GREAT HUMAN DRAMA

Evening Star, Issue 20048, 13 December 1928, Page 2

GREAT HUMAN DRAMA

• HEART CF A NATION ’ TO-MORROW ‘ Heart of a Nation,’ one of the great motion pictures of the year, will open at the Octagon Theatre to-morrow. It is an unusual picture in many ways. In the first place, it brings George Sidney in a dramatic role. Sidney is too great an actor to stay always ip the comedies which have brought him so much fame. He portrays his role in ‘ Heart. of a Nation ’ with rare discrimination; he never over-acts, and proves himself capable of rare emotional depth, including honest tears. But a little about tho story; Three families emigrate to New York, from Russia, Germany, and Italy. The parents retain all they loved of tho old country, making no effort to become Americanised, while the children grow up to be typical young Americans, incapable of understanding their parents, who, in turn, are incapable of understanding tbiir children. But the war comes along for a brief moment and their children enlist. To go further would spoil your enjoyment of this masterpiece, but you can see the possibilities. The ending is of rare beauty and happiness, raising the picture to the heights of art. Especial credit goes to Sidney, Beryl Mercer, Eddie Phillips, Albert Gran, and Daisy Belmore; and to Edward Sloman goes the directorial laurel wreath.