“COLONEL BLOOD.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20342, 27 June 1934, Page 3

“COLONEL BLOOD.”

Stirring Romantic Drama for Theatre Royal. “ Cash ” and “ Supernatural ” will be shown finally on Friday night at the Theatre Royal. “ Colonel Blood,’’ a stirring romantic drama, featuring Frank Cellier, Anne Grey, Mary Lawson and Allan Jeayes, will open at the Theatre Royal on Saturday. Hearty action and robust humour are highlights of this production. It has been acclaimed by critics as one of the best films to come out of English studios, and one that entertains from the first scene to the final ladeout. “ Colonel Blood ” unfolds the true-to-life story of the Irish adventurer who went to London entirely unknown in the reign of Charles 11. and by his assurance, daring and impudence, became a close friend of the Merrie Monarch. He fell from this high position almost as quickly as he rose to it. During his stay in London he became notorious for a series of astounding exploits that included kidnapping the Duke of Ormonde outside his own house, and attempting to hang him at Tyburn Tree “ as befits a duke,” winning the affection of Lady Castlemaine, and thereby becoming an active rival of his monarch, and finally attempting to steal the regalia from the Tower of London in order to pay his debts. So extraordinary was this man’s personality that even after this he succeeded in obtaining an interview with Charles and winning from him an unconditional pardon and a colonelcy. One of the outstanding features of “ Colonel Blood ’’ is that it is played throughout

in naturalistic manner, and the dialogue reproduces exactly the life of the people as it was lived in the seventeenth century. The chief role of Colonel Blood is played by the prominent actor Frank Cellier,. Anne Grey is Lady Castlemaine, Mary Lawson is Susie, Colonel Blood’s accomplice, Ailan Jeayes. portrays Charles 11., and Arthur Chesney, Samuel Pepys, of Diary fame. Box plans at the D.I.C.