PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 23381, 26 September 1939, Page 11

PICTURE THEATRES

GRAND Tlio mysterious Mr Moto fathoms another bewildering mystery of ‘ Danger which heads the programme to conclude to-night at the Grand. Diamond smuggling on a largo scale is going on somewhere on a West Indian island, and in spite of all efforts tho miscreants go undiscovered until Moto appears. ‘ The Live Wire,’ the second film, features Jean Gillie, Jack Buchanan’s screen “ find,” and Bernard Bedell. FAY BAINTER STARRED. Coming to the Grand to-morrow is Columbia’s sparkling comedy ‘ The Lady and the Mob,’ featuring Pay Bainter, the recent Academy award winner, and Ida Lupino. Tho new film relates the unusual story of a determined society woman who, when racketeers invade her community, knows exactly what to do when tho authorities prove helpless. She fights fire with fire by getting herself a “mob,” then routing the criminals with her own brand of “ heat.” In the large supporting cast are Warren Hyer, Lee Bowman, Henry Armetta, Tom Dugan, Harold Huber, and Porbes Murray. Ben Stoloff directed from’ a story by George Bradshaw and Price Day. Jack London's gripping story, ‘ Romance of the Redwoods,’ set in the scenic splendour of the Pacic northwest, will be the supporting feature. This spectacular, emotional drama was produced by Columbia. Charles Bickford and Jean Parker head the cast, both giving sterling performances. The life of tho lumber camps has been transferred to tho screen almost perfectly. Men of these camps are seen at their favourite sport of “ birling ” —spinning a floating log with the feet without losing one’s balance. Romance, death, a murder trial, and the bitterness it leaves behind are all major items in ‘ Romance of the Redwoods,’ the climax of which is a spectacular forest fire.

STATE ‘ There’s That Woman Again,’ a Columbia picture now screening at the State, is the second of a promised series of films depicting the doings and misdoings of Bill and Sally Reardon (Melvyn Douglas and Virginia Bruce). Bill is a detective who has given up his “ safe ” job with _ the Police Department to carry on a private practice. He is in his normal state of financial embarrassment at the opening of the film, and this is not helped by the fact that the big jewel robbery he is investigating simply refuses to be solved. Bill’s wife Sallv has a high opinion of her own abilities as a detective and a correspondingly low one of her husband’s so that when she starts following clues of her own the fun becomes fast and furious. There are the mysterious jewel robberies, mysterious shootings, mysterious plots and counterplots, with Sally and Bill Reardon fitting in and out, quarrelling with one another and making it up again in their old style. There are many tense and exciting scenes, and one three-minute sketch which took place in a New York subway during the rush hour is excel-

lent WESTERN DRAMA. ' ' While the Walter Wanger company was on location near Kayenta, Arizona, on the Apache reservation, to film scenes for ‘ Stagecoach ’ Indian braves revived their almost forgotten arts to aid in the production. Chief among these was smoke signalling and coded rock messages. The pretentious frontier story stars Claire Trevor and John Wayne, who arc supported by Andy Devine, John Carradino, Thomas Mitchell, Louise Platt, George Bancroft, Tim Holt, and Berton Churchill. ‘ Stagecoach,’ a United Artists release, will begin an engagement at the State on Friday. EMPIRE Peter B. Kyne’s ‘ Valley of the Giants,’ the screen version of which is being shown at the Empire, makes a magnificent natural subject for the tcchnicolour in which it is filmed. It tells of the conflict between the honest, visionary lumberman who believes in afforestation, and the ruthless exploiter of man and forest, but the

