AMUSEMENTS

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 15, 25 March 1938, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS

“NORTH OF THE RIO GRANDE” l{ed-bioodccl action of the type that everyone lias come to expect from Paramount's ’ “Hopalong” Cassidy Western stories,, is supplied in good measure in the latest of these outdoor romances, “North of the liio Grande,’’ which screens at the De Luxe. Theatre on Saturday and Monday. William Boyd comes to the screen for the eleventh time in the role of the hard-riding, square-shooting “floppy,” who within the. space of a year has become the nation’s . favourite Western hero. With him ride “Windy,” played by George Hayes, and* “Lucky” Jenkins, portrayed by the handsome newcomer, Russell Hayden. Taken from the Clarence E. Mulford novel < “Cottonwood Guteh,” the story is concerned with the manner in which Cassidy rids a wildcat frontier town of its crook-officials and! in the same sweep annihilates a band of train robbers. Besides,the hard riding which characterises tliese stories, there is a number of exciting railroad, sequences which provide many thrills.

The east also includes Stephen Morris, in a dual role; the charming Bernadene Hayes, John Rutherford, Walter Long. Lee Cobb, John Beach and Lorraine Randall. The picture upholds the fine standards for photography set by the previous “Hoppy” stories. It was directed by Nate Watt. . “NIGHT OF MYSTERY” A new Pliilo Vance blood-chilling murder story, Paramount’s “Night of Mystery,” as exciting as- all the other S. S. Van Dine screen attractions, opens at the- De Luxe Theatre on Saturday, and introduces a new Philo Vance and Sergeant Heath, in the persons -of Grant Richards and Roscoe lvarns. , Thrown into the midst of a series of murders that threatens to extinguish ai whole family forced to live in a mysterious, mansion, Vance unearths clue after clue that leads tip a blind alley. He finds pitted against his coldly scientific methods of crime detection a maniacal strength that e--1 tides each trap. Richards, as the suavely polished 1 Philo Vance adds something to the role that gave William Powell a push up the ladder of fame, in the older Van Dine mystery films. Rescue Earns presents a completely different characterisation of a favourite, movie character. Ruth Coleman, Harvey Stephens, Purnell Pratt and Elizabeth Patterson give excellent performances.