AMUSEMENTS

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 9, 11 March 1938, Page 1

AMUSEMENTS

“PRINCE AND THE PAUPER” Modern writers ,who bring down the wrath of governments on their heads by a too pointed reference to actual history might learn a lesson from the example f oT Mark Twain, famoiis humorist and man of letters. In -his foreword' tor - “The Prince and the Pauper,” which, incidentally, will be repeated at t.lie.. start of tlie Warner Bros.’ picture of that name, coming Monday to the Be Luxe Theatre, Twain cleverly side-stepped possible criticism in this manner:— “This is not a history, but- a tale of ante upon a time, so it may have happened, it may not have happened, hut it could have happened.” BTs story deals with an incident at the close of the reign of Henry VIII, of England and trie accession of his heir, Prince Edward Tudor, to the Throne. Twain pictured the court of the dying ruler as beset with intrigue among ambitious men eager to rule as Regent during the young Prince’s minority. Edward Tudor he saw as a lonely little boy who eagerly adopted Tom Canty, son. of a pauper, as a playmate when chance threw them together. It would have been a harmless prank had not the boys, for a lark, exchanged clothes; and then the Prince, hunting for his dog, u;as mistaken by the Captain of the Guard for the beggar boy, and thrown out of the Palace grounds. This mishap set into action an exciting chain of circumstances that almost resulted in the real beggar hoy being crowned King of England, and might have actually done so, had it not been for the strong right arm of tiles Hendon, swashbuckling soldier of fortune, who restored the Prince t ohis rightful place. Warner Bros, is fortunate in having the 12-yeai‘-old Mauch twins, Billy and Bobby, in the title roles. Billy portrays the pauper, while his brother has the role of the Prince. Errol Flynn, who has soared to stardom in less than a year bv his work in “Captain Blood” and “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” has the part of Miles Hendon. ( “SOULS AT SK).V” A powerful sea, drama taken Ir< m real life brings Gary Cooper and George Raft to the screen as co-starr-ing mateVs of a slave ship in “Souls at Sea.” now showing at the De Luxe Theatre. With them are Frances Dee, Henry Wilcoxon, Olympe Bradna ami a score of other important players. The story is a dramatisation of the tragedy of the famous packet “William Brown” and the trial of its captain for manslaughter on the high seas. 1 lie story vas written fro mtlie testimony cit survivors which Paramount found in old newspaper files of the 1840 s.