1949-02-04 — Page 5

"Casbah"

Peter Lorre,

delective, questions Yvonne do Carlo, charmer of the Casbah, in him search for the notorious Pepe le Moko (Tony Mar.

tình

Behind The Veil

A CroonerTMTM

At the outset, let it be stated that "Casbah", the next offer. ing at the King's, is bound to give most patrons their money's worth in entertainment, This

must be made (clear first br- cause the following remarks might be construed to mean that the ulm is less than perfect. Let's face it: it is.

THE CHINA MAIL, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1949.

CINEMA WORLD

Fate, Hope And Calamity Jane

The only thing which seems genuinely wrong with

"Palofaco"

for the (Paramount factura Queen's this week) is that Bing Crosby is not prosent. This is a pointless criticism, of course, but one which undoubtedly will be mado by just as many as thought "Emperor -Waltz“ failed through the lack of Bob Hope.

Co of the) in the mights climme the dens This is a direct Tirutt famous Crosby-Hope "Road" tis and his toothsome spouse are series which established them in the hands, of the Injuns and as a team. To the public in Imminent danger of attending Painless personal barbecue. now seems as silly to separate Crosby from Hope as once it .would

been to spilt have Laurel and Hardy. This is not reflection on Mr. meant as Crosby's expanding waistline. It has quite a little way to go magni- before reaching the ficence of the Hardy bulge.

Nevertheless, "Paleface" is un- likely to fail. Bob Hope is in Painless Peter his element as

10 the

Potter, itinerant dentist, tied by chance and matrimony holster straps of Calamity Jane, played with robust hamminess, admirably suited to the part, by Jane Russell. For the Miss Russell remains adequately covered throughout.

The story, based on the novel "Papa Le Moko" by Detective Asheibe, concerns the efforts of n French Jewel thief. Pepe le Muko (Tony Martin), is nvuld arrest by exlling himself

Calamity the Casbah, to inner city of Algiers, While he is there he is anfe. So for, so good.

Universal- In their publicity. International make a mighty song. und-dance about having shót some 20,000 feet of film of the real Casbah and of buying used about a quarter of it in the final pro duction. So far, even better.

пете

on

With a good story to work

to

must

one

and enough authentic shots

make Len traveloguca

have

occurred to some.

that the material

Available with

out.

WAI

which to turn

at the very least,

an

of

hentet, bellevable pleca light drama with an unusual and Interesting setting.

中

But no, never let it be said that there is enough entertainment in the activities of a hunted criminal, at the very mention of whose numa the band

stopa

and the Turlive glunces begin to donce. Not außli- cient is his constant awareness of danger; his never-ending need fur vigilauer; his

nerve-inutening knowedge that complete relaxn- tion can never be his,

No indeed. He must ubrug off

his villaing from time to time, step smartly and completely unt of character, and skip around the rooftops, crooning love songs in n flutey tenor. Thit the songs are pleasingly rendered and not d pleasing La hear can hardly be called justification.

Into the bargain.. he..is beschi firat by the disturbing attrac tions of Yvonne de Carlo,

whose presence In the Casbah might find credible,

one

though unlikely, and then by the equally disturbing loveil. nesa of Marta Toren of whom

cameraman

report-

a

Is

פן

ed to have remarked, coyly no doubt, "Her eyes are the win. (lows of her boudoir,"

this case her eyes aro the

windows ol

phantasy

a

flossy-edged

which might hava

been a good picture.

· Some

comfort may be drawn from the fact that Peter Lorre in present in the cast. As the datec- five whose wearying task it is to watch patiently for the op- portunity to arrest Pepe le Moko he is, as sual, both entertaining and convincin

Though

their

appearance is all

tod brief, Katherine Dunham and her trou

dancers light up troupe of the Alm with their art in the festival scenes.

Honour must go, too, to John Berry for his work as director. It was presurably not his decision to serve candy 'flons instead of steak.

record:

All the nonsense starts through Jane's being com. missioned to anare a gang of renegades who are causing the Injuna to whoop it up to the danger of the white settlers in a phrase, the wild and, to cain

Waxt. meeting between the buxom The med

Pete taices Jane and Painless

place in

bath-house.

mind

[ public Jane's natural attractions, though you,

adequately rovered,

prove a distraction to the gum- digger, somewhat to the peril of

his patient on whom he is per- with the delicacy usually forming confined to the art

branding.

of

Cattle-

several

One think lenda to others, and we And Dur hero battling with the bail men with tremendous auccess-considerably the more than he achieves in pursuit of marital happiness with his hefty bride.. He does, how- ever, find a a certain amount favour among the lovelies in the dancehall

Не "Dirty Shame”. warns these ladies "Don't fight over the girls. I'll be around a while. may raffle myself off for tunight. Stand by."

STAR

Phone 58335%CAM

17 Hankow Road, Kowloon

FINAL SHOWING —

2.30, 5.10, 7.20 & 9.30 P.M.

