Daily Mirror from London, London, England • 12

Page 12 WHAT a GABLE JEALOUS OF HIM INPft THE screen's newest star is your old friend from the 8.8. Arthur Askey. He makes his first screen appearance in Band Waggon," a very funny musical, which opens at the Leicestersquare Theatre, today. Askey goes over with a bang, bubbling with humour all the time. And any doubts about whether he can adapt his sparkling personality to the films go by the board in the first minutes when Stinker Murdoch wakes him up in their flat on the roof of Broadcasting 4- Ted Black, the producer (who is to the cinema industry what his big brother George Black is to the West End and variety stage), has introduced everything ever thought of in the popular 8.8.

C. feature. There is Lewis the Goat, Gerald the Henrietta the Hen, the decrepit car, Askeytoft the second, and Jack Hylton's Band. Askey and Stinker hire a haunted castle for £3. Toothless Moore Marriott is the ghost." (What a grand actor.) Disguised as Henry VIII, he tries to get them out for two reasons.

First, he's afraid of losing his job as caretaker, and, secondly, he has let the building on the side to a crowd of alleged commercial broadcasters. In fact, they're a bunch of spies, who use it as a secret television station for the transmission of valuable military plans to a foreign Power. The shaggy gentleman on the right is the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz," and he's going to be quite as popular as Clark Gable, says REG. WHITLEY in his film notes. tionary in screen fare, a sort of human cartoon." It is a hundredminute fairy tale with music in which grotesque figures operate against fantastic backgrounds of the type so far exclusively used in cartoons.

With the of a short epilogue and prologue, showing the heroine (Judy Garland) in her humble Kansas home, the picture is photographed in the most gorgeous Technicolour I have yet seen. Judy Garland's performance puts her way up above every other child actress of her type in Hollywood. The story opens with a realistic whirlwind which blows Dorothy, a mischievous young schoolgirl, from a farm in the Mid THE DAILY MIRROR of the Munchkins, a magic place peopled by gnomes. Here even the flowers are human and the apple trees talk, for over 9,000 actors and actresses, including 120 dwarfs, appear in this £750,000 production. In this pic- I class it as a colourful, beautiful and fanciful musical spectacle, with "We're Off to See the Wizard as the hit of six tuneful the Cowardly Lion as the most amusing character For the kids it's a certainty, 4 3' 5 .11.

4 qigiiiP I NI 4 1 1 1 .1:.:,..... 4 -f-- 3 I 1t.1.W)17-11i:::_t::: iE.4l.:ii.'lilll'::°' iiiii.limiiii!i'li:i:.i.:::.i.J..:. a 4 2 4 mi5 fr ,..7.: .4..4,1. Friday, January 26, 194.0 USELESS EUSTACE 4 4,41,,,, 1 i irA cK )) ik. From now on, Migglesby, I'll hold key of the safe I'm not haylig my butter ration pinched a second time 506 SILLYSTRATION "He dragged his family through the gutter." Bernard Farmes, of 21, St.

Benets-road, Westgate -on Sea, Kent, was the first reader to send this suggestion. This piece of unsophisticated funand-nonsense is linked by a number of attractive melodies, including the famous Boomps-a-Daisy." To see big-hearted Arthur dancing this number with an outsize in partners is alone worth the price of ad- Dickie Murdoch makes a splendid foil to Askey, and adds a spot of romance with Pat Kirkwood, who sings well and looks lovely. Peter Gawthorne is fine, too, in a grand study of a pompous 8.8. C. personality.

