AMUSEMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24400, 11 September 1940, Page 13

AMUSEMENTS

IHE CURRENT PROGRAMMES OCTAGON THEATRE Against, a background of mystery and eenness, David O. Selznick’s production of “ Rebecca,” best-selling novel by Daphne du Maurier, heads the programme at the Octagon Theatre this week. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, “ Rebecca ” has Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in the starring roles, while the feature supporting cast includes Judith Anderson, George Sanders, Nigel Bruce, C. Aubrey Smith, Reginald Denny and Florence Bates. The.story of "Rebecca” concerns a young and unsophisticated girl who becomes the bride of the wealthy and socially prominent Maxim de Winter. When they return to live on his vast Tudor estate, Manderley, the second wife, learns, to her horror, that her life is being dominated by the past of Rebecca. Maxim’s first wife, a very beautiful woman who fascinated all who knew her. Furthermore, the memory of Rebecca is kept alive by Mrs Danvers, de Winter's housekeeper. The short supporting programme includes the latest “ March of Time.” The box plans are at the theatre and Begg’s.

GRAND THEATRE A fiendish plot to destroy the Panama Canal and trap the fleet in the wrecked locks is the challenge faced by the famous Earl Derr Diggers sleuth in “ Charlie Chan in Panama,” which will be shown at the Grand Theatre to-day. The latest of the 20th Century-Fox pictures, with Sidney Toler in the title role features Jean Rogers, Lionel At will, Mary Nash, Sen Yung, Kane Richmond, Chris Pin Martin, Lionel Royce, Helen Ericson and Jack La Rue in the supporting cast. The depression came late to the Jones Family, but it hit hard. Dad’s laid up, their home is gone and they have only their trailer and family car in the 20th Century-Fox film, “On Their Own,”’which is in support. But you cannot keep a good Jones down, and when the depression threatens to whip the whole family—well, they trade their car and trailer for a bungalow court and end up having more fun than ever. In their usual Jones Family roles are Spring Byington, Ken Howell. George Ernest, June Carlson, Florence Roberts and Billy Mahan. There is a strong featured supporting cast and the picture was directed bv Otto Brower. Max Golden was associate producer. Box plans are at the theatre find Bcgg’s. REGENT THEATRE William Powell and Myrna Loy, each a screen personality of merit, link up in “Another Thin Man,” which is the main attraction at the Regent Theatre. The fact that either one of these figures is acting in a picture is a good enough indication of the performance, and when the two are included it can be taken for granted that the picture is something out of the ordinary. And that is just what "Another Thin Man ” is. As pictures go, it is in a category peculiarly its own. For example, it is actually a “ murder mystery, but there is so much -comedy relief that it is hard to realise that there is a serious side to the production. There is an entertaining supporting programme. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. “ DISPUTED PASSAGE ” Dorothy Lamour. Akim Tamiroff, and John Howard share dramatic honours in “ Disputed Passage,” an exciting story about the problems of medical men, which is scheduled to have its local premiere on Friday at the Regent Theatre. In her first genuinely dramatic role, Miss Lamour plays a young American girl brought up in China who comes to America to make her home. Her vital love for Howard, who portrays the brilliant young surgeon, runs afoul of Akim Tamiroff. a world-famous neurological surgeon, who believes in the stern dedication of a physician’s life to science. This trenchant attitude provides the focal point upon which the story revolves when Tamiroff persuades Miss Lamour that her projected marriage to Howard will bring his career to defeat. Others in the cast are William Collier, sen., Gordon Jones, Keye Luke and Paramount’s budding starlet, Judith Barrett. The story is based on the novel by Lloyd C. Douglas who wrote “ The Magnificent Obsession and “ The Green Light." STATE THEATRE Michael Redgrave and Sally Gray have the leading roles in “A Window in London,” the exciting comedy-drama which is now being Screened at the State Theatre. The former is cast in the role of a young crane driver who, thinking he has seen a murder, meets a broken-down magician (Paul Lukas) and his charming wife (Miss Gray). Although married, he falls under the spell of the other woman, and when she leaves her jealous husband he takes her away. The husband follows, and in a fight on a bridge is knocked into the river. Believing he has killed the husband, the young man tells the girl, who realises she loved her husband. But the magician is not dead, and in a thrilling climax a murder is committed, unknown to the young man, who, realising his folly, returns to his own wife. There ’s a strong supporting programme, and the box plans are at the theatre and Bcgg’s.

