ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 43, 19 January 1938, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

METEOR THEATRE. “THE WHITE ANGEL.” What is heralded as one of the outstanding productions of the screen, “The While Angel,” a First National picture featuring the life story of the immortal nurse, Florence Nightingale, is showing at the Meteor Theatre to-night, with Kay Francis in tho stellar role. The picture paints in fiery drama (he fight of Florence Nightingale, a wealthy English society girl, to remedy conditions in army field hospitals and the neglect of dying soldiers. All the tragedy and pathos of the battlefield is pictured in. the film, as well as tho beauty of the life of sacrifices of Florence Nightingale and her specially picked nurses. The film is set- in the. middle of the last century during tho Crimean War, and the most thrilling scenes take place at the base hospital at Scutavia, a small Turkish town on the north shore of the Bosphorus, and at Balaclava, where the immortal six hundred of the Light Brigado rode “into the jaws of death.” No more powerful nor romantic theme could .have been selected by First National than that of the life of the groat nurse who gave her all to humanity by revolutionising the hospitalisation system of the world, and whoso efforts laid the groundwork for the establishment of tho Rod Cross. The picturo is enacted by an exceptionally talented oast of principals with more than 1003 persons in extra roles. lan Hunter, famous on the London stage and in films, and Donald Woods havo tho two leading masculine roles. Others in the cast include actors famous in America and abroad both on the stage and screen.

STATE THEATRE. “IT HAPPENED OUT WEST.” Explosive excitement and fast action paced with comedy and tender- romance, with Harold 801 l Weight’s startling new hero making tho wild West wilder when he tackles a gun-toting band from the badlands, marks the noted outdoors author’s gayest and grandest story, “It Happened Out West,” 20th Contury-Fox release, featuring Paul Kelly and Judith Allen, which screens to-night at the State Theatre. Introducing a new Wright leading man who hails from the East, and who out-bluffs and out-roughs the toughest Westerners who menace his romance, the film was directed by Howard Bretherton and produced by Sol Lesser. This pair have brought many of tho beloved writer’s stories to virile life on the screen. Because she is squandering her legacy in an ill-advised attempt to turn her ranch into a dairy farm, the trust company guarding Judith Allen’s inheritance sends Paul Kelly, its special trouble-shooter, to dissuade her. Posing as a milk expert, he gets a job on her ranch, as docs his partner, Johnny Arthur. Aware that the ranch contains rich silver deposits, Judith’s foreman, Leroy Mason, is trying to wrost control from her without her knowledge. When a ranch hand learns liis secret of tho presence of the ore, Mason murders him. At this critical juncture he also succeeds in turning Judith away from Paul, and she dismisses him from tho ranch. Before leaving Paul accidentally learns of Mason’s evil motives, and in a hair-raising, thrill-packed punching climax succeeds in foiling bis efforts, jailing his band, and winning Judith. “YOU CAN’T BUY LUCK.” “You Can’t Buy Luck,” a race track drama climaxing in a murder mystery, also screens at the State Theatre to-night. Onslow Stevens, stage and screen star, portrays a superstitious racehorse owner who believes that the more ho helps others financially, the more luck will his horses have on tho track. Helen black Jias the leading feminine role. Even defeat of his favourite horse in a big derby fails to convince him that his theory is superficial, and it finally takes a tragedy that places his life in jeopardy to awaken him to tho narrowness of his vision and to the realisation that ho should be charitable for tho actual good it does rather than for his own selfish purposes. BOBBY BREEN CONTEST.

In connection with the forthcoming season of Bobby Breen in “Make a Wish,” to commence at the State Theatre on January 21, entrants are invited to discover Palmerston North’s Bobby Breen. Boys to 14 years of age are eligible. Selected entrants are to sing from the stage of the State Tehatre at each 8 p.m. session. The winner will bo, selected by the audience. The first prize is £5 ss, the second £2 2s, and there are numerous consolation prizes.