THE THEATRES

Southland Times, Issue 24243, 28 September 1940, Page 7

THE THEATRES

REGENT “VIRGINIA CITY” MIRIAM HOPKINS AND ERROL FLYNN Errol Flynn is a romantic and adventurous figure in "Virginia City,” which opens at the Regent Theatre today. He has the type of role that suits him very well indeed and is supported by Miriam Hopkins, Randolph Scott, Alan Hale, Frank McHugh, Guinn Williams and a strong cast. This picture is dedicated to a gallant party of men, women and children who undertook one of the most daring adventures in American history. Only the characters are fictional; the story is true. Near the close of the Civil War, southern sympathizers in the wide-open mining town of Virginia City, contributed five million dollars in gold' to the Confederate cause, through the efforts of Julia Haynes (Miriam Hopkins), a lovely Confederate spy posing as an entertainer in the notorious Sazerac Cafe. Kerry Bradford (Errol Flynn), a Union officer incarcerated in Libby Prison in Richmond, gets wind of the plan to transport the gold from Nevada and. breaks out of prison to try to stop it. En route to Virginia City by coach he meets Julia, and they fall in love. After they arrive there, however, she learns his identity from Vance Irby (Randolph Scptt), Confederate officer charged with the task of smuggling out the gold, and helps him trap Kerry and take him prisoner so that he cannot interfere with their plans. Irby also hires Murrell (Humphrey Bogart) notorious bandit, to attack the Union garrison just outside Virginia City. This distracts the Union troops and gives the train of covered wagons carrying the gold a chance to escape. Kerry goes along as a prisoner, but later when the double-crossing Murrell and his band attacks the gold train, Kerry fights side by side with the Southerners. Vance is wounded and Kerry takes command. Then Union troons arrive, but he refuses to surrender the gold to his superior officer, insisting that it belongs to the men who mined it. He is to be courtmartialled, when news comes that the war is ended. The story works out to a happy and satisfactory ending. Box plans for tonight are at H. & J. Smith’s, Rice’s Regent shop and the theatre.

STATE AND CIVIC “REBECCA” TODAY OUTSTANDING FILM With Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine heading a cast of outstanding players and with a story filled with darama, suspense and mystery, David 0. Selznick’s latest production, “Rebecca,” will be screened today at 2.0 and 8.0 at the State Theatre and at 2.0 and 7.45 at the Civic Theatre. The film was brilliantly directed by Alfred Hitchcock, known internationally as a master of intrigue, crime and mystery on the screen. “Rebecca” is the film version of the best-selling novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier. Laurence Olivier, who last year made a tremendous hit as the hero of “Wuthering Heights,” plays the role of Maxim de Winter, the socially prominent owner of Manderley, the vast Tudor estate where most of the action unwinds. Joan Fontaine is cast as the second Mrs de Winter. Rebecca’s successor, who is subjected to the tyrannical and sadistic cruelty of Mrs Danvers, played by Judith Anderson. Other important roles are excellently performed by such well knowns as Gladys Cooper, George Sanders, Reginald Denny, C. Aubrey Smith. Too many words of praise cannot be said of the exciting and suspenseful manner in which Hitchcock has directed “Rebecca.” He has turned it into one of the most brilliantly conceived and executed melodramas ever to reach the screen. His actors have reacted to his well-known “touch” and the story moves with tremendous impact to a climax which leaves the spectator breathless. Olivier and Miss Fontaine in the top starring roles furnish performances which have not been equalled on the screen in many a moon, while Miss Anderson, as the malevolent Mrs Danvers, turns in a piece of acting that is unsurpassed. Mr Selznick’s “Rebecca” proves again that Mr Hitchcock is the top man in the field of screen thrillers.

Box plans for today’s matinee and evening sessions are at Begg’s, the State Theatre, or the Civic Theatre.

MAJESTIC Clarence E. Mulford’s colourful western figure, Hopalong Cassidy, will again be seen at the Majestic Theatre today, this time as the star of “Sante Fe Marshal.” William Boyd is again cast as “Hopalong” and Russell Hayden as Lucky. Marjorie Rambeau and Britt Wood are also in the cast. In order to clean up a gang of bandits who are robbing the output of a Sante Fe silver mine, Hopalong Cassidy poses as a bandit himself while in reality he is the Sante Fe marshal. Lucky assists in the scheme by posing as the marshal instead of Hopalong. The bandits are so sucessfully duped that Hopalong succeeds in getting them all to the mine together and after a series of gun fights and hair-raising escapades brings them to justice. Taken from one of the episodes in J. Edgar Hoover’s, “Persons in Hiding,” “Parole Fixer” is the associate feature on tonight’s (only) programme at the Majestic Theatre, so that the story in reality is fact,' not fiction. “Parole Fixer” is a straightforward film offering an insight into the workings of America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation.