Opera House

Grey River Argus, 12 March 1938, Page 6

Opera House

“SLAVE SHIP." Storming in epic sweep over half the world, as the last slaver sails on its last desperate t voyage, “Slave Ship,” screening to-day and to-night at the Opera House Theatre, giving the screen a new claimant for the title of mightiest of all the sea sagas, “Slave Ship” co-stars Warner Baxter and Wallace Beery in a tale of the slave-trading era, with Elizabeth Allan and Micky Rooney among those on the boat. In the most colourful role of his career, Warner Baxter plays Captain Jim Lovett, who defies the navies of the world, is betrayed by a shipmate, and fights at last for love in the greatest sea adventure of them all. Wallace Beery sinks his

teeth into a role that presents him as the villainous mate of the slaver a friend and foe alike to the captain he serves—and betrays. “Slave Ship' 1 traces the career of a barque engaged in the slave trade, and its captain, who planned to retire from “blackbirding” to settle down to a new life with his young bride, Elizabeth Allan. As they sail on Baxter’s boat on the honeymoon • cruise which is to mark the end of its days as a slaver, they find that they have been betrayed by the mate, Wallace Beery, and the crew, -avid for more slaving profits The honeymoon cruise is turned into a voyage in which 'they are continually brought face to face with danger and death. It is a dramatic climax which clears the future for the captive couple and sends the ill-fated slaver to its ominous destiny.

“LIVING DANGEROUSLY.” For the first time in the history of motion pictures, the General Medical Council is to be shown on the screen. The Council is the supreme court of the medical profession. Here, doctors are brought before a committee composed of leading members of the medical world, and are called upon to answer any charges that may be brought against them for “unprofessional conduct.” In “Living Dangerously,” the screen version of the play by Reginald Simpson and Frank Gregory, Otto Kruger is seen as a Harley Street specialist, who has to face the G.M.C. and answer a charge against him by his partner. The charge is false, but the circumstantial evidence is so overwhelming that his name is erased from the medical register. Tn order that the scene should be authentic to the nth degree, Herbert Brenon, who was responsible for the direction of this production, spent a number of days attending and studying the methods and workings of a session of the G.M.C. Otto Kruger was brought from Hollywood especially for the lead, while Francis Lister, recently returned from a very successful sojourn in the film capital, appears as his partner. Leonora Corbett is seen as the wife of the partner in love with Kruger, and Aileen Marson, young British star, appears as an adventuress who goes into the box and gives false evidence against Kruger. , A strong supporting cast is another feature of this dramatic film, 1 which will be screened at the Opera

iHouse Theatre orj Monday and Tues|day. “March of Timo” (No. 9) will also be screened.