Cinema Reviews

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21992, 16 January 1937, Page 4

Cinema Reviews

MAYFAIR

"THE CHIME OF DK..FOKBES"

The right of a doctor to end the life <>f a suffering patient is debated in a verv clever and ingenious manner in "The Crime of Dr. Forbes," ■which commenced a season at the jMavfair Theatre yesterday. To sustain the interest of a theatre : going public in such an academic subject it is necessary that something should be added to the bare problem of whether a doctor should help another man to leave an existence which has become intolerable. This is skilfully done by ;i plot which brings to the audience a judicious mixture of drama, romance, and comedy. The "victim"—if the term may be used—is Dr. Godfrey, a specialist in spinal diseases, who adds to his staff of assistants a brilliant voting graduate. Dr. Forbes. Forbes is welcomed by Dr. Empey, one of Godfrey's assistants, but his other assistant. Dr. Anna Burkhart, who has been in love with Godfrey for 20 years, gives the new arrival a very frigid reception. When Forbes meets Godfrey's voting and pretty wife, Ellen, a friendship develops with inevitable but startling rapidity, and the absence of Godfrey on an investigational visit to the Western States finds the friendship ripening into love. On the eve of his return to New York, Dr. Godfrey falls from a ledge in a cave where he has been examining fossilised remains, and receives a spinal injury. Forbes, Ellen, Dr. Burkhart and a specialist rush to the scene in an endeavour to save Godfrey's life, but on their arrival find that his case is incurable and that he is doomed to die sooner or later in the cave from which it is impossible to move him. His death, and Forbes's admission that lie killed his friend as an act of mercy, result in t'he latter's trial on ii murder charge. In the court scenes the arguments for and against "mercykilling" are arrestingly presented, until everything is cancelled out by an amazing disclosure made at the end of the trial. Throughout the story the suspense is well maintained, and the climax is very vivid. Robert Kent, as Dr. Forbes, acts convincingly, and is very well supported by Gloria Stuart in the role of Ellen. Dr. Godfrey is played by* J. Edward Bromberg, an actor who has hitherto made some great successes in character roles. Sara Haden reaches great heights of emotional realism as Dr. Burkhart, and there is an excellent supporting cast. . .

There is a varied and entertaining programme of short subjects, including some scenes at the recent third test cricket match at Melbourne. An amusing comedy and a very -fine animal study. "Fast Friends," complete the programme.

STATE THEATRE

"LADY BE CAREFUL"

A popular and fruitful source of comedy for American producers, the doings of the sailors of the American navy, forms the basis for a light, fastmoving comedy. "Lady Be Careful," at the State Theatre. The story is farcical, but good production and direction make it' a farce worth seeing and hearing, for the American reputation for "wise-cracking" gains lustre in this film with some really clever quips. The only difficulty is that they follow one another so quickly that laughter sometimes drowns the final and usually the best retort.

Absurd though the story is, it holds the audience throughout, for it approximates more nearly to what has come to be termed English comedy than anything yet seen from America. Mary Carlisle and Lew Ayres give the film a serious turn with their ro- . mance round which the comedy has been built. Ayres, a shy young sailor, perfectly indifferent to feminine charm, I acquires through no fault of his own a reputation as a lady killer. Rescued from the water by girls cruising in a yacht which has run down his boat, he returns to the fleet' surrounded by -society debutantes. The news is rapidly flashed round (literally flashed by semaphore from ship to ship) and bets are laid that Ayres can overcome the diffidence of the winner of a beauty contest in Panama (Mary Carlisle), who has in the course of the fleet's journeys acquired the nickname "Stonewall." Evidence of his success is to be possession of the ribbon which she won in the contest. . , AVhen the fleet reaches Panama the betting is intense, and Ayres, carrying out instructions, sets about gaining the ribbon in approved sailor fashion. Naturally his efforts fail, and he finishes by becoming engaged to the girl with the ribbon forgotten. Everything is upset again by his asking for the ribbon after the girl has heard of the betting. There is much humour in the final straightennig out of the tangle. Larry Crabbe, a»s the leading ladyfciller of the ship, provides many funny moments with the help of Benny Baker and Grant Withers. The supporting programme consists ol a Fox newsreel and a second feature. "Blue Smoke." The story is romantic, with the background of some pretty English scenery. It is concerned with the finding of a new English middle-weight boxing champion in a gipsy fair booth and his ultimate success at Albert Hall. Some, very good ring fights are worked into the film, but the producers forgot satisfactorily to dispose of several of the lead-\ ing characters, and the audience is left tu work out any plot that it thinks may fit the case. Tamara Desni has the leading role.

CIVIC

"EAST MEETS WEST"

When George Arliss played Disraeli he made a reputation which ensured success for any similar films which he made, and he has made several since then. Now he has departed from the path which he has followed so closely, and in doing so he has made an even better picture. This time he is not so outstandingly solo, and he gains from having others with him. For another week the public will be able to see at the Civic Theatre a George Arliss picture quite different from anything he has done before. As the title, "East Meets West," suggests, the clash of nations is involved. Some of the most common Arliss mannerisms have gone and although he is still a very poor talker and a very good listener he is less dominating in his manner.

