1940-06-29 — Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS

Saturday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

June 29, 1940.

BY "FIRST NIGHT"

A Wicked

Squire

"Jamaica Jun**

Charles Laughton, Emlyn' Williams,

Leslie Banks, Maureen O'Hara.

"JAMAICA INN" has Charles Laugh-

ton, but no Elsa Lanchester Hitch- cock directed it and additional dialogue. was written by J. B. Priestley.

Its story, by Daphne du Maurier, la juicy with incident.

The screen is packed with famous people mas.. querading as smugglers and cut-throats, but one can become inured to ship-wreck and garotting and thront-slitting and pairs of feet swinging in a slow semicircle, even when conducted by the personally unexceptionable.

Out of this welter of distinguished nineteenth century hooliganism one thing shines like that beacon in, the film which the slip of a girl waves against the back-cloth.

This is the supreme, the art-1 FILM: "The Mikado." ful, the wicked, the robust carl-STARS: Kenny cature of the eighteenth century

Balcer D'Opley Carte company. squire by Charles Laughton. VERDICT: Excellent. This is as brilliant a manifestation

FILM: The Under-Pup."

Gloriu

the STARS: and

of cbjective exocentricity as anything THIS is a gaily satirical

breath-taking.

Jean,

MAUREEN

O'HARA AND CHARLES

LAUGHTON

FILM: "Ragles."

Virginia STARS: Danid Niven, Olivia de

Weidler, VERDICT: Introducing new chlid

wonder.

Havilland, Dame May Whitty.

VERDICT: Great fun.

T is not exactly pacanless THERE was a great deal Laughton has ever It is quite film, based on the fam- that Gloria Jean comes of extraordinarily read-

Charles Laughton engages in proous Gilbert and Sullivan to the screen.

son

of a girl, and, foiled at the last mo- Mikado masquerading, as

Child won-able stuff written just be-

fessional shipwreck, abducts the nip opera, of the of a der, singing prodigy, charm-fore the war, which the ment by the young revenue meer minstrel to evade nurringe with ing youth, and all she has movies occasionally tap, and and the military,, who gallop closer

been boosted. The claims tap badly. and eteser while the abduction pro-an elderly lady of the Court. coeds, jumps from the rigging and makes a splash.

You will be unable to see whether he gnashed his teeth in pussing, but I expect that was provided for in the script.

Veldt,

Valerie

FILM: "U-Bout 29."

Conrad STARS:

VERDICT: Spies and more Spien.

Hobson.

MICH

ICHAEL Powell, the director, has secured the maximum in excitement and suspense value from an intriguing plot, the unravell- ing of which is consistently! interesting and occasionally thrilling.

Much of the action takes place in the mist-wrapped Orkney Isics, both photographer and art director achieving a striking sense of reality and thereby con- tributing no little to the general atmosphere of conviction."

The filting musle and keenly are justified. She is very, | satirical lyrics will appeal to all, very good-ns natural as the The Bhim is presented in magnifi-day, as tuneful as the ravis, an vent Technicolour.

Kenny Baker takes the role of the accomplished little actress. The Arikado's son and is ably supported last even if she has been given by Martyn Green, Sydney Granville, a little too much of the sucrose John Barclay and Jean Colin of the to dispense in The Under-Pup- D'Oyley Carte Opera Company,

WHAT'S ON

TO-DAY

QUEEN'S AND ALHAMBRA: "The Mindo"

KING'S: "Raffles" MAJESTIC: "U-Boat 297 ORIENTAL: "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" TO-MORROW

ORIENTAL: "The Under-Pup” MAJESTIC: "Intermezzo” KING'S: "The Invisible Man Returns" QUEEN'S AND ALHAMIKA: "Jamaica Inn"

FILM: "The Invisible Man Returns." A Hittle weakness here and there STARS: Cedric Hardwicke, John in the development is lavishly com- pensated for by the accumulative VERDICT: Return of an old friend. thrill and excitement of the spy

מ

Sutton.

hunt. Sequences devoted to fleetHERE'S another re- movements. the shelling of steamer by a U-boat and the appro- appearance of an old priate action on the part of a de- friend in "The Invisible Man stroyer provide spectacular thrills. Returns,"

