REGENT THEATRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 February 1940, Page 2

REGENT THEATRE

"CLOUDS OVER EUROPE.” That sterling picture, “Clouds Over Europe,” will be shown again tonight at the Regent Theatre. The story is one of the tragic and utterly mysterious disappearances of a number of British bomber ’planes on their maiden voyages. Inevitably, an enemy nation is suspected, and a man from Scotland Yard is put on the trail of the mystery. The implications of these ’plane disappearances indicate a certain cautious approach in the solving of the puzzle. But scenarist lan Dalrymple, Director Whelan and Ralph Richardson, who plays Major Ham-, mond of Scotland Yard, managed it otherwise. The part of the Major was written, directed and played as a high comedy role. The redoubtable Major wields an ever-present umbrella which becomes a clever prop, in the picture. The umbrella becomes in his hands, the symbol of heavy matters lightly dealt with.- The umbrella is inevitably a part of Major Hammond, and it becomes apparent that without this weapon his mental mechanism would be seriously handicapped. Laurence Olivier,. the star of "Wuthering Heights,” has another excellent role, this time in partnership with Valerie Hobson. He plays the role of an adventurous young test pilot who joins forces with Scotland Yard in seeking a new bomber which disappeared on its test flight. Several other machines disappear under similar circumstances, and the builders at last send out their crack pilot to act as a decoy. The ingenious means by which the aeroplanes have been captured is revealed, and is shown to be the work of a powerful gang of spies. Exciting, developments follow. The great feature of the film is the part taken by Ralph Richardson, who is outstanding for his brilliant acting. In "The Citadel" his performance as the drunken doctor was one of the most memorable features of an outstanding film, and again in “Clouds Over Europe," he contributes principally to the success of the film in a peculiarly whimsical' character.