PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 23375, 19 September 1939, Page 13

PICTURE THEATRES

GRAND The story of a newspaper reporter who becomes involved in a series of exciting adventures with a gang of racketeers is toid in ‘ Twelve Exciting Hours,’ which will conclude to-night at the Grand. Richard Dix and Lucille Hall are the principal players. The second feature is ‘ That Girl From College,’ an entertaining satire on the weight placed by some girls on the social eligibility to be achieved by attendance at college. ANOTHER MOTO MYSTERY. Mr Moto becomes involved in' an international racket and finds the international police on his trail in ‘ Danger Island,’ Twentieth _ Century-Fox’s new mystery thriller which stars Peter Lorre as Moto, and will open to-mor-row at the Grand. The exciting story has its locale in tropical Porto Rico, America’s colourful island possession in the West Indies, where American life rubs elbows with strange native customs and modern efficiency finds itself conf roll ted with the weird superstitions that hover about the ghosts of the Spanish Main. In this vivid setting the inimitable sleuth is involved in a gigantic diamond smuggling case and a series of murders as breath-taking as they are baffling. After a series of highly suspenseful adventures, the story ends on a surprise climax in the course of which the dead man points out the master criminal who is head of the smugglers and perpetrator of the mystifying murders. Jean Hersholt, Amanda Duff. Warren Hymer, Richard Lane, Leon Ames, and Douglas Dumbrille head the supporting cast of ‘ Danger Island.’ For lavishness of production, dialogue, and brilliance of the acting, ‘ The Live Wire,’ which supports, would be hard to beat. All three ingredients, so important for the ultimate perfection of screen entertainment, are contained. Whilst this is a drama of the real modern type, it is also extremely funny. Romantic interest is supplied by Jean Gillie. Jack Buchanan’s glamorous leading lady, co-starring with Bernard Nedell. STATE 1 King of the Turf,’ now at the State, is a film devoted to racing. It it the story of a man who gambled all he had and won, and who gambled again and lost. No one could miss the thrill which all people, _ racegoers or not, must feel at the sight of highblooded racehorses leaping with all their lithe grace into the straight. Adolphe Menjou in the picture is shown in two opposite roles. In the first he is down and out. Without money and without hope, ho lives, one of the flotsam and jetsam of humanity, on his memories. They are the memories of the life ho 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 his ability as an actor is shown not in this part, for in such roles he has been seen often on the screen. It is in playing the other that he shows his versatility. 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 actingdn this film must ensure a great future'on. the screen. BRIGHT COMEDY-MYSTERY. Melvyn Douglas, for the first time on the screen, breaks into song in Columbia’s ‘ There’s That Woman Again,’ which will be the next State attraction, in which he is co-starred with Virginia Bruce. The star does his singing during a night club scene involving the two principals, in a comedy treatment of a forthcoming blessed event. Intensive coaching by his opera-star, concertfamous wife, Helen Gahagan. following Director Alexander Hall’s decision to inject a song into the picture, resulted in the actor’s acquisition, within a fortnight, of an eminently acceptable vocal technique. The story of the film is full of comedy and suspense. Douglas is investigating a murder mystery, and his wife is also helping to solve it. EMPIRE The monster created by Baron Frankenstein, which, with its warped mind, terrorised the neighbourhood, murdering and destroying, walks again in ‘ Ron of Frankenstein,’ which is the principal attraction at the Empire. A terror-ridden populace sees the new baron (Basil Rathbone) arrive at the castle he has inherited and resume the experiments carried on by his father in his eerie laboratory. He finds the monster sick but not dead, as was supposed, and equipped with superhuman organs. He tries to revive it with electricity, and feels that he has failed; but while he is absent the monster walks, under the direction of a crazed shepherd. The shepherd is legally dead: he was hanged and pronounced dead, but lived to wipe out, with the aid of the monster, the eight men who sentenced him to death. His twisted neck adds further weirdness to a weird production. Bela Lugosi takes the part of the shepherd, and Boris Karloff that of the monster. The make-up of the seven-foot likeness of a roan is amazing, and the uncanny atmosphere of the old castle well simulated.

