STATE THEATRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 September 1939, Page 2

STATE THEATRE

“STAGECOACH.” The large audience at the State Theatre on Saturday night made no secret of the fact that “Stagecoach" is a great picture. On all sides at the conclusion of the presentation, were to be heard loud praise of the picture —for its unusual story, its thrilling scenes, its romance and its outstanding acting. Claire Trevor and John Wayne had the leading roles and with plenty of opportunity to display their talent the audience had placed before them a bill of fare of exceptional merit. It is a story which immediately grips the audience and is a saga of brave women and men. It was filmed before a backdrop that took sun, wind and rain thousands of years to build and colour —Monument Valley, 180 miles from the nearest Arizona railroad. Louise Platt, George Bancroft, John Carradine, Andy Devine, Thomas Mitchell, Tim Holt, Donald Meek and Berton Churchill, featured in support of the stars, portray the strange group of passengers thrown together with the coach as it proceeds from Tonto, Arizona, to Lordsburg, New Mexico. John Wayne portrays the role of Kid Ringo, who has been driven to outlawry by perjurers and is determined to kill them. Claire Trevor impersonates Dallas, a woman who has been forced out of town by the self-righteous citizenry. Among the others a Virginia-born woman, a mysterious gambler, a dip-somaniac-doctor, a blustering bank absconder, and a timid whisky drummer. While the pounding hoofs carry them' closer and closer to shrieking war cries and blood-hungry tomahawks, these incongrous individuals are absorbed with the purpose and hates that have propelled them into the hazardous journey. Each knew that Geronimo was on the war path. Each knew this meant torture or death if the coach was attacked —yet they went. They travelled across a vast panorama of primitive splendour in a solitary stagecoach which careens and rocks behind six galloping horses, with each mile bringing them closer to a waiting band of murderous Apaches. The story is one right off the beaten track.