PUBLIC DEFENDER

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 111, 2 January 1932, Page 7

PUBLIC DEFENDER

RICHARD DIX IN NEW AND SUCCESSFUL ' ROLE. "The Publie Defender." He is a man of deep mystery, a public avenger, sworn to right wrong, no matter what the cost. The innocent have canse to admire him hecanse he is a modern impersonation of Rohin Hood — romantically mysterous — the viief and absconder hate him murderonsly; and the police, jealous of his activities, are after him. This is the novel characterization portrayed by Richard Dix in his new starring vehicle, "The Publie Defender," which opens January 4, at the Grand Theatre. Thongh the role is of a different type from the star's . previous successes, "Cimarron" and "Young Donovan's Kid," Dix is again vigorously cast as a fighting, romantic man of ideals. The film is based on the supposition that there are two kinds of laws, one for the poor man and another for the rich. To equalise this law and to preveat rich swindlers from mulcting the publie, Dix assumes the character of a private enforcer of - the hasic law which declares all men equal under the Constitntion. He is remorseless in his solo eampaign aginst crime. A beautiful romance has been woven through the story in- which Dix rescues a girl from the shame of her father who has been accused of a bank crime which he did not comrnit. Others in the cast of The Public De- : fender" are Shirley Grey, Purnell Pratt, Alan Roscoe, Nella Walker, Ruth Weston, Boris Karloff, Paul Hurst and Edmnnd Breese.