STATE THEATRE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 119, 5 June 1937, Page 8

STATE THEATRE

"MICHAEL STROGOPP" TO-NIGHT. -An adventuxe picture offering a wealth of excitement, a tender romance, som-o of the most speetacular scenes over photographed and entertaniment. which should lind favour with f ather, mother, sister and brother comes to the State Theatre to-night in "Michael Strogoff," with Anton Walbrook. - As millions who have read the fanious story will recull— and here, for once, is a-film version of a book that faithfully followa the otiginal p'lot — "Michael Strogoff" ooncerns itseif with the perilous journey of its hero across Siberia and through hostile Tartar patrols to reach a besieged Russian army at Irkutsk with the Czar's orders for the campaign. A beautiful woman spy is on his trail; a Russian girl . bofriends him; he is trapped, battles river pirates, is captured and tortured by the Tartars, but with the aid of the loyal girl, attains his mission and a thrilling revenge over the Tartar ieader. Besides -its xemarkable pageantry of drama and action, this noteworthy version of Jules Verne's story introduces a new candidate. for picture laurels .in the magnetic person of Anton Walbrook. The international stage and screen favourite offered a performance which skyroekets him into tlie ranks of liollywood's top-notch sereen celebrities. Caref.ully woven into the plot and 'extraordinary enough to justify paeans of praise on their own account are the tremendous panoramie scenes of the Russian army pitted against the barbaric Tartar hordes in two different battle episodes. These scen : far surpass anything of the kind o.er filmed, and they alone would make the picture well worth' seeing for their sheer, breath taking effect