Movies
A dramatic scene from "Pastor Hall,” which is shortly coming to Hongkong. Left to right, Wilfred Lawson, Seymour Hicks, Brian Worth, Nova Phil- beam and Marius Goring.
ALL-STAR DeMILLE
home.
Saturday.
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
For many years, long, long before his reviewer attended the moving pictures professionally, he felt that one of the outstand- ing curses hanging heavily over Hollywood was its attempt to
January 11, 1941.
13
Movies for Children
And Plausible Villians
make movies that could be Up the Band," and "Blondie are dark, sinister, evil fellows whose shown to the young without any
Has Servant Trouble,"
damage to them.
1
expressions give them awny even to This committee does not list other the dullest child in the house. The current films such as "The Letter" fact is, as every innocent victim in (murder & infidelity), The Wes- villains defy detection.
the world knows, that all successful terner" (gun play), "Arise My Love"
"Escape" (anti-Nazi drama) In short, the truth would be served Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney, Lewis
When having struggled through what and Is to pass for your education, in
ian violence).
I cannot defend the latter-set as Stone, Errol Flynn, Gary Cooper, and are able to pass an intelli- being wonderful for children, but I Charles Boyer, Spencer
Tracy and gence test with colours flying will say that their frightening effects Don Ameche os dirty-working ras-
heroca could hardly be worse than the false cals. For
we could right up to your own mental teaching of the first grout.
Basil Rathbone, George Sanders, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lionnel Atwill, Bruce Cabot, Stanley Fields, Peter Lorre, J. Carrol Nalsh, Erle Stroitelm, George Zucco and
Schildkraut.
you have grown up, (sex city for Conquest" (metropoli by casting Clark Gable, Joel McCrea,
your
By Archer Winsten
of
Vou
Joseph
have
age, it seems nsinine to be While on the subject of false pic- Fortunately, all of the foregoing shunted back to the ten-year tures, let me nall to the mast one arguments are based upon the pre- level in
the most misleading habits the raise that a human being can really entertainment. The excuse that examples of veloped, the convention that villains in this column,
motion picture industry has de- learn. That is debatable, though not. murder, rape, licentiousness, triumphant, or lengthy kisses would inspire the very young in years or mind to do likewise is compelling enough, but still acutely annoying.
In days gone by such consi- derations frequently caused this reviewer to assert that people RO easily influenced should be kept at home or in institutions. The picture of the general level. of American life should not be simplified and debased to a child's level of comprehension in order to protect weak minds and young. Let parents keep their children home, this de- partment was fond of fulminat- ing.
Leo Carillo, Louise Platt and Victor Mature in
a scene from the Hal Roach production, "Captain
Caution."
Cecil B. DeMille has dust blows. Rivals at the fade-
Alas, in view of actual ex- out are good friends. Foster perience with an eight-year-old forsaken the great open has the girl, and Gary has the daughter, that's easier said than man he has been tracking tied done. The first requisite is n spaces of the west, up in his lariat and on his way barred castle, surrounded by electrically cluirged barbed wire, which was the locale of Paulette Goddart, as a girl of and kept by a corps of trusted "The Plainsman" the of complications in the course goes to school with other child- mixed blood, causes a great deal child lives in this world and "Union Pacific," and has of the picture, while there are ren, the battle is lost almost also innumerable other turns before the first "No" is spoken. gone into the Canadian and twists of plot in the way of
this enjoyable film.
Censorship, far from solving woods for the back-
The film is long, running more this problem, only pushes it to than two hours. An interesting another level. Experience per- ground of his new pro- novelty is an introductory sound mits adults to live in a world track talk by DeMille, in which of actuality while making auto- duction, "North West he recounts the historical busis mutic adjustments to the world NEWS
for the film. On the screen is of the movies. To the child a Mounted Police," which a panorama of striking views movie is apt to be as real as life which in themselves tell of and perhaps, at first, much is the current attraction man's conquest of forest and more impressive.
plain. It is an effective kick- at the Queen's and on. Alhambra.
THE SEA HAWK
FROM
LONDON
(From the Telegraph's"
Own Correspondent)
In view of that fact, the mind shudders to think of the vast educational weight the movies bring, to bear
In films to-day, people are on the coming looking for what is gay. There This is an outstanding This hearty melodrama, in generation in America,
fore, it is good news that British spite of its constant flourish of and beautiful outdoor sword and cape, is painfully up ing catalogue
Not to go through the terrify making pictures in tune with studios are getting down to
to date.
