FILMS AND STAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 244, 12 September 1940, Page 10

FILMS AND STAGE

Long Line of Successes. Allan Jones, who shares the top spot with Mary Martin and Walter Connolly in the musical romance “The Great Victor Herbert,’’ has appeared in' some of tlic screen’s best-liked melody pictures. ■ Among them are “Show Boat,” “Rose Marie,’’ “The Firefly” and “Everybody Sing.” Jones’s role in “The Great Victor Herbert,” which is scheduled to open tomorrow at the Itegent Theatre, is that of a turn-ol’-the-century matinee idol who finds fame in Victor Herbert’s operettas and romance with the most popular leading lady of the day. In the supporting cast ' are Lee bowman, Susanna Foster, Jerome Cowan and Judith Barrett. The film brings back such memorable music as “Kiss Me Again,” “I’m Falling in Love With Someone,” “Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life,” “A Kiss in the Dark” and “Thine Alone.”

Vast Human Chronicle. The sun never sets on the British Empire, nor on the colourful locales chosen by Hollywood for its outstanding productions. The studio had five million square miles from which to select the setting for “The Sun Never Sots,” drama starring Douglas Fairbanks, junr., and Basil Eathbone, coming to-morrow to the Kosy Theatre. The picture is based on the British Civil Service, which administers to 500 million people over thirteen million squaie miles of the Empire. The Gold Coast- of Africa was the torrid locale chosen as the background for the -story of personal and governmental conflict. Rathbonc and Fairbanks portray brothers, the former a veteran, duty-bound colonial administrator and the latter a headstrong tyro in the service. They are at odds until an international emergency pits them together, as representatives of Democracy, against a powerful proponent of a government which, to quote the play, “dragoons the individual.” Virginia Field is seen as Fairbanks’s fiancee, Barbara O’Neil, as Ratbbonc’s wife and Lionel Atwill as the foe of Empire policy. C. Aubrey Smith, Melville Cooper and Mary Forbes have olher roles.

Disney's “Pinocchio.” “Pinocchio,” Walt Disney’s long awaited successor to the sensationally successful “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” is liis own challenge to his first feature-length production. "Where “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” amazed with its beauty, fantasy and charm. “Pinoccjiio” startles and excites with the tremendous scope of its ingenuity and the force of its story, along with enchanting whimsy. “Pinochio,” which comes to the State Theatre on Monday, September 23, with three sessions daily, is more significant than a fairy tale. In its story of the puppet who is given life without conscience there is more than

moots the eye—a moral for those who want one. But with or without the lessons it offers, “Pinocchio” is an imaginative story integrating the real with the fantastic, casting human characters with animals that .speak. Lest the story he mistaken for truth, there is a Blue Fairy, for Disney’s fantasy has the faculty of expressing life as you wish it was. One is liable to forgdt such beauty exists only _ in the realm of imagination. “Pinocchio,” which is presented in multiplane teechnicolour, is set to music, six new songs having been composed for it. Bobcrt Bcnchley has been signed for a role in “Hired Wife,” the Brian Alierne and Rosalind Russell feature.

New Sleuth. Ever since “The Thin Man” and, for that matter, long before, sophisticated sleuths have been solving crimps with the assistance of dim-witted girl friends and long, cool drinks. There was, to casual memory, only one exception—Nero Wolfe. He had, no girl friend but worked alone. And now there comes to the Meteor Theatre on Saturday another sophisticated sleuth. “The Amazing Mr Williams.” He is, in reality, Meivyn Douglas, and Mr Douglas

is co starred with lovely Joan Blondell. lie is a different type of sophisticated sleuth. Miss Blondell’s role calls for her to l>s the brisk, efficient secretary to a big city's mayor. In her extraoffice life she is a sharp, intelligentyoung women whose only sign of faulty intelligence rests—as far as the scoffers are concerned—in the fact that she is in lov'd with, and wants to marry. “The Amazing Mr Williams.” And

that blithe super sleuth is much 100 busy solving mysterious crimes to bother with so trivial a matter as wedding bells. Speedway Drama. “Danger on Wheels,” a drama of the epeedwavs co-starring Richard Arleu and Andy Devine, comes to the Mayfair Theatre to-morrow. Newest of the popular Arlen-Devine series, “Danger on Wheels,” is said to be one of the stars’ best vehicles to date, with spectacular thrills and roaring action of the race-track providing the background of the story. Alien is seen first as a daredevil test /driver, who goes through death-defying stunts testing

