ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 163, 10 June 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

STATE THEATRE. “SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON.”One of the best : loved of-all story classics, Johann David Wyss’ “Swiss Family Robinson,” shows to-day at the State Theatre. The screen version is infinitely more vivid and realistic and exciting than any possible arrangement of words on paper could be. And its producers, the noted screen\vriting team of Gene Towne and Graham Baker, are entitled to plenty of plaudits for their skilful cinematic rendition of Wyss’ immortal book. Opening in London during the Napoleonic period when all Europe was jittery with war alarms, the story tells how William Robinson. Swiss clockmaker. sees his four boys growing up to be useless snobs, his wife interested only to make men of his sons if it can be in her shallow social pleasures. Determined to make men of his sons if it can be done, Robinson sells out his business, embarks with his rebellious wife and offspring ori" an Australia-bound brig and plans to build a new life. But the brig is wrecked in a storm and the Robinsons, the solo survivors, ferry themselves to a nearby tropic island along with a few barnyard animals. llow the marooned sextette pit themselves successfully against the force: of nature and how the boys become selfreliant and upstanding young men while the wife| eventually comes, to understand tier husband’s ideals, along with a. brilliant series of adventures and experiences, make up the absorbing drama. METEOR THEATRE. “ESPIONAGE AGENT.” “Espionage Agent,” the new Warner Bros, picture starring Joel McCrea and Brenda Marshall, which is now showing at the Meteor Theatre, is a powerful and sensational drama of the unknown guardians of America’s peace during history’s most dangerous days. With almost magical prescience, the new picture, which was finished just before the outbreak of the war in Europe, foresaw the very situation which exists to-day, and it vividly depicts the danger to the nation which can be present even while the United States remains neutral in a warring world. It recalls the terribly destructive campaign of sabotage waged in America even before the United States went into the World War of 1914-18, and it warns the nation that steps should bo taken to make the Government capabio of coping with the forces which may be, and probably are, engaged to-day in planning again the same sort of industrial destruction throughout the nation. Making use of an exciting and romantic fictional plot against a background of authentic fact, the-picture explains in vivid fashion how veal the danger is. In the picture, the machinations of a ring of German spies are defeated, but it is not through the efforts of governmental forces but only by the clever and courageous extra-legal .activities of a young American diplomat and the girl who, ho learns after he has married her, has been a tool of that spy ring. •