PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 23371, 14 September 1939, Page 8

PICTURE THEATRES

EMPIRE ‘ Fast and Loose,’ the feature of the programme to finish to-night at the Empire, is light, airy, and enjoyable entertainment. Robert Montgomery and Rosalind Russell appear as Mr and Mrs Sloane, the former being a dealer in rare boohs, who likes to find opportunities of indulging his flair for detective work. A forgery and a murder give him material to work on; ANOTHER FRANKENSTEIN THRILLER. Famed producers of the screen’s most notable “shockers,” Universal studios reassmno the position as leader in the field of spine-tingling dramas with ‘ Son of Frankenstein,’ coming to-mor-row to the Empire. It combines the stars of the original ‘Frankenstein’ ami the equally shmklery ‘ Dracula,’ Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Jfasil Rathboue assumes the mantle of Baron Wolf von Frankenstein, possessor of the dread heritage of the family, a destructive monster. In one of his most difficult roles, that of a doctor torn between love of his wife and daughter and scientific fervour for his sinister experiments. Rathboue wins new laurels. The story, penned by Willis Cooper, opens when the now Frankenstein figure returns to his ancestral castle 20. years after his father’s death, as stipulated by the elder Frankenstein’s will. He stumbles upon his father’s grim creation, the hair-raising monster of destruction, played by Karloff. Lionel Atwill, Josephine Hutchinson, Emma Dunn, four-year-old Donnie Dunagan, and Edgar Norton are outstanding in supporting roles—Atwill as a police inspector whose arm has been torn off by the monster, and Miss Hutchinson as Frankenstein’s wife. Production and direction are credited to Rowland V. Lee. The massive striking sets were designed by Jack Otterson, and eerie lighting and camera effects are due to ingenious photography. ST. JAMES ‘ Union Pacific,’ which is the current entertainment at the St. James, is a monumental film. It deals with the construction of a railway across the United States of America in the middle of last century, and all the drama attendant upon tnat great work has been fully portrayed on the screen. Barbara Stanwyck, Joel M'Crea, Akim Tamiroff, and Lynn Ovcrmann have the leading roles. COMEDY AND NEWS DRAMA. Stanley Lupine’s stage and screen successes are so numerous that we have come to expect great things as normal from this gifted comedian. ‘ Hold My Hand ’ is his latest offering to the entertainment world. It will be showing at the St. James to-morrow. Lupino has a new screen partner in Fred. Emney. Anyone who has not yet seen this large comedian trip from a room daintily and circumspectly after grumbling out a devastating line has a new laugh to come. To help the team into and out of trouble there are three leading ladies —Sally Gray, Barbara Blair, and, Polly Ward—who please the eye or sing and dance with eq-ual facility. Jack Mulford and John Wood are other ingredients of this Lupino confection, and to top all there is tuneful music. Perhaps there is no more potent influence in the world to-day than that of the Press. Through' the medium of newspapers careers are made and broken, propaganda, both good and evil, is spread and the opinion of the entire community often moulded. Monogram’s ‘ Star'Reporter,’ which will support, illustrates just how these, things are done. It is the story of an idealistic young man who inherits a newspaper and determines to use it for the public’s good. REGENT Although almost impossible to imagine it happening in real life, the story of ‘ Stolen Life,’ the feature of the entertaining programme to conclude to-night at the Regent, is acted with such Skill that it carries conviction. This is largely due to the genius of Elisabeth Bergner, who, with Michael Redgrave, stars in the film. POIGNANT, PORTENTOUS DRAMA. A successor to ‘ Magnificent Obsession1 '’ and ‘ Green Light,’ ‘ White Banners ’ —also adapted from a bestselling novel by Lloyd C. Douglas—will open at the Regent to-morrow. ‘ White Banners ’ is a production which is not only away from the beaten track, but is said to be in a class of its own for universal appeal, it has a poignancy which will make it remembered after more portentous creations have been forgotten; it draws tribute to the nobility of character in those wbo make it tiieir mission in life to soften the burden of their fellows. Yet it is a simple story, with many moments of laughter, of tender sentiment, of gentle sacrifice such as are seen in everyday life. In this novel Dr Douglas has devoted himself to the creation of a character in whicii the white flag of defeat is converted into white banners of victory. Hence tho title of the book, whence the picture comes. To the latter’s production the character-acting talent of Warner Brothers’ studio was rallied, and Fay Bainter here emerges as- Hannah Parmalee. A humble peddler of kitchen knives, who has been beaten down in the battle for existence, Hannah finds a new niche for usefulness as housekeeper in a cranky family. Step by step her inherent nobility of character impresses itself on the household. Claude Rains, Jackie Clipper, Bonita Granville, and Kay Johnson are among the large cast who co-operate capably in ‘ White Banners.’ STRAND Andrea Leeds, the screen “ find ” of last year, and Joe! M'Crea have the leading roles in ‘ Youth Takes a Fling,’ which heads the programme to finish to-night at the Strand. Miss Leeds has the part of a shopgirl with dreams of adventure and l romance, both of which she sees in a young shipping clerk. In the supporting attraction, Streets of New York,’ Jackie Cooper turns in another fine performance in the leading role. BRITISH THRILLER IS NOVEL. One of the most successful plays staged comes to the screen in ‘ Black Limelight,’ opening at the Strand tomorrow. In it we see a new’ variation of the theme of the wife and the “ other woman.” More the wife, played brilliantly bv Joan Marion, is suddenly informed' that her husband is wanted for the murder of a girl whoso body is found in a seaside bungalow. Although she has no idea of her husbaej’s in-