Moments of comedy and romance

are Ingeniously interpolated, and

one is consistently entertained by

Remember the first "Invisible

the movements of spies and counter-Man," in which Claude Rains spies. The finale Is a glorification went crazy and was killed?

of the U-boat

commander who

The secret remains with his insisted upon retaining his uniform "brother" (John Sutton), who uses it to get Vincent Price "out Conrad Veldt ndilrably suited of the condemned cell.

when ordered to turn spy.

to the roje of Captain Hordi, a Unseen hande open a suitcase and

U-boat cammander to the portrayal

Here is E. W. Hornung's "Raffles" as well done as you could wish, enormously amusing, thrilling, deft, a damned good story damned well älmed.

Second-Lleutenant David Niven has not quite the charming vi This is a film whose story lainy of Gerald du Maurier, but he concerus a poor little girl who has all the charm. I enjoyed this wins a competition and is taken picture outrageously, | for a camping holiday by a com-

It really is very, very naughty pany of rich little girls; who misto present Cur youth with

its rather badly to begin with, but inkling of the delights of burgling wins her campeers over in the Bond-street jewellers in a silk hat happy end, incidentally singing her by night and playing county cricket way, and effecting one malek, the at Lord Melrose's place in Essex by reconciliation of two presumptive day-but after all, it was only done divoreas, and a general glow. of for Bunny who was in the Army,

bless him, and couldn't meet beneficence the by-going.

The main interest is in Gloria, meza bills on Monday. Jean, whom everyone will be delighted to discover.

She

IL

an

his

The acting reaches

musi -respectable standard of shrewdl-

ness and wii.

sings with remarkablei maturity and purity; her lack of

The Hollywood English bilgade what affectation is a gifts and one can have an absolute field day,

cabs, the Albany, forgive the studimaly, Caledonian with hansom

gentlemen. barre in "Aunie Laurie" for the gentlemen's

County way in which she sings it.

ericket, the tenantry, Scotland Yard. -Virginia-Weidler-her-customary creeping about the rents of Piccadilly, delightful self as one of the children, and all the things they must iniss 20

C. much. and there are good parts for Aubrey Smith, Nan Grey, and Robert

Of course, they've brought it up Cummings, not to mention a strong comedy section in Billie Gilbert and a date with television, but all the days, those were the two juventes, Kenneth Brown and same the

were the days.

Bill Lenliart.

Laughton's Future Film Plans

HARLES

HA

LAUGHTON crowding upon her at the age of 19, but she will probably keep her is returning to comedy.balance. What he will make is some-

thing equal to "Ruggles of Red

of which he brings his understand-take out a suit of clothes. Shirt, Gap" but not ing of a complex character. He is trousers, and coat slip over an in- given splendid support by Valerie visible figure-and so on.. Hobson, who has probably the best!

posedly conchalant

Jurking

picture.

copy of that DOBERT STEVENSON, who went I from Eating to Hollywood with his wife, Anna Lee, afler directing!

It's worth while seeing only for What is promised in the forth- "A Young Man's Fancy." is to direct rule of her career as the wife who those bewildering illusions.

Besides, there is Non Grty looking coming tim, "Half A Rogue," is the screen version of "Tom Brown's turns spy, and Sebastian Show

KIS the sup

up very frightened and sweet, with the appearance of Charles Laugh-Schooldays."

His cast includes Billy Halep, of male-fon as "a Scho bartender, a rotandj traitor. Marius Goring has Cedric Hardwicke some good moments

ster, volently in the background. as Schuster,

and roguish man of mystery, whose the Dead End Kids (which has an alarming sound, perhaps, 'against the second-in-command of the U-boat, June Duprez is charming in the very FILM: Mr. Smith Goes to Washing-1 employer is secretly the father of a period English atmosphere), but is otherwise impressively British. It ton."

includes Sir Cedric Hardwicke small role of the real schoolmistress,

Circumstances combine to have Freddie Bartholomew, Hughle Green, the bartender mistaken for the lady's now 19, and Ernest Cossurt. father and, thus established, for him to visit Hollywood in a publicity. Laughton's warm sense of cently filmed in New Jersey) that is

and Hay Petric Introducing a joyous STARS: Jean Arthur, James Stewart. study of л pessimistic enginer". VERDICT: Very, very good. Other supporting roles are admirably

played, the crowd work

effective

and the general technical quality of

a high standard,

FILM: "Intermezzo.

