CRINOLINES AND DUELS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 810, 2 November 1929, Page 17

CRINOLINES AND DUELS

MISSISSIPPI, “RIVER OF ROMANCE”

FINE TALKIE AT PLAZA Plantation days on the old Afississippi, that picturesque period before the American Civil war, form the background of the highly absorbing romance-drama, “River of Romance” which opened at the Plaza Theatre last night. It is an all-talkie.

The play is based upon the famous story, “Magnolia,” by the renowned American author, Booth Tarkington. It brings to the foreground as a

romantic “period” actor, Charles Rogers, the youth who scored so tremendously in many recent talkie and silent film successes. Dramatic action coupled with a thrilling plot and topped off with splendid character portrayals by the principals in the

play make it one of the most pleasing works to come from Hollywood in many a long day. Rogers is the young Eastern-edu-cated son of a Southern family who returns to the paternal plantation only to be confronted with customs and codes of honour which he does not understand. Because he refuses to fight a duel with a villainous character he is branded a coward, and becomes an outcast. But with the aid of good fortune, he fights back and regains his patrimony and his beloved one after a series of hairraising adventures in the gambling halls and river boats of the romantic river—the Alississippi. Mary Brian is excellent as the demure Southern maiden whose love for Buddy survives the stigma under which he labours. Henry B. Walthall, as usual, turns in a fine bit of acting as do also Wallace Beery as a gambling hall proprietor; Fred Kohler as the river-front bad-man; June Collyer as the coquettish fiancee who throws Buddy over, and Natalie Kingston as the lovely Alexico, octoroon companion of Beery. Richard Wallace directed, and he did an excellent job. Equallj r enjoyable was the programme of short talkie supports which delighted last night’s audience. They included several songs by Madame Rosa Raisa, who comes from the New York Grand Opera. They were followed by another of those bright alltalking comedy sketches. This was entitled “The Night Court.” Finally there was an interesting Paramount Sound News.