PICTURE THEATRES

Evening Star, Issue 23685, 19 September 1940, Page 6

PICTURE THEATRES

STATE

Very different from Ginger Rogers’s recent ‘ Bachelor Mother,’ but even funnier at times, ‘ Fifth Avenue Girl,’ which is to finish to-night at the State, revolves around the hectic experiences of a working girl guest in a stately Fifth Avenue home. The part might have been made to order for Miss Rogers’s talents. JOAN BENNETT SINGS. With George Raft and Joan Bennett sharing stellar honours and a strong supporting east featuring Walter Pidgeou, Gladys George, Lloyd Nolan, and June Knight, Walter Wanger's ‘ Tho House Across tho Bay ’ will have its initial showing at the State to-morrow through United Artists release. The new film production is based on an original story hy Myles Connolly, and the central figure in the picture is Brenda Bentley, played hy Miss Bennett, a young girl confronted with tho problem of adjusting her life to a strange fate when her husband is sent to prison for income tax evasion. This role, which is outstandingly dramatic, gives the alluring Miss Bennett wide scope, as she is seen as a singer and dancer in addition to her dramatic opportunities. In one sequence of the film she sings and dances ‘ Chula Chihuahua,’ her own interpretation of tho South American rhumba, and later introduces ‘ I’ll Be a Fool Again.’

ST. JAMES

Comedy is tho salient feature of the programme to finish to-night at the St. James. The principal production is ‘ Home from Home,’ in which Sandy Powell, the famous British comedian, is seen as a devastatingly henpecked husband who would rather stay in prison than go home and face his terrifying wife. The second picture is ‘La Conga Nights,’ a highly-amusing story of American night life. CONGO THRILLS. - Primarily humorous in intent, and produced with the adult observer principally in mind, ‘ Congo Maisic,’ opening at tho St. James to-morrow, has Ann Sothern once again as the character Maisie, and, as before, she makes of the character a lively and highlydiverting person. This time she ventures into, the Congo country and takes in her stride such events as an emergency operation requiring her services as impromptu nurse and an uprising of savages led by native witch doctors, beating these last at their own game by feats of vaudeville magic plus a dash of vaudeville hip-flinging in approved style. ‘ Dangerous Fingers,’ the associate feature, is a British production, melodramatic in typo and dealing with the war between society and crime.

OCTAGON

With Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine heading a cast of outstanding players, 'and with a story filled with drama, suspense, and mystery, David 0. Selznick’s latest production, 1 Rebecca,’ is still attracting crowds to the Octagon. The film was brilliantly directed by Alfred Hitchcock, known internationally as a master of intrigue, crime, and mystery on the screen. ‘ Rebecca ’ is the film version of the best-selling novel of the same name by

Daplme clu Manner. 1 Rebecca ’ is not a mystery story in anything like the usual sense of the word, but it has an impressive atmosphere, and this has been effectively created by Hitchcock’s direction; he was the ideal man- for tho task. But his actors are also ideally cast, and both Olivier and Joan Fontaine give brilliantly convincing portraits.

STRAND

* Enemy .Agent.’ which is to finish tonight at the Strand, is a dramatic story of espionage in an aircraft factory. Richard Cromwell appears. The second picture is ‘ Gangs of Chicago,’ in which Lloyd Nolan gives a convincing performance. DAMON RUNYON COMEDY. It takes a lot to get Lewis Stone to desert his tremendously popular role of “ Judge Hardy ” even momentarily. But the role of the chief executive in • Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President,’ opening to-morrow at the Strand, was of so unusual a nature and had such great possibilities in the way of inserting humanness in a dramatic characterisation that Stone eagerly accepted the opportunity to play it. He is tho president in the Damon Runyon story, a human individual who listens to Joe Turp’s plea for Jim, the mailman, and Reinstates him. Three stars of the earlier days of Hollywood have prominent roles in ‘ Santa Fe Marshal,’ latest film of the thrilling “Hopalong Cassidy ” series, which supports, with William Boyd appearing as the dauntless Hopalong Cassidy.

REGENT

Featuring Akim Tamiroff and the beautiful Dorothy Lamour, ‘ Disputed Passage,’ an engrossing drama, is to finish to-night at the Regent. The story deals with a feud between a famous doctor and his young protege, a rising man in the medical profession. The trouble Inoves to a. climax when the young man falls in love. GARBO AS COMIC. Hitherto so serious and remote, the -great Garbo now emerges in a role entirely foreign to her accepted histrionic bent, and demonstrates her acting genius by an aptitude for comedy. This unsuspected sense of humour is revealed in the picture, ‘ Ninotchka,’ a satirical comedy at tho expense of the Soviet system, which opens at the Regent tomorrow. ‘ Ninotchka’s ’ unusual comic theme is based on the contrast between Russian and Western European modes of thought. The clash, of national temperament is expressed in the characters of Ninotchka, an envoy extraordinary of the Soviet Government, and a debonair young count, who dances attendances on an ageing grand duchess in Paris. Ninotchka (Greta Garbo) has been brought up in revolutionary Russia, and arrives in Paris imbued with dry uncmotionalism and scorn for capitalist culture.

