CRYSTAL PALACE.

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

CRYSTAL PALACE.

"CHARMING SINNERS."

BRILLIANT COMiIDT FARL The programme at the Crystal Palace Theatre this week reaches the spring;ida level in f peaking £lm entertainment, and for an all-round bill of exceptional merit it would b» difficu.t to equal. Short nims of a uniformly h:gh ouality pave the way for a main cannot be described :n any other manner than magnificent, and the who.? l>™S- Jff me lends "colour to the often pronounced • heme that the modern pbonofilm is a vigorfl.,3 rival of the modern legitimate drama. This fact —for it is a fact —will come as a «hock to many who have hoped that suui a state of affairs would never come to Pa.-., but it has been plainly inevitable to most r eo P :e that the plication ot those wood rannc = , trams ana ...i.-.-. f. etstualiv make the ordinary stage pause 10breath, and reconsider the remark., ;t made wh-n speaking nims first appeared. as .* matter of fact, the main film at the Lrystai th : s w.-ck is plaved by actors ot such extremely high ability that otto begins to wonde- whether the talking films are not be-inning to beat the stage at its own game. The main film is "Charming dinners, with Ruth Chatterton. Cltve Brook, and V. i!Uam Powell. The plot is trifling, and dea.s with unfaithfulness gently brought to book after running a pale scarlet course. Lu. tne way it runs its course, and the circumstantial and opportune manner in which the thread of the story is deflected, provide mos. -.a-i-fying laughter from the first foot to the 1 t-V It is so extravagantly Continental in in -cneral demeanour, and so extraordinarily refreshing in its general savoir-faire, that it becomes something quite new as far as turns are concerned. In action and dialogue it is pre-eminently like the written drama, more so, in fact, than most film stories, and it has that excitement which a good p.ay inspires, to a far greater degree than many a similar play was ever known to inspire. it is a comedy of subtleties, and just subtle enough to make the low-brow imagine that he is extremeiy worldly-wise. Which. 01 course, is exactly what one desires most. Some would say that the picture has humour all the way. After reflection, its humour could be better described as wit. _ But tne best description of all classifies it as pure drollery from start to finish. The most attractive features of the story are its balance and the inconsequential way m which it philanders with what is often described as virtue. Briefly, it is a picture which satisfies the modern pagan mind. This is perhaps why it is recommended more especially for adult audiences, and it reminds one of the reticence of the American Guild of Women Who refrained from publishing the names of the plays they condemned for fear that the public would flock to see them. As a columnist said at the time—"Fear not. ladies, it's a cinch." The same is true of Charming Sinners." A. soon as news of the film gets abroad, the management will have difficulty in dealing with crowds. Even to a superficial glance the picture has all the marks of a record-breaker. As for the acting it is superb. Ruth Chatterton is. by now well known to most people and very little need be said about her. she has an amount of artistry which could survive, and even register a win over a badly made scenario, but when she jrets an opportunity such as is given her in "Charming Sinners. she gets the verdict without a retirement. CUre Brook and William Powell both score big hits, with their polished and sophisticated eonduct and speech, while the butler and mother-in-law need to be seen to be appreciated. Tins is a film that no one should miss The shorts include interesting topical films, affecting both retina and tympanum. There pre several musical features, one of which presents a good singer with an excellent pianist, another a fine Hungarian tenor in two charming songs, while another is a Paramount sound novelty which must not be described in case it loses its edge when the programme is seen. This last finis very cleverly constructed and most enjoyable The whole programme is a 100 per cent, talking one. and no better fare could have been chosen for the midnight matinee this evening and the New Year programme during the remainder of the week. Box plans are at The Bristol, where seats may be reserved.

MIDNIGHT MATINEE. This evening, at 11 o'clock, a midnight matinee will be held, the picture to be screened being the Somerset Maugham story, "Charming Sinners." The full programme that is being screened ordinarily throughout the week will be presented at the matinee, the first part being taken up with an interesting bill of supports. Then at midnight "Auld Lang Syne" will be sung, and after that "Charming Sinners" will be screened. Balloons, streamers, caps, and novelties, m keeping with the festive season, will be given to patrons.

"The Mysterious Dr. Fu Manchu," the pictunsation of Sax Rohnier's famous book, is to be presented at Crystal Palace Theatre next week. The tens of thousands who have pored over the pages of this highly exciting mysteiy story will find that the talking picture is even more thrilling than the original. Warner Oland plays the sinister Dr. Fu Manchu, first seen as a kindly and harmless scientist, who is turned into a homicidal, revengeful maniac, through the massacre of his wife and child by allied troops during the defence of Peking in the Uoxer Rebellion. For every bloodstain on the tapestry of the Sacred Dragon, Fu Manchu swears to take the life of an Englishman. How he pursues his vengeful course, and how he nurtures the child of English parents so that he may use her for his fell designs in later years, is all told in absorbing manner. Jean Arthur, Neil Hamilton, O. P. Heggie, and William Austin are also in the cast, the last-named creating a diversion as the only comedian. The box plana for the season will open at The Bristol Piano Company on Friday morning.