PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 23373, 16 September 1939, Page 21

PICTURE THEATRES

THE NEW PROGRAMMES LATEST LUPINO FARCE WITH DRAMATIC NEWSPAPER THEME Stanley Lupine’s stage and screen successes are so numerous that one has come to expect great things as normal from this gifted comedian. ‘ Hold My Hand ’ is a worthy newcomer to the entertainment world and lives up to the Lupino tradition. It opened yesterday at the St. dames. The gags whizz in the best Lupino mahnor, but always with that sure touch of comedy which distinguishes the real thing from mere buffoonery. has a new screen partner in Fred. Ejtouey, and anyone who has not yet &ten this Comedian trip from a room, 'daintily and circumspectly, after grumbling out a devastating line, has a new laugh to come. - To help the fun 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 equal facility. Jack Melford and John Wood are other excellent ingredients of this Lupino confection, and, to top all, some of the snappiest musio of the season, which arrives at just the right moments. A story of a smashing campaign against crime conducted by one man is Monogram’s ‘Star Reporter,’ the second feature. Thrilling in its action, it concerns John Randolph’s efforts to stomp out graft by using his newspaper to elect honest men to positions of responsibility. When District Attorney Burnette, whom John elected, discovers that Draper, a murderer whom he is prosecuting, is in reality John’s father he gives up, $lO case, and John, innocent of DrapsU-’s identity, starts an action to have Burnette removed from office, even tiTough he is in love with Barbara Burnette. Then ‘ Draper escapes, he implicates Barbara in a crime tyhen they both come in the dead of, night to steal Draper’s confession, from John’s safe. A thrilling clinrix ensues as John, finding out that Draper is his father, goes to face him ogtme, with Barbara’s life and Bur--iiette’s honour depending on the outcome of the rendezvous. Warren Hull is cast as John Randolph, and handles the difficult role with all the finesse of a polished actor. Marsha Hunt, “ the most photographed model in America,” plays Barbara and shows she is a capable actress, as well as a beautiful girl. Morgan Wallace is the sinister Draper. Virginia Howell scores in a brief role ns Randolph’s mother, torn between love for her son and loyalty to her friend Burnette, who is played with dignity by Wallis Clark. NOVEL BRITISH THRILLER MOVING COLLEGE DRAMA SUPPORTS Principal feature on the new programme at the Strand is ‘ Black Limelight,’ the film of the stage play that was a tremendous success. Raymond Massey and J oau Marion are associated in the leading roles, and make an excellent job of working out a thrilling plot. Another of the refreshing college films—‘ Freshman Year ’ —will bo seen in support, with Dixie Dunbar in the stellar role. The first attraction shown is ‘ Freshman Year,’ a picture of a sparkling new series by Universal on the love, laughter, heartbreak, and song in modern college life. It is a realistic comedydrama with music dealing with the exploits and occasional misadventures of a group of students in their freshman year. Principal roles are played by Dixie Dunbar, William Lundigan, Constance Moore, Ernest TTuex, Stanley Hughes, and Frank Melton. The plot revolves around three college youths who go into the business of writing “ flunk ” insurance. An unexpectedly stiff examination causes almost an entire class to “ flunk,” with the result that the boys are called upon to pay off on claims far beyond their resources. They find themselves up to their necks in additional woes when they promote a show to raise the money. The story, written by university men, one of them only a year out of school, is authentic college stuff, with action and dialogue taken almost direct from campus and class room. Dixie Dunbar plays what undoubtedly is the best role of her career. The part gives generous outlet to her talents as actress and dancer. One of tho most successful plays staged comes to the screen in ‘ Black Limelight.’ It is a new variation of the theme of the wife and the “ other woman.” The title is taken from the flood of publicity which follows upon notoriety of any kind, and in this case it is the story of a man unjustly accused of murder. Here the wife, played brilliantly by Joan Marion, is suddenly informed that her husband is wanted for the murder of a girl whose body is found in a seaside bungalow. Although she has no idea of her husband’s infidelity and the evidence against him is nearly watertight, she does not turn against him. Some may feel that the wife would have acted otherwise in f)9

