WONDERFUL ACTING.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12439, 4 September 1933, Page 5

WONDERFUL ACTING.

“SMILIN’ THROUGH.” “Smilin’ Through.” the famous stage play which Hollywood’s feminine stars have long been yearning to bring back to the talking screen, came to the King’s Theatre on Saturday with Nonna Shearer in the starring role. Metro-Gold wyn-Mayer, which produced this haunt ingly beautiful drama, has boasted that it would reveal the finest array of acting talent the screen yet has seen. It is no idle boast. The combination of Xiorma Shearer with Freclric March, Leslie Howard, O. P. Heggie and Raljili Forbes represents as brilliant an assemblage of artists as could be wished for. Norma Shearer in this picture turns away from the sophistication of her past roles. In her dual characters of Moonyeen and Kathleen she attains an ethereal charm as the one and touches new dramatic h eights as the other. In going back to pure romance she firings freshness, and the mellow tenderness that arises from the revisiting of memorable places. It is the Norma Shearer of old in a refreshened mood, and the result is delightful. Fredric March also has two roles. In both he is a suitor for Norma’s hand. His is a finely sensitive characterisation and he proves again that he is one of the screen’s most versatile actors. Leslie Howard, too, carries a dramatic burden. He retains the same character throughout the story, and makes a transition from youth to old age. In this he gains new laurels, as do O. P. Heggie. Ralph Forbes, Beryl Mercer, David Torrence, Margaret Seddon and Forrester Harvey.

“Smilin’ Through” is the sentimental story of a man who, unable to forget a tragedy which happened fifty years earlier in his life, seeks to gain vengeance by thwarting the son of the man who destroyed his happiness. In each instance Norma Shearer is the girl involved. The Pete Smith spotlight “Swing High ’ depicts the amazing daredevilry of the world’s most famous trapeze artists. It is a thrilling short.