chief feature of the ‘ Valley of the Giants ’ is the scries of breathtaking views of the mighty Californian redwood forests. Groat attention has also been given to filling in the period detail (1902). and in building up the verisimilitude of a rough timber-hew-ing community. Wayne Morris plays the idealistic young contractor who loves the great trees and seeks to preserve them from wholesale destruction. Claire Trevor is seen as the professional gambling girl who is converted from the iniquities of roulette to the truer if simpler, way of hte found among the deep forest silences. Scenic highlights of the film include the crashing of a lumber train througn a high matchwood railway bridge to 'destruction below, and the dynamiting of a river dam during a fisticuffs bout nearby. ST. JAMES As a change front the roles of glamorous women which Kay Francis used to play on the screen is the young widow with four children in ‘ My Bill ’ at the St. James. The money she inherited is spent, and she is faced with the task of managing her troublesome family and retrieving her lost fortunes. Three of the children belong to that typo which aggravate on sight. The youngest is, however, a fin.e little chap—Bill. When their mother becomes innocently involved in a scandal the elder children desert her and go to live with a rich aunt. Bill is 1 loyal, and it is through his efforts that the family is reunited. The supporting film is ‘ Fighting Thoroughbreds.’ Ralph Byrd, Mary Carlisle, and George (“Windy”) Hayes' head the cast of this story of horse" racing. A feud which had! been handed down through the years' as a sort of trust is waged between two typical Southerners of the old school. Queen, a great racing mare, gives birth to a colt; Sweet Revenge, which lives up. to its name in the final scenes of the Kentucky Derby by defeating the horse of its owner’s rival. REGENT

After seeing ' The Citadel,’ now showing at the Regent, the (tlmgocr will readily, agree tha'f ib belongs in that rarest of all picture species—a brilliant novel transferred faultlessly to another medium. , Pr. A’. J. Cronin’s story was one of high courage in a crusade against ignorance, super.stition, and the barriers erected by the qualified members of a privileged class. All that courage and sincerity have,been transferred to the screen, and the result is a picture remarkable both for its sustained appeal .and for the message which it carries. It is difficult, after seeing Robert' Donat in the loading role, to imagine anyone else fn his place. His interpretation of the. character of . the- mercurial young, Scot is a remarkably forthright 'and sincere one. Even the Scottish accent which breaks out in moments of stress conies naturally to his lips. This is one picture which enhances his reputation, even above the level reached in his portrayal Of the Count of Monte Cristo. Rosalind Russell is also at her best,as the demure school teacher whom Manson marries.

STRAND Sparkling with gay comedy situations and filled with melody furnished by Hope Hampton, ‘ The Road to Reno ’ heads' the : current pogramme at the Strand, Set against a majestic' background of to'Weriifig nVb’untaihs and replete with intimate pictures of the topsy-turvy life found* only in Reno, the filin’ runs the’gamut'from sophisticated comedy to flashes of heart-tugging drama. Randolph Scott* and Glenda Farrell are also iri the cast. . Among the elements which go to fill in more than an li'bur of entertainment are a sophisticated farce about divorce, outdoor settings oil a Nevada ranch, a stampede by wild horses, aeroplane stunting,' grand opera singing,- lighter music, and a star of the New York Met' ; ’’fan Opera Company. The sect; -rac,tion is ‘Mystery Plane,’ fee John Trent, who takes the par, Tnilspin Tommy,” the hero of many .imerican strip cartoons. MAYFAiR Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, and Annabella head a cast of thousands m ‘ Suez.’ which is at the Mayfair. As the title suggests, this film deals with the construction of the Suez Canal. It is no mere series of spectacular events. The adventures of a young jockey and a broken-down veterinary surgeon in their efforts to cure a lamed racehorse and put him back into competition again are depicted in 1 Stablcmates,' which is also on the programme. JOE BROWN COMEDY. Romance and comedy are neatly combined in the attractive double bill which will open at the Mayfair to-mor-row. ‘ Mother Carey’s Chickens,’ a delightful romantic drama, heads the bills, and its captivating story unfolds in simple detail the adventures of the chickens when on a trip to the country. Frank Morgan is well cast as the naval father, while James Ellison and Anne Shirley head the rest of the cast. Joe E. Brown, of the outsized mouth, takes the lead in ‘ Wide Open Faces,’ an hilarious comedy which also stars Jane Wyman. Joe E. can always be relied upon to give excellent comedy entertainment, and he more than maintains his reputation in this production.