PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 23377, 21 September 1939, Page 6

PICTURE THEATRES

EMPIRE The thrilling film of the return of the “ monster ” to his reign of terror, ‘Son of Frankenstein,’ will bo shown finally to-night at the Empire. Taken in similar scenes to the original melodrama on this subject, the picture captures all the horror that ensured the success of the first film of this strange creation, which Boris Karloff again plays with great realism. FULL-BLOODED KYNE THEME. Wayne Morris and Claire Trevor* head the cast of ‘ Valley of the Giants,’ the technicolour picture based by Warner Brothers on the famous Peter B. Kvne novel of the same name, which will open to-morrow at the Empire. It is the story of the successful fight waged to prevent the utter despoliation of California’s famous redwood forests by ruthless lumber interests (represented by Charles Bickford! around the surn of the century. . While itis concerned with one local aspect of this fight, telling in highly exciting manner of the clash’ between one such dcspoiler and an altruistic young local lumberman, it is typical of the situation in California throughout the redwood country at that time. Modern audiences will discover a curious parallel between the methods employed by the exploiters of more than 30 years ago and those of the men who have come to bo known to-day as racketeers. Graft and _ corruption, legalistic trickery and physical violence all have their part in the story. The picture has two hair-raising sequences. One depicts the rescue of the heroine from a runaway_ freight car just a moment before it reaches a trestle which, with supports deliberately cut away by the villain’s henchman, collapses under the weight of four lumberladen (hit cars. The other shows a torj-ific battle. ST. JAMES 1 Hold My . Hand,’ an hilarious comedy featuring Stanley Lupine, and ‘ Star Reporter,’ a fast-moving drama, constitute the attractions to conclude to-night at the St. James. In the first picture Lupino and Fred. Emney appear as two hopeless bankrupts who attempt to dodge their creditors. _ The second picture is one of crime, politics, and the skeleton in the family cupboard of a newspaper proprietor. DRAMAS FEATURING WOMEN. Child film stare, more often than not, get themselves into motion picture work. Dickie Moore, therefore, is no exception. Of course, chance and propinquity had to mate and beget this opportunity for Dickie. He lived next door to the secretary of Joseph Schenck. Neither the secretary nor Joe knew of his existence. One morning however, Didkie was feeling sociable. The assistant director pulled up to the secretary’s house to take her to work. Dickie kicked his scooter along the sidewalk by the assistant’s open car and said democratically, “ Hello, mister. What you doin’?” Dickie went to work at the studio next day. His latest role, in the Warner Brothers’ film, * My Bill,’ to open to-mor-row at the St. James, is probably the most important in his career. For he shares acting honours with the star, Kay Francis. The story is so much his that it was entitled * My Bill,’ using his character’ name. Robert Alien made his motion picture debut while on a summer vacation from Dartmout College. To-day Allen has come up through stock and Broadway stage presentations to stand as one of moviedom’s top leading men. He appears in Republic’s ‘Fighting Thoroughbreds,’ which will support, opposite Ralph Byrd and Mary Carlisle in the leading roles. REGENT Carrying as its guarantee of engrossing interest and solid entertainment the tag ‘‘ from the novel by Lloyd C, Douglas,” ‘ White Banners ’ is to conclude to-night at- the Regent, with 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. GRIPPING, HUMAN DRAMA. When askodl to express his view on { The Citadel,’ which will he opened at the Regent to-morrow, King Vidor, the director, said: “In this story Cronin has taken an ordinary, well-meaning, simple man and thrown him into the complex calling of medicine. He shows us what happens—the choices the doctor has to make, the people he meets, the parts of a country he has to live in. The story presents a panorama of life, an ordinary mortal journeying through an exceptionally important profession. It had the very dowil-to-earthi-ness which I look for in rny pictures, and I was very happy to direct it.” The action of ‘ The Citadel ’ is laid against the background of the coal-mining valleys of South Wales, and the picture was filmed at Motro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s British studio at Denham. From a host of photographs ami sketches artists designed replicas of Welsh scenes. Weeks of trudging through slums, alleys. along rail tracks, down mines, scrambling against the coal face, talking with miners, gave the art staff material for conjuring the Welsh scene into being on a studio stage. Most imaginative of all the sets was the complete coal mine, with rails running away into the gloom along the galleries, and naked coal face with miners drilling into the surface. From the Welsh mines the pattern of the 60 sets moves to London. STRAND For sheer drama and the portrayal of human emotion, and for thrill packed on thrill, ‘ Black Limelight,’ the picture which is to conclude to-night at the Strand, is not one to bo missed. It is a first-class film from every point of view. It is the story of a woman’s fight to prove the innocence of her husband falsely accused of a murder done in most sordid circumstances. ‘ Freshman Year,’ the second attraction, is a gay story of college life. CARTOON STRIP FILM, Sparkling with gay comedy situations and with singing oy the golden-voiced Hope Hampton, Universal’s latest production, ‘The Road to Reno,’ will come to-morrow to the Strand. Set against a majestic background of towering mountains and replete with intimate pictures of the topsy-turvy life found only in Reno. “ the city of broken hearts,” the film runs the gamut from i sophisticated comedy to drama. CoI starring Randolph Scott and Hone Hampton, it features Glenda Farrell, Helen Broderick, Alan Marshal and

