ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 242, 10 September 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

KOSY THEATRE. “CALL OF THE YUKON.” Love in. the Arctic -wasteland! A man and a woman . . . and two dogs. All four struggling against the elements ot tho frozen north, and against the even stronger forces of natural instincts. Such is tho compelling, thrilling story of Republic’s “Call of the Yukon,” adapted irom James Oliver Curwood’s popular novel “Swift Lightning,” which shows at the Kosy Theatre to-day. Jean Williams (Beverly Roberts) has gone far into Northern Alaska for material for a novel which she is writing. The little Eskimo village where she is staying has been plagued by a roving band of wolves, led by a half-wolf, half-dog called Swift Lightning. The wolves have killed all wild lile, and the natives arc forced to flee southward. Hugo (Lyle Talbot), a trader, tries to get Jean to leave with them, but she refuses. Gaston Rogers (Richard Arlcn) a half-civilised trapper, also stays. The only other living beings who remain are Firefly, a colho dog, who stays bv the grave of his master, who has been killed; two bear cubs that Joan lias adopted, and \Y inkey, her tame “A Bride For Henry, which shows at the Kosy Theatre to-day, is excellent entertainment. Full of amusing situations and crackling dialogue, this Monogram production is sure guarantee for limitless laughs. Tho picture, which is an adaptation of the “Liberty Magazine” story by Joseph Bcntham, co-stars Warren Hull and Anne Nagel. Both players turn in firstrate portrayals.

METEOR THEATRE.

‘THE MAN FROM -DAKOTA.”

For once a new angle is discovered to the Civil War in “The Man From Dakota,’ now showing at the Meteor Theatre, Without the customary North versus South and family-divided-against-itsclf theme. Instead, the leading characters are two Y'ankee prisoners of war who escape the Confederate prison camp at Belle Island, and a Russian girl who joins them as a fugitive after she has killed a Confederate officer who mistreated her. And the result is one of the fastest moving, most hair-raising melodramas of tho past year. Wallace Beery i 9 the escaped Yankee (sergeant who wants only to keep his stomach Idled and head West; John Howard is his young and idealistic superior officer bent on regaining .the Union lines; and Dolores Del Rio makes an impressive return to tho screen ns the Russian girl, Jenny. All three enter into the spirit of the MacIvinlay Kantor story with a verve and sincerity which makes for thrilling entertainment, while .memorable supporting characterisations are given by such familiar figures as Donald Meek, Robert Barrut, Addison Richards, Frederick Burton, William Haado and John Wray. Leslie Fenton, directing, has achieved a puce which provides all the excitement of the best Westerns, and Edward Chodorov, producing, has kept a nice balance of artistic effect and red-blooded drama.