Theatre Guide

Manawatu Times, Volume 67, Issue 205, 28 August 1942, Page 3

Theatre Guide

STATE: This engrossing film is Hollywood’s first attempt at a dramatic treatment of a delicate social subject, not in any indelicate manner, but sympathetically, with educational and high entertainment values. Although ‘‘No Greater Sin” performs a vital service to society during these preparedness days, the primary purpose of the film is entertainment. A young doctor is the hero of the story; venereal disease is the villain, and the story has as its theme the protection of the young men who have been called to the colours though it is of direct interest to the public as a whole. Its medical and. socialogical implications of the story are not just dragged into the plot. The scene is a small factory town in America which has had an influx of workers on account of the national defence programme. The town is near a military training camp and, the springing - up of night life has brought Leon Ames, a public health official, to the community to investigate conditions. Although he meets opposition from the local authorities, Ames manages to set up a clinic to give all factory employees a blood test. In this way a young aircraft worker (George Taggart) learns that his young bride has contracted the dread disease from him despite the fact that he had been pronounced cured before his marriage by a quack -who took all the young man’s money. Threatening to expose the quack, Taggart accidentally kills him and the court trial brings out the. truth and starts a reform movement which has the entire town behind it. The principal players in the cast are Leon Ames, Guy Usher, Bodil Rosing, John Gallandel and Luana Waters.

REGENT: Will Hay rings the bell in no uncertain fashion with this grand feast of laughter. “The Black Sheep of Whitehall,” which shows at the Regent Theatre to-day, moves at a fine pace, is excellently produced, contains not only a wealth of richly funny slap-stick and typical Hay nonsensicalities, but embraces some gloriously comic nearnaughty interludes and ends with a screamingly funny car chase. John Mills heads a list of British film favourites which includes Basil Sydney, Frank Cellier and Felix Aymler.

METEOR: ”Tne Vanishing Virginian” is showing torday with Frank Morgan in the title role. ‘‘The Vanishing Virginian” is no story in the accepted sense. It is rather a running narrative of the life of a typical American family that happens to be typically Virginian. They typify the families everywhere that form the backbone of America. They are the sort of people we wish to be. Frank Morgan is thoroughly and amusingly at home as the fiery, lovable Cap’ll Bob. Morgan brings the Cap’n stepping briskly out of of the book. Spring Byington is his adored wife, Rosa. He calls her Rosebud —and as she acquires the plumpness of middle life, Rosebush. MAYFAIR.—To-day at 2 and 6.30 p.m. Ona Munson, Stuart Erwin, “DRUMS OF THE CONGO/» Charles Starrett, in ‘ ‘ THUNDERING FRONTIER. *»