MAJESTIC THEATRE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 431, 16 January 1933, Page 7

MAJESTIC THEATRE

TO-NIGHT "The mail goes through!" Like a prophecy of the time when Rotorua may be an important section of some great Australian-New Zealand air service, these words were repeatedly used in the dialogue of the thrilling Universal Films production "Air Mail," which opens at the Majestic Theatre to-night. Colour to such an illustration is lent by the fact that "Air Mail" was brought over from S'ydney by Mr. Jack Percival, a passenger on the Southern Cross on Wednesday. The courage, skill and intrepid flying it talces to make this motto of the air mail fleet good provides the thrilling theme of the great aviation classic, "Air Mail" There have been aviation pictures hefore, but none that have presented the story of the unsung heroes of the government mail as "Air Mail" does. One of the most essentially dramatic phases of fiying, the air man provides a substantial, gripping and romantic theme around which has been woven a very human story of devotion to duty and sacrifice with characters that live on the screen. Action, thrills, sustained suspense, believable romance and story interest combine to make "Air Mail" a departure from the ordinary run of movie fare. Photographically the production is excellent, and the. story is a really good one. It concerns a group of mail pilots stationed in an isolated desert airport, whose job is to relay the mail through treacherous mountain passes to the coast Beyond. With a storm raging, those, who attempt the passage go to a certain death, leaving only the airport chief and his ace flyer, a "cocky," unruly soldier of fortune, to put through the mail. Here personal conflict enters, and the, rebellion of the acting pilot provides one of the most dramatically intense moments of any recent screen play. Ralph Bellamy as the virile airport chief is perfectly cast and carries off his role with the most finished performance of his career. Pat O'Brien I was never more arrogantly self-con- ! fident as the dare-devil "Duke." Slim j Summerville lends his able comedy , touch and Gloria Stuart and Lilian Bond provide two interesting and eni tirely opposite types of feminine 1 charm. i j