“ANNA CHRISTIE."

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 346, 18 August 1930, Page 11

“ANNA CHRISTIE."

EUGENE O’NEILL PLAY AT EEGENT. DEAMA IN DOCKSIDE STOAf. A film adaptation of any Eugene O’Neill play would certainly strike a note out of the ordinary, and this is true of his “Anna Christie,” a talking picture based on. the famous stage production, which has been a good deal discussed wherever the play bas been done. “Anna Christie’* began its Wanganui season at the Begent Theatre on Saturday before a large audience, which had no doubt come in keenly critical mind. But the play won through successfully, a difficult theme being treated with delicacy of feeling and strong dramatic power. “Anna Christie,” in its unusual way would bear comparison with the foremost plays of its type even without the highest dramatic art, its dialogue being sufficient to carry through and hold an audience even though the acting were not of the highest. But in this picture the actors take unto themselves new laurels, chiefly by artistic character portrayal. And leading the cast is a notable figure, Geta Garbo, who is in the title part. First Talkie. Incidentally this is this Swedish actress’s first effort in a talking production, and for the most part she scores strikingly. Anna Christie is, of course, the focal point of the picture, and the part is an extremely difficult one. In some places, notably in a confession of a past of easy virtue made to an old woman confidant over ale, Miss Garbo appears to be conscious of the camera. But this is transient, and she finds her stride for the rest of the dialogue. What is important is that her voice is very good, well rounded, and her enunciation (with a rather fascinating trace of Scandinavian accent) is clear. Next in line for character delineation is Marie Dressier, as a dockside harridan. Here is real humour and splendid facial adaptability. In the drinking scene she provides some excruciatingly funny situations and demagistrates that she is one of the most brilliant character artists of the screen to-day. The “Old Sea Devil.” George F. Marion, who had the part of Chris. Christopherson in the original stage play, comes again in the same role, that of an intensely superstitious old seafarer and father of Anna. He has a pathetic awe of the “old devil sea,” and takes to the life of a bargee to escape the perils of the deepsea sailorman. He has not seen his daughter for 15 years, having sent her to an island farm to live, as he supposed, a sheltered life. But there Anna has been driven to a sad and an oblique existence. Thinking her the emblem of all that is noble in womanhood the old man welcomes her to stay awhile in his barge. She is entranced by the cleanness of the sea and resolves never to go back to the house in the interior. Then along comes a young sailor, shipwrecked, and picked up by the barge. Charles Bickford as the hot-headed Irishman, jealous to the point of the ridiculous, determines to win Anna’s love, believing her all that is best in girlhood, and sick of the kind all sailors know haunt every port. Then disillusionment. Thereafter the audience listens to heart searchings, professions of love, bitter denunciations, angry recriminations and finally. , . well, the climax is a Eugene O’Neill one. The picture is exceptional in photographic achievement, some of the scenes in a New York fog being very fine.