"The Great Barrier"

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22110, 4 June 1937, Page 16

" The Great Barrier"

The romance of the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the eighties is brought to the screen in "The Great Barrier," the Gaumont British production with which the Civic will reopen on Wednesday next. The film is based on "The Great Divide," written by Allan Sullivan, and the producer Milton Roser has given attention to every detail of historic and romantic interest with convincing results. The story of the film concerns two young men in search of adventure named Hickey (played by Richard Arlen) and Steve (Barry McKay), who find their way to a small town in Canada on the track of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which is in the late stages of construction. Mary Moody (Antoinette Ccllicr). daughter of one of the "railway

bosses," is here, and they meet her, Steve making up to her; but she rather likes Hickey. who. however, affects lack of interest in women. Through a fight in which they become involved at the "Rat-Trap Tavern." where the- charming Lou (Lilli Palmer) entertains them, they are arrested, and through the lack of money to pay the fines are forced to work on the railroad. Hickey soon shines as a leader and becomes a foreman. Mary tries to influence her father in his favour, and when a small party of men are selected to prospect for the final and most important pass through which the railroad is to cross the Rocky Mountains. Hickey and Steve go with it. From this point, the film moves tc an exciting and moving climax. in which the principal players encounter adventure and hardship, and the desir-