"PARTNERS IN CRIME."

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19815, 31 December 1929, Page 13

"PARTNERS IN CRIME."

j BREEZY COMEDY. i GRAND THEATRE. Patrons at the Grand Theatre this week are assured of a very fine holiday programme, two first-class productions going to provide a well-balanced evening's entertainment. Both pictures are of exceptional merit, either being good enough to head the bill. The first, a sparkling comedy-drama, "Partners in Crime." gives a breezy sketch of, or rather a burlesque on. the American underworld, while the second, "Under the Tonto Rim, is a screen adaptation of the thrilling Zano Grey novel of the same name. Wallace Beery and Raymond Hatton. the bright comedians who made a name for themselves in "We're in the Navy Now, have the leads, carrying the whole show on their shoulders. Wallace Beery, as Micky Dc-olac. is a not-too-bright detective, who succeeds in making a comic mess of things and getting himself sacked. Raymond Hatton, as MeGee. is an equally brilliant reporter. always on the outlook for something bright to turn up. Both waste little time in getting into the thick of things and find themselves involved in the doings of rival bands of gangsters. Doolan gets himseli _ a job at Kanelli's cafe, the meeting-place of many wanted criminals. In a brawl which follows he has the luck to lay-out- "Knife Keagan the leader of one gang, and is rewarded by Smith, the leader of the other, with a job as his personal bodyguard. Micky takes up his new duties, making himself at home witr. his employer and his audience. The arrival of McGee, who is a double of Keagan. is the occasion of some bright comedy, giving both comedians an excellent chance of coming to the front. They learn that one of their friends is held by the gang, ana humorous attempts are made to allow h;m to escape. Doolan has a happy knack of getting himself into trouble, showing equal skill in ' bluffing his way out. Keagan's gang come ' on the scene, both of the heroes finding i themselves in the thick of things. By chance they stumble upon a case of tearI bombs, and the show chanares from a shootI ing to a weeping galiery. the chums not for- ' getting to uoeket their share of the reward. lln a particularly pleasinz melodramatic ' scene a!) present show how pleased they | are in spite of the fact thst ♦ears are. flowI ing copiously as a result of_ the tear bombs i thrown around by the humorists. The second picture, adapted from Zane I GreVs ''Under the Tonto Rim." i« a real ' Wild West thriller, with Mary Brian and ! R-'eh3rd Arlen ; i the lead-. It is a story ; of the o'd gold-mininr day?, when things moved briskly. w'rh s carefully wo-k«d-ont ! love 'hPCP sufficient -..-, tone down the. law- ! ;« ?rt .ss of those wild days. »'.v= caiettos. short ennWies. pr.d fartoons. together with i the tenth chapter of the thrilline serial. "The j Pirate of Params." £0 to make up 1 strorg ', programT.e.