SPY TALE ON SCREEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 234, 3 October 1935, Page 9

SPY TALE ON SCREEN.

ADVENTURE v AND COMEDY. One of the greatest spy mystery stories ever written was John Buchan'ts "The Thirty-nine Steps," and the author paid graceful tributes to the adapters and producers of a real masterpiece of mystery in the picture, which is so aptly acted by Robert Donat and. Madeleine Carroll in the principal parts. This picture will bo released to-mbrrow at the Civic Theatre. The theme runs briefly thus: A girl is murdered in Richard Hannay's Hat, and he becomes involved in the search for a master spy, who contrives to obtain vital air defence secrete. On the trail in Scotland he finds himself wanted for murder, and in his efforts to escape meets the master criminal. Although left for dead, he gets away,' only to be arrested, but again he escapes, and seeking sanctuary

ill a meeting hall, is mistaken for the principal epeaker. There he is betrayed to the gang by Pamela, to 'whom he had previously made love as a shield from the police, and when the car is stopped 011 a lonely moor his captors handcuff him to Pamela, but he escapes with her, and after a thrilling experience they spend a nigbt at an inn under most awkward circumstances. Pamela succeeds in releasing the handcuffs, and during the night learns the truth. Hannay gets back to London in time to frustrate the plans of the spy. Robert Donat, well remembered for Ins powerful interpretation of "Monte Cristo. proves an admirable Richard Hannay, his personality being particularly well suited to the role of the adventurous young Canadian. Donat makes of the character a man in the best sense of the term a red-blooded, chivalrous, charming fellow, whose sense of humour is never far from the surface, and whose love ot adventure is in direct proportion to its degree of

I dnnser. , Madeleine Carroll has. in Pamela, a type lof role new to her. She has hitherto been seen 111 ch'aracters of regal dignity. In "The Thirty-nine Steps" such aura is allowed to surround her. She is rushed here, dragged there and carried yonder by ' the very energetic, purposeful y.ouiig man.