OPENING

TO-DAY

At 2.30, 5.00"

7.15 & 9.30 p.m.

KINGS

AIR-CONDITIONED

THE JOY-FILM OF THE NATION!

JUDY GARLAND

1 in love-at her singing top!

MARGARET OBRIEN

she stops the show!

*Clang clang-clang

GoesThe Trolley

There's romance at every corner! There's singing in the stroots! There's music from the roof-topal Thore's fun from every side

Featuring the Hit Parade tune, "The Trolley Song"

in this big, M-G-M in fechnicolor

big hit from

Meet Me In St.Louis

MARY ASTOR - LUCILLE BREMER TOM DRAKE

MARJORIE MAIN

+

Bereen Play by Irving Brecher & Fred F. Finklehoffc Based on the Boole by Sally Benton

Directed by Vincente Minnelli

Produced by Arthur Freed

an M-O-M mcIURE

TO-MORROW MORNING AT 11.30 A.M. ONLY

COMMANDOS STRIKE AT DAWN

PAUL MUNI

ALLSTER COMMI PRODUCTIONEA

ADVANCE BOOKING OFFICE

ST. FRANCIS HOTEL, QUEEN'S ROAD, CENTRAL. BOOKING HOURS: 11.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Daily

SHOWING TO-DAY AT 2.30, 5.00, 7.20 & 9.30 P.M. (Please Note the Change of Timo)

KATIE...

JOHNNY...

AUNT SISSY...

BETTY SMITH'S

A TREMENDOUS

MOMENT AWAITS YOU! When each be loved character comes alive upon

the screen!

FRANCIE...

A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN

NEELEY...

MCSHANE...

DOROTHY MCGUIRE JAMES DUNN JOAN BLONDELL PEGGY ANN GARNER TED DONALDSON LLOYD NOLAN

Directed by ELIA KAZAN Produced by LOUIS D. LIGHTON Screen Play by Tesa Siesinger and Frank Davis » Adupted from the Novel by Betty Smith

TO-DAY,

ONLY

AND NOW.

Ar

2.30, 5.20

MAJESTIC 9.20pm.

Ladd's Back!

in the graczest role

of his marsogle

LAN

LADD FLORETTA YOUNG

AND NOW

Tomorrow

SIL BUSAR KAYWARD- BAKKY SULLIVANA A PAS

TO-MORROW:"'" "THE

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1947.

B

"SEVENTH VEIL? tops them all

By ERNEST BETTS

cent that,

Antho

is

of

screens are still American.

The answer is simple. Of the 400 feature films shown annually here, only about 40 are British. So the odds are really, 10 to 1 ngoitis A, judged by shert weight of numbers and money at the box-offico.

LONDON. Actresses? Margaret Lockwood RITISH film producera top, followed by Ann Todd,

Johnson, Then for whom nobody had a Neagle and Celia

Bergman. Belte Davis Ingrid good word to say before tenth. the war, are now blushing Consider these further facts in the from praise, British stars, change. Seventy-seven percent too. They've wooed you and the voters declared that British pic they've won, even if it has taken tures had improved. only one per-All of which makes, the final rat-" years of persuasion to make Eight gave they had deteriorated. Ing of the year's 10 outstanding films daid American films perhaps even more remarcable. This had improved, but 23 per cent that was it, in order 1 to 10: you say "Yes."

they had deteriorated,

Answering the question whether, "The Seventh. Veil" on the whole, they preferred British "The Wicked Lady" in American pictures, 71 percent vote "Brief Encounter ed British, 22 percent American, 7 "Piccadilly Incident"

"THO, Rake's Progress percent had no preference.

ISCERNING pers

persons will ask now. this sweeping change in taste

This conclusion in clear from a poll of public opinion or ganised by the Daily Express. First question whs: "Which do you consider the best film you saw in 1946?"

From a cholco of more than

Vell" was an easy winner.

200

!

shown on our

British and American films "Seventh

Next can square with the fact that about came "The Wicked Lady," "Brief 90 percent of films Encounter." "Plecadilly Incident," "Rake's Progress." "Della of St Mary's" was the only American fim mentioned in the first-len list.

I DATE tris change in taste from 1941, when "Target For Tonight" was the first top of the drum bring- Ing world attention to British films. Before that, the informed alm- goer, seeing a British picture billed at his local cinema, would cross the Toad to find an American one.

one. Crilles were lamenting the

ness and story In Blowness, dull

of our

Sims, the lack of glamour and punch In our stars. Ohl for the polish and pace of Hollywood! they cried.