STARS: Ingrid Bergman,

Howard. VERDICT: Romantic drama.

Lesite

THIS film deals with a famous Swedish violin- ist's romance with his pianist.

home.

་

is a political drama based on a story by Lewis R. Foster.

famous movie star."

blaze of

*

A troupe of negro performers re- human comedy should have happy described as a swing version of the opera "Othello." It is called "Para- It describes an idealistic scope in this,

The Blm is to be produced in disc in Harlem." More cheerful, no young senator's adventures Hollywood by Erich Pommer. They doubt, than the original. in Washington at the hands are both associated now with R.K.O. Radio, the company for which "Hall of political bosses.

+

A Rogue" is to be made. Eloa Lan

Kors'

It ends with his neat turning chester (Mrs. Laughton) will be in of the tables and his eventual this. Afterwards Laughton

into screen biography in "Benjamin, triumph.

Franklin," with Pommer ngain producer.

os!

DESTROY

Fleas!

Kentinga

The brilliant direction of this Interesting theme resulta in a vivid A The ties of his wife and and enthralling sequence of

incident enhanced by 'family prove too strong, how-dramatic

over, and he returns to his cleverly sustained suspensó and HERE are claborate plans also for

sympathetic treatment.

Maureen O'Hara, the Pommer- The interest of the audiences Laughton discovery, whose Holly-

Sprinki There are beautiful settings sustained at an unusually high level wood programme (following The Band Fest

from the. intriguing opening to the Hunchback of Notre Damo") includes are there the Bekam and sensitive characterisations emotionally exhausting annie. the Katharine Hepburn part in the deep in peacembel which lend enchantment to the

Mr. Smith is portrayed by James new version of "A Bill of Divorce- plot which is somewhat slender. Stewart who is an idealist young ment," a Vick! Baum story. "One of Ingrid Bergman gives an out-man, sent to the Senate from his Six Girls, and a screen play which State in the belief that he will be James Hilton is writing on A. P. standing portrayal. She brings

political Herbert's story of canal life, “Water Tare charm and talent to the rolo an easy going supporter of

Gipsico." of the lovelorn plantet

Jean Arthur appears as a smart Leslie Howard presents an agree-know-all-the-answers

Fecretary. in In short, Mias O'Hara (originally} BEETLES, MOTHS,FLEAS élc,even Buga ablo study of the famous violinist. Washington. There is a good love Miss FitzSymon, of Dublin) is ad-

BUT IT MUST BE KEATING'S. Excellent general entertainment story and a happy ending no tears. vancing at a giddy rate. Succese la!

ramp

:

KEATING'S KILLS

EST!

HR

ere's

THE

Our heartiest congrats

on your promotion-but

you've pinched our mug!

IRIUM THRILLS MILLIONS-

Irium in Pepsodent Tooth Paste is thrilling

Lola Lane, ster of Warner Bros. Pictures appearing in "Four Daughters."

millions

morning after morning, by the new dazzling whiteness of their teeth! Never before has there been such radiance with a tooth paste so sterly safe... Yes, there's never a risk with IRIUM-containing Pepsodent..

never a chance of harming your precious tooth enamel.

ORITLESS, SOAPLESS, CHALKLEBS

and so REFRESHING! Arallable in Large, Medium and Cuest Sites

Pepsodent

AUK

USE PEPSODENT TOOTH PASTE OR TOOTH POWDER

BOTH CONTAIN IRIUM

This will interest YOU!

BACK NUMBERS

AVAILABLE AT

LOW

COST

THE

CHINA

JOURNAL

PRICE

at all bookstores

$1.50%

per copy

MARCH NO.

CONTENTS

CHINESE STUDENTS IN DEFENCE OF THEIR NATION

THE VOLCANOES OF THE NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES THE CHINA WAX AND INSECT- WAX INDUSTRY IN SZECHWAN SOME SEA PENG (PENNATU... LACEA) FROM AMOY ISLAND

*SMALL MONEY” ANAS