REGENT THEATRE TO-NIGHT ONLY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 24 June 1933, Page 4

REGENT THEATRE TO-NIGHT ONLY.

“PAYMENT DEFERRED” AND “THE HALF NAKED TRUTH.” i“Payment Deferred,” Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer’s film version of the London mystery play hit, comes to the Regent screen to-night with the celebrated English actor, Charles Laughton, repeating the role he made famous both j in London and New York. The play, which deals with a unique treatment of a murderer and his crime, is an adaptation of G. 8.. Forester’s novel, one of the best sellers among mystery stories, and was first presented in London, where it created a sensation, with Laughton’s* performance hailed as one of the artistic successes of the year. Later its triumph was repeated in New York. A distinguished cast’ appears with Laughton, including Maureen . o ’Sullivan, Dorothy Peterson, Yerree • Teasdale, Ray Milland, Billy Bevah, Halliwell Hobbs and William Stack. The picture was filmed under the direction of Lothar Mendes who has previously directed such hits as “Interference ” and “Convoy. ” The story of “Payment Deferred” concerns a London bank clerk who, desperate for money, murders a rich nephew, hides the body and makes a -fortune with funds stolen from the boy. He and his wife share the guilty secret, which at first haunts the murderer day and ■night, but which is gradually erased by time. Later, however, the bank clerk becomes enmeshed with a blackmailing woman, and his wife, in despair, takes poison. Circumstantial evidence points to him as the murderer and thus, through a trick of fate, he pays for a crime of which he is innocent while his real crime goes undiscovered. Among the dramatic thrills are the gripping moment when the clerk realises that he is about to become a murderer; the discovery of the crime by his wife, and the amazing denouement in which the criminal is trapped despite the fact that he is innocent. The second picture, “The Half Naked Truth” is a screaming comedy-drama of a live-wire press agent who catapults his clients by high-pressure methods to big positions on Broadway. Lee I’racy, a comparative neivcomer seen recently in supporting roles, is featured with Lupe Velez sharing the stellar lionours. Prominent in the supporting last are Eugene Pallette, Prank Morgan and Shirley (Chambers. We do aot hesitate to heartily endorse “The ELalf Naked Truth,” for this picture ibounds with the screamingly funny dtuations which supply the spontane>us laughter we all so thoroughly enioy. -