oases out of 100: but, then, this is a [flay in a thousand. Raymond Massev heads the east 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. Joan Marion gives an unforgettable picture of the wife who braves the horror of such a situation, establishes tho innocence of her husband, and traps the guilty man. Walter Hudd. who plays a lending role in ‘ Black Limelight,’ and gives an excellent performance. made a big hit recently in ‘ The Housemaster.’ RICHARD DIX DRAMA NOTABLE GIRLS' COLLEGE DRAMA One man pitted against Have distinct factions. and his ultimate victory over these lorcii-, forms the basis of ‘ Twelve Crowded Honrs.’ I’leinud Dix’s new slurring vehicle, which hearts the new bill at ihe Grand. Dik, as a newspaper reporter, gains the animosity of a racketeer when ho endeavours to aid a friend; Iris newspaper articles inadvertently convict his sweetheart’s brother of a crime of which he is innocent, and put him “ in bad ” with the couple; and when ho protects the boy against a second arrest, Dix gains the disfavour of tho police. Fighting against these three forces for a purpose he knows is right, Dix ultimately wins out in an exciting story that reaches its climax in notable fashion. Lucille Ball appears as Dix’s sweetheart, in tho RIvO Radio film, and Allan Lano as her brother, Donald M'Bride, appears in another featured role Anne Shirley, one of Hollywood’s youngest feminine stars, yet one of the oldest in point of film experience, adds to her long list of successes ‘ That Girl From College,’ in which James Ellison plays opposite. This is the supporting film. In this behind-the-scenes story of life in a college sorority house, Miss Shirley is cast as a young co-ed of modest means. Her ambition to become a member of a Greek letter group only to realise its snobbishness, and her warm romance with a student, James Ellison, lay the groundwork for the story’s vivid action and drama. ‘That Girl From College’ also has Barbara Read, Adele Pearce, and J. M. Kerrigan in the cast. TRIO OF VILLAINS ANOTHER FRANKENSTEIN ARISES Two men who scared the world out of a year’s -growth—the year being 1931 —are found doing their nefarious work once more in _ Universal’s ‘ Son of Frankenstein,’ which heads the new' bill at the Empire. These two are Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, who gave the public something new to shiver at in ‘ Dracula ’ and ‘ Frankenstein,’ produced eight years ago. Now they are featured together in ‘ Son of Frankenstein,’ appearing in the same picture for the first time since ‘ The Ivisiblo Ray.’ And just in case their ghoulish efforts might not be sufficient, they are aided and abetted by Basil Rathbonc, perhaps the most consummate villain in cinema history. The spectacle of Karloff and Lugosi carrying tho ‘ Frankenstein ’ and ‘Dracula’ horrors into tho second generation is a striking instance to prove that a man cannot escape his destiny. ■ When these men, Lugosi and Karloff, went to America, the last thing they anticipated was that they would achieve world fame as a pair of “ horror ” stars. Both were accomplished Shakespearean actors. Both entered the show business with a background of European politics. Karloff was trained, like all male members of his family, to enter tho British Foreign Office. Lugosi got himself mixed_ up in a post-war Hungarian revolution, and so he went to America. After a few minor Broadway roles ho was assigned the title role in the stage version of Bram Stoker’s famed vampire novel, ‘ Dracula.’ The show ran for two years. He -gave such a bloodthirsty performance at the Biltmore Theatre. Los Angeles, on tour, that Universal hired him for their screen version.

