“BUND WIVES”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 138, 13 June 1931, Page 18 (Supplement)

“BUND WIVES”

PICTURES AT GRAND THEATRE. “SALLY” SHOWING WEDNESDAY. Based on the stage play, “Half Gods,” by Sidney Howard, “Blind Wives,” now at the Grand Theatre, possesses a strong appeal to all. It is the story of a young couple, financially comfortable, xvlio drift perilously close to the reef of the divorce court through the wife’s lack of consideration for her husband, her selfishness, and her nag ging petulance. Without exception, critics who have seen the production previewed have been unlimited in their praise of both the cast and the story. Miss Tobin, who, after several years as a star of the New York ami London stage, invaded Hollywood a few months ago ami promptly made a name for herself .in her first picture, “A Lady Surrenders,” is seen as a 1931-model wife. She is interested in psycho-analysis, in fine clothes, in parties, in fact, in almost everything except, her husband, her home and two children. As the longsuffering and devoted husband, Conrad Nagel is said to give one of the outstanding performances of his career, while Monroe Owsley, who leaped to fame with his portrayal of the “other man” in “Holiday,” again gives a sterling performance as the “old pal” xvlio has a weakness for pretty women. The entire action of this human, gripping drama takes place in New York, and offers Miss Tobin a rare opportunity to wear some of the smartest and most beautiful gowns which have been seen on the screen this season. During the course of the picture she is seen in nine different creations. Hobart Henley, director of “Blind Wives,” selected a most capable cast for this, his first picture for Universal in many years, among whom are Ilka Chase, Zasu Pitts, Sidney Bracey, Slim Summerville, Richard Tucker, George Irving and Bertha Mann. “Sally” Showing Wednesday. Marilyn Miller, the darling of Broadway, brings her most successful musical comedy to the talking screen in Wanganui next week. The screen version of “Sally,” which broke theatrical records in every large city in America, will be on view at the Grand Theatre next Wednesday, with Miss Miller playing the title role she originated on the stage. “Sally” is an all-technicolour First

National and Vitaphone picture, alldialogue and with singing and dancing. It brings Miss Miller to the screen for the first time, and presents the charming star in the greatest role she ever played—that of the little waitress who becomes premiere danscuse of the Follies. Alexander Gray, who sang the principal role in the eastern company of “The Desert Song,” is seen opposite the star. Three famous comedians are included in the cast, Joe E. Brown, T. Roy Barnes and Ford Sterling. Pert Kelton, of the Ziegfeld “Rio Rita’’ company, has the ingenue lead, and others in the cast are Maude Turner Gordon, Jack Duffy, E. J. Ratcliffe, the Albertina Rasch dancers and the biggest chorus of girls and men ever seen on the screen. “Madonna of the Streets.” The harbours and waterfronts of all port cities the world over have been the place of refuge for life’s misfit and unfortunate characters. Such characters as these play a vital and important part in “Madonna of the Streets,” the Columbia drama unfolded against the waterfront of San Francisco, scheduled to shoxv at the Grand Theatre soon. They form the background for the tale of love and greed which is subsequently unfolded in this picture. Evelyn Brent, the star, assumes the role of a worldly woman who descends to the lower depths of the waterfront world in order to gain a personal and selfish end, but remains to become the angel of that, poverty-stricken section. In her mission work, Miss Brent, encounters some interesting characters. All of them represent life’s outcasts—they have drifted to the harbour mission from all corners of the earth. Gathered in this mission they are representative of all that is colourful —as cosmopolitan a group as could ever exist. A superlative cast surrounds Miss Brent in this production. Her loading man is Robert Ames, xvlio scored tremendous personal successes in “A Lady To Love,” “The Trespasser,” and “Holiday.” Others in the cast include Josephine Dunn and Ivan Linow. John Robertson directed. The F. AV. Murnau expedition sailed 3,000 miles from Hollywood to the South Seas in a sixty-five foot yacht to film tho native love drama, “Tabu.” Norman Taurog, director of “Skippy,” appeared with Mary Pickford as a child actor in both the stage and screen versions of “The Good Little Dtivil.” Many unusual problems were encountered by RKO Radio Pictures in filming Edna Ferber’s famous story of early Oklahoma, “Cimarron.” The players had to go through three ages, and in one instance it was necessary through plastic surgery to make tho venerable Robert McWade look like a man of thirty years.