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2nd DECEMBER
THE CHINA MAIL, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1934
"THE SCARLET EMPRESS" ONE
OF SCREENDOM'S
BEST
HAROLD LLOYD ATTEMPTS SOMETHING NEW IN "THE CAT'S PAW"
"JIMMY THE GENT" FAST-MOVING CAGNEY DRAMA
A
FTER pre-viewing the Para-]; }
mount production of "The Scarlet Empress," -I can only describe it as magnificent To my mind it is one of the most. brilliant pictures of the talkie
era
While I do not pretend to know how far it departs from histori esl truth (the opening caption atates that it is taken from the private diary of the Empress) I would say that it bears the impres alon of conviction, and surely the definition of the imbecilie 'Grand- Duke Peter, as played by Sam) Jaffe (although I admit he bore an uncanny resemblance to Harpo Marx) is more accurate than that of the idealised handsome version we saw recently portrayed by Douglas Fairbanks Jnr. The ver- diet as to which I leave to their respective admirers to settle.
This time I am dealing with the famous German girl, the discovery of von Sternberg--Marlene Dlet-
By Diane H
2012
The reigning beauty of the screen, Marlene Dietrich, as she appears in "The Scarlet Empress", to-mar-- row's attraction at the Queen's Theatre.
an
ITTAROLD Lloyd has a winner 1 in China in his new release
The Cat's Paw" from original story by Clarence Kel- land. Whether it will mean hia usual box-office attraction else- where remains to be proved.
He departs from formula, and Igives us an innocent young man, born in China, of American missionary parents, who goes to America to find a wife, and finds himself unwillingly mixed up with polities and crooked leaders. This calls for his Oriental philosophy and formal politeness to bear in dealing with his new friends and enemies.
It is a new departure for Lloyd -to get away from gay-comedy and depend on story and melo- drama. Luckily he has surround- ed himself with an excellent cast -Una Merkel, Grace Bradley, Alan Dinehart, the late Alec B. Francis, Warren Hymer, Nat Pendleton, George Barbier, and
rich. She is indescribably beauti-thies, and wins her country to Vince Barnett just to mention a ful in the gorgeous gowns of the rule.
few, not forgetting the crowds of
period. She does more than Von Sternberg returns to the real Chinese extras, merely move through as though in movie technique of 20 years ago. Be it noted that this time Harold | a dream, but her voice is a little Dialogue is kept to a minimum, Lloyd was not taking any chances too low-pitched, and I dislike that and we have reel after reel with of failure. I say his first talkie habit she has adopted of dropping.jonly B caption or two. Like in America, "Welcome Danger,"
her mouth open, when she wants. Charles Chaplin, this director re-and because he offended the tastes to express the innocence of youth cognizes the value of action with of the Chinese in his delineation For once, yon. Sternberg permits but words, when shown to millions of certain characters, the film had her to do more than pose beauti-who do not speak the English to be withdrawn in Shanghai, and fully for the camera, and she gives language,
was not shown anywhere else.
really fine acting performance. The last scenes are stirring in This time he has had the personal The newcomer, John Lodge the extreme, showing the wild ride supervision of the. Chinese back- (seen here in a small part in of the Cossacks headed by their ground by a representative of the "Little Women)", makes a savage lovely Empress up the flights of National Government. contemptuous lover, which reveals stairs flanked by her soldiers. Sam Taylor does first-class work |him as an actor of promise.
Some of the critics objected to this as Director, the cast all do well. Louise Dresser's conception of circus-like stunt, but it is stated but Harold Lloyd does not seem the Empress Elizabeth is a strik in history, so, as it lends to show-quite at home, and often fails to Ing one. She makes it human and manship, we will let it go at that, make the most of his opportuni- forceful. In its weird mixture of I have only one criticism the ties. Then, too, to British and queenly and slatternly qualities.,
American accents of most of the other audiences the politics are The minor parts are well played cast-but once you are accustom-so strange, and rather detract Credit must go to the camera men, ed to it, you and yourself carried from the interest of the story. even though the director seemed away, by the magnificence of the The trick climax is extremely well to gloat over the grinning hideous production, barbaric, cruel, primi done, and there is quite a deal of deformed gargoyles, until I began tive in the settings, but making suspense, holding the interest of to wonder if there was anything of
for entertainment value of the the audience, but, to my mind, it beauty to be found in the vast
highest order., Personal recom-will be above the head of the mendation. (Queen's.); palace.
average film fan. Anyhow, as always, the Harold Lloyd films are
intended for the whole family. (King's.)
