A DRAMATIC SUCCESS

Evening Star, Issue 22526, 19 December 1936, Page 13

A DRAMATIC SUCCESS

•THE WITNESS CHAIR' AT STATE Ann Harding and a cast of able players bring to the screen all the dramatic connotations which the title of her new screen. triumph imply—‘The Witness Chair,’ which opened yesterday at the State Theatre. Strongly reminiscent of ‘ The Trial of Mary Dugan,’ the Broadway success in which Miss Harding made a deep impression on Dunedin theatregoers, ‘ The Witness Chair ’ is packed with entertainment drama, intrigue, and romance. A series of dramatic episodes in a courtroom lead to a thrilling climax in which Miss Harding calls forth her entire repertoire of histrionic artistry. A man’s life at stake for a crime he did not commit, his daughter on the brink of disgrace, the woman who loves him trying to protect him—such heart appealing situations authored by Rita Weiman in her Cosmopolitan magazine story are forcefully developed in this RKO Radio picture. Miss Harding portrays the secretary of a man who is accused of the murder of his business partner. She herself accidentally shot his partner, and is forced to live through a harrowing trial in which the prosecution seeks to obtain a murder conviction against her boss. Her courtroom confession is recommended as one of the most dramatic screen moments ever seen. Most of the action of ‘ The Witness Chair ’ is confined to a courtroom, but flashback sequences indicating pertinent situations leading to the trial offer a variety of interesting action. Performances equal the drama of the story in excellence. Walter Abel as the accused business man and Miss Harding’s lover turns in a convincing characterisation. Douglas Dumbrille offers his customary high calibre per-

formance as the “ heavy.” Moroni Olsen as a police officer is impressive, and Frances Sage, a recruit from Broadway, handles her initial screen role with veteran skill. Margaret Hamilton, ‘William Benedict, Hilda. Vaughn, Paul Harvey, and Murray Kinnell are worthy of mention for their splendid contributory roles. The supporting films are of a varied and highly-entertaining nature.