* new motor-cars. Later he becomes a i race driver smashing through to victory in tlic Indianapolis Speed Classic in the climax. Andy Devine appears as Arden’s faithful but slowwitted mechanic. Peggy Moran, young screen player who is rapidly rising to film fame, is Arlen’s romantic interest. Other supporting roles are carried by Herbert Corthell. Harry Bradley,. Sandra King and Landers Stevens. Ida Lupino will be teamed with George Raft in the forthcoming production, “The Dealer’s Name Was George.” Miss Lupino and Raft just • completed shooting.on “They Drive by Night,”, in which they appeared as a romantic team.

Double Romance. Although it Heals with a thrilling moment in tho progress of civilisation, “Little Old New York” shows the drama of the iirst steamboat to be overshadowed by the story of the inventor Robert Fulton, who was driven ever forward by ambition, inspired by the self-sacrificing love of two women, llobust though the picture may be in its flavour, it is always dominated by the romance of these two women, vying to aid tho ma;i they love bring to fruition his great idea. Alice Faye, Fred Mac Murray, Richard Greene and Brenda Joyce head the cast in the film which opens to-morrow at the State Theatre.

“America’s Youth—l94o,” the latest issue of the “March, of Time” to bo screened to-morrow, shows typical “case histories” to illustrate the wants and needs of to-day’s youth, what youth is thinking and doing, and the countless small details that make up the composite picture of America’s young men and young women. The debutante daughters of the wealthy; boys and girls in college, office, factory, and farm workers; unemployed youngsters who have grown up in depression and have never known normal times, and many other groups are all in the film.

Mickey Rooney Again. Giving Mickey Jtooncy liis first portrayal of a real lile character, “Young Tom Edison,” will be screened tomorrow week at the Regent Theatre. Not only does this .picture present Rooney with his first biographical l’ole, but it is the first such role over given a juvenile player, despite the fact that many adults have played reallife characters repeatedly. “Young Tom Edison” also marks tho second teaming of Mickey Rooney with Virginia Weidler, who scored as his nemesis in “Out West with the Hardys.” She plays his sister in flic present picture, and in the two other stella roles Fav Bainter plays Mrs Edison, and George Bancroft Mr Edison. Others in the cast are Eugene Rallettc, Victor Kilian, Bobliic Jordan, J. M. Kerrigan, Lloyd Corrigan, John Kellog, Clem Bevans, Eily Malyon, and Harry Shannon. The picture alsp renews a star-director-producer combination of outstanding interest. Director Norman Taurog and Producer John W. Considinc, junr., were together in those capacities on "Boys’ Town,” in which Mickey Rooney was a co-star. Spencer Tracy will portray the growyiup inventor in “Edison, the Man” at a later date.

A Star’s Biography—No. 72. Fred Astaire was horn' in Omaha (Nebraska) on May 10th, 1800. He began his professional dancing career at the age of eight, when he and his sister A dele embarked on the Orpheum Circuit in an original dance act. Before many months they had built up a following great enough to merit headlining. At the age of 17, _ Fred, with his sister, appeared in their first Broadway show, “Over the Top.” starring Ed Wynn. From here the team headed for stardom in numerous Broadway shows which travelled to Europe, subsequently making the Astaires the dance hits of two continents. Following his sister’s marriage, Fred Astaire carried on alone,, his first solo starring vehicle being “The Gay Divorcee.” Taken to Hollywood to appear in “Dancing Lady” with Joan Crawford and “Flying Down to Rio” with Ginger Rogers, he left discouraged. While appearing in London in “The Gay Divorcee,” however, lie received a summons back to Hollywood. From this time on his screen career began in earnest. He has made a number of co-starring films with Ginger Rogers—“ Shall We Dance?”, “Roberta,” “Top Hat,” “Follow the Fleet,” and “Swing Time”—tho most recent being “The Life of Vernon and Irene Castle.” “.Broadway Melody of 1940” was the first film to co-star Jiim with Eleanor Rowell.

George Brent will be Bette Davis’s leading man in “The Letter,” which will be the star's next picture.