REGENT THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 133, 29 February 1936, Page 13

REGENT THEATRE

“Peter Ibbetson” Richly dramatic, beautifully fantastic, and wholly charming, is the screen version of George du Maurjer’s story, Peter Ibbetson,” screened at the Regent Theatre last evening. The play on the same theme was maue popular in the United states by the late David Warfield, under the management of David Belaseo —hence this attention from Hollywood. The story is an excursion into the purely sentimental, made delightfully acceptable by tue sound acting of Ann Harding and Gary Cooper. Two tiny tots in the English colony in Paris, Miinsy and Gogo, fall in love, and vow eternal devotion. Parted by a cruel world, Gogo becomes Peter Iboetson, a clever young architect, and Mimsy her Grace the Duchess of Towers. Peter is sent to the ducal estate to design new. stables, and gradually the two become drawn to one another, and recognition follows. Their love becomes too apparent for concealment. The Duke of Towers (John Halliday) discovers them in one another’s arms, and in a fight which follows, the Duke is accidentally killed. Peter is arrested, tried, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Realism then turn# to fantasy. These two great lovers, parted by prison bars, are together in their dreams, even till old age creeps upon them, and even when death comes to the Duchess, she calls to her lover, and he follows through the dark vale, to au eternity and undivided communion. This part of the story is related with a wealth of fanciful imagination, which breathes the hope of another life beyond the grave. , The programme also includes a fine series of pictures of the funeral of King George V from Sandringham to Westminster Hall, and the reading of the proclamation of the accession to the throne of Edward VIII. There are also English and American Paramount news reels; a display of recent achievements in popular science (in colour), and the comic cartoon, “Popeye the Sailorman,” which reviews many “Popeye” pictures of the last two years.