MAJESTIC THEATRE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11837, 19 January 1933, Page 7

MAJESTIC THEATRE

BROUGHT TO N.Z. BY SIR C KINGS FORD SMITH

The film, “Air Alail” now screening at the Majestic. Theatre, was brought to Now Zealand from Australia by Air J. Percival who accompanied Sir Charles Kings ford Smith on the big trans-Tasman hop. The story centres around , an airmail station in the western mountains. Ralph Bellamy is the airport superintendent, Russell Hoptou is

one of his crack fliers, Leslie Fenton is a good flier, too, with a sinister, hidden past. The women in tlie picture are Lilian Bond, the merry Alagdalen wife of Hoptou, and Glorias Stuart, attached to Bellamy. Into this setting drifts Pat O’Brien, a flying soldier of fortune, a promiscuous, hard-drinking, reckless, lying, no-good fellow. He and Bellamy ai e enemies from old days, lie immediately takes up with. Lilian Bond and, when Hoptou dies, he elopes with the widow. Bellamy smashes up trj ing to take the mail through a terrific storm and lies wounded in the mountains. O’Brien deserts his wife to fly to his rescue, landing in a spot where experts said no plane could venture. O’Brien flies Bellamy back to the airport with .his aeroplane falling to pieces in the air. Bellamy takes to the parachute hut O’Brien sticks to the ship and brings it in, missing death by a hair. Slim Summerville, as the dryjwitted mechanic who hasn’t much faith •in aeroplanes, is good for a laugh evex-y time he gets lii s face in front of the camera. ,

John Ford’s direction never falters for an instant. There isn’t a foot oi static in the entire production. EveiJ shot shows carefully figured coinpositioii, and the .movement is continuous flowing smoothly from one climax to another. Photography is on a par with the' merit of the rest of the production. Alore than 75 per cent, of it is night .shots, and tlie lighting ei fects have been handled with skill. A feature to-night will be a stage, appearance try Air J. Percival, " j lO will describe his experiences us the first passenger across the J.asman.