REGENT THEATRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 October 1939, Page 2

REGENT THEATRE

“FOUR DAUGHTERS.” “Four Daughters,” the Warner Bros, picturisation of a famous story by Fannie Hurst, will open at the Regent Theatre tonight. A moving tale of four devoted, sisters who fall in love with the same man, the film has one of the most unique casts in motion picture history. Given stability by the presence of such tried and true performers as Claude Rains, May Robson, Frank McHugh and Dick Foran, the cast is made remarkable by a couple of striking circumstances. First, it marks the only time in motion, picture history when three sisters not only played important roles in the same picture but were, in fact, cast as sisters. They are, of course, the Lane girls, Priscilla, Rosemary and Lola. The fourth sister, incidentally, is played by Gale Page, who is said to fit beautifully into the Lane ensemble. The Warner studio also chose this vehicle to introduce simultaneously two of the most promising young actors it has ever presented in its long history of star-mak-ing. They are Jeffrey Lynn, tall, handsome and charming—a promising candidate for feminine-heart palpitator No. 1, and John Garfield, already famous on the Broadway, stage as a young character actor. Lynn plays the captivating youth with whom the sisters all fall in love. He, however, shows a clear preference for the youngest, played by Priscilla Lane. The announcement by Priscilla of her engagement to Jeffrey is a sad blow to the other three girls but one from which they manage to recover easily, especially since they are all so devoted to Priscilla that no question of jealousy is involved. All seems to be going smoothly until the day that Jeffrey and Priscilla are to be wed. It is then that a down-at-heel musician, played by John Garfield, tells Priscilla that her oldest sister, portrayed by Gale Page, is deeply in love with Jeffrey and is broken-hearted over the’impending wedding. The bond between the oldest and the youngest of the girls is so deep that Priscilla cannot bear to be the instrument of her beloved sister’s unhappiness. Acting upon a sacrificial impulse, she runs away only a few moments before her scheduled wedding to Jeffrey and marries Garfield. This starts the chain of circumstances which make the story of “Four Daughters” a rich and human experience. z

A superb array of featurettes complete the programme.