of Hollywood film, photographed in
virtues, not to list. the deadly on theatres closed, there never the times. With so many Lon- Here is Queen Elizabeth busy identical routine of the gorgeous technicolour, appening in hip and intent Western, the lippy patois of the was a better opportunity for upon disarmament; here is the stum drama, the cops n' robbers such cheerful British films to containing a gory and fifth column hard at work and pursuit, or the fleshless moon- have the best actors and in constant touch with the ing_of_the_love-drama-let-me-
actresses in the world. In-somo absorbing melodramatic Embassy; here is Lord say that an awful lot of it adds cases the opportunity is being
Wolfingham, cast for the role of up to thrills without discipline, taken. story in which the Quisling and about to receive effects without causes, and ac
plans of the Spanish invasion so' tion for its own sake, and there- making a story of Benjamin At Teddington, Warners are traditions of the red- that he may open our ports to fore, more often than not, poor- Disraeli with the title "An Em-
the Armada. coated constable of
ly motivated. the It is all most discouraging, and
pire was Built," To put it briefly, we start by that
with a cast what would have happened to Eng- famous
includes John Gielgud, Innd if it had not been for Mr Errol saying the truth about men and Diana Wynyard, Will Fyffe, are Flynn?
women is too tough for a child. Owen Nares and Fay Compton. preserved and passed on silly nigh to make him a galley coated falsities about the way ing of "Quiet Wedding," there Fortunately the Spaniards were We end by giving them sugar- At Sound City, for the film- slave, thus putting a galley at his to younger men.
disposal, and by a little fifth column people live. Supposedly that is an work on his own he is able to save will give them better under talent. Peggy Ashcroft is in a extraordinary array of DeMille is past master in England, or at any rate to put in standing.
some good propaganda in favour of making "big"
cast which includes Margaretta! A committee of teachers and Scott, star-studded rearmament.
Athene Seylor, Jean pictures, and for "North Elizabeth is even induced parents is willing to recommend Cadell.
Queen to make quite a fighting speech, and for child
Margaret West Mounted Police" he with this faint suggestion that there spectacular and hollow circuses ing, Margaret Rutherford and Halston, consumption such Muriel George, Marjorie Field- has assembled a cast consist- still remains some slight hope for the
as "Boom Town," "Mark of Zor- Martita Hunt. ald country we are left to digest the ing of no other than Gary moral of this curious film, which North West Mounted Po- peace time would have been im- Cooper, Madeleine Carroll, may be seen to-day at the King's.
lice," "Tin Pan Alley," "Strike possible.
brigade
Paulette Goddard, Preston
Foster, Robert Preston,
George Bancroft,
Akim
Tamiroff, Lynne Oyerman, Montagu Love, Lon Chaney, Jnr., and other famous players.
The story which is related is more credible than the average yarn of the Canadian wilder ness. It is founded upon an incident of Insurrection and bloodshed which took place in and around Regina in 1885, when Canadian troops subdued dlacontent and revolt that had gone on for some 15 years.
Gary Cooper plays the part of a Texas Ranger come North on a search for a murderer, but finds himself in the midst of more gunplay than he bargained for before the end of the second reel. ·
Preston Foster, as the ser- geant-leader of the redcoats, gets the botter of Gary in the contest for Miss Carroll, who never scems quito able to make - up her mind whether to stay up north where the winds blow or go south with Jooper where the
Albert Basserman and Joel McCrea in an ex- citing scene from the Walter Wanger production, "Foreign Correspondent.” soon to be shown in the Colony,
Such a cast in
As far as players are now concerned each performance can be like a command performance, and it is suggested that more British film studios should wake up to this situation.
Major Barbaru and Kipps, re- presenting Mr George Bernard Shaw and Mr H. G. Wells, are being filmed. Major Barbara will have Dame Sybil Thorndike, Miss Wendy Hillier, and Mr Robert Morley in the cast, while Mr Carol Reed, a most Interesting and Individual director, has Miss Diana Wynyard and Mr Michael Redgrave to play the lead- Ing parts in Kipps.
2
In the theatre world, so great has been the success of Lunch Ballet and the second session of After-Lunch Ballet, which have been packing the Arts Theatre twice daily from 1 10
and 2.15
2.16 to 3.16 that a third per- formance has been called for. This is known as Ten Ballet and is given from 3.30 to 4.30 p.m. each day. The price is 1/- and refreshments are available in the theatre.
Mr Donald Wolft is opening a season of Lunch-time Shakespeare at the Strand Theatre. In his Arst bill, Misa Cathleen Norbit will be his collaborator, playing Lady Macbeth and Beatrice to Mr Wolfi's Macbeth and Benedick. The performances will begin at 1. o'clock; and last_ope hour.
SANDEMAN
PORT & SHERRY
OBTAINABLE EVERYWHERE
Hongkong Benevolent Society,
Room 11, Ice House Street.
The Society's Room will be open on
MONDAYS & THURSDAYS
from 10 A.M. to noon
經濟
耐用可靠
3456
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