AMUSEMENTS

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 129, 4 January 1939, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS

actor-building discipline. the thrilling sportsmanship of tiro Navy’s fitaiiio loot ball games,. - and ■-■tho > love .of. two players for tlle sister ot their cjiiartoiOack pal, \ “Navy Blue hind Gold ’ teams- lioliert Young, Janies Stewart, and * out. Brown as buddies coming troin differ- 1 out walks oii life t<» rise to fame , oh, the Navy gridiron. INI any scenes for tlio picture, jttoiu filmed on the grounds at Annapolis. Sam AYood directed, with technical aid from Cotton Warbnrton and Gil .K.ulm. Commander Harvey- S. Haislij}, as technical adyjsef ifrlfcNavy jiCeyes-. The picture concludes with a scene of the most terrifying beauty. t hi•yago i.s wiped--out before, .-.your eyes to the accompaniment, of ‘the “most "Turions sounds • yU'd- scenes dyex iAiintuVedfoil -celhilosd. i"" N “In Old _Cbicag_q£ J _ will be . .for pially, H? standard,,, by which future screen dramas must fie measured.

“IN OLD CIHICAGO” '“ln Old Chicago” is vital, spectacular film document. Superb screen spectacle, with all the elements that go into the making of great entertainment, will be set'll Saturday at the De Luxe Theatre, Darryl F. Zanuek’s awesome “In Old Chicago”. Up to now, Hollywood seemed to have made the most of all of the classic struggles between man and the elements, but not since the “Birth of a Nation” has such completely overwhelming grandeur graced a motion picture screen. , That the grandeur in this k'Cth. Century-Fox production is derived from the relentless fury of an unrestrained holocaust which wiped out a middle-Western metropolis of a rougher and tougher era in our history. is only part of the film.

The true beauty lies in the carefully manipulated love story, capably Written, directed and acted in the foreground of what, for want of words, this reviewer will have to call sheer stupendousness. Credits Galore. Literary, production and technical wizardry stick out all over this master work—and in that, the guiding hand of Darryl F. Zanuok is evident. The story leading up t 0 the burning of the city on the night of October 9, 1871, is lusty, powerful and authentic to an infinitesimal point of careful.research and scenic detail. A book by Nevin Busch, the legend of Airs. O’Leary’s cow kicking over the barn lantern and an accurate, brawling, sprawling story of life in that era have been evolved by tbe ace screen adapters, Lamar Trotti and Sonya Levicn.

No less brilliant lias beeu the direction of Henry Ring who developed the personalities of the O’Learys. He keeps a lot of movement in the early sequences and steps up liis tempo to move fluently into the terror, tragedy and flight- of the fire, l'or the realism that wells up from the screen in these stirring, blazing scenes, Bruce Humberstone’s direction earns well-merited praise. Cast “Terrific” But dramatic laurels most certainly are due Alice Fave, Tyrone Power, Don Ameche, Alice Brady, Brian Don levy and Andy Devine. Miss Faye, is revealed in “In Old Chicago” as a surprisingly talented actress. Her role as the soubrette in a gaudy, glittery saloon of 18(1. is its tempestuous sweetheart of the saloon’s owner. Tyrone Bower, that- comet among the Hollywood stars, literally takes the role of Dion O’Leary in his teeth and runs away with it. Don Ameche. as Jack O Leary, the direct antithesis of Dion, gives a sincere performance as the reformer and envisioner of a clean, orderly, civ-ic-minded Chicago. Alice Brady is magnificent, giving the finest, performance of her brilliant dramatic career as the hardworking, outspoken Alolly O’Leary. Credits for - excellent performances could go on through the entire cast .oven down to the extras vho rush madly through fire-ravaged streets. “NAViY BLUE AND GOLD'’ Acclaimed by naval officers the most authentic story ever written about the historic United States Naval Academy. “Navy Blue and Gold opens Thursday at the De Luxe Theatre. The novel, steeped in colourful traditions of the institution, was written by George Bruce, who also adapted it to the screen.

The picture is headed by a strong east including Robert Young. James Stewart. Lionel .Barrymore, Florence Pice. -Billie Burke. Tom Brown, Samuel S. Hinds, Paul Kelly and Barnett Parker.

It portrays tho poignant devotion of cadets pledged to their country's service, the heartaches of stem, euai-