Here's that typically British lowbrow comedy we've all been waiting for. Just the stuff to give the troops, Mr. Askey. I THANG YEW 4- -4- 4- THE WIZARD OF OZ (Empire, WHEN Walt Disney made Snow White he started something. reply to this record money spinner is something revolu- Popeye WHAT WOULD ii IS VERY A MOST STURDY WHAT' '401) CONSIDER CHEAP, VESSEL, IF I EXCUSE A WHOLE AMR PRICE AFR ACTIO DO SAY so, ME ONE PS-S -ST ILLI OW FOR YOUR OF 'JOUR MYSELF MOMENT It SI-III? CAPTAIN i 1 BALLAST? DOLLARS am k7 -7, 7 AC.r 27 ll, ::7 3 1 4 -7, zY i ir 11 i .61 AllilAAVie.

dr die West to the fantastic air gland of Oz. On her journey to the Emerald City, a wondrous spot with castles of green bubbles, she meets three quaint characters. The Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) wants to see the Wizard (F ank Morgan) to obtain some brains. The Tin Woodman (Jack Haley) is in search of a heart, while The Cowardly ion" wants the Wizard to give him some courage. and for the 1940's first big problem picture.

Take your seats, please, if you appreciate originality in entertainment. A- THE ARSENAL STADIUM MYS- TERY (New Victoria and Astoria, LESLIE BANKS, as a Scotland Yard sleuth, and prominent members of the Arsenal team appear in this murder mystery thriller in a football field setting. The mystery is the murder of a famous amateur player during a vital match. Apart from the dramatic thrills there are interesting peeps behind the scenes of League football to intrigue both the Soccer and cinema fans. MUTINY IN THE BIG HOUSE (Paramount, CHARLES BICKFORD, as a prison chaplain, is the central character in this film of life in a penitentiary.

His efforts to help hardened cfimlnals ends in a terrific fight with the prison tough guy (Barton Mac Lane). And there's a prison riot to finish up with Plenty of excitement here "THEY'RE STILL HITS" Bert Lahr plays this role and creates a grand new comic character you will adore. He's immense. He'll be as popular with the kids as Gable is with the girls The party, with Dorothy's pet dog Toto (which plays a prominent part in the picture), proceed to the Land The Melody Maker, is the title of a new £50,000 film to be produced by a company organised by Major Charles Steel. It is based on the life of Leslie Stuart, composer of such famous melodies as Tell Me, Pretty Maiden," Lily of Laguna and Soldiers of the Queen." Major Steel was behind the Tom Walls Ralph Lynn comedies which were such a success on stage and screen.

turesque spot they come into conflict with the Wicked Witch (Margaret Hamilton). She is a sinister creature garbed in black who writes threats in the skies, flies about on a broomstick, and has her own Gestapo of uniformed flying monkeys in her home in the Haunted There are many exciting adventures before this strange party reach the wonderful Palace of the Wizard, where they all achieve their aims. The Wizard of Oz is a great achievement, viewed either as an American Alice in Wonderland or something strikingly original in musical shows. 4 IT I moST 'Zik SHOULD NFORM DO NICELY POPEYE FOR OUR ACCORDINGLY JOURNEY TO ..1 0 .,......0. fi 1 1 614 1 1.4 0 A fi 17 0 IP -1 I i- Our Secret Postbag EAR Mr.

courted my husband four years and have been married eighteen years this week. We were very happy until he introduced a woman into my home. I find now that this was a great mistake, but I did think I had one of the best of men, and could honestly trust him with regard to the opposite sex. I wrote to her about this matter, and she said I was jealous, and that she thought our friendship was firm, as my husband spoke of my devotion to him. But I went into hospital a month ago, and that is when I found thingS were going wrong.

He visited me, but he did not fetch a flower or a bit of fruit, but his woman posed as my sister when making inquiries and left lilies at the door for me, which the nurses did not approve of. My husband has since left me. Myself I think the vows which are solemnly taken at the altar before God should be done away with. I have a lovely son, iixteen year old and a young daughter. Som fathers would be proud of them, bu my husband has cast the children aside also.

I cannot understand what a man gains by these wrongdoings, and by spoiling good living people's lives. It is so dreadful. This is one of the letters sent to the Rev. George them from time to time for publicdtion in the "Daily Mirror.".