AMUSEMENTS.

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

AMUSEMENTS.

THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY. TENSE DRAMA OF OLD PERL. SHOEING AT EVERYBODY'S. Manv famous novels have Butteied turough not "the fa-e o: the Metro-Goldwyn prouuc:.on "The Bridge °'- eati.Luis Key,' the :..in ada7>tauon oL Thornton W'-.'-deri' book • a.t-i vec .:••; eo.eted Pulitzer prize lor iVJe. Keadeis ci.iics 01 thas Look oiay vol; have ',voiiu?.'.<i now it cornel tx; positive to of.au: tr.? .-ij;ru atmosphere lor un= ctraK.a oi oi<i Peru. W'itu the ail o: °s n:n engineering company- Cnariei l'.rajm, the director or tae production, has djtcKyta ir. ar. fci.needingly diiJi'-a'-. task. "till ol Evc-iybody'a hove a S!i.c::a:J reputat-on :or proviaing first-class "ij»nmmes| and it can saieiy be said thut "i'ne rir.dye 01 ban Luis Key" is one o: tiie finest creations that have yet aupearea on the siien* screen. The acting throughout is o: the hiehest order, the principals Leign supported by a strong: cast, while every item of tbia magnificent production combines to reach heights and depths o£ the greatest patb.es. The story opens with the destruction of the centurlea-oid bridge of San Luis Key, which had been buiit by the Incae of Peru, and which seined strong enough to last forever. Five peopie who were crossing at the time were precipitated down into the mighty chasm beneath. Panic seizes the onlookers and the'.- rush to their prie3t, Father Juniper. It is indeed a severe test for their religious fervour, and it is to their simple-minded souls that the priest preache3 an inspired, sermon dealing with the lives of the victims. From the awe-in.spiring grandeur of the old Cathedral, he weaves a dramatic story ot Oid Spain in the days of its greatness in the New World. To outside eyes all five seemed unconnected, but they are skilfully linked together by a strange hand of fate. The sinister Camile, featuring Lily Damita, is the central pivot- upon which the whole story turns, although ehe does not happen to be one of the five. Ernest Torrance a3 "L'ncle Pio'' plays an exceedingly difficult part of devotion and affection. Miknail Vavitch makes a splendid viceroy who has fallen to the charms of the unscrupulous Camiie. Emily Fitzroy is the repulsive Marquesas, while Raquel Torres is the simple serving-maid Pepita. Don Alvarado and Duncan Einaldo are the tragic letter-writ-ing twins, Manuel and Esteban, who in the course of their duties become acquainted with many intrigues of various natures. Lvery incident is deeply touched with realism which is heightened by the splendid acting and fine background. Looming over ail is the old bridge which exercises a deep fascination over the poignant drama enacted r.ear it. Its destruction is shown by the priest to be the act of a just and avenging spirit rather than a case of superstitious fear. The whole picture does complete justice to "he author of the book and in no way loses force by its dramatic representation. The second picture, starring Bod la Kocque, Marceline Day, Sharon Lynn, and Sally Phipps in "The One Woman Idea," is a brilliant satire on polygamy, and introduces some fine scenes of Persia. A partictiJarly goc*? musical programme provided by Mr Albert Bidgood's "Select" Orchestra includes the following numbers: —Overture, "Stars and Stripes" (Sousa): suites, "A Persian Garden" (Lehmannl, "Peer Gynt" (Grieg), "From India' (Popy), "Capriccio Kspagnol" (Korsakov), "Natoma" (Herbert), "Angelus" (Lang), "Eastern Romance" (Korsakov), "La Faiandola" (Spaeth), "Sanctuary" fKetelby), "Senilana" (MaduroL "Sleep Night" (Hendersonl, and entr'acte, "Chinese Temple Garden" (Henderson).