CLARA’S TRIUMPH

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 811, 4 November 1929, Page 15

CLARA’S TRIUMPH

CIRCUS TALKIE AT THE REGENT A DELIGHTFUL PROGRAMME Clara Bow scores a well-merited triumph in “Dangerous Curves,” her second talking picture, which delighted a first-night audience at the Regent on Saturday evening. The film’s Auckland season deserves to be an extraordinarily good one. The volatile little Paramount star’s first talkie, “The Wild Party,” demonstriAkd that the screen's new achievement held no terrors for her, despite the croakings of sundry publicists who predicted that Clara would be among those left voiceless and lamenting. '•Rangefous Curves,” in which she talks clearly and charmingly from beginning to end, proves, on the contrary, that her future in talkies is every bit as bright as it was in the silent days. Indeed, it is scarcely too much to claim that no star of the silent films has made good in talkies with such solid and instantaneous success as the leading woman of “Dangerous Curves." A film player cannot be proved to have a greater list of admirers than any other contemporary without making enemies, and in the past year or so Clara Bow has been accused of almost everything except unpopularity. Critics claimed she would not last in public laivour, but “Red Hair,” “The Fleet's In," and a host of others proved they were wrong. Then it was hinted that she coura not really act—that she had no depth—so Clara gave a dramatically excellent performance in “Radies of the Mob” and laughed at her detractors. Finally it was suggested that Tier voice would be hopeless in talkies, but the “It” girl has the laugh again. Unlike the majority of screen players in talkies, she does not merely “talk” in “Dangerous Curves.” She “acts with her voice” as an actress should do. Her lines are colourful and have a full measure of meaning. Furthermore, she infuses her quaint and irresistible character into her speech. Undoubtedly Clara Bow "walks off with the picture" in “Dangerous Curves” as completely and effectively as that has ever been done, yet it is a rattling good story quite apart from the star, equal in entertainment value to anything seen at the Regent for many moons. circus story, in wliicli light anci. shade, comedy and drama, are blended cunningly with rapid, forceful action, “Dangerous Curves” tells of a little girl who worships a great acrobat and Saves him from the worthless attentions of his female partner. When she wins her man, Clara herself takes the coveted place on the swaying wire, 50 feet above .he crowded circle of the tent, and there follows a sequence of the most exciting circus thrills since “Variety. The scenes under the big top are magnificent in their reality, scope and authenticity of atmosphere. Obviously, Paramount lias spared no pains ‘in exploiting its favourite comClara Bow is Richard Arlen of “Wings” fame. 1 hough a little more ordinary in his talkie work, lie gives a sterling performance. The remaining principals are good, and the sound and speech reproduction is as near to perfection as has yet been a Supporting “Dangerous Curves” on tlio Recent programme is a number of entertaining short subjects, including one of those delightful song cartoons “Mv Pony Boy. a tabled Movietone ' Review, a Rathe Sound News budget. and an interesting travelogue.