'WELCOME DANCER'

Evening Star, Issue 20372, 2 January 1930, Page 11

'WELCOME DANCER'

LLOYD SPECIAL FOR EMPIRE Txie Empire management has mucti pleasure m announcing that ‘ Welcome danger,’ Harold Lloyd's first talkie lea a ,re, will be shev. there to-mor.o\y. Harold Lloyd had a great following in the pantomimic humours of the silent screen, in which ho was so brilliant but his advent in the talkie field will greatly enhance his reputation. Quite apart from the question of players, iiowevpr, ‘ VVelcoi danger ’is a film worth' seeing and hearing. It is uproarious comedy, enacted swittly aim elfectively, good, genuine entertainment which will find ready acceptance among all classes of picturegoei-s. Hie souim film undoubtedly gives Harold Lloyd a wider scope for exercise of his peculiarly attractive ability than the silent screen ever did. ■■ in a hundred ways liis pertonuanco is more pleasing and move real. Plot, action, and sound have been woven into the production, which might be said to mark yet another definite step towards that perfection in sound production which now seems not so far distant. The recording of the popular star s voice is excellent, and the introduction of sound generally has, been so skilfully accomplished that one does not t. in of the new dimension as a novelty at all. it fits so perfectly into the general scheme of things that it is easy to take it for granted. ‘ Welcome Danger ’ is a brilliant production which should not bo missed in the half-dozen days for which it will bo shown fit the Empire Theatre. , . ■ - The story around which the film has been made is farce at its best. Lloyd takes the part of a very serious-minded Boston botanist, whose entire energy is being devoted to a book upon horticnl ture, with which he hopes to make him self famous. But fate has ruled thal he must be plunged into swifter, more exciting currents of activity. Friends of his deceased father, one-time captain of the San Francisco police force, do cido to invite Harold to take over the job of cleaning up the gangsters and Tong men in the city’s underground Chinatown. They presume that Harold will display the same courageous and iron-fisted power in office that his father ■■} shown. The innocent Harold goes to ’Frisco. By a lucky “chance” ha scores a victory over a group of underworld denizens the first day he is in the city. He applies botanical methods to the art of finger-nrinting, and gets a clue to the ringleader of the lawlcs 1 - element. Then come the big thrills—ho goes into a dank and mysterious underground Oriental den to rescue •- kindly Chinese doctor who had affect- 1 a miraculous cure of the little brother of Harold's sw'c 4 Barbara [Cent It is one continuous thrill interjected with rapid-fire laughs and gags from that nomt to the finish. Of course. Harold makes good, but it is the “ bow ” of it that makes this picture a classic of the fun-makers’ art. Miss Kent, as the leading lady, is very en chanting. Excellent ‘"nport is fur nished by Noah Young, Charles Middleton, and William Walling.