fidelity and the evidence against him is nearly water-tight, she docs not turn against him. Some may feel tliat the wife would have acted otherwise in 99 cases out of 100, but then this is a play in a thousand. Raymond Massey heads the cast in the part of the erring husband, his tremendous acting powers retain sympathy for a character that in other hands would appear cowardly and despicable. Walter Hudd, who plays a leading role in ‘ Black Limelight ’ and gives an excellent performance, made a big hit recently in 1 The Housemaster.’ Another of the series-type of picture which has become so popular with “ movie ” audiences throughout the country will make its bow in support, in Universal’s ‘ Freshman Year,’ which is a realistic comedy drama of college life with music. It presents the laughter, heartbreak romance, and music of that carefree period of youth. DIX iH NEWS DRAMA WITH HUMAN COLLEGE STORY Action and drama are supplied in full measure in both of the films that form the new programme at the Grand. Main attraction is a gripping newspaper drama featuring Richard Dix, entitled ‘Twelve Crowded Hours,’, while the human story of student activities at a girls’ college forms the plot of ‘ That Girl From College,’ which is the supporting film. Anne Shirley and Janies Ellison are the stars. How a newspaper reporter, conducting a one-man crusade against a crime ring, is caught, together with his sweetheart, in a dangerous net of underworld intrigue with almost disastrous results provides a unique background for the romantic by-play in ‘ Twelve Crowded Hours,’ which stars Richard Dix. Dealing with the “ numbers racket ” prevalent in many large cities, the picture also tells a vivid story of how an innocent man is inadvertently sentenced to prison through newspaper articles meant to destroy the racket, and the means the writer of the article goes to in aiding the unfortunate victim to establish his innocence and to bring to justice the racket leader. Dix portrays the newspaper re r porter, and Lucille Ball his sweetheart. Allan Lane is the innocent man who is sent to prison, and Cy Kendall is cast as the leader of the numbers racket. With its unique double plot heightening the suspense, and the mow ing romance between Dix and Miss Ball in the shadow of danger, the intensely exciting story rises to a tense climax that is aided by a sensational smash involving a car and an armoured truck. Dealing in graphic fashion with the exaggerated .importance many girls place on social standing and sorority (society for promotion of goodwill) life, RKO Radio’s ‘ That Girl From College ’ has Anne Shirley' and James Ellison heading the cast. Miss Shirley plays an ambitious small-town girl who yearns for a college education and whose indulgent father mortgages his little store to satisfy her plans. When she finds that all the other girls in her class feel that life is not worth while unless they are pledged to a sorority, she, too, wants to join one. Through the well-meant scheming of an upper classman, James Ellison, She is “ rushed ” by leading campus Greek letter groups! but this involves her.in trouble when some of the snobbish members of the principal sorority discover her social background to humiliate her. When her father comes to visit her, affairs move swiftly toward a dramatic climax of the entire problem. STATE The adventures of the small submarine chasers—known as the “ splinter fleet ” —in the Great War are told in the stirring film ‘ Submarine Patrol,’ which is the attraction concluding at the State. The action centres in the exploits of the crew of one of these vessels which is pressed into service as a convoy; Richard Greene plays the part of a member of the crew of the tiny craft. GRIPPING TURF THEME. Latest recruit to the ranks of juvenile stars is young Roger Daniel, who shares honours with Adolphe Menjou in ‘ King of the Turf,’ which will be the next attraction at the State. This film tells the story .of a formerly wealthy racehorse owner who has become a drunken race track hanger-on. He meets a young jockey who has read of him in his heyday and who gets him to attempt a come-back, He purchases an almost unmanageable thoroughbred for a ridiculous price, and, with the boy’s help, sets out to train it. But, unknown to the owner, the lad has run away from his home. The horse is a winner, and the boy’s mother sees his photograph and thinly-disguised alias in a paper, and makes the discovery that the now rehabilitated owner is her former husband and the boy his son. Neither of the pair is aware of this, and the boy still does not know when his mother arrives to claim him. He cannot lose his love of racing, howeVer, and his father, now a rather pathetic figure, has to resort to crookedness to cure him. Dolores Costello plays the part of the mother. Supporting items are a technicolour novelty, ‘ Strange Occupations,’ a newsreel, and a highly interesting and well-photographed film of insect life. ’ MAYFAIR ‘ Sailing Along,’ one of the features to be screened at the Mayfair to-night, stars Jessie Matthews and Roland Young. The film begins in thoroughly English fashion on a sailing barge entering the Thames. Kate, the barge master’s adopted daughter, is as useful on board as most men, but her ambition is to dance on the stage. Meanwhile, she dances whenever she can on the decks of the barge, much to the annoyance of the barge master’s son, who is busy taking various corres)>ondence courses, and wdio is convinced that if he had £5,000 he could make immense sums on the Stock Exchange. Then one day when the barge is delayed at a lock Kate’s dancing attracts the attention of a soup millionaire, whose hobby is to collect geniuses. Most of his geniuses turn out to have no talent at all. But Kate takes a different course. The second feature is ‘ The Gaunt Stranger,’ which is adapted from Edgar Wallace’s comedy mystery thriller, ‘ The Ringer.’ Suspense, murder, romance, and humour all play their part in the unfolding of its gripping story.