"All Quiet's" Sequel Praised at Premiere

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 260, 30 July 1937, Page 16

"All Quiet's" Sequel Praised at Premiere

TTNIVERSAL’S great post-war pic--1 ture, “The Road Back,” based on lhe book written by Erich Maria Kb* marque as a sequel to his famous Ail Quiet on the Western I'root, received its first public showing at a gala premiere at the Globe Theatre. New York, recently. "The Road Baek” is undoubtedly the most important picture produced by this studio this year. Indeed there is no doubt in the industry that this film, with its all-important theme of Hie post-war struggle of tlm German army to reinstate itself in civil life, may have a great bearing on the international attitude to peace. Hollywood newspapermen and correspondents previewed the picture in Hollywood on the day of the premiere and acclaimed it as a masterpiece. The film, which is to be released in New Zealand within the next few weeks, is

i sequel to the previous masterpiece by Universal. the picturisatiou of "All juiet on the Western Front,” but it is ■xpected to have an even wider appeal han that picture, particularly in view

niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiHiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiniiiiii of the strained nature of international relations at present. . There could be no more powerful indictment of the futility of war and its devastating after-effects than “The Road Back.” R. C. Sherriff, author of “Journey’s End,” has been responsible for the script of the film. The direction of the picture was in the hands of James Whale, whose last big picture was the Irene Dunne-Paul Robeson version of “Show Boat.” Such accuracy was used in the production of the few war scenes which precede the Armistice that unfortunately one of the men working on the picture succumbed from wounds received by the premature explosion of a bomb. Heading the cast of “The Road Back” are John King and Barbara Read. King is the tall, handsome young man who resembles Robert Taylor and played the part of the business associate of Charles Winninger in the Universal comedy “Three Smart Girls.” Barbara Read was one of the smart girls. Here they arc in\a totally different setting, but their performances are of extremely high standard. Others in the cast include Slim Summerville, Larry Blake, Andy Devine, Maurice Murphy. Henry Hunter, Noah Beery, jun., Gene Garrick, Richard Cromwell, John Emery, Jean Rouverol, Louise Fazenda, Greta Gynte, Etienne Girardot, Charles Holden, Clara Blandick, Edwin Maxwell. Al Shean, Spring Byington, Frank Belcher, Marilyn Harris and Lionel Atwill.

■‘All Quiet on the Western Front.” both a.s a novel and a film, portrayed war itself in all its grim horror. ‘‘The Road Back” is a story witli a more potent theme, in that it deals with the social repercussions following on world war, the psychological effect upon its victims. It is a warning of what we are to expect if the world is plunged again into catastrophe and it is an appeal to all intelligent humanity to prevent (lie possibility of such calamitous insanity.