PETER B. KYNE NOVEL. Wayne Morris and Claire Trevor head the cast of the Warner Brothers’ technicolour picture ‘ Valley of the Giants,’ which will be screened at the Empire on Friday. Based upon the famous Peter B. Kyne novel of the same name, the picture tells a story typical of the valiant fight waged some thirty-odd years ago to prevent the utter despoliation of California’s noted redwood forests by ruthlessly selfish lumber interests. Graft and corruption, legal trickery and plenty of outright physical violence were employed by the would-be despoilers to gain their ends, and all of this is strikingly depicted in the tense and exciting course of the new Warner colour picture. Most of the action of the picture lakes place outdoors, and all of these outdoor scenes were filmed in the heart of the redwood country, with the result that the picture is ’ not only an exciting piece of drama but also one of the most beautiful and one of the most impressive productions ever filmed. For people who have never seen these forests of giant trees, the film probably will also be a rare educational treat. ST. JAMES .Stanley Lupino, Fred Emney, and Sally Grey head the east of ‘Hold My Hand,’ the hilarious comedy which is being shown at the St. dames. Stanley Lupino gives an excellent performance as Eddie, a light-hearted and slightly irrepressible young man who gets himself into very deep financial waters through trying to make money for his ward, Paula, wiln a white cleplant of a newspaper which she owns. Fiddle’s fiancee, Helen, has a father, Lord Milchester, who is up to his neck in Eddie’s plans, and as a last resort the pair try to dodge their troubles by stealing Lord Milchester’s diamonds, which, unfortunately for their scheme, prove to be imitations. Then, to cap Eddie’s misfortunes, Helen resumes a former romance where it had left off when Eddie came on the scene. Just when the depression is at its worst Eddie’s secretary, Jane, brings the welcome news that a good offer has been received for the newspaper, and Eddie makes the belated discovery that it is Jane he loves after all. The second picture is ‘ The Star Reporter.’ a fastmoving and dramatic story featuring Warren Hull. REGENT Carrying as its guarantee of engrossing interest and solid entertainment, the tag, “ from the novel by Lloyd C. Douglas,” the Warner Brothers-Cosmo-politan production entitled ‘ White Banners,’ is now at the Regent, w r ith Claude Rains, Fay Bainter, Jackie Cooper, and Bonita Granville in the leading roles. This unusual story by the retired minister is the third of his novels to be made into a motion picture. The other two were ‘ Magnificent Obsession ’ and ‘ Green Light,’ and they proved conclusively that the film public likes the Douglas type of story as much as that great public which buys his books. In the picture, as in the novel, the dominant character is that of Hannah Parmalee, the toilworn peddler who comes into the household of Paul Ward, the small-town school teacher, at the troublous time and devotes herself unselfishly to the service of the Ward family’. Necessarily condensed, the_ story of the picture deals mainly with the in which Paul Ward invents an iceless icebox and then reaches its climax in the discovery by Hannah that the adopted son of the town banker is her own child. TRIALS OF A DOCTOR. Described as the most impressive screen adaptation of a popular novel in many years, ‘ The Citadel,’ based on Dr A. J. Cronin’s best-seller, will be screened at the Regent on Friday. Produced by . Met/o-Goldlwyn-Mayer at their British studios at Denham, England, on an American scale greater than is customary abroad, the picture co-stars Robert Donat, the distinguished young English star, and Rosalind Russell, of Hollywood, with a cast of more than 100 players. In the principal featured roles are Ralph Richardson and Rex Harrison, both of whom give excellent performances. ‘ The Citadel ’ is a story of life in the Welsh colliery district as encountered by an obscure young physician. The doctor meets a school teacher (Miss Russell), with whom he falls in love. Their struggle against poverty and his heroic labours in the pits provide a dramatic background for the action. Later, when his career has advanced to a society practice in London, the young medical man forgets the ethics of his calling and descends to making quick money from his wealthy patients, but ha errs in a critical operation, and is shocked back, into his senses. STRAND Taken from the play by Gordon Sherry, which packed London theatres for months, the unusual dramatic production. ‘ Black Limelight,’ is achieving success at the Strand. Raymond Massey and Joan Marion, lending characters, are responsible for powerful performances. The story deals with the fight of a wife for her husband’s life. Wanted for murder of a girl at a seaside bungalow, one of a series of lunatic slayings, the man ,Peter Charriugton, is astounded at the evidence against him and flees, haunted by terror. Unaided by anyone, Mary, his wife, sets

Out on her fight to prove him innocent. No one believes her story, but at the risk of her life she fights to the end. It is a remarkable, dramatic piece. The second feature is ‘ Freshman Year,’ a story of college life featuring Dixie Dunbar and William Lundigan. MAYFAIR Remarkable for its forthright attacks on the Nazi spy system, ‘ Confessions of a Nazi Spy,’ which.is to finish to-hight at the Mayfair, is one of the most outstanding films that Warner Brothers have produced recently. Edward df. Robinson appears as the Federal agent who tracks down the spies after suspicion is aroused by the curiosity of a Scottish postman who noticed the extensive mail a woman in the village received. The second film is ‘ Sinners in Paradise,’ featuring John Boles, ASCENT OF MATTERHORN* It is a rare treat to see a film such as ‘ The Challenge,’ the. stirring production of the first ascent of the Matr terhorn, which, with the smart comedy ‘ Good-bye, Broadway/ will open a season at the Mayfair to-morrow. While no name stars shine in the cast of the former production, acting talent is there in abundance, and tjie film more than gains in appeal by its dramatic moments which crowd one upon the other with a startling rapidity. All the romance of mountaineering is portrayed in graphic scenes, while the story adds appreciably to' the attraction of the production. Charles Winninger and Alice Brady head the madcap cast of ‘ Good-bye, Broadway,’ while Tom Brown and a host of lending juveniles help to brighten the story of an hotel converted into an impromptu theatre. The plight of a stranded theatrical troupe provides the basis of the plot, hut quick thinking amid a wealth of farcical situations, brilliant wit, and tuneful melodies, help rescue the party.