PLAZA THEATRE.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20915, 24 July 1933, Page 4

PLAZA THEATRE.

« THE WOMAN IN HIS HOUSE." "The Woman in his House," which began a season at the Plaza Theatre on Saturday, will be remembered for a very long time as an outstanding picture. In all respects it is an excellent film, and will certainly be almost universally accepted as such. There may be a very few persons who will condemn it because of its general theme, but even they will be forced to admire its acting, dialogue, masterly direction, and delicate presentation. On the surface it might appear to be a story of a man and two women—an ordinary triangle—a common enough occurrence in every day life and one that has often been used in a picture, but it really has a general application. And so the audience watches the unfolding of a story of types of men and women, and of the influences of different modes of living. It is essentially a story about ordinary people, and therein lies its chief appeal. No one can fail to be interested, and very few can fail thoroughly to enjoy it. When a subject such as marriage, one of the most sacred things in life, is chosen for the theme of a picture, it must naturally be approached delicately, and developed delicately, or many will be offended. The talking film offers more scope for such treatment than words, and it is therefore difficult in any review not to convey a wrong impression of the picture. However, there is no cause for any reasonable man or woman to take offence at "The Woman in His House." The direction is so good that the story unfolds with extraordinary smoothness, suggesting its meaning to the audience rather than directly saying it. The capabilities of the actors and actresses are relied on almost entirely for the success of the picture; the scenery and staging have little to do with it, although they also are exceedingly good. Such a splendid cast is rarely seen in a talkipg picture. There is not one weak actor in it, and while some are better than others, even the least good is well above the average. The greater part of the responsibility rests on Ann Harding, Leslie Howard, and Myrna Loy. Leslie Howard, already a firm favourite with motion picture audiences, does better work in this than in any of his other pictures. He is a forceful yet restrained and makes excellent use of a very good voice and expressive gestures. Whether speaking lightly, seriously, or with biting irony, he is equally good. He is seen as the son of a very rich man. As his father says, he had the whole world at his feet; he was sent to good schools, great universities, put into a bank, into commercial offices, and given other opportunities. He failed to take an interest in any of them, and in the eyes of his father was a failure and a waster. He preferred to live a more free existence, where among the persons he liked he could express himself and his opinions, and do what he thought best for the world. In this life his greatest friend was a girl, who was the first to see good in him. This is the part taken by Ann Harding, and it is impossible to conceive of it being better taken. It is an emotional part that could easily be acted, but she is never guilty of that. Quiet and restrained in her wonderfully clever acting, she provokes a feeling of sympathy and understanding, and, like all the others in the cast, never appears to act at all. . She gives unsparingly of her help and inspiration, in a spirit of great friendship, without thought of marriage or reward. Their understanding is perfect, but they do not realise that they have become assential to one another. Then the great question arises, can this friendship continue after the marriage of the man? The wife, Myrna Loy, is a charming and understanding girl, but is inclined more to her father-in-law's way of life and thinking, than those of her husband's friends. So the husband is seen trying to adapt himself to the new way of living, behaving uncertainly under the influence of his wife on the one side, and of his old friends of the other. There are plenty of amusing incidents to relieve the play, and refreshing humour is provided by a comic butler, William Gargan. The supporting Alms are more than usually interesting, and included among them is a particularly amusing Walt Disney cartoon.

Theatre Royal—"The Crime of the Century," 2.30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Regent Theatre—"Made on Broadway," 2.30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Crystal Palace Theatre—"Their Night Out," 12, 2.30 p.m., and 8 p.m. Everybody's . Theatre—"The King's Vacation," 12, 2.30, and 8 p.m. Liberty Theatre—"Private Jones" and "Destination Unknown," 2.15 p.m. and 7.45 p.m. Majestic Theatre—'Hot Pepper, 12, 2.30 p.m., and 8 p.m. Grand Theatre— "Speak Easily," continuously from 11 a.m.