REGENT THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 142, 12 March 1938, Page 15

REGENT THEATRE

“The Life Of Emile Zola” Warner Bros.’ great screen achievement, “The Life of Emile Zola,” entered its third, week at the Regent Theatre yesterday. 'This massive aud brilliant combination of biographical narrative and historic drama is one of the outstanding productions of the year, and it is made of greater importance by Paul Muni’s portrayal of the French firebrand novelist Emile Zola, a portrait that outshines his notaole Louis Pasteur. The story opens in 1862 with Zola, a struggling young writer, living in poverty with Paul Cezanne, the painter, in a Paris garret, and the first third of the picture is a narrative of the novelist’s struggle for recognition and his final success, wealth and acclaim. He is’ ready to rest on his laurels, and his story seems over. Then comes the famous spy scare of 1895, the trial of Captahi Alfred Dreyfus, and his exile to Devil’s Island, to save the prestige of the French General Staff. On the appeal of Dreyfus s wife, Zola is at last aroused) and once more gets into action. Muni draws this character, with its French explosiveness, lie tenderness and its fighting strength

its tenderness, anu i (consistent with’ early manhood to: maturity), witlr deep insight and tin-: failing artistry. Ahsoj in the film are Gale) Sondergaard, Erin! O’Brien - Moore, Joseph Schildkraut, and many others. A supporting feature will be “This Motoring,” a pictur-

isation of Sir Stenson Cooke’s famous book telling the history of the foundation of the Automobile Association of England, of which he. is general secretary. The film is being screened under the auspices of the Automobile Association (Wellington).