"MANTRAP."

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18899, 14 January 1927, Page 11

"MANTRAP."

1 A COMEDY OF ERRORS, There's no mantrap like a clover uoman, regard Lorelei, the. little blonde gold-digger for an instance. But Clara Bow, who has recently boon elevated to stardom by Para* mount, is an even mure astutely amusing example, and in-"Mantrap," the chief attiau* liou at the Crystal Palace Theatre next week,' she is its- airy nnd effective catcher of wen us either of tho i'tu ous characters recently introduced by Miss Anita Loos. Clara Bow has set all Broadway critic 3 by the.ears with her acting in "Mantrap." No longer is 3he merely a vivacious child choking a mop of bushy hair and acting mainly through the medium of a pair of sparkling eyes. < khe ; reveals that she possesses an appreciation of i straight dranm and sheer comedy, and the combination, together with her irresistible per* sonality, makes for a plcatiautly diverting pic- j trire As Cor the story itself, it is a quiet, > subtle, and exquisitely amusing one on "the great open spaces", and the eternal triangle. Rpth aspects, which have, in the past, been mo»t painfully distorted and exploited, have bocn handled villi a rare humour which at times, like all good satires, tends to tho Bardonic. Tho producers of "Mantrap" have worked upon the excellent premises that intelligence is abroad, Hnd that it stalks among motion pituro patrons occasionally. Aft "a conseciueuce we have >vhat is, sadly enough, a comparative rarity these days—a picture which is basically a comedy, one with the spice of ' ama and action, the incentive of bold originality, tbi> eternal lure. of romance, the piquanc: of the aforesaid satire. Sinclair • liewia wrote the story, and shows his hand in a lightr vein, one which is more fascinating that his ujual style of rather ponderous drama. Supporting the star are Krnest Tnrrenco nnd Percy Marraont, the former acting with easy ingenuity and an excellent enmedy touch, and the latter playing a somewhat difficult rnlo with his customary effective simplicity. Tho box plans open at the Bristol Piano Company this morning.