David Oliver, and tells the story of Linda Hnlliday (Hope Hampton), lovely but temperamental opera star, who has decided to divorce her husband, Steve Fortnes (Randolph Scott) because he insists she shall give up her career and live on his ranch near Reno. “ Tailspin Tommy,” famous cartoon strip hero, is the newest addition to the ranks of movie stars. In the person of John Trent, stalwart ex-trans-port pilot, Tommy will 'appear in support in ‘ Mystery Plane,’ Monogram Pictures recently purchased the rights to a series of pictures based on the adventures of “ Tailspin Tommy,” of which ‘ Mystery Plane ’ is the first. THRILLS WITH MR MOTO ROUTING THE DIAMOND SMUGGLERS International complications are the theme of the latest ‘ Mr Moto ’ film heading the new bill at the Grand. Peter Lorre again gives a brilliant portrayal of the clever detective, who is this time concerned with diamond smugglers. ‘ The Live Wire,’ .which supports, is a merry comedy drama of salesmanship. Not all the. danger spots of the world are located in Europe or the Far East. Little “ powder kegs ” of an importance not to he minimised are scattered throughout the seven seas in the form of island outposts of great nations and empires. Such a spot is the locale of Mr Moto’s latest case in Twentieth Century-Fox’s * Danger Island.’ The scene is America’s island possession in the West Indies, Porto Rico, where American life rubs elbows with strange native customs and modern efficiency collides with weird superstitions fostered by the ghosts of the Spanish Main. In this most baffling of Moto mysteries the wily detective is embroiled in a gigantic diamond smuggling ease and a string of ruthless' murders. Moto has the assignment, directly from Washington itself, as the lawless flow of precious stones from Porto Rico threatens to ruin the jewel market all over the world.

Jean Hersholt, famed for his screen interpretation of ‘The Country Doctor,’ shows a new facet of his manysided talent in the role of a wealthy shipowner who, does his best to impede the official investigation of the smuggling problem. The cast also includes Amanda. Duff, Warren Hymer, Richard Lane, Leon Ames, and Douglas Dumbfille. Herbert I. Leeds directed the film, with John Stone as associate producer. The screen play of ‘ Danger Island ’ was written by Peter Milne, based upon story ideas by John Reinhardt and George Bricker, from a novel by John W. Vandercook. ‘The Live Wire,’ the other film, boasts four leading ladies in the new G.B.D. attraction. They are Jean Gillie, Irene Ware, Kathleen Kelly, and Sally Stewart. Bernard Nedell is the star, playing the role of an American efficiency expert who is called in to help a London firm of real estate agents who are facing bankruptcy. The only assets the firm possesses is a muddy tract of ground in Essex, so Nedell decides to build a huge health spa on the site. STATE Adolphe Menjou deserved _ better of the scenarist who wrote.‘ King of the Turf,’ to conclude to-night at the State, for he gives an excellent and subdued performance as a once outstanding figure of the racing world, Jim Mason, who is introduced aa a derelict whom few now recognise. Menjou has made the character essentially that of a gentleman, and this aspect of Jim Mason is predominant throughout—due mostly to Menjou’s very human interpretation “REARDONS” AGAIN ON TRAIL. Mr and Mrs Bill Reardon, the sleuths of* ‘ There’s Always a Woman,’ continue their madcap adventures in ‘ There’s That Woman Again,’ which will bo the attraction opening to-mor-row at the State. The comedy sequel introduces a new “ Mrs Reardon ” in the person of the lovely Virginia Bruce with Douglas appearing again as the wife-troubled super-detective. Ihe Reardons’ sleuthing efforts concern a series of jewellery thefts with Douglas plotting the arrest of a suspect and Sliss Bruce counter-plotting to prove him innocent. Margaret Lindsay heads the supporting cast, with Gordon Oliver, Stanley Ridges, Tom Dugan, Jonathan Hale, and Pierre Watkin in other roles. Alexander Hall, who chronicled the Reardon adventures in ‘There’s Always a Woman,’ dir cted the mystery-comedy’s cinematic sequel. Gladys Lehman is credited with the story. MAYFAIR One of the funniest casts for one picture is ‘ Good-bye Broadway.’ Universal’s comedy in the tradition of ‘ My Man Godfrey,’ which is at the Mayfair. Charles Winninger and Alice Brady, who were so funny in ‘ Three Smart Girls,’ are together again in this picture. As Pat and Molly Maloy, former (Broadway vaudevilliaiis, who buy a small-town hotel and a series of headaches with it, Miss Brady and Winninger have two parts they can revel in. They head a powerful cast. ‘ The Challenge,’ a picturisation of the first historic climbing of the Matterhorn, the associate feature, merits its reputation as one of the most thrilling _dramas_ of the year. Containing an interesting plot, superbly-photographed background scenes (actually taken in Switzerland), and a talented cast headed by Luis Trenker. Robert Douglas, Joan Gardner, and Mary Clare, this London film is well worth a visit.