REGENT
ST. JAMES
Born in Los Angelos on September 12, 1925, Dickie Moore lias been for years one of the busiest aufcors on the screen ever since the day lie stopped to chat with the assistant director. His latest role, in,the Warner Brothers’ film, ‘ My Bill,’ at the St. James, is probably the most important of 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. He and Kay are just like that however. If he' does steal the picture from her and Anita Louise, John Litel, Bonita Granville, Bobby Jordan, and other stern competition, she will not care. Robert Allen made his motion picture debut while on a summer vacation from college. To-day Allen has come up through stock and Broadway stage presentations to stand as one of movied«m’s top leading men-. He appears in Republic’s ‘ Fighting Thoroughbreds.’ the associate attraction, opposite Ralph, Byrd and Mary Carlisle in the leading roles. Allen made bis film debut in 1926 while still a collegian. A close friend of his, Louis Warner, son of Harry Warner of Warner Brothers’ studios, was responsible for Allen’s “ break.” _ Louis arranged a screen test for him, and Allen was placed _ in a bit role in ‘ Quarterdeck,’ which starred Richard Dix.
Few pictures justify the description of “superb,” but the exception must be made for ‘The Citadel,’ starring Robert Donat. ‘ The Citadel ’ commenced at the Regent this afternoon. It was produced at the American company’s British studio in Denham, Erig-land,-with the result that the picture gives a realistic impression of the badkground for A. J. Cronin’s world-famous novel. The dramatic story of a young and obscure physician in a Welsh mining town is revealed on the screen with all the emotional power of Cronin’s outstanding novel. Robert Donat and Rosalind Russell are in the leading roles, and their characterisations are splendid. Ralph Richardson,. Res Harrison, and Emlyn Williams provide the principal supports', while the remainder of the powerful cast numbers hundreds. The surgeon’s fight to retain his ethical code, his love for the school mistress, ajid their marriage, followed by their struggles together in adversity and wealth, combine to form. a work rich in emotional power and dramatic intensity. ‘ Tho Citadel ( ’ is a picture which provides.thrilling entertainment, but its greatest virtue is the tremendous influence which it is sure to have in raising the moral and ethical standards of society.
STRAND
Sparkling with gay comedy situates and with singing by tho goldenvoiced Hope Hampton, Universal’s latest production, ‘ The Road to Reno,’ is now at 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 sophisticated comedy •to drama. Co-starring Randolph. Scott and Hope Hampton, it features Glenda Farrell, Helen Broderick., Alan Marshal, and David Oliver. It tells the story of Linda Halliday (Hope Hampton), lovely but temperamental opera star, who has decided to divorce her husband, Steve Fortness (Randolph Scott) because he insists that she shall give up her career and live on his ranch near Reno, “ Tailspin Tommy,” famous American cartoon strip hero, is the newest addition to the ranks of movie stars. In the person of John Trent, stalwart extransport pilot, Tommy will appear in ‘ Mystery Plane,’ the supporting film. Monogram Pictures- recently purchased tho rights to a series of pictures based on the adventures of “ Tailspin Tommy,” of which ‘ Mystery Plane ’ is the first.
GRAND
The news that Peter Lorre, as the bewildering Mr Mote, is to be seen in a further series of adventures in the film ‘ Danger Island ’ should attract large audiences to the Grand during the week. In Peter Lorre, the Twentieth Century-Fox studios have found an actor who fits - perfectly into a role, afld they have had the good sense to keep interest in that character alive by never letting him be seen in -pictures that are not provided with a good plot,
a fresh, romantic setting, and a supporting cast of more than usual strength. ‘ Danger Island,’ which is no exception ■to this rule, but rather a shining example, takes Mr Moto to a West Indian port, where the American Government officials_ are losing a lot of sleep over the serious incidence of diamond smuggling. He makes his debut: in typical fashion. ~ When a typical American opportunist goes to London and takes upon himself the responsibility of a finance corporation whose only asset : is some 60 acres of swamp land, things are liable to happen, and they do in ‘ The Live Wire,’ which is the second attraction. The man in question is Bernard Bedell, and the enthusiasm and high pressure he puts into his role are no doubt responsible for the apt title.
