ORIENTAL CUSTOMS DEPICTED

Evening Star, Issue 20780, 30 April 1931, Page 9

ORIENTAL CUSTOMS DEPICTED

DARING TALKIE FOR STRAND Treating a daring theme in a most masterly fashion, ‘ East is West,’ starring that appealing young actress, Liipo Velez, will commence at the Strand Theatre to-morrow. The story concerns a lovely little Chinese girl who falls a victim to the hideous Oriental custom of selling girls as human cargo from the gorgeous but devilish “ love boats.” A sal© is arranged between Ming Toy’s parent and a villainous purchaser, but the girl is saved' from a fate worse than death by the intervention of a white man, Billy Benson, played by Leyvis Ayres, remembered for his work in ‘All Quiot on tho Western Front.’ The man takes tho Chinese maid to his home, where they fall in love. There arises the inevitable clash of colour, but # when all difficulties seem to have vanished there enters the girl’s life a new and sinister enemy in the person of Charlie Yong, flash and boastful king of the underworld. _ He declares that he will stop at nothing to make Ming Toy his own, and he sets about to evolve a cunning plot to achieve his ends. The play comes to an astonishing climax. There will be a full programme of short subjects. Tho box plans are available at The Bristol,