FILMS AND STAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 130, 2 May 1940, Page 7

FILMS AND STAGE

Famous Fiction Hero. Cleverly blending melodramatic action, mystery, ; high speed romance and amusing incidents,' “The Saints Double Trouble,” winch opens to-mor-row at the State Theatre, proves to be one of the most thrilling films in tlio popular series based on the Leslie fSharteris novels. George Sanders again plays the Saint, audacious killer, who conducts a one man war on criminals whom the law cannot touch. Supplying the romantic interest is blonde Helene [Whitney, newcomer to films, who recently made her screen 'debut in Iho Hunchback of Notre Dame,” and who proves herself an; ideal foil for the adventurous, danger-loving Robin Hood. Jonathan Hale again plays Inspector T’ernack. the dogged detective. the screen play deals with the Saint s conilict with a ruthless international jewel smuggler whose amazing physical resemblance to Templar aids him to pose as his adversary while conducting his nefarious activities. Screen’s Ace Comic.

“It’s in the Air,” the George Formby comedy, opens to-morrow at the Kosy Theatre. Typically topical, tho Formby film lias as its background the Air Force where Formby finds himself “accidentally” in uniform, subjected to a bewildering discipline, and, as usual, making a hopeless mess of everything. The fun roaches 'its • heights when “our hero” does duty as a despatch rider, careering madly over the countryside on a motor-cycle combination with the local O.C. as his terrified passenger. Of course, - from the minute lie joins up audiences will be waiting for the inevitable sequence when Formby takes to the air. And when it does arrive everybody gets a generous money’s worth of fun, because he finds himself alone aboard a ’plane about which lie knows nothing, performing weird figures in the sky, looping the loop, swooping earthwards in the hair-rais-

ing dives, loosing live bombs and a hail of machine-gun bullets. How Hollywood loves families . . . one- studio is busy making “Edison the Man,” with Spencer Tracy in the title role, and “Young Tom Edison,” starring - the übiquitous Mr Mickey Rooney.

Tale of Gallantry. Heroic adventure, epitomised in a glorious story of three gallant brothers who join the French Foreign Legion to demonstrate their loyalty to each other in the face of being accused of the theft of a valuable sapphire, will come to tho Regent Theatre when the new production of “Beau Geste” is presented to-morrow for the first time. Co-starring Gary Cooper, Ray Miliand and Robert Preston as the

brothers Geste —Beau, John and Digby, respectively, this is the excite-ment-filled tale which finds the love of brother for brother constant in the face of hardship, steadfast in the face of the efforts of a brutal sergeant to wrest the gem from them. The picture is enhanced by thrilling attacks by desert tribes on an isolated legion post, Fort Zinderneuf, by the threat

'of mutiny among the legionnaires, and by the bravery of the brothers in their loyal struggle not to divulge the secret of the theft of the jewel. Brian Donlevy, as the sergeant, Susan Hay- , ward, as the girl Miliand leaves to join the Legion, J. Carrol Naish, Don- . aid O’Connor and James Stephenson head the supporting cast.

Fine Sharpshooter. Carol Hughes, beautiful heroine of the Gene Autry picture . “Man From Music Mountain,” which opens tomorrow at the Mayfair Theatre, is one of Hollywood’s best sharpshooters. Miss Hughes was rifle champion of her high school in Chicago a few years ago, ana has continued the sport since entering pictures. She has a range in the backyard of her 'home. In “The Man From Music Mountain” Carol plays the role of Helen, a yoiing manicurist who opens a beauty parlour in an old “ghost” mining town that has been revived through fake mining stock. There are many complications before she and Gene Autry finally get together, but all ends well in a thrilling climax. An excellent supporting cast includes Sally Payne and Smiley Burnette.

Romantic Comedy. The season’s smartest get-together of romance and revelry with a top comedy cast in a story as modern as the world the day after to-morrow, is scheduled for picture-goers when “Daytime Wife” comes to the screen of the State Theatre. This film stars romantic Tyrone Power with lovely Linda Darnell the new “find” recently seen in the starring role of “Hotel For Women.” It opens on the second anniversary celebrations of Power and Lynda Darnell, but Tvrone Power’s not there. He has had “to “work late at the office.” When the gay party swarms downtown to drag the “worker” from his den, they find the office deserted and then the fun begins. There is a secretary in it of course, hut Linda Darnell’s not going to give up her husband too easily. So she decides to find out what secretaries have that' wives have not and gets a job. A delicious situation results when Miss Darnell’s boss takes lier to a dinner party to meet and “talk business” with Tyrone Power and his secretary. Animated Marvel.