STATE
| There’s That Woman Again,' referring to Melvyn Douglas’s dimwitted detective spouse in 1 There’s Always a Woman,’ is now at the State with Virginia Bruce in the role introduced by Joan Blondell. Douglas, who created the character of the wifetroubled Bill Reardon in the original romantic mystery-comedy, again plays the harassed .detective. .The story opens with Melvyn Douglas, as a private detective, faced with a perplexing crime problem. Daily thefts from the ex elusive Nacelle Jewellery Company store have everybody—especially the insurance company—in a dither of excitement. Douglas has but one major suspect, a clerk in the store. When he is about to gaol this cleric, his wife. Virginia Bruce, accepts the suspect as a client. Thus Douglas finds himself faced with the dilemma of trying to prove the clerk guilty while his madcap wife is doing rather amazing things to prove him innocent. In the latter connection, much to the detective’s disgust, his mate gets herself mixed up in a murder and in a general robbery of the store. This serves to give sert ous yet highly comic complications to the melange of difficulties in which Douglas has, become entangled.
EMPIRE
Wa.yue Morris and Claire Trevor head the cast of ‘ Valley of the Giants,’ the teehnicolour picture based by Warner Bros, on the famous Peter B. Kyne novel of the same name, which has commenced- at the Empire. It is the story of the successful fight waged to
■ prevent the utter despoliation of California’s redwood forests by ruthless i. timber interests (represented by . Charles Bickford around the turn of the century. While it is concerned with I one local aspect of this fight, telling in highly exciting manner of the clash ; between one such despoiler and an alj truistic 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 tho | methods employed by the exploiters of : more than 30 years ago and those of the men who have come to be known to-day as racketeers. Graft and corruption, legalistic trickery ._ and physical violence_ all have their part in the story, but it is the last-mentioned method treat. _ 1 that gives the new'- Warner picture its most thrilling moments. The picture has two hair-raising sequences.
MAYFAIR
Two excellent films of widely different types are to conclude to-night at the Mayfair. The first, ‘ Good-bye, Broad way, - is a musical comedy with numerous attractions, and the other film is ‘ The Challenge,’ a Continental production of an unusual nature, featuring the first ascent of the Matterhorn. Charles Winninger is cast with Alice Brady in ‘ Good-bye. Broadway ’ DRAMA OF SUEZ. An epic of engineering skill, tenacity, and pioneering is portrayed in the beautiful technicolour production ‘ Suez,’ which, with the amusing and exciting ‘ Stablemates,’ will open at the Mayfair to-morrow Annahella, Loretta Young, Tyrone Power, and a hast of other well-known players take the leads in the former attraction, which tells of the building of the famous Suez Canal against great odds. Financial troubles, raiding Arabs backed by a foreign Power, and Nature’s opposition are but a few of the obstacles successfully overcome by the energetic and persistent Ferdinand de Lesseps. Wallace Beery and Mickey Rooney take the leads in ‘ Stablemates,’ the firstclass associate feature. Tin; fight put up by the latter to retrieve his good name and make his fortune form an excellent entertainment, while Beery’s alternative penitence and clever wit combine to make ‘ Stablemates ’ a rare
GREEN ISLAND
What happens when an. internal war among gang leaders involves the leading citizens of an entire community is shown in Paramount’s now crime thriller, ‘ King of Chinatown,’ to open to-morrow at the Municipal. Struggling for the lordship over a racket, Akim Tamiroff, Anthony Quinn, and J. Carrol Naish find out that gangland had best keep its own secrets, when Anna May Wong, a. hard-headed woman surgeon and daughter of Chinatown’s most important "figure, decides to engage in a little “ racket-busting ” of her "own. Others in the cast are Philip Aim. the young Chinese actor, Roskoe Karns. and Sidney Toler.
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Evening Star, Issue 23378, 22 September 1939, Page 7
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1,487Untitled Evening Star, Issue 23378, 22 September 1939, Page 7
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