ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 133, 6 May 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

STATE THEATRE. a “THE SAINT’S DOUBLE TROUBLE.” e Cleverly blending spine-tingling melo- , dramatic action, mystery, high speed ro- ‘ manee and amusing incidents, “The Saint’s Double Trouble,” which shows at t the Stato Theatre to-day, proves to be 0 one of the most thrilling films in the popus lar series , based' on , the Leslie Charteris ■ novels. George Sanders again plays The h Saint, ' audacious killer, who conducts a t one-man war on criminals whom the law cannot _ touch. Supplying the romantic m _ terest is blonde Helene Whitney, new- , comer to . Aims, who recently made her s screen debut in “The Hunchback of Notre ' Dame,” and who proves herself an ideal e foil for the adventurous, danger-loving • Robin Hood. Jonathan Hale again plays Inspector Femaek, the dogged detective 1 The screen play by Ben Holmes deals e with The Saint’s conflict with a ruthless 5 international jewel smuggler whose amaz- . ing physical resemblance to . Templai . aids him to pose as' his adversary while . conducting nis nefarious activities When ’ The Saint is unjustly blamed for a murder, the police take to his trail, and the j elusive lone wolf sets out to .track down r the real criminal. His dangerous mission • brings him face -to face nvitU his double 1 who, he learns, is a notorious jewel thief. • Turning the tables on his foe, The Saint 1 poses as the smuggler, invades his waterfront headquarters to obtain evidence. His subsequent capture by the crooked band, his sensational escape, his rescue of his sweetheart and the exciting denoument to this thrilling melodrama make it a fino > piece of action entertainment.

MAYFAIR THEATRE. e 1 “MAN FROM MUSIC MOUNTAIN.” Carol Hughes, beautiful heroine of th< Gone Autry picture, “Man Front Mush Mountain,” which screens to-day at th< Mayfair Theatre,! is one of Hollywood 1 ! best sharpshooters. , Miss Hughes was rifle champion of her high school it Chicago a few years ago, and lias continued the sport since entering pictures, She has a range in the background of her nome. In “The Man From Music Mountain” Coral plays the relp of Helen, a young manicurist who opens a beauty parlour ip an old “ghost” mining town that has been revived through fako mining stock. There are many complications before sho and Gene Autry finally get together, but all ends well in a thrilling climax. Homely 'incidents, rather than an organised development of plot, make the Columbia picture, '‘Blondie Brings Up Baby.” which is now showing at the Mayfair Theatre, a gay and charming film. The leading characters of Blondie and Dagwood have been admirably sustained. At first glance Penny Singleton presents Blondie as an empty-headed, over-decor-ated, blundering girl. But by degrees the personality establishes a quaint attractiveness. Arthur Lake’s portrait develops along similar lines. The pair represent the parents of a tiny boy called “Baby Dumpling.” They hardly look more than children themselves, and their attitude toward the three-year-old is full of gaucherie and wonderment. “THE PHANTOM CREEPS.” Also screening is the seventh thrillpacked episode of “The Phantom Creeps,” 12-chapter Universal serial spectacle with Bela Lugosi. Robert Kent, Dorothy Arnold and Regis Toomev in the chief roles.