SALMONY JANE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 513, 22 April 1933, Page 7

SALMONY JANE

UNKNOWN TALENTS SHOWN BY CHARLES FA'RRELL AND JOAN BENNETT. FAMOUS STORY PICTURISED Film versions of famous stories have sometimes proved disa.p'pointing in the past, what with' various changes in the plot and the characterisations to meet screen requirements. Wheh, however, a notable story is found that needs no alterations, and it is given pretty nearly flawless casting, direction and set'ting, the result is a real event in film circles. Such is "Salomy Jane," Fox Films' new picture, which opens at the Majestic Theatre on Monday. Closely following the late Paul Armstrong's dramatisation of Bret Harte's famous Salomy Jane's Kiss," filmed in the majestie big-tree settings of'Sequoia National Park in California, and with brilliant portrayals by Charles Farrell, Joan Bennett and the other players, this production ranks with the finest offerings since th'e coming of talking pictures. The work of the principals will prove a revelation even to their most devoted followers. Farrell as the mysterious ex-Confederate soldier bent in grim revenge; Miss Bennett as the tomboyish child of nature; Ralph Bellamy as the suave and sympathetic gambler; Eugene Pallette as the hoastful stage-driver, and Irving Pichel as the sch'eming rancher, all give memorable performances, astonishingly real and colourful. The supporting players are equally well chosen. The backgrounds are a sheer delight And Raoul Walsh', who has directed some of the most notable productions in screen annals, here outdoes any of his former efforts. The story deals witK the days of California's gold-mining era, and actually is laid within a f ew "miles of the Park. Farrell, pursuing the man wh'o betrayed his sister during the Civil War, has trailed him to the little mountain settlement near which Miss Bennett lives with her widowed fath'er. The belle of the' community, she has little interest in her suitors, but suddenly changes her mind about men on Farrell's arrival. In attaining his revenge, however, he becomes embroiled with the Vigilantes and Miss Bennett's efforts to secure his freedonl give rise to the gripping drama of the climax. Faithful to its period and its locale, "Salomy Jane" can be recommended without reservation as one of the outstanding pictures of the year. You're sure to enjoy it.