FRANK SINATRA KATHRYN GRAYSON GENE KELLY

ANCHORS AWEIGH

Technicolor

HOSE ITURBI

-TOMORROW- Irene Dunne William Powell,

in

"LIFE WITH FATHER”

THEATRE

270, Queen's Rd. Central.

*.5 SHOWS DAILY *

Phone 25720.

AT 12.30; 2.30, 5.15, 7.15 & 9.15 P.M.

*

FINAL EPISODE *

Who is the myrtacions pirato

--Whe threatene all who dare to trond on’MYSTERY ISLAND7

MANHUNT

OF

MYSTERY ISLAND

*-RICHARD BAILETS,

rises dauntless to the occasion

und performs the necessary miracle in true bumbling Hope

All is well. style.

It is indeed pleasant to witness, Hollywood burlesque which has It so been planned that way. often happens that one is caught wondering whether the particular sple

the is watching at moment is meant to be laughed at or wept over.

one

WINNERS OF THE

HONG KONG "FILM NEWS"

BALLOT

Hong Kong's Favourite Stars

-1947/1048.

INGRID BERGMAN- GARY COOPER

Most Popular Film for the perfed Oct. 1247-Oct, 1948

M-G-M's "BATHING BEAUTY", starring Esther Williams and Red Skelton.

Watch for the Presentation

Date of Hong Kong's

GOLD STAR TROPHIES!

Hope) 1 the "Painicas" Peter Potter (Bob dentist who finds life with Calamity Jane (Jane more exciting than the practice of his gentle art mount'a burlesque Western, "Paleface."

dauntless

Russell)

in Para-

QUEEN'S &ALHAMBRA

Showing Today At 2.30, 5.15, 7.15 & 9.15 p.m.

A beautiful

body Surrounded

by stars

end songs!

PRICES AS USUAL

ESTHER WILLIAMS PETER LAWFORD

RICARDO MONTALBAN

JIMMY

DURANTE

CYD CHARISSE XAVIER CUGAT

AND HIS ORCHESTRA

MGM's TECHNICOLOR

On An Island With You

Extra at the QUEEN'S

Special Naws of the Day--- CHIANG KAI-SHEK OUT

CHINA'S LEADER"

1

Honesty Hits The Jackpot

"I'll Be Yours," current at- traction at the Lee, deals to a

fairly large extent with the. tribulations of 'a' young lawyer who persists in being honest, It is thus assured of being the cause of a least ono' hearty laugh.

(Tom Drake), of

the Alm. He is there solely to give Deannu Durbin a reason for flitting girlishly lather and yon, trilling from time to time in a very satisfactory fashion and be- ing generally more than a little decorative.

whistlestop,

1

MUSIC, MIRTH, MELODRAMA

Either, to precede or follow

TODAY

ONLY

KINGS

AT 2,15, 4.45,

7.15 & 0.45 P.M..

"Faleface" at the Queen's in 955556666666.................

the near future is the latest of G the "Thin Man" series. For the aixth time William Powell and Myrna Loy maintain amiable relations as Nick and Nora Charles through the thick of the thin gentleman's sleuthing. "Song Of The Thin Man" the title this time and an entertaining roundelay it is, Without

delay the nction starts with the murder of bandleader on a gambling ship and the eminent Mr. Charlon is the mighty roped in to unravel tangle whic

which inevitably follows, Those who consider murder A sultable end for bandleaders on gambling ships or elsewhere had better stay quietly at home with the "China Mall" or some Buch uplifting publication,, pe bands play (in both Benson) quite a prominant part in the film's action,

In this connection, Keenan Wynn as "Clinker" Krause, a In present an

Patrons helpful musician.

with hysterical tendencies are requested to throw their fits in the aisles and not over the other customers. Present also are Dean Stock- well, as the precocious son of the Gloria Grahome, couplej

Labouring under the name of Loulee Glaglebusher and hail. Islender

on which to Ing from some remote an ideal smoulder"

onc's weary

(masculine) Mina

Durbin is rest

head; and, of course, Asta. It is manoeuvred

Now into

York

understood that this intelligent armed with letter of introduc- tion to a theatre manager and bristle in the non of the eriginal Asta who died while back of old

little alan. The latter gets her a job as an usherette, a lask which apparent- ly allows her more freedom of action than one would Imagine. After establishing shots of her in uniform the theatre is quietly Ignored.

Through the genial attentions of a hash-house waiter (William Bendix), who has what one would imagine to be the suicidal habit of selling 45 cent mouls for 25 eents, the little songbird becomes omotionally tangled with the lezal angel.

Through the machinations of the same amiable food-dispenser she becomes en- tangled with a millionaire-wolf played with his customary suavity by Adopho Menjou

.

nge.

Both Edward Buzzell, MGM's

G

A MIGHTY NOVEL!...

*My sword-and heart are at

your feet!"

Mightier on the screon!