All this ls ended. Few

except the backroom boys at our studios know what a hard struggle it has been. In the lean years, when bombs were the "noises off" to British pictures, they had to make love to the Board at Trade, kneeling for a bit of this und that before they dared to send a Valentine to the British picture- Cour.

No

NOTICE how the stars come out In the poll. It is all Mason and. Lockwood, with Ingrid Bergman and Bing Crosby 'tailing behind. When usked, for example, for the best per- formances, mun and woman in 1946, Mason swept the board, Rex Harri- son (now a terrille Hollywood hit) came next. Michael Wilding third, Laurence Olivier fourth, Bing Crosby. sixth, Stewart Granger seventh and Ray Milland tenth.

"STAR QUO

LIZABETH SCOTT

Answers This Question: WHAT IS YOUR GREAT- EST AMBITION?

When you say ambition to me~~ that's when you get me started! My greatest ambi- t'on is to be the whoppingest best. actrees in Holly- Wood

You can't blame a pel for trying.

don't want to cinased UN

1 be

a

LIZABETH SCOTT

my

Bells of St Mary's" "The Way to the Stars"

The Captive Heart" "Henry V."

"Caesar and Cleopatra”-

(British)

(American) (British)

"UNDER THE BAMBOO TREE"

Judy Garland and little Margaret O'Brien do a cake-walk number in this scone from "Meet Me In St Louis," now MGM technicolour musical which opens at the King's Theatre today. The cast also includes Mary. Astor, Marjorie Main, Lucille Bromer and Lean Ames.

ENTERTAINING

THE JAPS

"personally." IV OTION picture theatres in picture. "The Sign of the Ram." to

be released by Columbla studios. Japan are increasing in Something to stare number, reports the motion' nim footage of the countryside are , Sound strips of the folk songs and at. I want to

to have

Picture Association of America. to be made at Lizard's Head, Corn- talents

not only A tabulation received from the wall, under the supervision of Sey-

export branch mour Friedman. hy the public but by myself. So I'm Association's

office in Tokyo shows a total of 1,477 theatres, an increase of 340 since January 1, 1946.

working madly to perfect myself.

As a child, my mother used to tell Aubdued, to me to keep my emotions be "a lady. Instead of which I was a noisy, screaming little brat, de finite about everything.

Hiding Emotions

Two-thirds of these are former theatres rebuilt or repaired follow- ing war damage. Despite this new

Phyllis Calvert, the British screen star, has returned to Hollywood from England to begin work in the film "My Own Love," initial production under her new contract with Para- She is co-starred with Melvyn Douglas.

I don't believe in hiding emotions.activity, the number of theatres, mount studios.

operation is 300 less than the pre-

wor total of 1000, which means

Japan has one Alm theatre for every 47,000 of its 73,000,000 population.

Patricia Medina, wife of British has com- actor Richard Greene,

Never did. Control them, yes, now that I'm older. But pretending, not to feel what I'm feeling is out of the question.

Andre Charlot, French-born. im- first .I

I learned plenty from

presario whose stage revues in Lon- I Cather Along" "You

don and New York were famous in picture,

1920, Was engaged to learned even more from my next one,

give Strange Love of Martha Ivers," pleted a scenario entitled "Beloved French lessons to Cary Grant for the The that drama of murder and volcanic Stranger," which she says she wrote latter's role in the picture. "The emotions which was a tremendous with Actress Dorothy McGuire

In Bishop's Wife," Charlót frequently William sucem with moviegoers around the mind. Producer

Perlberg, plays character roles in Hollywood enthusiastic about the

story, has films.. world.

to submit it to Miss hale waits between pictures for fear I'll unlearn. I've been counter-McGuire. Misa Medina has a role in the Alm "The Foxes of Harrow," acting that fear by furious study. during my interval away from the with Rex Harrison and Maureen there O'lara at Twentieth Century-Fox screen. But it looks like won't be any more intervals between studios. pictures for me, 'You'll see pretty soon again.

No Dream Rolos

ne

I have no dream roles" in mind. If you mean do I want to play Jean of Are or Aloe in Wonderland "ene day, no. I've no such ideas on my mind. I can't think of any parti cular part I hope to do The only think I ask is that it's a good part.

