DE LUXE THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 242, 9 July 1938, Page 16

DE LUXE THEATRE

*“The Secret Of Lan Ying” And “Prescription For Romance”

Paramount's “The Secret of Lan Ying” at the De Luxe Theatre was adapted from Edgar Wallace's play “On the Spot.” Although Lan Ying (the character played by Anna May Wong) gets the limelight, the whole film is actually dominated by Akim Tamiroff as Steve Recka; another of those cold-blooded gangsters with an appreciation of culture who seem to be becoming rather popular on the screen at the moment. Recka is a very complex personality — utterly ruthless as a killer, yet a man with a wide appreciation of

culture, a passion for organ music, and a yearning to crash

the gates of society. With this latter ambition in view lie tries to force a marriage with the aristocratic Margaret van Kase (Gail Patrick). By so doing he arouses the bitter jealousy of Lan Ying, the Chinese '‘hostess" of his household, and as a result meets his Nemeeia in an unexpected and particularly ironic fashion.

There is rather too much conspicuous striving after the unusual in TamirofT's performance and he is better as the deadly killer than as the poetic social climber; but on the whole this is a suave and interesting portrayal. Anna May Wong is often guilty of over-action, especially in the final scenes— and this may be more the director’s fault than her’s— but Lloyd Nolan (as a detective this time), Miss Patrick and Anthony Quinn are all excellent. “The Secret of Lun Ying” is the rare example of a Him that is rather too polite in its treatment of essentially melodramatic situations, but all the same it is likely to satisfy far more people than it will disappoint. Crazy comedy has another fling' in the second feature, "Prescription for Itomance.” It is enthusiastically acted by Miseha Auer. Wondie Barrie, Kent Taylor, Dorothea Kent and Frank Jenks. Auer is the mainstay of the entertainment an an amiable Hungarian trickster involved in the improbable adventures that result when an absconding American embezzler seeks refuge in Budapest.