MAJESTIC THEATRE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 585, 17 July 1933, Page 3

MAJESTIC THEATRE

TO-NIGHT. C'ertainiy the most fascpi^atingly weird drama of strange situations and characters to he seen in Rotorua for a long time is Universal's "The Old Dark House," which opens to-night at ; the Majestic Theatre. Based on the strange, story by the eelehrated English author, J. B. Priestley, this unusual picture tells the story of storm driven travellers j who seek the night's" lodging in a blealc, forhidding old house in the lonely Welsh mountains, only to discover its inhahitants are dangerously insane and under the spell of a malignanl; giant servant. As ' the story increases, so does the evil hrhte's ferocitly, and a series of terrifying events occur which give this picture i an ahsoiutely unequalled dramatie ' punch — especially when a murder mad maniae is loosed. Boris Karloff, in the role of the hulking giant, is easily twice as terrifying. as in "Frankenstein," and his sensational makeup is something to see. Melvyn Douglas and Lilian Bond are delightfully romantic through it all, and the greatest group of character actors ever assemhled for one picture make the strange figures live on the screen. Charles Laughton, Ernest Thesiger, Eva Moore, | Raymond Massey, Brember Wills — j British stage's most illustrious names, j and Gloria Stuart, charming screen dehutante, give masterly performan- j ces in parts which give . ful'l play to i their exceptional talents. i The picture reveals the finesse of j a great director like James Whale j who is at his best with the uncanny ! Priestley story. Photographically, I Arthur Edeson excels his great work j in "Frankenstein." j "The Old Dark House" is a. signi- ' ficant picture — and more than that it is gripping, absorbing, thrilling en- I tertainment. See it.