"THE LONESOME PINE"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22444, 13 June 1936, Page 16

"THE LONESOME PINE"

FILM FOR EMBASSY THEATRE Motion pictures, more than any other product of twentieth century inventiveness, have shown the remarkable advances made by science during the past, few years, and "The Trail of the Lonesome Pino," n Paramount film, which is to be shown at the Kmbassy Theatre shortly, is said to mark yet another milestone in the history of the film industry. Hitherto, technicolour has been applied almost entirely to pictures photographed indoors. "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine," as its title implies, deals almost exclusively with tliG "great out-of-doors," and the scenic effects in natural colour are cxcecdinglv beautiful. The er'ours of the hills and the trees provide tlu* background for a story concerning tho inroads made by civilisation on a lonely baekblocks community. All tlie majestic beauty of mountain lake scenery is captured nt its best, and the film is indeed a triumph both for its producers and its director, Henry Hathaway. It does not rely solely on its technical excellence for ils success, however. It. is first-class entertainment. Based 011 John Fox's famous novel of tho same name, the picture unfolds a gripping story of a feud between two 'back'hlocks' families in the mountain fastnesses of California. A young railway engineer comes into their midst with the intention of building a railway line <0 open coal mines in the district. He is brought into contact with the proud sensitive mountain people, and it is not without a struggle that ho is pernfitted to carry on with his work. An element of romance is introduced, and there is a pleasing subsidiary plot dealing with his relations with a daughter of one of tho fiery clans.

Some of tho most thrilling incidents in the film occur when the feud between the Falins and the Tollivers is at its height, and it is not without bloodshedding that peace is eventually restored and the clannish differences of generations banished for ever. With the march of progress they find their primitive behaviour toward their fellow men hopelessly out of date, and the film ends on a note of happiness and hope for the future. Fred MacMurrav, Sylvia Sydney and Henry Fonda are the principals, nnd there is a large cast of supporting playera.