AMUSEMENTS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 303, 7 December 1931, Page 4

AMUSEMENTS

COSY TALKIES, HASTINGS. NOEMA SHEARER IN "A FREE SOUL.” “The last of Mrs Cheyney” marked Norma Shearer as one of the foremost actresses appearing in talkies. “The Divorcee” was hailed as a masterpiece, and still more recently critics had occasion to extol Miss Shearer’s delightful performance in “Let Us Be Gay.” “A Free Soul” is claimed to excel these two pictures in every respect. “A Free Soul” is Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s filmisation of the Adela Rogers St. John's novel, and is showing tonight at the Cosy Theatre. It is a visid drama of San Francisco, and was one of the sensational literary hits of the decade. Leslie Howard, who made a r.potation by his acting in “Never the Twain Shall’Meet,” is in support, and is assisted by Lionel Barrymore, Clark Gable, James Gleason and Lucy Beaumont. Reserves may be made at Hall’s book shop or ringing the theatre. ARCADIA THEATRE, HASTINQB. ANN HARDING IN “HOLIDAY.” With a magnificent stage investiture as beautiful as it is rare, and every interior setting distinctly a work of art, rich and restful to the eye, Bathe’s screen version of Philip Barry’s successful play, “Holiday,” which is now showing at the Arcadia. is in every sense of the term, a dialogue production de luxe. A tensely emotional drama of high society and vast wealth interpreted by stage and screen players of exceptional prominence, and produced on a highly pretentious scale, this picture is at once impressive, charming, massive, thrilling. The dramatic moments are finely relieved throughout the action by delicious action by delicious comedy, while the dialogue, compact and witty, leaves little to be desired. “Holiday” is a picture that will be well received everywhere, for it is one of the most outstanding screen productions of the year. Ann Harding plays the lead, assisted by a cast comprising Mary Astor, Robert Ames, Edward Everett Horton and Hedda Hopper.