Fair Exchange

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 804, 26 October 1929, Page 27

Fair Exchange

DRAMATIC FOX TALKIE “Pleasure Crazed” for Majestic

A DRAMATIC story in full dialogue from tlie opening- scene to the final close-up is “Pleasure Crazed,” coining next week to the Majestic. Dorothy Burgess, of “In Old Arizona" fame, Marguerite Churchill, and Kenneth Mac Kenna are in the east. A Fox Movietone production, “Pleasure Crazed.” tells of a man who rejected a faithless wife in favour of a repentant girl criminal.

Dorothy Burgess, who handles one of the big parts in the production, is excellent in the role of a pleasuremad woman who prefers a worthless lover rather than her devoted husband, played by Kenneth Mac Kenna, an attractive newcomer to talking films. Hoping to recast his wife's hectic

views, her husband takes her to a seaside home, hut the lover follows. By chance the husband, a wealthy collector of jewels, has fallen into a trap set by a band of criminals which have leased him the house with the object of re-

turning later and securing the jewels at its leisure. One of its members, a girl, played by Marguerite Churchill, is left in the role of housekeeper and it is her unwelcome duty to inform her associates when the coast is clear. The plans of the gang are upset by the fact that the “housekeeper” and the practically deserted husband fall in love with each other. Nevertheless the criminals decide to attack the house on a certain evening when the husband is absent. It so happens that they arrive when the faithless wife is entertainng her lover, and they take opportunity to blackmail her and thus secure the gems without trouble. In a thrilling climax an attempted murder creates a breath-catching moment of suspense. At the close of the picture the faith-

STAR’S DEATH

Jeanne Eagels of “The Letter”

FAMOUS STAGE PLAYER Picturegoers at the Regent recently have been introduced to and thrilled by the acting of Jeanne Eagels, famous American star of the legitimate stage. It is a pathetic coincidence that news of her death in New York reached Auckland with her first film. | So the performance of beautiful | Jeanne Eagels in “The Letter,” Fara- } mount’s talking picture, represents | her posthumous screen appearance in New Zealand. The late Miss Eagels was 34 years of age at the time of her death, and was one of many well-known Ameri-

can stage players who were persuaded to lend their talent to the talking screen. She had been on the stage since she was seven years of age. Her greatest success was that of “Sadie Thompson” in “Rain,” a role that brought her almost international faihe. Her first film venture was “Man, Woman and Sin," with John Gilbert. It has been claimed by disinterested experts that Jeanne Eagels possessed the best recording voice of any woman appearing in talking pictures. She completed recently, her second and last film. “Jealousy,” which is now being released in various parts of the United States.

A KISS IN COURT

Adolph Menjou appeared in court in New York to defend a suit of £2,000 brought against him by his former manager. After hearing the testimony the judge dismissed the case. Menjou then walked over to where his wife was seated, and taking her in his arms, he kissed her, much to the delight of the spectators.

less wife receives the justice she richly merits and the husband makes a fair exchange, sharing the final close-up with the reformed “housekeeper.” Throughout “Pleasure Crazed” the dialogue is clear and well-sustained, while the acting and general direction is much above the average. It is a particularly interesting film showing to a nicety the possibilities of the talking picture in the direction of “straight” drama.