AMUSEMENTS

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 180, 10 May 1939, Page 4

AMUSEMENTS

“I AM THE LAW” Presenting Edward G. Robinson in an entirely new characterisation far ' removo’dw. from-- his famous gangster role-%- Columbia’s' “I Am the Law” opens Thursday , ah,the .Regent Theatre. The film, a sweeping expose of conditions which grip more than one- largo American city, lyas directed by -Alexander' Hall from an original story and screenplay by Jo Swelling. In, the cast, beside the star, are such wellknown’players as Wendy Barrie, John Beal, Otto Kruger alid Barbara- O’Neil./ ' .-' Robinson is seen in “I Am as a mild-mannered - wlio overnight becomes: whifhyind when drafted to wipe out a//; racketeering ring. ‘ As a fighting pros* ecutor, it is |his task to destroy octupus of. Qjlgae ; whose spread, into every walk of life in a city*> where the police, and the district attorney are absolutely' powerless hercause terrorised victims refuse to testify- * \ The story eoneewp/the idealistic aim of tlie professor to ricLthe city of murderous gangsters. His chief encouragement com.es from Kruger, a supposedly respectable- citizen. One of Robinson’s graduate attorneys- -brilliantly played by John Beal, iL/eplisted by the fighting prosecutor as his ; crime-combatting aide. He is L Kruger’s son, though ignorant of his ' :*■

father’s true character. ifiarbara O’Neil is seen as a co.mxieteiit helper of her professional husband in his campaign, while Wendy Barrie*// is a beautiful but- feminine adjutant to Kruger. A veritable orgiei or crime ensues as a result of the campaign andf this is only halted when. Robinson enlists modern science, as represented by mo-'/, , tion pictures, on liig side. The ■' did use to which the professor puts I movies, by the way, is one of the un-L//-usual plot- angles ofst-he production. . /•/ 'Mx ' -V * “OH, MR. PORTER!” -L ", “Oh, Mr. Porter!” the hilarious , new Will Hay starring vehicle which I screens at the Regent Theatre on I Thursday and Friday presents this popular comedian in liis- most brilliant screen role. . . •$ Directed for Gainsborough by thi- '/g laughter-maestro, Marcel Varnel, the film abounds in rich, spontaneous hum- . y \ our and moves in lightning'' through side-splitting situations--||ud uprbarious complications to> a maghi-/' / ficent climax as suspense-filled as it is niirth-provol|p)g. The star filjfast a's- William’Porterrailway bane .of the company’s causes as many vagaries dn /tW'railway as ; tho J famous Mr. the. old .-long. Unable to fire hini'oJi account of bis high-placed 'relations the company finds a .splendid./solution to lem by shanghaiing the u»fo£@wi'to ; “ man as station master to an ootcure off-the-map ioivn in Northern Ireland. Apart- fi'oip ..the laughter-making proclivities/of/ibei story, it alfjjnmds in thrills providing the^-^., star wifjfi/S^ he plays '- "?? devastating and arou&ifig; r / considerable sympa|gy for the chqractf 1 er.