“THE APACHE” IS SPLENDID FILM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18208, 15 July 1927, Page 4

“THE APACHE” IS SPLENDID FILM.

UNDERWORLD OF PARIS BROUGHT TO THE SCREEN. Some splendid character acting and some wonderfully conceived and presented dramatic situations are revealed in “The Apache,” a British film, a private screening of which took place at j Everybody’s Theatre this morning. As , the name indicates, a great deal of j the movement of the story is set in ; the Paris underworld, of which there i are ver}' intimate glances given. The social life in the highest circles, and the night life for which the gay capital is famed, also occupy a large amount of attention. The fidelity of the presentation has been greatly aided bj r the fact that the majority of the scenes were shot in Paris. From every viewpoint the picture is an excellent production. As the producers have gone to the streets of Paris itself for their street scenes, they have achieved a degree of realism that is not always the case where reliance is placed on the resources of the studio. No faults can be found with the photography. Some first-class effects in lighting have been obtained in the presentation of night scenes, particularly where heavy rain hhs been shown. The night scenes taken in heavy rain are one of the outstanding successes on the technical side. The settings are all very, natural, and in no case is there to be found any of the over-elaboration that so often mars scenes of interiors. The success achieved .on the technical side helps to emphasise the merits of an absorbing story, and the charm of first-class acting. Adelqui Millar appears in the role of “The Apache,” an apache whom the capricious wheel of fortune converts almost overnight into a millionaire. It is a far cry from the noisesome cul de sacs of the Parisian underworld to the gilded salons of the aristocracy. The actor was perfectly at home and thoroughly convincing in both. The realism of his work as “The Panther” in the underworld dens struck a note qf high artistic merit. He has been well endowed by nature with a face that compels attention, and his keen glance reveals a pair of arresting eyes that he is able to use with great effect. Miss Mona Marris is cast in the principal feminine role, that of Linette, the little shop girl whom poverty almost drove to despair, but who found success in a circus and happiness in the son of her benefactor.