GRAND THEATRE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 465, 24 February 1933, Page 3

GRAND THEATRE

TO-NIGHT. Based on an original story hy Tom Reed and directed by Edward Cahn, "Radio Patrol," the current Universal film at the Grand Theatre, gets off to a good start and builds steadily right up to the last minute with a lot of forceful, human drama., suspense and action packed into its seven reels. The story deals with' the lives of young men who go through the police rookie school together and find ut " later in .pounding their respective beats, that all of the unpleasant promises of a brusque police sergeant are only too true. Most of the action cen tres around Robert Armstrong as Bill, Russell Hopton as Pat, and Lila Lee as the girl who was won away from Pat hy the more romantic Bill. Armstrong gives his usual dependably snappy performance and Hopton in his first sympathetic screen role gives Armstrong a spirited chase for first acting honours. In her "comeback" film Miss Lee looks the picture of health and fills her role well indeed. June Clyde assumes ' a brief but highly emotional part and Andy Devine, though killed off early in the production, .scores some good laughs and makes a decided hit with the audience. Onslow Stevens, a new Universal contract player, Noel Madison and John Lester Johnson, a coloured boy, do well with small parts. Sidney Toler as the Wolheimish police ser- | geant does some of his best work, and Harry Woods as the racketeer, Klosky, is outstanding. "Radio Patrol" has much to be recommended, particularly in that it tells a true story of police conditions and the advancement of police methods.