ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 114, 12 April 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

REGENT THEATRE. “DESTRY RIDES AGAIN.” As a laughing, singing, loving bar-room entertainer in a town of the Old West, Miss Dietrich plays opposite lanky James Stewart, \one of the screen’s most male stars, who has the role of the shy young deputy-sheriff in “Destry Rides Again,” which screens at the Regent 10-day. Miss Dietrich sees in the character a similarity to the one she portrayed in ‘‘The Blue Angel,” the film which first lifted her to stardom. “Ever since then I have, wanted to do another such role but until now I've never had the opportunity,” Miss Dietrich says. “The first day I began work in ‘Destry Rides Again,’ I knew I had the story I’d been looking for. It wa6 fun doing it. the exciting action and the singing.” Joo Pasternak, producer of “Destry Rides Again,” knew Miss Dietrich wanted to play such a role, but the star herself had despaired of finding a suitable story and had gone to Europe with plans to make two pictures in Paris. While there she received a trans-Atlantic call from Pasternak, who described the story to her, and won her enthusiastic approval. She took tlie next boat back to New York, and Hollywood. Incidentally, “Destry Rides Again” is Miss Dietrich’s first picture since she became an American citizen.

KOSY THEATRE.

“KEEP SMILING.”

Graeie Fields has never given he; millions of followers a greater feast of fun than she docs in her second 20th CenturyFox release, “Keep Smiling,” the attraction at the Rosy Theatre to-night. From I lie first riotous moment, when wo meet her as a burlesque “Tommy,” having difficulty with her uniform, to the triumphant scene at a luxury beach pavilion, she is the life and soul of the year’s brightest screen party. The story of “Keep Smiling” provides filnigocrs with a refreshing and happy tonic. A riotous show is being staged in a provincial theatre by touring music-hall troupe, with Grade Fields as the star. Their manager, played by Joe Mott, lias agreed to givo charity- the proceeds, but is discovered attempting to keep most of the money himself. Graeie leads the troupe in rebellion and they walk out on Mott. Penniless, they determine to start their own company. Grade takes them all to her grandfather’s farm. Avis (Mary Maguire), the troupe’s eoubrette; Bert (Roger Livescy), the pianist; Denis (Jack Donohue), and six other members of the company go with Grade to the farm. They completely upset iho routine of the place with their rehearsals in the open air, infuriating old Silar Gray (Edward Rigby). It is a stray dog (“Skippy,” of “Thin Man” fame) who eventually helps the troupe to success at a seaside pavilion, but only after the villainous manager lias been severely dealt with. “Army Girl,” the second attraction, can bo catalogued ne one of the really outstanding productions of this year. It is definitely' not a war picture—but a refreshing romance filmed against a thrillteeming background of a peacetime army. Take a story that is filled with action and spectacle; one that is filled with comedy, romance, drama. melodrama and pathos; combine all those elements and you have the story of “Army Girl.” Add to that a cast that includes such names as Madge Evans, Preston Foster, James Gleason. H. 15. Warner, Ruth Donnelly, Neil Hamilton, Ralph Morgan, “J3ig Boy” Williams, Ralph Byrd, Heather Angel. Barbara Popper, Robert Warwick and Billy Gilbert., MAYFAIR THEATRE. “MISSING EVIDENCE.” In New Universal’? “Miseing Evidence,” which screens to-day at. the Mayfair Theatre, the manner in which counterfeit sweepstakes ticket racketeers operate affords the basis for a timely and thrilling action drama. Almost everyone has entertained the Utopian dream of winning a vast fortune. Looking at the pictures of the bewildered but unhappy face of a porter in San. Francisco, a painter in Chicago, or a seamstress in New York who has suddenly acquired thousands of dollars on a winning sweepstakes ticket inspires the liopo that some day others, too, might hold a lucky coupon. As a result, it has been estimated by Ihe United States Government that 20,000,000 dollars leave the country each year through the sale of sweepstakes coupons, “Missing Evi denco” deals with an effort to smash a nation-wide syndicate engaged in this racket. Preston Foster portrays a G-Man. Irene Ilorvey is seen as a pretty cigar stand attendant who helps him after a tragedy makes her realise she has unwittingly been an accomplice of the gangsters.

'lhe bravery of men who give their lives that others may live is brought to the screen in Columbia’s “Coast Guard.” hailed by Hollywood as one of the most thrilling and dramatic records ever to be screened. The story of tho “.Coast Guard,” tlie new film, screens at the Alayfair Theatre to-day, with Randolph Scott, Frances Dee, Ralph Bellamy and Walter Connolly featured. The picture reveals the heroic saga of the Coast Guard. The activities of the Service are clearly shown; tlie cutters patrolling the iceberg lane* ol the North Atlantic or guarding seals from the depredations of poachers; aircralt wing over little-frequented shorelines and great ambulance ’planes take seriously injured men from ships at sea. Storms, shipwrecks, disaster at sou, hurricanes—those are the elements from which the stirring story of “Coast Guard’ is taken. A runaway ’plane crashes in flames in “Invisible Terror,” the fourth thrilling episode of “Ilie Phantom Ciecps, Universal’s 12-chapter mystery serial playing-to-day at tho Mayfair Theatre with Bela Lugosi, Robert Kent, Dorothy Arnold and Regis Toomcy in tho leading roles.