REGENT THEATRE.

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 96, 27 April 1929, Page 13

REGENT THEATRE.

"West of Zanzibar 1" The title alone spells mystery and adventure, and witli the further alluro of Loa Chauoy in tho lead, this strange film of Ivory trading in the African jungle drew a full houso to tho Regent Theutro last night. I'hroso, tile magician, had a pretty wife, who was led to leave him for another man. Crane by name. In an effort to prevent her going, I'hroso - falls and loses the uso of botli legs from the knee down. Ills wifu returns a year lator with a baby, but sho dies before her husband finds her. Vowing dreadful vengeance on tho child and his wife's seducer, l'hroso—"Dead Legs" from now on—sends the baby to the .lowest dive In Zanzibar to be brought up, and himself sets about to .ruin Crane's Ivory Interests. Back in tho Congo ho practises his wizardry, which so mystifies tho natives that ho soon, has the mastery of them. Exploiting;- the cannibals' age-long law that if a man dies his wife or daughter must bo burnt with him, he .brings Crane's daughter.and her father to his camp, where tho natives, as instructed, shoot tho white man. Fortunately, beforo his death ; Crane has time to baro the secret that Dead Legs anil not ho is tho girl's father, and, tho enormity of his evil forced upon him, tho crlpplo aids tho girl's escape with a man who really loves her, and is himself burnt at the pyre by his enraged servants. There are strikingly weird scenes of natlvo rites and Junglo lifo generally in this absorbing picture, In which charming Mary Nolan, Wamer Baxter, and Lionel Barrymoro all appear with credit in support of tho great Chancy. A musical programme specially synchronised to accompany "West of Zanzibar 1" was admirably carried out by tho orchestra under Mr. Maurice Guttrldge. Varied topical events in New Zealand and abroad, "That Night," an uproarious comedy, much too good to miss, and an interesting film of tho crayfishing industry in Tasmania, made up tho rest, of a really first-class programme.