CAPTAIN From CASTILE

"canty Technicolor TYRONE POWER

Directed the

·20%

Fided by

HENRY KING LAMAR TROFIT

· JERN PETERS - CESAR WOMENS » KIR SUTAR=CIE"L" KON

Antonia Morase • Thomas Comet runt om

director for this effort, and the 5566bYbbsgbøøøyL564569996SLANG

writing team of Steve Fisher and

Not Perrin deserve a fair hand for presenting a ha drome alice of excitement with amusement sauce.

deliciously happy ending is, of course, presented ultimately like slice of marzipan floating in a bowl of syrup.

If criticism were to be aimed at "I'll Be Yours" (though one realises that such a happily con- cluded confection is above any carping) it would be that the BO crammed with whole thing good deeds and swathed in fell- city that it seems to have been lifted whole from the Reader's As the original story Digest.

With the deft twist here and the elephantine shove there, the plot is stretched into a shape to accommodate the complications was written by Ferenc Moinar, attendant upon such goings on. A however, this is unlikely.

ORIENTAL

AIRCENDETIONED

Take Any Eastern Tram Car or Happy Valley Mus Showing Today: 2.30, 5.15, 7.20 & 9.20 p.m.

ONE OF THE MOST BRUTAL AND BREATHTAKING OUTDOOR MELODRAMAS EVER SCREENED

IN THIS SEASON!

The brass-knuckled 3m)

SATURDAY EVENMIG POST story!

CORONER CREEK

Marring.

RANDOLPH SCOTT

CINECOLOR) MARGUERITE CHAPMAN

* Geargo HEADREADY - Sally ELLERS – Edgar RIMLANAN 1979

Special Added Attraction:

WALT DISNEY'S Latest Colour Cartoon "ALPINE CLIMBERS"

— NEXT CHANGE

༤༢༥

"EMPEROR WALTZ”

SPECIAL MORNING SHOW DAILY at 12.30 JOHN CARRADINE in

A Very Exciting Mysterious New Film

"REVENGE OF THE ZOMSBIE”

SHOWING

TODAY

UBERTY

Jordan Road, Kowloon.

At 12.00, 2.30. 5.15. 7.15

& 9.20 p.m.

Tel. 50333.

2 minutes from the Vehicular Ferry THE MOST UP-TO-DATE THEATRE ON THE MAINLAND.

FIRST SHOWING IN HONG KONG

THE

ONE

AND

ONLY

SUPERMAN

NOW ON THE SCREEN

IN A MIGHTY,"

ADVENTURE!

A COLUMBIA

PICTURE

TOMORROW

TSU-YUNG LEE presents

"OUR HUSBAND'

Starring LEE LEE HWA

SHEN CHING LU-YEN HWA

A YUNG HWA Production with MANDARIN Dialogue

LEE THEATRE

ADVANCE DOOKING OFFICE CHINA TRAVIL SERVICE & QUEEN'S RD., D.

BOOKING HOURS: 11:00 a 13.30 pm

daily

Commencing Today

4 SHOWS DAILY At 2.30, 5.15, 7.15 & 9.20 P.M.

It's Love...

on the Sunny

Side of Fun

PEPEVINE MILPRAʼLORS DEMYS

Deanna DURBIN

Tom

DRAKE

William BENDIX

Ill be Yours

Adolphe MENJOU

WALTER CATLETT FRANKLIN PANGBORN WILLIAM BROOKS,

by FELIN JACKSON-Duweise by WM ZAM A. SETTER + di Pahaar RemiAD I

› Charɛ? it (Adoptingla POLIS IRONBON "The Good Far" by Free Morgan bertarat Putografer Hot Babe, SC AN UNIONDAL ANTENNETAORM, PICTURE

TODAY

ONLY

Cathay

Į AT 2.30, 5.20,

7.30 & 9.30 p.m.

* FIRST TIME SHOWING IN HONG KONG * A SUPERFINE CHINESE PRODUCTION DEPICTING CHINA'S RESISTANCE AGAINST JAPANI-

"NATIONAL FLAME"

Starring WONG Dan-Fong.

• YIM Far KO Yen-Lo

* GRAND OPENING TOMORROW. * GREATEST ADVENTURE OF THE-CENTURIES! Errol FLYNN DCHAVILLAND * Claude RAINS in

THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD" Color by TECHNICOLOR: with Basil RATHBONE TODAY EXTRA PERFORMANCE AT 12.30 P.M. BUD & LOU in "THE WISTFUL WIDOW OF WAGON GAP"

TODAY

ONLY

MAJESTIC

At 2.30, 5.20, 7.20 &

0.20 P.M.

SCORES OF LOVELY AQUA-CUTIES... SLAVES TO A MAN-GOD'S WILL!

See Tarzan rescue

the beautiful Queen- of Pearl-Divarsi-2-

(BOL LESSER pretenta

ENGAR RICE BEREMY |

TARZANE MERMAIDS

JOHNNY WEISSMULLER BRENDA JOYCE

med tending LINDA CHRISTIAN Produced by SOL LESSER

*** TOMORROW

CORNEL WILDE "MAUREEN O'HARA. COLOR BY "THE HOMESTRETCH” TECHNICOLOR