REGENT THEATRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 March 1939, Page 2

REGENT THEATRE

“THE BOY FROM BARNADO’S.” AN EXCELLENT PICTURE. Saturday night’s packed house at the Regent Theatre had presented to them one of the most outstanding programmes ever presented to a picture audience in Masterton. There was not a weak spot in any part of the programme, and even without the s'tar attraction, “The Boy From Barnado’s,” the bill of fare would have been an excellent one. Freddy Bartholomew, the exceptionally clever boy actor, presented his best role to date as the priggish little snob, the dupe of jewel thieves, who eventually makes good. The scenes in the Home are exceptionally well done and the acting of all the boys is something rarely, if ever, seen on the screen. The three chief figures in the events which take place in the Home are Freddy Bartholomew, Mickey Rooney and that new discovery of the screen, little Terry Kilburn, who always wanted to be friendly with Freddy Bartholomew even when the latter had been “sent to Coventry’’ in connection with an adventure at the Home in which Freddy Bartholomew was the actual cause and Mickey Rooney the scape goat. Freddy Bartholomew had •a most difficult role to portray, but so well did he enact his part that during the period in which he was the boy snob, with his superior airs, he was doubtless thoroughly detested by the audience, but became their hero later when he “made good.’’ The scenes at the Home when Freddy is “sent to Coventry” comprised some of the finest pieces of acting by juveniles ever seen on the screen. Every episode was so naturally carried out by boys who were “just themselves.” That favourite with millions of screen fans, Mickey Rooney, provided the full measure of enjoyment to the audience by his portrayal of a role which called for a high standard of acting. Terry Kilburn with his Lancashire „accent immediately won his way into the hearts of the audience —a loyal little soul who doubted whether he would ever become efficient enough to one day be a sailor in the mercantile service. A pathetic touch—the echo of a tragedy—was lent to the picture by the fact that that brilliant actor, Herbert Mundin, who was killed a few weeks ago in a motor shnash, was in the picture taking the part of the instructor at the home. The plot is a simple one, yet it is most impressive and at times tragic, with numerous thrilling incidents. With many of the audience it was doubtless a fact that there was some indecision as to which was the best boy actor in the film, so well did Freddy Bartholomew, Mickey Rooney and Terry Kilburn carry out their roles — certainly the latter had a very large following judging by the audible comments of the audience

The supporting programme contained a most interesting history of the early incidents associated with the founding of Salt Lake City while a “Popular Science” short and an “Our Gang” comedy were notable for their merit. Several other short pictures, including a coloured cartoon, made Up a very high grade programme.