THREE STARS IN NEW DRAMA

Evening Star, Issue 21639, 7 February 1934, Page 9

THREE STARS IN NEW DRAMA

‘STORM AT DAYBREAK' FOR REGENT ‘ Storm .at Daybreak,’ which will open a season at the Regent Theatre on Friday, is reported to be the best romantic drama in which the beautiful Kay Francis has yet appealed. It is a perfect piece of screen entertainment, and the players are admirably suited to the roles they undertake. The plot opens in the days just before the Great War, but presents a tale from an angle never before exploited—that of the power which Hungary wielded over the Serbians during the trials and fortunes of battle. Music plays a vital part in the development of the situations between the two lovers, Nils Asther and Kay Francis. The play on which the picture is based is Hunady’s celebrated ‘ Blackstemmed Cherries.’ it gives a colourful background of Hungarian life behind the lines As the cast-off husband, Walter Huston has every opportunity of showing his dramatic talent. Kay Francis plays a dignified role, and the part is a most difficult one. Nevertheless, no opportunity for delicate dramatic acting is wasted, and at no time is the emotional side overdone. The dialogue supplies abundant humour at just the right moments. and the compliment paid by Nils Asther, that “ madarae is always

one step ahead of us,’’ is typical of the production, which never flags in its action. No harrowing war scenes are shown, although Asther is a commandant in the Hungarian army. He is a triumph in the hero’s role. The film was produced by Richard Boleslavsky, who was responsible for the success of ‘ Rasputin and the Empifegs.’