REGENT THEATRE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 10, 27 January 1937, Page 10

REGENT THEATRE

PARAMOUNT CELEBRATES WITH "THE GENERAL DIED AT DAWN" The Regent Theatre 's celebration of Paramount's 25th. year of service to the public is proving a great success. Their picture, "The General Died at Dawn" has proved a great draw with the public of Hastings and surrounding districte, which is not surprising, as the Paramount sign is known to signify only the best of screen fare. The producers of "The General Died at Dawn" were determined to recapture the magnitude and significance of modern China, a popular uprising against oppression without a parallel m history. To accomplish this Clifford Odets, brilliant young playwright whose works have caused a sensation for their startling reality and rigid adherence to fact, was assigned to write the screenplay. The growing spirit of resistance on the part of modern China against the predatory war-lords who have subjugated the country is the basis of the story which presents Gary Cooper again in a soldier-of-fortune role. This time he is in the ranks of the people 's army. Sent to Shanghai to purchase arms with which to resist General Yang, war lord, he is lured aboard a train by beautiful blonde Madeleine Carroll, whose father is in Yang's employ. He escapes and gets to Shanghai where he kills the father who is about to flee to America with the money. That is the beginning of adventures for the pair; the incidents are many and thrilling, but all within the bounds of probability. Attractive featnres on

the first half of the programme are the musieal novelty "Knock, Knocli— Who's There?" a Popeye cartoon and several up-to-the-minute newsreels.