THEATRE ROYAL.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20024, 4 September 1930, Page 5

THEATRE ROYAL.

"FREE AND EASY." Admirers of Buster Keaton on the silent scroen will find their liking for him considerably increased when they see this droll comedian in a talking picture. In "Free and Kasy" the famous comedian makes bis bow at the Theatre Royal this week. Keaton scores a success in this production equal to any of his former triumphs, and it is evident that he will not be one of those former "stars" which have definitely set ■as the result of th.6 coming of the new movie technique.' GRETA GARBO IN "ANNA CHRISTIE." The Theatre Royal management will introduce to patrons on Saturday the popular Swedish star, Gietft Garbo, in her first alltalking picture, "Anno Christie," adapted from O'Neill's famous play. The following is the story:--Anna Christie, daughter of a wastrel barge captain, comes to New York to join her fatlier after spending i-er girlhood on a farm in Minnesota. Determined to make up for his misdeeds . i-s • a father, the old captain decides to take her aboard his barge, warning her particularly against followers of the Bea, who make poor husbands and fathers "like I was." Anna is a morose, despondent young woman, embittered agait'Et her fate, and so accepts her life on the barge without a storm, her father rescues some sailors, among them the big Irishman, Matt, who promptly falls in love with Anna. Her father, blaming "the ole davil sea" for bringing a sailor into her life, tries to ki'l Matt, rather than see his daughter married to him There is » bitter row between the three in the cabin of the barge. Frenzied. Anna tells her father and Matt' what eh# has before eho came to the barge. The old captain is heart-broken, cursing himself for his neglect of his. girl. Matt, infuriated by this sensational disclosure, hurls Anna from him, profanely berating her for winning his love with a black past in her heart. But love' proves stronger than his dreams, and Matt returns to Anna, though not before he has secured a ship to Liverpool, the cheque for which ie to 6tart them off on a new life. The old man,' too, joins the same boat and starts afresh. Bos plane open to-day at The Bristol.