Effort to Deter The Czar’s Messenger

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 175, 27 July 1938, Page 11

Effort to Deter The Czar’s Messenger

“MICHAEL STROGOFF” AN HEROIC ADVENTURE (Meteor: Screening Tuesday.) An adventure picture offering a wealth of excitement, a tender romance, some of the most spectacular scenes ever photographed and entertainment which should find favour with father, mother, sister and brother is Michael Strogoff, in which Anton Walbrook and Margot Grahame head the cast. Carefully woven into the plot anil extraordinary enough to justify paeans of praise on their own account are the tremendous panoramic scenes of the Russian army pitted against the barbaric Tartar hordes in two different battle episodes. As millions who have read the famous story will recall —and here, for once, is a film, version of a book that faithfully follows the original plot—“ Michael Strogoff “ concerns itself with the perilous journey of its hero across Siberia and through hostile Tartar patrols to reach a besieged Russian army at Irkutsk with the Czar’s orders for tne campaign. A beautiful woman spy is on bis trail; a Russian girl befriends him; be is trapped, battles river pirates, is captured and tortured by the Tartars, but with the aid of the loyal girl, attains his mission and a thrilling revenge over the Tartar leader. For all its straightforward simplicity, “Michael Strogoff” reaches absorbing heights in its steady accumulation of dramatic tension, and in many ways it is a refreshing change from the conventional type of action film. Margot Grahame gives au excellent performance as the spy, who, too late, tries to save Anton Walbrook from the Tartars. Elizabeth Allan is charming in the rolo of the friendless girl whoso shy romance with the courier provides the love interest, and Akim Tamiroff, as the traitorous Russian leading the Tartar rebellion, turns in a brilliantly convincing piece of villainy.