REGENT TALKIES

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXVI, Issue 96, 23 May 1938, Page 3

REGENT TALKIES

TO-NIGHT. “THE TOAST OF NEAV YORK.” Based on the life of Jim Fisk, “The Toast of New York,” showing here finally this evening, is a gripping and entertaining dramatic romance, its high emotional appeal being in its love tbeme—the flambuoyant courtship of fascinating Josie Mansfield by the financier. Frances Farmer is ideally suited to the role of Josie Mansfield, the woman for whom Fisk tries to solidify his financial empire by gaining a corner on the world gold market. Her pleasing contralto is heard in three songs, one of which is “Sweet Alice Ben Bolt.” Edward Arnold steps into the 1865 frock coat and square-toed boots as naturally as did Fisk himself in his heydey of big railroad stock manipulation when Commodore Vanderbilt, Daniel Drew and others battled with him to gain leadership of the financial world. Arnold again proves that he is the most able cinema portrayer of strong-hearted figures. Cary Grant, as the handsome partner of Fisk, takes full advantage of his romantic role and gives a convincing portrayal of an equally shrewd manipulator. His rivalry wtih Fisk for the love of Josie is portrayed with appeal and power. As the canny Daniel Drew who is so treacherous in his partnerships with Vanderbilt and Fisk, Donald Meek probably gives his most outstanding film performance.

“SOULS AT SEA.” AVEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. The long-heralded “Souls at Sea” will be screened at the Regent on AA 7 ednesday and Thursday evenings. It is the motion picture treatment of the famous trial of “Nuggin” Taylor, sea captain of the AO’s, who assumed command of the brig AVilliam Brown when that ship caught fire in mid-Atlantic shortly after her master died. Taylor is played by Gary Cooper, who hardly performed as well in any of his long string of credible adventure stories—possibly because he was re-enacting a story from history’s pages for the first time. The AVilliam Brown was equipped with only two lifeboats and Taylor realised that he could never bring the entire ship’s company to safety in the frail craft. He ordered a trial to determine who should be permitted to go aboard the lifeboats and who should be ordered —at pistol point—to remain aboard and go to the bottom with the ill-fated vessel. He included himself among the survivors not because he wanted to save his life, he later told an Admiralty Court, but because he knew he was the only man who could bring the lifeboats safely through to land. There followed a trial which is now epic among sea trials. Taylor was accused of manslaughter on the high seas not only by most of the survivors, but what hurt most, by his sweetheart, played by beautiful Frances Dee.