STATE THEATRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 December 1938, Page 2

STATE THEATRE

“MR MOTTO’S GAMBLE.” The programme at the State Theatre tonight is headed by that sensational picture, “Mr Motto’s Gamble,” one of the best drawing cards of the year. The mystery master stakes his life to play a dangerous game against a phantom killer in “Mr Motto’s Gamble.” Guns without bullets —silent, invisible and deadly—with 20,000 witnesses unable to tell how death struck in the midst of a packed fight arena, provide Peter Lorre, the star, with an entirely different and far more exhilarating type of drama than the star ever has given before. To add still further intriguing elements, Keye Luke, playing his famous role .as Charlie Chan’s Number One Son, helps Mr Moto clear up the strange case of a prize-fighter’s death. It is a story situation that certainly never occurred to the creators of Mr Moto or Mr Chan. But the idea of combining the heroes of two great detective stories is not without precedent. Everybody knows Sherlock Holmes. Some of the more intense fans of another decade will recall Raffles, master-thief brain-child of Ernest W. Hornung. It was John Kendrick Bangs, famous humorous writer, who seized upon the idea of having Sherlock Holmes’ son marry Raffles’s daughter. Their child, Raffles Holmes, was a strange reverter-to-type who got himself terribly mixed up in crimes and then was engaged to solve the mysteries. When Mr Moto goes into action with Lee Chan, however, both have a common purpose in running down a phantom murderer who uses a gun without bullets. How they work out their case is a mystery-thriller treat. “Mr Moto’s Gamble,” also features Dick Baldwin, Lynn Bari, Douglas Fowley, Jayne Regan, Harold Huber and Maxie Rosenbloom. The picture is one which should not be missed by those who appreciate high class drama of the mystery type, enacted by powerful drama when volunteers are some of the greatest actors and actresses of the screen. A CHRISTMAS TREAT. On Friday next there will be two big sessions at the State Theatre —the usual session and a special Christmas shoppers’ session commencing at 10.20. The feature picture- will be Gracie Fields and Victor McLaglen in “We’re Going to be. Rich,” an outstanding comedy success.