ST. JAMES

Evening Star, Issue 22447, 18 September 1936, Page 5

ST. JAMES

It speaks well for the entertainment value of ‘ Three Live Ghosts ’ that, after a successful season at the Empire, the film has been transferred to the St. James. Undoubtedly this is one of the funniest of all screen plays, and one, furthermore, that has stood the test of time. Thousands of Dunedin people saw the original version of this story, laughed themselves hoarse, and went home chuckling. They will do tho same with this new production, for its humour is infections and hearty, it has moments of thrilling excitement and an added dash of romance to provide a combination which would be hard to better. The story concerns the adventures of three soldiers, who escape from a German prison camp and return to London only to find that they are officially “dead?’ For varying reasons they decide to stay dead, and their escapades become many and varied. To the two principals, Richard Arlen and Beryl Mercer, must go unstinted praise for the really fine characterisations as Bill Jones and Mrs Gnhbins. Richard Arlen is an accomplished young actor, and his record is a fine one, but his performance in ‘ Three Live Ghosts ’ is his best yet. AH that can be said of Beryl Mercer, who is too well known and loved to need any commendation, is that she is at the top of her form in a characteristic role in which she is obviously at home.