'MOTHER'S MILLIONS' RETURNING

Evening Star, Issue 21006, 21 January 1932, Page 13

'MOTHER'S MILLIONS' RETURNING

OCTAGON FEATURE TO-MORROW in response to many applications From patrons, it has been arranged ior ‘ Mother’s Millions ’ to come back to Dunedin for a short return season of one week. This will begin at the Octagon Theatre to-morrow. It can bo at once said 'that the management has never received so many applications for the return of a picture before, and there is no doubt that May Robson endeared herself to picture enthusiasts of Dunedin during her season of ‘ Mother’s Millions ’ at the Regent Theatre recently, ‘ Mother’s Millions ’ is a remarkable example of a good play transferred almost bodily to the screen, and with equally good, if not better, results. Howard M'Kent Barnes wrote the play, originally for May Robson’s use. It is understood to have been a financial and artistic success for Miss Robson, and it was this success which inspired her to use it as a vehicle for her talking picture debut. It. is remarkable, because it lent itself so remarkably _ to transcription to the screen. Winifred Dunn is ex-edited with the adaptation. It is still more remarkable, for the gripping performance of May Robson. The play was .written for her, and James Flood very wisely retained the splendid dramatic climaxes, the appropriate comedy relief episodes as Well as the stage characterisations which made the original play such a success. The story briefly deals with the trials and tribulations of the son and daughter ■of the richest woman in the world. The girl is eagerlysought in marriage by ne’er-do-wells and fortune hunters. The boy is a mark for his mother’s greatest rival, for the mother is a dominating figure in Wall street, a tyrant in her own home, sedulously endeavouring to bring up her children to bo self-reliant, and to educate them in the school of life so that they can retain_ and enjoy the heritage of wealth which she will leave them. The unexpected twists of this story are numerous and highly effective. Frances Dade is one of the most .beautiful of the new crop of screen ingenues; James Hall and Lawrence Gray bear their roles with distinction. _ A word of praise should bo given Lillian Harmer, and Edmund Brce.se is specially effective in the role of William Remington.