A FEAST OF THRILLS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 935, 4 December 1933, Page 3

A FEAST OF THRILLS.

“Flying Devils” and “Trick for Trick.” The Liberty Theatre has a feast of thrills for its patrons this week. “ Flying Devils ”, the first offering, is another of those films which make stunt flying appear so easy and pedestrianism so much more safe. Daredevil flying is the key-note of the picture, with a triangular chase and a head-on < i-asn in mid-air as its thrilling climax. The main feature, ” Trick for Trick is an unusual type of comedy-drama. It is a clever parody of all the eerie black magic that has been served up of late in mystery plays. Ralph Morgan and Victor Jory appear as two modern “magicians”, armed with a complete repertoire of tricks, electrical and mechanical aids, who are pitted against each other in the solving of a baffling murder mystery. Fake “ medium ” work, sleight of hand, ghostly effects, and ail the mechanism of the trade are introduced to at once baffle and amuse the audience. The film is a complete exposure of the illusionary chicaneries that are used to catch the public's fancy. The strong personalities of Ralph Morgan and Victor Jory make their roles extremely convincing, and the technical direction has accomplished the rest. As an offset to the overthrilling nature of some of the scenes, the directors have introduced a cast that would take some beating for comedy performance. With just a shade less exaggeration in their acting they would make the film highly dramatic; but where the lack of that shade would bring screams, its presence brought iaugnter. And when an audience can laugh at its own credulity, there is a compliment implied for somebody. 2Sai!y Blane, the heroine, Clifford Jones, her racoon-coated and highly excitable lover, Tom Dugan, Luis Alberni and John George, as a trio of magicians’ assistants of comic propensities, and Boothe Howard, as the detective, are the other prominent actors. “Flying Devils” is a drama built up round the activities of stunt flying circuses. The central figures are ail members of a troupe to whose rather risky lives are added the further crashes, flying stunts, daring parachute jumps with the final "accident', which incidentally clears up the corn the ’really '"'Kg °thrill of the picture. Ralph Bellamy. Bruce Cabot, Arnr.e Judge and Eric Linden su-'P-y the drama, leaving the comedy in the excellent hands of Cliff Edwards.