ST. JAMES THEATRE.

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 115, 18 May 1938, Page 8

ST. JAMES THEATRE.

.... ■♦ r Absorbing Film.

■■- The powerful "bad man" portrayal of Wallace Beery, the uniformly fine,work of such stellar supporting players as Virginia Bruce, Dennis O'Keefe, Joseph Calleia. Lewis Stone, Guy Kibbee,and Bruce Cabot, and the distinguished direction of J. Walter Ruben have combined to bring to the screen an absorbing drama in "The pad Man of Brimstone," /which commences on Friday at the St. James Theatre. Recapturing the spirited and lawless era .of the old frontier days of the West of the eighties, the new picture offers a thrilling panorama of stagecoach'travel, gold rush hysteria, crooked politics, and-the rule of the trigger. Packed with action from start to finish the colourful story reveals how law-and order came to the town of Brimstone when desperadoes such as "Trigger" Bill,, portrayed by ruled with an iron hand.'Beery, giving a performance which outshines even that of hit famed "Viva Villa!" is cast as the outlaw who bands his forces against that of the United States marshal until in. a striking denouement /he discovers that the marshal is his own vson. His capitulation to a force greater/,.'.than greed or vanity gives the drama a human touch which stays in one's memory long after the thriU-packea action and shooting are oyer. Virginia Bruce," deserting drawing-room roles- in the new picture; offers a splendid portrait of a pioneer schoolmistress. Dennis O'Keefe. a remarkable discovery, gives every indication of becoming another Robert Taylor. Joseph Calleia packs his- usual striking villainy in .his role as Beery's henchman, and Stone, Kibbee, Cabot, Cliff Edwards* and Noah Beery fill their roles to perfection. The picture.; 'filmed against the picturesque backgrounds of! Zton National Forest in Utah, resting in pictorial beauty. But it is ihe vivid characterisations rof these forerunners of America's civilisation, that make "The Bad Man..-.,of,,Brim-stone" stand out; as a motion picture of exceptional merit --"'J' : .