In order to obtain the desired huskiness, and put the impression of overassurance in the voice of “Gabby,” the town crier of Lilliput, the makers of the technicolour full-length animated feature, “Gulliver’s Travels,” wjiich comes to the Regent Theatre soon, called in Pinto Colvig, Hollywood’s “man of a thousand voices.” After summoning Pinto, the picture makers did still further tricks to Pinto’s already remarkable thorax. Pinto’s voice was first recorded doing the picture dialogue in Pinto’s ordinary conversational tones by the sound mixers under Director Dave Fleischer. After that, Pinto’s voice was re-run and speeded up 50 per cent, faster than he had talked giving his dialogue an added and somewhat unearthly intensity and pitch. After that, the tones were recorded again, this time in rhythm with the lip movements of fresh little “Gabby,” the scene-stealer of “Gulliver’s Travels,” and the effect obtained in that manner was that of a nosy, over-officious busybody.

A Star’s Biograph—No. 56. Gary Cooper ,who stars as Beau in “Beau Geste,” is, by virtue of [his early training, ideally suited for the role. Born in Helena, Montana, on May 7, 1901, Gary Cooper journeyed to England at an early age for schooling. In his teens he returned to Helena and was sent to his father’s cattle ranch to recover his health following an accident. There lie became aware of the grim realities of 1 ito ou the plains, learned to shoot and ride, and gained the experience which later qualified him for motion picture stardom. After sporadic efforts to become a newspaper cartoonist, Cooper went to work as an extra in Western pictures, and got his first real break in “The Winning of Barbara Worth.” He has been seen most recently in “The Plainsman’’ and “Souls at Sea.” He is married to Sandra Shaw, and they are living on a large ranch in San Fernando Valley. Some day Cooper hopes to retire to” a ranch on the Montana plains, but not before he has played “General Custer,” the rebel Indian fighter, one of his heroes. Cooper is 6ft 2iln tall.

Among the tunes Alice Faye will sing in “Lillian Russell” are “My Evening Star,” “After the Ball Is Over.” “The Last Rose of Summer,” “Brighten the Corner Where You Are,” anti “The Band Played On.” Two famous English actors, Edmund Gwen' and Edward Ashley, have leading roles in “Pride and Prejudice,” starring two other English players, Greer Garson and Laurence Oliver. Other English members of the cast are Heather Angel, Maureen O’Sullivan, E. E. Clive and Bruce Lester. Judith Anderson, who is well-known on the Sydney stage, appears in “The Mortal Storm,” which reunites Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart as co-stars. Other roles are taken by Robert Stack (who achieved fame by being the young man who gave Deanna Durbin her first screen kiss), Frank Morgan, Bonita Granville and Robert Young.

Gifted Juvenile Dancer. Hazel Ascot, the sensational new British juvenile star, is introduced in "Talking Feet," a sparkling story with a superb cast, which opens at the Meteor Theatre on Saturday for an extended season. Twenty-six named players appear and include such wellknown personalities as Davy Burnaby, John Stewart, Jack Barty, Enid StampTaylor and Jennie Gregson. In addition to these stars, however, the worldfamous pianist Mark Hambourg per-

forms to the delight of every musician in the audience. The ever-popular Scotch baritone, William Heughan, presents a fine spectacle in “The Meeting of the Clans” in which lie is supported by the Seaforth Highlander Band together with the Dagenham Girl Pipers, a great novelty in which the recording of the bagpipes is sound perfect for the first time in talking pictures. The story is a bright and happy

one, brought to a grand spectacular and. thrilling climax by the Band of the Royal Marines.

When “Babes on Broadway” goes into production the stars, producer, and director of the screen version of “Babes in Arms” will bo reunited. Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland will have the leading roles in “Babes on Broadway.”

Elsa Maxwell -will star in a series of short films to be known as "How to Get Fun Out of Life." An American company is getting ready to try a romantic experiment. The studio is preparing "He Does as She Likes" as a co-starring vehicle for Clark Gable and his wife, Carole Lombard, and there is a good chance the same studio will team Mr and Mrs Robert Taylor (Barbara Stanwyck) in "Flight Command." After filming the scenes with Judith

Anderson and Scotty Beckett iu “Mortal Storm,” the studio has decided to take the pair out of their respective roles in the picture, as the mother and young son, and will replace .them. The studio reports that Miss Anderson, who was to play the role' of an elderly German house frn.u. did not look the type, nor was the boy suited for his role.