AMUSEMENTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20035, 6 September 1939, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS

MAJESTIC THEATRE i COMEDY BILL: “GIVE ME A SAILOR" ANI) “I’M FROM MISSOURI.” The double comedy programme now at the Majestic Theatre is headed by the enjoyable Paramount musical "Give Me a Sailor," in which the main roles are portrayed by Martha Raye and Bob Hope. ’ The story deals with the efforts of two brothers to win the hand of a beautiful girl, played by Betty Grable. According, to a pact made during their childhood days, one of the brothers is to marry the girl’s sister, but her beautiy is not appreciated until she enters a personality contest and is judged the winner. Immediately, the two brothers desert the sister and devote all their attentions to the girl they formerly had neglected. Several new j.songs which should win wide popularity are introduced in the film. ! These include “A Little Kiss at Twill light,” "What Goes On Here?" and i “The U.S.A. and You." In ' the associate comedy, “I'm l from Missouri,” Bob Burns 1 runs into plenty of trouble as a • Missouri mule-raiser, who faces I ruin, along with his friends, when ! the British army considers motorising its units. Always one to take a situation like this in his stride, Bob packs up his family and sets out for London. The frantic attempts of his wife to crash highest British society, leads to hilarious complications and a score of uproarious comedy situations. The man from Missouri is finally saved through the intercession of an old friend who surprises every one when he reveals his true identity. In “I’m from Missouri," Burns has a talented supporting cast, including Gladys George, his newest leading lady, Gene Lockhart, George P. Huntley, Judith Barrett and Patricia Morison. —Friday: Robert Taylor in “Stand up and Fight.”— The third of the Majestic’s big birth-day-month programmes will be provided next Friday by Metro-Goldwyn-Maycr’s spectacular drama of the adventurers who built the American west, “Stand up and Fight," starring Robert Taylor, Wallace Beery, Florence Rice, Charles Bickford, and a rousing cast of thousands. The box plans are now available.

KING’S THEATRE

“TIIF FLYING IRISHMAN” Striking an .unusual note in screen entertainment. '‘The Flying Irish* man.” which opens at the Kings Theatre to-clay. presents Douglas Corrigan, or. as the Americans have it, "Wrong Way” Corrigan, in a realistic and dramatic story of the aviator's own life up to cud including his amazing solo flight from New York to Dublin in a plane estimated to be worth less than £2OO. The Americans cali it a ‘‘crate.” Corrigan, as the world knows, left New York one dayin July of last year presumably to fly to Los Angeles, but the world was amazed to read next day that he had landed in Dublin,' Ireland, having accomplished the most sensational trans-Atlantic flight in recent years. This and many other phases of Cor ; rigan's life are presented in "The Flying Irishman,” an inspiring picture, which may be seen now in Gisborne. The story traces Corrigan's life in San Antonio, Texas: his mother’s struggle to support her three children after the elder Corrigan leaves them, and young Douglas’ efforts to aid fhe family by selling newspaper's. His mother’s death, his first job at an airport as a “grease-monkey,” his first aeroplane ride and his friendship with Butch Kelly, from whom Corrigan in-) herited his famous leather jacket, arc ! all dramatically described. Paul Kelly's performance as Butch is splendid.

REGENT THEATRE

—“Captain Fury": Friday— With Brian Aherne. Victor McLaglen and June Lang playing the top roles, Hal Roach’s “Captain Fury,” frontier drama of Australia, will have its Gisborne premiere at the King’s Theatre on Friday, ( when it begins a three-day 1 engagement through United Artists release. "'Captain Fury” is the story of dauntless men and brave women who migrated to the barren brush country of Australia to hew a nation out of a strange wilderness. Paul Lukas, June Lang, John Carradinc, George Zucco, Douglas Dumbrille f.'.::l Virginia Field, featured in support of the starring trio, portray the strangely assorted characters who join in this match of progress in the pioneering days of the early nineteenth century. The story narrows down to a fight-to-the-finish between Captain Fury, daring adventurer and political prisoner, who migrates from Ireland, and Arnold Trist, greedy land baron, whose game is to oust incoming settlers, grab their land and build up a vast feudal estate to be ruled tyranically. Fury quickly sizes up the situation and plans a thrilling career as an Australian Robin I-loocl.

CI,ARK GABLE ANT) NORMA SHEARER IN "IDIOT’S DELIGHT.” Two of the screen's greatest stars, a Pulitzer Prize Play and a theme as vital and timely as any seen on the screen—these arc only three factors in the composition of the brilliant M.G.M. drama “Idiot’s Delight,” released Yesterday at the Regent Theatre before large audiences. First, the stars, Clark Gable and Norma Shearer head the list, together for the first time in many years. After “Idiot's Delight" Gable's stock as an actor must be even higher than it has been, and the same may be said of Miss Shearer. From the versatile pen of Robert E. Sherwood came the screen play, and this was placed in the hands of .famed Clarence E. Brown, under the supervision ot Hunt Strom berg. Briefly Sherwood’s story tells of the love affair, casual at first, between a “ham" showman, Harry Van (Gable) and a trapeze artist, Irene (Miss Shearer). She is reputed to be a Russian princess. They part, but six years later Van and his troupe arc stopped at an important frontier post in Europe. At the hotel is a strange mixture of neople. Among these is a Russian countess, travelling with a munitions manufacturer. She appears not to know Van, though he has suspicions that she is his .former sweet-, heart. The crash comes. ’Planes bomb a great capital and there is a frantic rush to escape from the area. It is then that Van and Irene find their true selves. Nor is the supporting cast one to be passed over easily. There arc such important names in it as Pudgy Edward Arnold, munitions expert, Charles Coburn, Joseph Schildkraut, Burgess Meredith, Fritz Feld, Paula Stone and Sheets Gal-

higher. Most striking feature of the straight acting is the performance of Burgess Meredith, as the' pacifistfanatic. Meredith was hailed a few years ago as the next “Irving,” but failed to live up to a premature boosting. He now appears to be coming into his own as a really great actor. One of the popular Pete Smith specialities, “Culinary Carvings,” features on a high-class supporting programme. “The Story That Couldn’t Be Prinied" is an interesting 'short, and the Regent’s pageant of latest news reels is of the usual high standard. —Friday: “Confessions of a Nazi Spy."— “Confessions of a Nazi Spy," which begins at the Regent Theatre on Friday, stars Edward G. Robinson, and a brilliant supporting cast including Paul Lukas, Francis Lederer, Lya Lys—famous European film beauty making her American debut and many others. Although the particular characters and events are fictional, the espionage methods revealed in the film tire based on the Tacts brought out in the recent trials in New York, Los Angeles and the Panama Canal Zone. Leon G. Turrou, former F. 8.1. agent, who acted as technical adviser on llie Warner Bros, photoplay, smashed one of the Nazi spy rings. and his intimate knowledge of the manner in which Hie spies operate has given reality and authenticity to the production. “Confessions of a Nazi Spy.” is a sensational picture in the true sense of the word, because it is a vivid depiction of the menacing undercover activities 1 fostered in America by the most dangerous of ail the enemies of democratic institutions--the Nazi regime in Germany. Edward G. Robinson portrays the G-Man who breaks the spy ring and brings four of the members to trial and conviction. Paul Lukas plays the doctor who heads the .spy ring, and Lederer oortravs a bungling Nazi informer. Lya Lys, whose exquisite blonde beauty and dramatic ability make her one of the top European stars, makes her American film debut in "Confessions of a Nazi Spy.”