AMUSEMENTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 June 1931, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS.

fVKRYBPDYB PICTUREB.

TO-NIGHT AND SATURDAY

"WAY FOR A SAILOR."

JOHN GILBERT GIVES UNPARAL-

LELED PERFORM AN CE

The sometimes humorous, sometimes stirring but always dramatic adventures of a group of hard-boiled seamen furnish the unslacking interest in "Way for a Sailor,” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer epic of the British Mercantile Marine, which opens to-night at the Princess Theatre. John Gilbert, star of the picture,

and Wallace Beery, who portrays his brawny mate on a British freighter, •• undoubtedly gives the best performances pf their careers in the vivid picturisation of Albert Richard Wetjen’s well-known sea yarn. .Here is a pic-

ture that stamps', out of drawing rooms, out of cities and pretty parks and shov--1 es right out into the middle of the ocean where men go down to the sea in ships and things we landlubbers only read about actually happen. It packs excitement from start to finish. It. has you hanging on to your seat fqr dear life. When the waves begin to pound ,and the old deck lurches, ypu instinctively lurch with it. It’s all . too real, thrillingly so, and with a dramatic story glorifying the traditions of the sea. And of wives and sweethearts who stay ashore and wait for thejr men. Gilbert cuts a rollicking figure as the hero, a reckless chap who takes his fun where he finds it until" he meets the kind of a girl he doesn’t know anything. about. She linppetis. to he decent.

The romance, or conflict, if you must, motivates the gripping plot which is chtpaxed in a mid-ocean rescue of the crew of a foundering tramp steamer. Leila iHyams, as the leading lady, offers a ; beautiful performance and lends charm against the sordid background we find in the Liverpool dock scenes. A third member of tlie male shipboard fraternity turns out to be none other than Jiin Tully, famous as ■the author of "Jnrnegan” and other papular works. It was Tully who shared headlines with Gilbert after a now /.historic Hollywood cafe row. They made up aml,; apparently to show there ;-is mo hard ;feeling, Tully turned actor play 'lnTffcffe Gilbert picture, and ■.managed to do a yefy good job of it '/at'that. -Polly Moran and Doris Lloyd check in capable performances in wat- ■ erfront characterisations.