s "Housemaster,” which is being presented by the Regent Theatre management is all too real and too possible. The protagonists is this dignified hut bitter conflict are Donkin (Otto Kruger). the senior housemaster, and Dr. Ovington (Kynaston Reeves), the tyrannical new headmaster, who rides roughshod over the cherished traditions of the school, thereby rousing the hoys to actual revolt. The girl interlopers, who are the guests of the housemaster, play their part by egging the boys on. and so put the housemaster in a very awkward position with no alternative but to resign. However, u happy conclusion is engineered.

The supports will include “Master of the Camera,” portraying the art of photography in its highest form : “Music Made Simple,” a Robert Benchley comedy; and “Youth Marches On," a film which was born of a suggestion made at a camp, organized by the Oxford Group Movement, in Regina, Canada,

Paramount To Screen Two First Releases

The latest addition to tlie ranks of cinema sleuths is Patrie Knowles, who enacts the role of Lance O’Leary in Warner Bros.’ mystery, “The Patient in Room 18,” which will begin a season at the Paramount Theatre on Friday. "The Patient in Room IS” is the first of a, series of mystery melodramas in all of which several of the same characters will anpea r. "Donald Woods plays the title role in “Talent .Scout.” which will be the supporting picture. His job is to find talent for tlie motion-picture business. lie finds a marvellous singer in Jeanne Madden, whom he discovers in a small town theatre amateur night, and he leads her along the paths to become a successful singer.

“Pygmalion” Billed At Plaza

Eliza merely wanted "to be taught to speak like a lady in a florists’ shop” ; but Professor Higgins did more, as is shown in "Pygmalion,” which is billed at the Plaza Theatre. For a bet he turned her into a great lady who passed with royalty, and then, having satisfied his inordinate ego, he tried to throw her back into the gutter. Through every stage of Eliza’s transformation Wendy Hiller is perfect, and she remains human, which is not an easy task in a Shaw play. As the boorish, callous professor of phonetics Leslie Howard is magnificent but slightly unreal. He makes it so obvious all the time that he has no heart at all that it would seem a trifle hard to believe him when he discovers one in the final scene. Comedy And Western At State Newlyweds who have taken the sacred vows as purely a business proposition so that the bride may be eligible for a huge inheritance are Lucille Bali and James Ellison, who embark for Reno in a trailer directly after the wedding ceremony, in /Next Time I Marry,” a comedy which, is the main attraction at the State Theatre. As a two-gun Texan who seeks to establish himself as the well-meaning dictator of half a State is Harry Carey in "The Law West of Tombstone,” which is the associate feature. “The Little Adventuress” ami “Flight To Fame.” “The Little Adventuress," in which Edith Fellows appears, and “Flight to Fame” with Jacqueline Wells, will comprise the programme which will begin at the State Theatre on Friday. Edith Fellows will be supported by Richard Fiske, Jacqueline Wells, and Cliff Edwards; and in “Flight to Fame” Jacqueline Wells has Charles Farrell among those supporting Jier.