REGENT THEATRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 August 1939, Page 2

REGENT THEATRE

“THE HOUSEMASTER/’ “Housemaster,” which will be finally shown tonight at the Regent Theatre is one of the best and brightest British films ever to be produced. “HEART OF THE NORTH.” High adventure along one of the world’s last frontiers is thrillingly depicted in “Heart of the North,” the Warner Bros.’ picturisation in technicolour of a tale of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which wil be shown tomorrow at the Regent Theatre. Authentic in every detail, the picture destroys many a widespread misconception of the operations and daily existence of the Canadian “Mounties,” but I the actuality, as vividly portrayed in “Heart of the North” turns out to be even more thrilling and certainly more interesting than the popular delusions. This technicolour production was done on the same large scale as all of the previous Warner’ Bros, colour pictures and it has a cast so liberally sprinkled with outstanding names that any one of at.least half a dozen players could with equal justice be called the start of the troupe. The hero is Dick Foran, big, red-headed star, who is most effective in outdoor pictures, and there are three girls who could each be nominated as heroine. They are Gloria Dickson, Gale Page, and little Janet Chapman, six-year-old starlet who recently captured the hearts of a host of

fans in “Broadway Musketeers.” Other important roles are filled by Allen Jenkins, Patrie Knowles, James Stephenson, Anthony Averill, Joe Sawyer, Joseph King, Russell Simpson, and a canine actor who is certain to steal some of the scenes in which he appears. He is a huge police dog, called “Rex” in this picture, but in reality the famous “Lightning,” who was starred in “White Fang” and other films. The country in which the story is laid is that wild stretch which borders the Mackenzie River in the far north-west of Canada just below the Arctic Circle. And the impressive outdoor scenes of the production show this scarcely-populated outpost of civilisation in technicolour for the first time. Then is a splendid supporting programme including “A Staris Hatched” (technicolour cartoon), “Always Kickin’” (colour classic), “Hold That Ball” (musical comedy), “Vitaphone Pictorial Revue” (interest with technicolour sequence), and the usual interesting Regent Newsreels.