George Arliss is himself only to a point. He docs not make the picture lit himself, but lends himself to the role which he was playing. In this respect he is even more successful than in "The Green Goddess," for established a new reputation, one quite j different from that which followed "Disraeli," and one much better. It is definitely the best picture he has made since his first appearance. Somewhere in the Mediterranean a sultan rules over a small area, sufficiently large "to have a bay, the envy of two naval powers. Both powers seek the friendship of the sultan, but George Arliss toys with both of them, lor he does not want a treaty guaranteeing his independence so much as £1,000,000 for social services within his country. But all his pretty scheming is temporarily upset by his Ox-ford-educated son, who finds himself In love with a married woman from the land across the narrow strip of Water, British territory.

CRYSTAL PALACE

ENTERTAINMENT OF TWO KINDS Completely different in type, two very good films make up the programme at the Crystal Palace Theatre this week. The first, "Wild Brian Kent," is an outdoor drama, full of incident and excitement, and the other, "Dark World." an English film, is a sophisticated murder story, skilfully acted by a capable group of players. A story of ranch life in America, tending perhaps slightly towards melodrama in its conception of the hero and the villain, but none the less sincere and well-constructed. Wild Brian Kent" is a vivid and entertaining film of one of Harold Bell Wright s most popular books. Ralph Bellamy plays the leading role of the young man who, having spent an inherited fortune and come to the end of his tether, is forced to face the world without a penny in his pocket. Chance makes him the guest at the ranch of an old woman and her niece. He finds them in despair over the refusal of the railroad company to transport their cattle because of their inability to pay their previous accounts. His attempt to help them leads only to his putting the mortgage of the ranch into the hands of a criminal who will stop at nothing to secure possession of the valuable property. The story is one of a desperate fight to prevent the attainment of this end, and it provides the opportunity for many breathless episodes, mixed with the ups and downs of a very pleasant romance, in which Mae Clarke is the central figure. She is an attractive heroine and acts exceedingly well. "Dark World" has a carefully constructed plot, and the fine work of the actors and the artistic technique of the production make it a very absorbing film. Leon Quartermaine. a wellknown English stage actor, has the part of a lawyer, a man of unlikeable character, enviqus of the ability, the fortune, and finally the successful love affair of a young composer, his brother by adoption. In the leading feminine role is Tamara Desni. the brilliant Russian actress and dancer, who shows to full advantage her two-sided ability. The cast includes well-known English actors, who give finished studies of character parts. The story is good material for a good cast. "With the central motive of the lawyer's jealousy for his brother, it develops into a first-class mystery, although one in which the audience is shown the events as they actually are when the crime is committed. Quartermaine. as Stephen Garnett, conceives the idea of murdering his adopted brother Philip, the composer. What actually happens gives the story a strange turn, and the climax, set against a very fine stage ballet, *is excellently worked out. A Gaumont British news feature, with scenes of the proclamation in London, r.ompletes the programme.

AVON "MY AMERICAN WIFE"

The inevitable feeling after seeing "My American Wife," the film now showing at the Avon, is that Francis Lederer will quickly increase his popularity, and become one of the bestknown male screen stars. His acting in this film is outstanding. His part is overwhelmingly the most important, yet he prevents' it from becoming overwhelming in itself, as few other actors could manage. He is a good hero, and has attractive features, and a foreign accent.' In addition to these, he does not overact a part which could easily become melodramatic. Lederer, as Count Ferdinand von und zu Reidenach, is convincingly supported by the other "stars," but because of the nature, of the story, and the stress laid on his own personality, the others—well-known names, too—are little more, than "extras." An exception is Fred. Stone, who as the pioneer grandfather, Lafe Cantillon, provides most of the humour in the contrasts between his ruggedness and the manners of his "society" family. The story is of a foreign- count, in America, and of his struggles to get away from the smart society life of his shallow-minded young wife (Ann Sothern) to a place where he can work in the open, like his'and his wife's ancestors. He has to fight all his wife's . relations, who have definite ambitions | to use him to give them and their undertakings "prestige." They make arrangements for him to be a figurehead vice-president of their bank, the guest of innumerable fashionable parties, and even the layer of foundation stones. He finally grows tired of his useless life and breaks away, spending much of his time at the ranch of Lafe Cantillon, his wife's grandfather, who had originally founded his, family's fortunes. There is enmity between the old and the young men for a time, as the pioneer is convinced that no one with such a formidable title as the count's could ever make j a good open-air man. Lafe Cantillon is finally convinced of the count's ability and honesty, and even helps in the reconciliation finale. Included in a good supporting pro- j gramme is a thrilling "Sportlight" feature, showing remarkable big-game fishing in a Cuban river, with a bright commentary by "the popular Ted Husing. I

OTHER THEATRES

"San Francisco" is in its fourth week at the Regent Theatre. The stars are Jeanette Mac Donald and Clark Gable. Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea are the stars of "Adventure in Manhattan," which is showing at the Majestic Theatre. ■

"Three Live Ghosts," starring Claude Allister and Beryl Mercer, is the current attraction at the Tivoli Theatre. -

The double-feature programme at the Liberty Theatre is Jack Buchanan in "Brewster's . Millions" and "Hopalong Cassidy." Edmund Gwenn in "Java < Ahead" and Tim McCoy in "Speedwings" are the attractions for the Grand Theatre. The bright British comedy, "First a Girl," starring Jessie Matthews and Sonnie Hale, is now at the Metro, Sydenham.

Claude Hulbert has the lead in "Hello, Sweetheart," which, with "Straight from the Shoulder," is screening at the Theatre Royal. Herbert Marshall and Gertrude Michael are the stars of "Forgotten Faces," which is the main picture of the double-feature programme at the Plaza Theatre.