STATE THEATRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 August 1939, Page 2

STATE THEATRE

■THE FLYING IRISHMAN." "The Flying Irishman” will conclude its season at the State Theatre tonight. "STAGE COACH.” Across a vast panorama of primitive splendour, several thousand feet above sea level under a burning sun, a solitary stagecoach careers and rocks behind six galloping horses. Every mile brings the coach and its odd assortment of passengers closer to a waiting band of murderous Apaches, led by Geronimo, fiercest of them all. This is the tense and thrilling background of Walter Wanger’s "Stage Coach,” a frontier drama of the 1880’s, when Indians still roamed the sagebrush, which will be shown at the State Theatre tomorrow night, with Claire Trevor and John Wayne in the starring roles. Miss Trevor, appearing as Dallas, a girl of shady reputation who has been driven from Tonto by a self-righteous group of women, and Wayne, impersonating Ringo Kid, another social outcast, are passengers on this coach. Among the others in the motley group are a gambler of mysterious origin, a sottish doctor, a timid whisky drummer, a high-born lady, a pompous banker who has absconded with his bank’s funds, and the stagecoach driver. The journey of the coach begins at Tonto, Arizona, with Lordsburg, in New Mexico, its destination. A spectacular set was erected for the scene showing the frantic dash of the stagecoach when Apache war signals are seen in the nearby hills. There is a river crossing ahead, where the stage driver plans to get fresh horses and additional ammunition. The coach winds through a mountain pass and dashes down a canyon to the river—but the relay station is in flames and its attendants have been murdered by Indians. It is shortly after this scene sweeps across the screen that the stagecoach is surrounded by the wild Apache and the United States cavalry comes to a thrilling rescue.