SPECTACULAR FILM.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20418, 24 September 1934, Page 3

SPECTACULAR FILM.

Good Acting and Fine Cast in “ Mandalay.” A strong play and a good cast make of “ Mandalay,” the main feature at the Plaza Theatre this week, a picture worth seeing both from an entertainment and an educational point of view. Laid in the unusual setting of the river settlements of the Irrawaddv River, Rangoon and Mandalay, it is spectacular both in theme and "production, and the sincerity of the acting gives it great dramatic force.

The writer and producer of “ Mandalay” have not attempted to make nice characters. Most of them, judged by conventional standards, are decidedly bad. They come with no explanation of past history other than that given in vague hints and there is no prospect of rosy happiness for any of them when the play is ended, " yet while they are on the screen they live vividly. The result is a very human drama, in which the unsavoury elements are forgotten in the sympathy that understanding brings. Simply it is the story of a girl, abandoned in a notorious cafe in Rangoon, who adapts herself to her environment, determined to make it pay to her for what she has suttered. Life gives her what she demands but she suffers accordinglv until one day the full degradation of her condition is revealed to her and she tries to “ come back.” A discredited doctor with a similar determination assists her in her resolve and after manv trials they are left eventually headed towards the “ fever country ” in an effort to seek self-respect once more. Kay Francis gives a splendid performance in the leading role, expressing perfectly the character she portrays without violence of emotion or any tendency to overact. In the other major roles Ricardo Cortez, Lyle Talbot and W arner Oland are equallv good.

condensed version of the musical comedy, Sally,” is the principal item on the supporting programme, which is of a high standard. A Mickey Mouse cartoon. Building a Building,” is, as usual, a delightful item, and there is added attraction in a fine scenic of To this the management adds the personal appearance on the stage of Messrs H. G. Glaysher (harpist* and Claude OT-lagan (bass-bari-tone) in several attractive numbers.