“FIFTH AVENUE GIRL” Affording her an unusual opportunity to display her talents as a comedienne and dramatic actress, RKO Radio’s “ Fifth Avenue Girl,” the State Theatre’s coming attraction, presents Ginger Rogers in the title role. The lovely star portrays the part of an unemployed working girl who becomes Involved in the marital problems of a wealthy family. The manner in which she solves their troubles and finds romance at the same time, provides the basis of the absorbing plot. Her sharply etched and strongly human characterisation is said to be one of the finest things she has yet done on the screen. Walter Connolly, Verree Teasdale, James Ellison, Tim Holt, Kathryn Adams and Franklin Pangborn have prominent supporting roles in this Gregory La Cava production. EMPIRE THEATRE Thrills and excitement, leavened v with humour, are provided at the Empire Theatre. The master detective, “ Nick Carter,” played by Walter Pidgeon, is concerned in the leakage to foi’eign countries of information about a new. revolutionary aeroplane. There are many complications in this highly-exciting story, two real thrills being the fight between a plane and gunmen in a desert, and a battle between a cruiser and a hydroplane. The programme includes another chapter of “ The Green Hornet serial. Box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. “ INVISIBLE STRIPES ” “ Invisible Stripes.” a drama of after-prison life, based on a book by Lewis E. Lawes, will be the next feature at the Empire Theatre, starting on Friday. George Raft, Jane Bryan and William Holden are starred, with Humphrey Bogart, Paul Kelly, Lee Patrick and Henry O’Neill heading the supporting cast. George. Raft plays the role of the convict trying to go straight, and Bogart is the criminal who realises that there is no hope for the man who wears invisible stripes. William Holden, the star discovery of “ Golden Boy,” plays the young brother, and Jane Bryan, who received such wide acclaim for her featured role with Bette Davis in “ The Old Maid," plays the boy’s sweetheart, later his wife. Flora Robson, prominent English star of stage and screen, plays the work-worn mother of the two boys. Lee Patrick is the hard-boiled sweetheart of Bogart, and Margot Stevenson is the girl who loves Raft but refuses to marry him because he is an ex-convict.

STRAND THEATRE The exciting drama of the motor-racing track, " Devil on Wheels,” which heads the current programme at the Strand Theatre, features Pat O’Brien and Ann Sheridan, with Gale Page, John Payne and Frank McHugh in support. The story concerns the efforts of O'Brien, a crack driver, to prevent his young brother from following in his footsteps. The second film is ” Stagecoach War,” another of the Hopalong Cassidy stories, which again features William Boyd in the leading role. There is' plenty of action and thrills as Cassidy endeavours to stop the theft of a shipment of gold going across countrv in a stage coach. The box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C. “ENEMY AGENT” Attempts by foreign spies to secure plans for one of America’s most closelyguarded military secrets, highly-publicised aeroplane bomb-sight, form the dramatic theme of Universal’s timely screen play, " Enemy Agent,” which is coming to the Strand Theatre on Friday. Although the 3tory is described as fictional, it shows how enemy spies might gain employment in the giant aircraft factories of Southern California, and then carry on sabotage while trying to steal blue-prints of the bomb-sight and advance warplane designs. “ Gangs of Chicago ” will be the associate picture, and Lloyd Nolan, Barton Maclane, and Lola Lane are the stars.

ST. JAMES THEATRE An unusual role as a world-famous player whom circumstances cause to join a company at a small seaside resort is played by the veteran actor, Clive Brook, in “ Return to Yesterday,” which is the main attraction on the programme at the St. James Theatre. Humour and drama are well combined in this production, which ends in a powerful climax. Anna Lee, Dame May Whitty and David Tree also appear in the picture. The supporting feature is " Blondie Brings Up Baby.” with Arthur Lake and Penny Singleton in the leading rples. The box plans are at the theatre, the D.1.C., and Jacobs’s. “HOME FROM HOME” A favourite the world over, by virtue of his unique comedy radio recordings, " Can You Hear Me, Mother,” Sandy Powell has already starred in two screen comedies. His “ Home From Home” will be shown at the St. James Theatre on Friday. This time he takes the role of a convict who is glad enough to remain in prison out of the way of his domineering wife, who continually nags him to find work and not to lie in bed half the day. When Sandy is pardoned and has to go home the trouble starts all over again, especially as he has collected an out-of-work violinist and a glamorous cabaret star on the way. ” Home From Home ” also includes in the cast Rene Ray, Roy Emerton, Kathleen Harrison, and Norma Varden. With Hugh Herbert playing seven different roles and fighting to “ steal ” comedy scenes from himself, Universal’s musical farce, “La Conga Nights,” will provide hilarious support. Spilling laughter and rapid-fire “ gags ” through every scene, the film reveals Herbert playing his mother, his grandfather, and a quartet of dizzy sisters, in addition to “ himself.” "La Conga Nights ” is generously sprinkled with lilting music, new songs, and gay dance routines. MAYFAIR THEATRE “ Four Daughters,” starring Lola, Rosemary, and Priscilla Lane, John Garfield, Claude Rains, and Fay Balnter, will head the new bill at the Mayfair Theatre today. It concerns the romances of four daughters, the plot being taken from the Fannie Hurst story. “ Magnificent Fraud,” which will support, stars Akim Tamiroff (playing two parts) and Lloyd Nolan. It is a drama of dictatorship in a South American republic. Box plans are at the theatre and the D.I.C.