AMUSEMENTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20115, 8 December 1939, Page 5

AMUSEMENTS

REGENT THEATRE CARY GRANT AND JEAN ARTHUR IN ‘-ONLY ANGERS HAVE WINGS” Baranca was a little South American airport, and Baranca shipped bananas to satisfy the banana urge ot the world. Baranca owned an air service that carried the mail across the fog-covered Andes and in charge of the air service was Geoffrey Grant. Under Grant, gathered from the four corners of the world, was a reckless, adventurous crew of young aviators. To this scene, stranded showgirl from the south, came Bonnie, and then the always exciting atmosphere of the place became more exciting still. Briefly, that is the background of the film "Only Angels Have Wings," now showing at the Regent Theatre. "Only Angels Have Wings” has been hailed as a great play: in fact, it is considered in the running for next year’s Academy award. In it. for the firs', time, Jean Arthur and Cary Gran: are co-starred, and that fact alone is sufficient recommendation of its merits. To continue the story, Bonnie came to*Baranca, but she did not want to go away. Romance with Grant intervened, but unfortunately he held the theory that the sky claimed him first. In Baranca was also one of Grant’s old loves, with her husband, a renegade aviator, who redeems himself by a record flight and a refusal to leave his companion to perish and make a possible escape, the thing for which he is now scorned .Incidentally this part is played by Richard Barthelmess, who is making a successful come-back. The time comes for Grant to go up in a particularly bad fog. Bonnie, in her determination to keep him on the ground, accidentally shoots him. From here events move rapidly, but it is pleasant to know that all ends happily. Something must be said for the acting of Thomas Mitchell, rapidly making his way to stardom, who plays the part of “The Kid.” Minor characters are also well filled. The play is well worth seeing; there is action and suspense in every scene. There are thrills as aeroplanes scrape mountain tops, bated breath as romance flowers. And, last but not least, there is the so necessary humour, and the underlying humanity that savours the whole.