ENTERTAINMENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 245, 13 September 1940, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

METEOR THEATRE. “REWI’S LAST STAND.” “Rcwi’s Last Stand,” which is now showing at the Meteor Theatre, was privately screened in Wellington to an audience which included Mr John Grierson, the Canadian Government film commissioner, who hj». produced many successful films. Addressing tho audience after the screening, Mr Grierson said that it was more important that New Zealanders should have produced that film than that they -should see a hundred films from Hollywood. Not that good films wore not made in Hollywood, for they were, hilt because in the film they _ had just seen tho nation had expressed itself. It was a good film, and lie was surprised liow near lo producing a Cevil Ji. de Mille spectacle Mr Hayward had come with the resources at his disposal. The speaker said he realised the difficulties of creating a number of the scenes in “Rcwi’s Last Stand.” The film is based on tho Battle of Ol'akau, made famous by the reply of the Maori chief to the soldiers’ offer of a truce that the Maoris would fight cn for ever. A story of love between a half-caste girl and a pakcha has been' woven into the authentic historic narrative to give the film a wider appeal than it would otherwise have. The battle is the film’s climax.

KOSY THEATRE. “THE SUN NEVER SETS.” .Douglas Fairbanks, Junr., and Basil Rathbcno virtually symbolise an empire in Universal's “Tile Sun Never Sets,” which shows, to-day at tho Kcsy Theatre. lhis is a pictuio dealing with tho British Colonial Civil Service, • which protects 500,060,000 people over an area of 13,030,(XX) square miles. But tho whole story is told through two brothers, portrayed by hail-hanks and Rathbonc. And tney reveal a powerful drama. Both aro ranked among Hollywood's- foremost actors. Seldom have they turned in performances equal to those in this film. The picture opens with an extremely inteicstmg series of scenes showing the British Empire from tho time of Queen Elizabeth to tho present. Then follows tho story of the two brothers. Both are members ot an old family whoso sons have been in “the service” for more Ilian 300 years. Eathbone, tho older, had followed family tradition and given liis life in service. Fairbanks rebels at being so harnessed by tradition. But lio finally goes into the service. Ho costs Rathbone his job be 1 cause of a deliberate blunder. hut straightens everything out in the end. The most brilliant comedy with the largest cast of stage and. screen revue personalities will be shown heio to-day. The film is “Okay for Sound,” a G.B.L). attraction starring tho unsurpassable comic loam —the Crazy Gang. The Crazy Gang is composed of three of London’s most celebrated humour duos—Nervo and Knox, Flanagan and Allen, and Nuughton and Gold, all of whom have entertained you per medium of radio and recordings. In “Okay for Sound” they run through the most hilarious set of situations in which they are supported by an all star cast.