THEATRE ROYAL.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20027, 8 September 1930, Page 6

THEATRE ROYAL.

GRETA GAItBO IN "ANNA CHRISTIE." Notwithstanding her Swedish descent Greta, ttfcrbo speaks English as pure and delightful as any that has yet been heard from the talking screen in Christchurcli. In "A ana Christie " which opened at the Theatre Eoyal on Sr.turday, this beautiful and talented actress makes her first appearance in a talkio" picture. If ehe has a Swedish accent, os" has been c-id of her, then it is very slight and certainly very charming. Her voice records perfectly and the lowest whisper can be heard with the utmost clarity. With the se :l ' 35 i' 3 background and mo3t c.i the scones hiid on tho waterfront in New York "Anna Christie" is an extraordinary, an unusual, and a very potent drama. It is intensely emotional, almost tragic,_ and at titles extremely ironical. Tho main characters are Anna, (Greta Garbo), her father (Cc'ov9 Marion), and Anni's eweetheart, Matt Tchades Dick ford while excellent comedy ia provided by Mary Dressier, as a drunken'old woman of the waterfront. Anna's delightfullv V ule v °i M . tl> 2 J' 0 ' 1 brogue of Mali, ftxj d the broken English of tho old Swedish father mingle in a manner that ia entirely quaint and delightful. The port of Anna in one particularly difficult to interpret, but it is suited to Greta Garbo's peculiar talents, and ehe acquits herseif in a manner which ' ltaveo co lonphoU for criticism. As a girl of five Anna is sent away to a farm in tho country to get her away from tho influence of "tho old devil sea." Her mother is dead and she stays with relations who treat her abomi.iably, ono of them' eventually seducing her. She runs ivway, and after drifting about for come timo 'becomes an inmate of a house_ of iilfamc. Sickening of the lif>s ehe decides to return to Ler father on the coal barge, where she meets Matt. Mate falls in love with liar and wants to marry her, but the declares that she cannot on account of her past lifeMatt bullies her into telling him what it is of which f.he is so ashamed, and the revelation of it comes ns a rreat shock to Matt and to her father. However, Matt, i-iter getting drunk, decides that he loves her in spite of it, and her father al?o forgives her, bo all is weli.