MAJESTIC THEATRE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 245, 15 October 1937, Page 9

MAJESTIC THEATRE

“THE 13th CHAIR’” A murder mystery which will keep audiences guessing to the end is “The 13th Chair,” a first-class Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer production, which heads the well-varied programme concluding to-night at the Majestic Theatre. A powerful cast appears in the film, including Dame May Whitty, Madge Evans, Lewis Stone, Elissa Landi, Thomas Beck, and Ralph Forbes. “The Good Earth” Four years in the making, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s-film version of Pearl S. Buck’s novel “The Good Earth,” is said to be one of the most distinguished motion pictures to reach the screen. It will come to the Majestic Theatre to-morrow. Not only is it an artistic achievement but it is said to be one of the most stirring, most vibrating, and gripping stories ever to be unfolded on the screen in the history of picture-making. No little of this is due to the portrayals of its two stars, Paul Muni and Luise Rainer, in the respective roles of the poor Chinese farmer, Wang, and his obedient, self-effacing, slave-girl wife, O-Lan. In support of the stars is a cast headed by Walter Connolly, Tilly Losch, Charley Grapewin, Jessie Ralph, and hundreds of Chinese players. The story of “The Good Earth” is familiar to the thousands of readers of Pearl Buck's best-seller. Its screen treatment is based on the novel and on the stage adaptation. The story describes the rise of the Chinese peasant, Wang, following his marriage to the slave-girl O-Lan, who works beside him in the fields. Famine sweeps the country and they are ruined, but through O-Lan’s efforts their fortunes are restored. “The Good Earth” is a picture of pictures. The tragedy of the Chinese peoples is laid bare in a series of interludes which shift from the barren lands of the poor peasants to the palaces of the aristocracy. Direction, camera work, the spectacular backgrounds are outstanding triumphs but above all will be remembered the portrayals of Paul Muni and Luise Rainer as the central figures of the narrative.