I think it foolish to compare
this colourful, colossal Hollywood CROSS-WORD PUZZLE clean and wholesome fun and are
production with the Kords British one. This is so much grander. We
are shown scene, after scene of the
COMPETITION
palace, the wedding scene (correct- The King's Theatre is offering
◆ THE BOOK OF ETTAKIT RE-WRIT BY A HE-MAN!
"She Was A Lady"
"She Was A Lady," starring.)
our heroine fulfils his dying wish that she goes to England to be a lady. Snubbed, she takes to a gambling den, and meets the herd, Donald Woods.
ly staged, which it was not in the two dress circle tickets to the first Helen Twelvetrees, ands her as the other) is one I will never forget, four correct solutions of the crage daughter of Ralph Morgan, who That aputtering candle, the close-word puzzle appearing on Page 3. married Doria Lloyd, his mother's ups of the tragic face of the lovely All entries are to be sent to "Crossmaid. After her father's death bride, the half-mad bridegroom word" c/o The China Maton the-jealous lover-and the music..
Then, too, this version deals. with the life history of the young, Prussian, Princess Sophia Fre derica (her name was changed to Catherine Alexina by her mother- in-law), and the opening shots show as the small daughter of the star-Maria Sieber, (who speaks! her few lines clearly, but does not seem destined to inberit the beauty of her mother) as the little girl listening to tales of horror instead of fairy tales. These opening sequences of cruelty and torture might be eliminated, and are not, for the squeemish.
Then follows the departure of the lovely innocent girl, the müür“ riage to the imbecilic Grand-Duke, the domination by the Emprèss, the loathing of her husband, and the tragic climax reached when ahe discovers the Infidelity of the man she loves. That night ahe Jehanges her whole character, and then we move on to her great des- iny as the woman beloved of her soldiers, who gains their sympa-
Helen Twelvetrees does a fine acting job, and the same can be Bald of Doria-Lloyd,
Just another picture without any special recommendations, but may pass a pleasant evening (AI- hambra).
Jimmy The Gent From the beginning of a James to the end there is
Cagni
speedy sc
(Continued on Page 12):
Adolph Zeker zzuraji
MARLENE DIETRICH
The Scarlet Empress
A Paramount Picture with JOHN LODGE SAM JAFFE LOUISE DRESSER DIVOLLENTUNAN JOSEF von STERNBERG
QUEEN'S
AT
Dietrich ...
woman of fire...empres of beauty...gowned in 20 exquisita costuimes.....lý- Ing the life and loves of thespons romantic woman
éronlled' Queen!
Grand Opening TO-MORROW
TO-MORROW KING'S
YOU ONLY think
YOU'VE SEEN HAROLD LLOYDI
Until you've seen HAROLD LLOYDİ EVERYTHING new BUT THESENOO
HAROLD LLOYD
CAT'S PAW
From the SATURDAY Beaning Post, Storyber CLARENCE SUDINGTON KEITANDI A'POW BELEASE,
BOOK YOUR SEAT EARLY.
Tel. 25313
268327
LEE THEATRE.
FINAL SHOWINGS TO-DAY Daily at 2.30, 5.30, 7.30 & 9.30 PM.
BRITISH FILMS presents
Careers Of "THE DEEDS MEN DO”
The Stars
MARLENE DIETRICH, was born in
1902 in Berlin. Her father was an Army officer, and Marlene was educated privately. She intended
Mfollowing the profession of a concpri
Short Shots MY WGENT
MERLE OBERON, (Queenie Thomp
son, the little girl with the
who used to work in a non
shop in Cal cutta) now denies that she will marry the millionaire Producer Joseph SchenkBut maybe this is the stunt of Basil Dean and Victoria, Hopper who denied theld engagement, and then the next day went off and secre Anyhow Merle Oberon:
Ipianist, but an accident to her wrist | prevented this, and she turned to the stage and screen Von Sternberg gave her, the first. big, chance in "Blue Angel" with Emit Janninga. She went with her director to Paramount in
She is married
JAMES CAGNEY matted to Budolph Steber, and BETTE DAVIS
have one daughter.”
A Synchronised version of
THE FAMOUS BATTLE of CORONEL
... AND FALKLAND ISLANDS
Made with co-operation of the British Admiralty and with the assistance the Navy League.
NEXT CHANGE TO-MORROW.
The "IMPOSSIBLE"
COMES TO THE SCREEN
"SOS ICEBERG"
ROD LA ROCQUE & LENI RIEPENSTAHL