Meanwhile Karloff had been beating his way to Hollywood along a much rougher road as a stock company vil- . lain, truck driver, and pick-and-shovel labourer. After Lugosi’s sensational success as ‘ Dracula,’ Universal wanted him to play the monster in ‘ Frankenstein.’ The Hungarian star regretfully declined because the heavy monster make-up would cramp his style. He recommended his friend Karloff for the part, and another star w;as made. Boris went on to further eerie triumphs in ‘The Mummy,’ ‘ The_ Ghoul,’ and ‘The Bride of Frankenstein,’ They starred together in ‘ The Raven,’ ‘ The Black Cat,’ and ‘ The Invisible Ray.’ Then Universal abandoned its heroes of hobgoblin films. Lugosi doffed his vampire cloak. Karloff scraped off his facial mudpack. Both thought their demon jobs were over for good. But the monsters were not dead. In September, 1938, film exhibitors, just as a wild experiment, began screening the original ‘ Dracula ’ and ‘ Frankenstein ’ as a double feature. The public showed unusual interest. Box office, records were broken in theatres of all' sizes. _ As a result of this enthusiastic reception, Universal < decided to make ‘ Son of Frankenstein.’ Lugosi and Karloff were recalled, and Bathbone signed up to join them, as a welcome interlude to his heavy Shakespearean activities.

A follow-up of the grim ‘ Frankenstein,’ the story of ‘ Son of Frankenstein.’ starts, a -generation later, from the point where the original horror fin-

Islkhl. and Basil llathboiie. Boris Kar- ' loll'. Bela Lugosi. aiul I :, 'ni‘l A twill on- | mu", i" tii" loiidini: h,«. that the 1 Frankenstein reign ol terror is carried on to an artistic degree challenging | iliat of the original. I The memory of the horror provoked | by the man-made monster still endures i when “ Baron Frankenstein.” his wife, , and son arrive to claim his father’s ancestral estate. Finding that the monster still lives under the care of the awful Ygor, the. baron undertakes to carry on the experiment, of his father by giving that piece of inhuman humanity new animation, in the hope that the secret of artificial creation of human life lias been .stumbled on hy his father As before, the monstrosity proves infractible, and two brutal murders arouse the populace to panic and to threats of retaliation against the baron. The- latter’s obduracy in pursuing his experiment is suddenly changed to a desperate haste to blot the monster out of existence when it and its keeper, Ygor. turn their baleful attention to his child. The atten-dant-.nightmarish thrills possess a fascinaiion for folk with strong nerves. There is an excellent supporting progra mini-. SKILFULLY ACTED , ■ 4. CLEVER DRAMA AT REGENT Its outstanding acting is the main attraction of ‘White Banners,’ the third of Lloyd C. Douglas’s books to reach the screen. The film, which is the now picture at the Regent, is a skilfully-told stoy of a middle-class family in a smalr American town just after the end of the Great War. It is, perhaps, the essentially human quality of the books Douglas lias written that gives them their popular appeal. ‘ Magnificent Obsession ’ and ‘ The Green Light ’ were dramatic and moving, yet well within the bounds of probability, and so also is ‘ White Banners.’ A remarkable ,feature of the film’s success is the fact that none of the players is especially well known, and yet the standard of the acting will bear comparison with any film shown this year. Fay Bainter, last year awarded the trophy of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, heads the cast as Hannah. As befits an award® winner, she gives a sensitive and most carefully drawn study. Claude Rains has always been a Very fine actor, but not until he was cast as Paul Ward was he given on opportunity worthy of his talent. Without such a skilfully etched portrayal imthis important role, even the brilliant work of Miss Bainter would have carried little weight, but her performance is perfectly complemented. Another sympathetic performance is that of Kay Johnson, who makes one of her rare film appearances. Bonita Granville and Jackie Cooper, acknowledged, two of the finest younger players, handle juvenile roles capably. The' supporting' programme combines interest and entertainment. It includes an intriguing comedy filmed in technicolour, entitled ‘ Cracked Ice,’ a film about India, also in technicolour, a musical “ short ” featuring the weljknown Carl-Hoff Orchestra, and ail interesting titbit, ‘ Small Fry.’ The whole programme Is well worth seeing. SPORT OF KINGS DRAMA 0? A GAMBLER'S LUCK sa - v >the ' sport of If tb&t is so, then ‘ King of the dav at W «. lCh <wT ned its sea son yester- • Stat ?> must be the king of whnlhf 5 ’ vi mce ?* 13 concerned almost wholly with racing. It is the story of a man who gambled all he had and r'*’f nd W !i° g ? mbl , ed a gai« and lost. JNo one could miss the thrill which all , ! ' ace g°cr. s or net, must feel at 9* high-blooded racehorses leaping .with all their lithe grace into the straight. There is an atmosphere about the nlm winch begins at the first scene and continues, until; the curtain falls. It is the atmosphere of the fashionable race track; "It is the atmosphere of the casino wqere. money is easily, won and carelessly Jest. It is the atmosphere of luxury. But it is also the atmosphere 5* poverty, for the man who was Jiickv finally gambled once too often. "Adolphe 'Menjou, in the picture, is shown in two opposite , roles. In the first lie is “down and out.” Without ■money, r and-without hope,-he-lives, oneof the flotsam and jetsam of humanity, on hie memories. They are the memories of the life he led in the other part. There he was indeed “ King of the Turf.” The world was at his feet. Wealth and fame were his. But lii.s ability as an actor is shown not in this part, Tor in such roles he has been seen often on the screen. It is in playirifj the other that he shows his versatility. The part is true to life, true in the littlest detail. Actually this is one of the greatest triumphs of the versatile actor’s career.