Inow

what I mean. I am

next

my

Authentic Cornish folk music will be recorded on film in Cornwall, |England, for use In the American

THEATRE. Directory NOW SHOWING

Ampy delighted with my roles in,

two Hal Wailin productions, "Denert Fury," co-starring me with John Hodial and Burt Lancaster and

"I Walk Alone," where I am co starred with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Jack Porked hard on

of those roles, striving for my ALIIANIRA—Uncertain Glory. own brand of perfection. My am

KING'S-Meet Me In St, Lou's. QUEEN'S-Best Years Of Our Lives, CENTRAL-Uncertain Glory.

7.20 &.9.20 p.m. starre

FIGHTING GUARDSMAN"

Js to bring the highest degnte

bitlan is

of personal perfection to every

role

1

play

I want you to call me your fav

LEE-A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

STAR-Sudari.

NEXT CHANCE

ourite actress and I am working | KING'S~Bedtime Story.

fana

Heart,

hard all the time to win your praise, QUEEN'S None But The Lonely the profac of all the movie. throughout the world. That's my you greatest ambition." And:how know I'm trying.

(Read next Wednesday's Tele- graph for Ray Milland's "Star Quotes" answers),

"CENTRAL—The Verdict.

LEE-The Ox-Bow Incident. ALHAMBRA The Verdiet.

STAR-Who Done Il

Valerie Cardew, British

actress who arrived in Hollywood in April, has been given a role in the film "Mortal Coils, at Universal- International studios. She attend- ed the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and appeared in two picture productions by J. Arthur

Rank.

Sam Wanamaker, who directed. the play "Joan of Lorraine" and co- starred in it with Ingrid Bergman, has been signed to a seven-year act- Ing tontract by Milton Sperling, head of United States Pictures at Warner Brothers studios. He will ba co-starred with Lill Palmer, the Austrian Actress, ip Sperling's Alm "Even The Beginning,"

"Letter From An

Unknown

new

Woman," a famous story by Stefan Zweig, has been chosen for filming as the first production of plcture company, formed by Joan Fontaine and Producer William Dozier. Mas Fontaine will be star- and the Alm will go before the cameras

with John Housman producer and Max Opuls as director, Opuls, whose true name is Ophuls, In a German and is now directing the Douglas Fairbanks Jnr. plciure, "The Exile."

QUEEN'S

Conditioned

HELD OVER

FOR AN EXTENDED ENGAGEMENT! SPECIAL SHOWING TIMES 11.30 A.M.; 2.30; 5.30 & 9.00 P.M.

WINNER OF

ACADEMY AWARDS!

THE SCREEN'S GREATEST LOVE STORY!

The BEST Years of Our Lives.

-starring

Myrna Loy Fredric March

Dana Andrews Teresa Wright

Virginia Mayo Hoagy Carmichael

#

and introducing Cathy O'Donnell and Harold Russell

Screen Play by

Directed by

William Wyler Robert E..Sherwood From a Novel by MacKinlay Kantor Reles ved thew AKO kodie Ficheres

NEXT. CHANGE! CARY GRANT in

"NONE BUT THE LONELY HEART”

An RKO Radio Picture.

ALHAMBRA & CENTRAL

DAILY AT 210 5.20 720 & 930 PM DAILY AT 200 51 7 & 9SEM 6 TO-DAY & TO-MORROW • The story of a crime that was Not a crime!

ERROLILYNN

PAUL LUKAS

Gloris

JEAN SULLIVAN LUCILE WATSON as Chinel Story by Joe May and Laszlo Ved Raoul Walsh

Stroon Thy by Laszlo Vadnay and Ma's Brand+ From

NEXT CHANGE

Quncied by

THE DREADED CURSE OF UNDEAD HORROR!-

The

WOLF

with

CLAUDE RAINS

WARREN WILLIAM · RALPH BELLAMY PATRIC KNOWLES

BELA LUGOSI MARIA OUSPENSKAYA

EVELYN ANKERS

and the new master decader wesist

LON CHANEY

ws.be Wall Mon".

Cathay

GRAND OPENING TO-DAY AT 2:30, 5.20, 7:30 & 9.30 UNMATCHED FOR SPECTACLE & SUSPENSEJ THE MOST HEROIC ADVENTURE OF OUR TIME. WHILE THE THUNDER OF THÉR HOOF-DEATS STILL RINGS "ROUND THE WORLD – THE -LIGHĶERGADE CHARGES AGAIN!

ERROL FLYNN: OLIVIAZHAVILLAND, The CHARGE of the LIGHT BRIGADE:

SPATRICE KNOWLES DIMEARS ANSHENGEN ENIGEL GHUCį:

EXTRA PERFORMANCE ON SUNDAY AT 12.30 P.M.

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