AT THE PICTURES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 2 September 1942, Page 4

AT THE PICTURES

Regent, to-night—Double feature, Guest ; Night: "T n e Flying Deuces” with Laurel : and Hardy; Jean Hersliolt and Dorothy , Lovett in “The Courageous Dr. Christian.” Hardy falls in love with the pretty daugh- : ter of the keeper of the inn where they [ are staying, and is helped by Stan. The lady. vivaciously portrayed by Jean Parker, parries these attentions as long as 1 she can and tnen confesses that she has a j husband in the Foreign Legion (Reginald Gardiner). Hardy prepares to end all in th<» Seine, accompanied by Laurel, but ' Gardiner interposes and persuades the two i to enlist in the Foreign Legion, “where > men quickly forget women." “The Courageous Dr. Christian” proves to be even more entertaining than the first of i the series. Jean Hersholt enacts the title ; role of a kindly small town doctor whose life is dedicated to helping the people of j River’s End. He endeavours to house de- j cently the impoverished folk of- an un- i healthy “squatters’ town." His project is j i rowned upon by members of the town council, but they agree if the doctor can : induce a wealthy widow to donate her 1 valuable lot to the cause. Counterpointing j the major theme is the romantic conflict between the doctor's pretty nurse, the j town pharmacist, and a young drifter I whom the physician befriends. state—Friday’s presentation: Ilona Massey. George Brent and Basil Rathbonc in Edward Small’s "International Lady." a thrill-packed spy melodrama highlighting | the activities of a gang of international ! saboteurs with action in London. Lisbon j and New York. The supporting cast in the ' film features Gene Lockhart and George j Zucco. Briefly the story of “International i Lady” concerns the activities of a radio \ singer who is suspected of belonging to a j sabotage ring bent on crippling the flow of American planes to England. The F. 8.1. in Washington and Scotland Yard in London both assign detectives to shadow’ the young lady. This job starts in London, shifts to Lisbon where they embark upon the clipper ship and winds up in New York. How the gang is rounded up provides many i thrilling sequences and a smashing climax. ! Among the forty settings is a huge Long Island mansion. There is a drawing room 60 feet long and 30 feet wide with marble 1 columns and brocaded panels and a fireplace big enough to house a Boy Seoul camping troop. There is an entrance hall and foyer and curving staircase, all or them impressive enough to interest any millionaire. Among the other sets are a row of buildings in Berkeley Square, the Pan-American terminal in Lisbon, the trans-Atlantic Clipper and the F. 8.1. offices in New York. Seven pianos were used in the picture to build up backgx-ound in a 1 adio broadcast scene, but only one of the pianos was used to make music. ajeslic Theatre, screening to-night: ( y,.‘rollicking njarit.il comedy, “The Feminine Touch" with Rosalind Russell, Don Ameche and Kay Francis. Sound and snug in Plot, this is one of the year's most successful comedies. The story, told with a highly inventive and original sense of wit. relates how a professor of philosophy writes a book deriding the theory oi jealousy. The academician's wife is unconvinced. but meek, until they arrive m New York to meet the publisher. Van Heflin. They also meet his assistant. Ka.v Francis, who promptly falls tor the con-vention-flouting professor. The situation is ideal for the wife, because the publisher is a playboy who cannot resist a pretty face. She promptly sets out to make her husband jealous. Miss Francis, in love with the publisher, has the same objective when she showers attention on Ameche. From this iour-coinered tangle the story moves swiftly into a climax of hilarious Snd sustained merriment. The dialogue is clever;