Colour and Romance in “The Garden of Allah”

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 34, 10 February 1937, Page 11 (Supplement)

Colour and Romance in “The Garden of Allah”

MARLENE DIETRICH AND CHARLE BOYER ROMANTIC TEAM (Regent: Screening Saturday.) A glorious feast of colour and romance is David O, Selznick’s technicolour production of the immortal Robert Hichens’ love story of the desert, “The Garden of Allah, ’ ’ with Marlene Dietrich and Charles Boyer in the stellar roles. Words cannot describe the beauty for effectiveness of this second independent production of tho young producer who last season so auspiciously inaugurated Selznick International Pictures with thc charming “Little Lord Pauntleroy.” Inspired is a much-abused word, but is aptly applied to Mr Sclznick's choice first of a story that would lend itself perfectly to the magic of tcchnicoloi'r and second to a brace of stars who could bring that story to a living, throbbing life on me screen. You cannot possibly have the remotest idea of how truly beautiful Marlene Dietrich really is until you see the glory of her golden hair und blue eyes and perfect complexion revealed u, colour and it also enhances the swarthy good looks of Boyer. Marlene is perfectly cast as the lovely Domini Enlilden who goes to Bem-Mora, the parish of the kindly Father Roubicr in , the Algerian desert to find a new life and falls madly in love with the strange, brodiug, mysterious Boris Androvsky, who, unknown to her, is actually a Trappiat monk who has Hud from the monastery after taking the eternal vows; aud Boyer gives a brilliant and deeply understanding portrayal of the terrible conflict in the soul of a man who is torn between his love for a woman and his duty to God. Tho glorious but ill-starred romance that flowers uuder tlio magic spell of the desert between this man and woman from widely separated worlds provides ono of tho most thrilling love stories that has ever come to the screen. The soft colours of tho genuine desert background adapt themselves perfectly to colour aud offer a striking eon trast to the vivid scenes in tho Algerian bazaar and the cafe of tho Ouled Mail dancing girls. Basil Rathbone plays tho Italian nobleman, Count Anteoni; C. Aubrey Smith is seen as Father Roubier; Tilly Losch, internationally famous dancer, makes her film debut as Irena, tho fiery Arabian dancing girl; Joseph Scuudkraut plays Batouch; and all are superb.