MATHESON LANG’S ARTISTRY

Evening Star, Issue 21073, 9 April 1932, Page 11

MATHESON LANG’S ARTISTRY

DAZZLING EXTRAVAGANZA AT REGENT Venice, with its fascinating charm, provides a very suitable background for the action in Herbert Wilcox’s talking screen version of ‘ Carnival. The glamorous stage masterpiece has been deftly transferred to this celluloid form, _ and is now a festival of alluring loveliness and pictorial beauty. At its first two showings at the .Regent Theatre yesterday it displayed to the public the ability of the actor and the art of the director, being a unique type of musical extravaganza, enhanced by the presence of a dramatic theme. Matheson Lang and 0. M. Hardingo have prepared the scenario, and by delicately interweaving vital extracts from Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ and a story of marital jealousy, have succeeded in giving 1 Carnival ’ an exotic attractiveness that the screen has not before revealed in similar films. The title is appropriate in that the picture right from the beginning infuses a happy spirit of gaietv and reckless abandon. It is i 1.-rctcnstic of Italy. The scenic beau' / of the picture lira not in a lavish' d splay of wealth, but in the “ shots ” of gondolas, the peaceful conveyances that ride so lightly and freely on' the gentle lapping waters in the streets, and in the whirl of a fancy dress carnival, with gay music floating, across the waters. The latter cannot but create the excitement that is so necessary in the telling of the story. The theme is perhaps an old one, but it nevertheless interesting because of the treatment it has at the hands of a sterling cast. Never at any time do the artists allow the show to become theatrical. A noted Shakespearean actor appears nightly at the opera house with his talented and beautiful wife, and off the stage the pair laugh and joke together, evidently the happiest of couples. But a young Italian count enters the lives of these two, and falls in love with the girl, who, on the night of the carnival, through a series of circumstances is whirled into the merry throng by the count, and realises just in time that she must remain faithful to her husband. From this point the players work up a mighty climax that is intensely exciting, rounding it off in the last act of ‘ Othello,’ when the husband appears as Othello and the wife_ as Desdemona. It is a remarkable piece of work, stressed by excellence of interpretation and production. Hitherto merely a name to local the-atre-goers, Matheson Lang, the famous British actor, takes the main role in ‘ Carnival,’ and displays extraordinary skill throughout. There is an uncommon sensitiveness about his work, especially in the final stages, that definitely stamps him a past master in the art of make-believe. The frivolous, charming, almost sylph-like wife is a part that Dorothy Bouchier fulfils admirably, while Joseph Schildkraut gives an excellent portrayal as the emotional lover, ( who almost separates husband and wife. Three or four others, including a child, have minor roles, which are necessary to the story, and in which the; are distinctly successful. In addition to this dazzling and memorable performance there is a worthy supporting bill, which opens with a comedy offering. In this a dress suit of clothes is responsible for a great deal of fun. A novelty item is provided by Eddie Buzzell, who tells a bedtime story for grown-ups. This is packed with clever jokes and puns. Graham M'Namee gives another breezy running commentary during the showing of the Universal News, while the Australian Cinesound News is also interesting. A comedy cartoon completes the excellent programme.