OPERA HOUSE ATTRACTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 September 1940, Page 10

OPERA HOUSE ATTRACTION.

"THE MAN FROM DAKOTA." For once a new angle is discovered to the American Civil War in "The Man from Dakota," which will commence at 2 and 8 p.m. to-day at the Opera House, New Plymouth, without the customary North v. South and family-divided-against-itself theme Instead, the leading characters are two Yankee prisoners of war who escape the Confederate prison camp at Belle Island, and a Russian girl who joins them as a fugitive after she has killed a Confederate officer who has mistreated her. And the result is one of the fastest moving, most hair-raising melodramas of the past year. Wallace Beery is the escaped Yankee sergeant who wants only to keep his stomach filled and head West; John Howard is his young and idealistic superior officer bent on regaining the Union lines, and Dolores Del Rio makes an impressive return to the screen as the Russian girl, Jenny. All three enter into the spirit of the MacKinlay Kantor story with a verve and sincerity which makes , for thrilling entertainment, while memorable supporting characterisations are given by such familiar figures as Donald Meek, Robert Barrat and Addison Richards. The supporting featurettes include "Cuba" (coloured cruise), "Cat College" (a Pete Smith specialty), "A Rainy Day" (coloured cartoon) and "The Hidden Master" (Passing Parade series).