“MIN AND BILL.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 145, 20 June 1931, Page 27 (Supplement)

“MIN AND BILL.”

Marie Dressier and Wallace Beery, as a character team, provide the central figures for “Min and Bill.” Motro-Gold-wyn-Mayer’s vivid drama of the waterfront, which opened to-day at St James’s Theatre. Miss Dressier, best known for her work in “Let Us Be Gay,” this time is a dominant, forceful figure, who rises to supreme dramatic heights. Beery presents a character lovable rather than awesome. The story depicts the struggle between a foster-mother and the natural i mother for the happiness of a girl and the tremendous denouement that solves the problem is a decidedly new note in the drama of the screen. There is not a let up in the breathless interest in this astounding story, and despite its poignant drama, there are many comedy moods, as well as a charming love romanefe. Miss Dressier is a dominant figure as Min, keeper of the waterfront dive, and Beery plays her lover, Bill, fishing smack captain, with deft skill. A newcomer to the screen scores heavily in the person of Marjorie Rambeau, seen as the evil Bella. The romantic interest is handled by Dorothy Jordan, heroine of several Novarro vehicles, who is winsome, appealing, and altogether charming as the waterfront sweetheart of the millionaire’s son, a role well handled by Donald Dillaway. DeWitt Jennings gives a capable performance as the stern truant officer; Russtell Hopton is good as Alec, the “heavy”; Frank M’Glynn scores as the superintendent, and good work is done by Grc-tta Gould as the superintendent’s wife. Box plans are at The Bristol.