REGENT THEATRE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 11, 28 January 1937, Page 10

REGENT THEATRE

PAK AMOUNT CELEBRATES WITH "THE GENERAL DIED AT DAWN" The Regent Theatre 's celehration- 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 districts, 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 oppressipn without a paiallel in history. To accomplish this Clifford Odets, brdliant 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 o| 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, whdse father is in Yang's employ. He escapee and gets to Shanghai where he Mlls 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 f eatures on Ihe first half of the programme are the musical novelty "Knoek, Knock — Who's There?" a Popeye cartoon and several up-to-the-minute newsreels. "Dodsworth." On Saturday the first screening will take place at' the Regent of "Dodsworth", the film made from Sinclair Lewis's gi'eat novel, Walter Huston and Ruth Chatterton are the ohief players, with Mary Astor and Paul Lukas in supporting roles. High praise has been given everywhere to the act'iug and direction of this drama.