Opera House

Grey River Argus, 4 May 1937, Page 2

Opera House

“WILD BRIAN KENT’’ Harold 'Wright’s “Wild Brian Kent’’ Twentieth Century-Fox release now at the Opera House parts the curtain on an entirely new type of outdoor actor. Ralph Bellamy, long recognized as a top bracket dramatic actor, dons ridingclothes and a six-shooter to become an outdoor star of- unusually bright luminosity.- An expert horseman and possessed of a particularly rugged build, Bellamy combines these attributes with an acting performance seldom equalled in an outdoor vehicle. “Wild Brian Kent’’ produced by Sol Lesser, centres around the cattle and wheat country of the great South-west. AJae Clarke plays the feminine lead. The supporting east includes Helen Lowell, Stanley Andrews, Lew Kelly, Eddie Chandler, Richard Alexander and .Tack Duffy.

“NEW MOON”

Two of the world’s greatest voices and two of the. screen’s most vivid personalities are seen in “New Moon’’ Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s transcription of the stage hit. co-starring Lawrence Tibbett and Grace Moore, and playing at the Opera House Wednesday and Thursday. “New Moon’’ is far different from the original stage version although preserving, its salient parts 'and 'most popular songs. The locale, changed to Turkestan, permits a colorful narrative of love and intrigue, romance and adventure in which tense drama vies with a delicate story of the young lieutenant and his princess sweetheart. The story deals with a Russian princess who plays with fire

in the person of an impassioned lieut-i enant only to find that she has burned herself in the intrigue and dangerous circumstances which follow upon her fiance’s discovery of thc “affair.” The charming music of the stage success, including the never-to-be-forgotten “Lover Come Back to Me,” “Wanting You.” “One Kiss’’ and “Stouthearted Men” is augmented with two outstanding songs, “What Is Your Price Madame?” and “The. Farmer’s Daughter” for which Herbert Stothart and Clifford Grey may lie. complimented. Both Tibbett and Miss Moore give flawless performances exclusive of their brilliant singing. Adolphe Menjou is excellent, as th e suave but sinister superior officer; Roland Young is amusing as the whimsical count; Gus Shy the faithful Servant Potkin gives a characterisation in which comedy and pathos are blended, and Emily Fitzroy as the countess gives her usual finished portrayal. Jack Conway has directed this picture with good taste and an unusual eye for interesting details. Effective camera work is constantly made apparent, particularly in the p'cturesque opening shots aboard the Russian steamer and again later at the climax in ■which the long line of cavalry troops form to attack the mountain fortress.