Menjou shares the leading role with the_ 15-year-old Roger Daniel, whose acting in this film must ensure a great future on the screen. He was selected for the part only after the producer, Edward Small, had made one of the most paiiistaking talent hunts known in the film city. Daniel plays the part of a jockey, and was especially trained for his work by “ Smoky ” Saunders, one of the better-known horsemen of the American turf. Saunders also acted as technical adviser in the scenes involving jockeys, so that it will be seen that no trouble or expense was spared to make the film accurate in every detail.

7o tell of the relationship between .Menjou and Daniel would be to tell the story and spoil the picture. But perhaps the poignant scenes where they are together are among the host in the whole picture. The cast includes such famous names as Dolores Costello, Alan Dinohart, and George M‘Kay. The picture is excellent in every detail. It is well produced, and the photography is outstandingly good. It should not be missed. The supporting programme is unusually interesting, being headed by a teelinicoloiir novelty, ‘ Strange Occupations,’ while there is a most instructive short on the life ot insects, photographed extremely well. Newsreels complete the introduction to the mam film. SPY ACTIVITIES EXPOSED NAZI AMERICAN SECRET SERVICE One of the most daring films produck’d, * Coutossions ot i\ Nuzi Spy, which opened at the Mayfair to-da\, was direetlv inspired by what was icvi/nled at the recent Now York trials of Nazi spies who were seeking the secrets of the United States in ordei to betray them to a foreign Power. A former Federal agent, who was primarily responsible for the disclosures made on that sensational occasion, Leon G. Turrou, was at the head of the advisory staff which supervised the production, so that, though the story itself is fictional the actual methods revealed have the soundest foundation in tact. He was invalided from the marines because of World War wounds he received as a member of the Russian Imperial Expeditionary Force on the eastern front of France. . Edward G. Robinson, playing the role of an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who leads the spy ring smashing carries off. acting honours, though it may be said that the supporting cast does inspired work. Francis Lederer, a former resident of Czecho-Slovakia, and one ot the loaders in peace activities in Hollywood, takes a leading role, the first unsympathetic one in his career. Lya I,vs. Paul Lukas, Dorothy Tree, Henry O’Neill, and George Sanders have strong, roles. . , The associate feature is the sparkling ‘ Sinners in Paradise,’ which costars Madge Evans and John Boles.