EMPIRE

The ineradicable stigma of the prison dress and a man’s fight to begin life again is the story which is dramatically told in ‘ Invisible Stripes,’ which is to finish to-night at the Empire. George Raft and Humphrey Bogart, both versed in this type of film, give sterling performances as two ex-convicts. QUEER THINGS HAPPEN. Queer things crop up during the making of an out-of-doors film like Parampunt’s 4 Geronimo!’ which comes to-morrow to the Empire. On location one of the full-blooded Cherokoes employed in tho picture was making a large hat for hin&elf. He dug a round hole in the ground, laid a piece of raw hide on it, and thumped down hard on it with a log until it took the shape of his head. Then he trimmed it with a knife,, sewed on a horsehidc braid, and there was a perfect hat. Among those who watched the Indian with avid interest were Preston Foster, Andy Devine, and Ellen Drew, featured players in the cast. Paul Sloane, the director and author of the screen play, too. watched the Indian at his work and offered to get him a hat from the wardrobe trunks to replace the one the Cherokee had lost in a high wind. The Indian refused the proffer with thanks.

THRILLING ESPIONAGE DRAMA

BRITISH VARIETY MUSICAL SUPPORTS ' Losing nothing in the reissue, the film ‘ 1 Was a Spy ’ has been released again at the Grand, where it heads the new bill. It is a thrilling drama ot espionage, made in British studios, and tells of the factual history of Belgian women assisting British soldiers to escape from a German-occupied territorv. The joint themes of love and devotion to duty lift the film out of the ordinary run of espionage dramas. In support is 4 Arpund the Town,’ a musical variety film made by G.8.D., which has Vic. Oliver in the leading role, which is well suited to his talents. ‘ I Was a Spv,’ the groat British film, on its first issue, so thoroughly deserved the packed houses which greeted it everywhere that the present reissue during the present war against the Hitlerites is more than justified. In its essentials the story has all the simplicity of greatness. It tells the true store" of the young Belgian woman, Martha M'Keuna, who, with her parents, was in, the town of Holders in 1915. after the Germans had occupied it to make it a base behind the lines. In a particular scene among German wounded installed in the market place, tb ■ woman’s slight medical training and linr personal instinct show in her demeanour, and she is engaged by the medical authorities to serve in the hospital. Her untiring work - there becomes invaluable. Hut still she is a Belgian, and lives among her townsfolk. When her aunt in the intelligence,service of tho Allies takes brief refuge in her homo, Martha helps her in furtive missions, and gradually accepts her destiny to become a unit in tho machine—soon a very important unit, although, until near the end, an unobtrusive one. Her immediate superior in tho hospital is also in the service. They work together, in

love with each other, and both doing their double, incompatible, seriously, and without question. Martha sends information, for instance, of an outdoor mass religious service of the troops; she risks the fate of the thousands of soldiers whom she is among when they aro caught unawares, and heavily bombed by Allied planes. Then she and tike doctor nurse those who are left wounded. Together they make a fruitless attempt to blow up a dump of poison-gas cylinders when they first came into use by the Germans; then they nurse the Allied wounded after the first gas attack. Conrad Veidt, Herbert Marshall, and Madeleine Carroll give brilliant performances in the leading roles. Vic. Oliver, the comedian-compere, who amuses millions on the air and tens of thousands on the stage, has now further enhanced Iris tremendous popularity by taking the leading role in the new G.B.D. musical, ‘ Around the Town.’ There are more than a score of tho best-known variety acts of the British stage in this picture, including Torn's Juveniles, the Two Charladies, tho Rhythm Sisters, the Tin Pan Alley Trio. Pat M'Cormack. Jimmy Kennedy and Michael Carr. Maurice" Wiuniek’s Band, and tho Three Hill Billies.

MAYFAIR

Lionel Barrymore is the star of ‘ On Borrowed Time,’ which is at the Mayfair. Spectators can scarcely fail to be touched by the whimsical appeal of the fantasy story, the innate naturalness and charming simplicity of the leading character, and the beauty of the surrounding effects. The story centres in the fortunes of Pud Northrop and his grandfather. “ Gramps,” with Mr Brink playing the part of Death in the background, and appearing on appropriate occasions. Lovely Penny Singleton is “ Blondio ” again and Arthur Lake is tho same harassed “ Dagwood ” in “Blondie 'fakes a Vacation.’ which is the supporting feature. Larry Simms as “ Baby Dumpling ” and “ Daisy ” are also in the newest adventure of tho funny paper family.