“OFFICER O’BRIEN”

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1034, 26 July 1930, Page 15

“OFFICER O’BRIEN”

DRAMA OF UNDERWORLD AT STRAND TENSE STORY OF POLICE Spirited drama revolving round the underworld of a big- city, crooks who shoot quickly, police up against the sternest forces of crimeland, the love of a young constable for a beaut’ful girl—all this is packed into the story, “Officer O’Brien,” which began a season at the Strand Theatre last evening. This talking play is nothing if not swift moving, with brisk episode an abundance of thrills. As a lieutenant of police, William Boyd, who fits into a uniform probably more strikingly than any other stalwart of talking pictures, has the part of Officer O’Brien. The thing discerning patrons of real screen art look for, and it is justifiably so these days, is quality of speech in the personality round which the play is spun. And Boyd comes up to expectations. Set opposite Boyd is Dorothy Sebastian. who in the role of a young telephone operator at police headquarters, meets and loves Officer O’Brien. Promoted for the capture of the notorious gang leader, Mike PateUo, who is to faco a charge of murder, O’Brien is then torn between love for Ruth Dale and ambition to put the murderer in the electric chair. It so happens that the only witness against the criminal is Ruth’s brother, a young constable who saw the shooting. There is a tremendous scene when Ruth implores her lover not to let her brother give evidence, fearing what will happen to him if the» rest of the gang get on his trail. Then the trial. The young constable is undeterred by threats, and is in the box telling his story. He pauses on the instant he is about to name Patello as the assassin and at that second a shot rings out. Young Dale falls dead, having been shot from a tenement house overlooking the court room. Patello, polished, sleek and oily, is therefore released, the State’s case having collapsed. Filled with grief at the death of his chum, O’Brien plans unrelenting efforts to bring Patello to book, and evetns happen quickly. Ruth Dale has turned against him and all the guns and wits of the underworld appear to be used for O’Brien’s undoing. His father. an old criminal who has been let out on parole through his son’s intercession, reverts to the crime life and commits a great jewel robbery with a former acquaintance played with amusing cleverness by Clyde Cbok. Thereafter the plot swings along to work for a surprising climax.

The supporting programme includes a good talkie of the delegates to the recent Disarmament Conference in London, the representatives of the nations being introduced to the audience by Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, Prime Minister of Great Britain. There are three comedy numbers, tho first being “Head Work,” which deals with quack phrenology. “The Uncle” depicts the worries of a relative in his efforts to assist *a very modern nephew in his school homework, revealing as it does how far short the last generation falls from what today is termed a liberal education. Lastly, there is a sound novelty cartoon.