NEW REGENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 337, 24 April 1928, Page 17

NEW REGENT

LAST DAYS OF “CHANG”

With little or no acting, the people who play in Paramount’s wonder picture, “Chang,” have produced a picture which for thrills, romance, realism, has the studio-made special beaten by miles. The dense jungles of Siam provide the stage; the trees and twining creepers; the leopards and tigers and elephants, the changing scenes. This great picture, hailed universally as the greatest yet, will be shown for the last two days. The second feature on the programme stars Pola Negri in “The Woman on Trial,” and deals with the theme of whether a pretty woman can get away with murder. The story is a poignant, dramatic battle of hearts in the famous Parisian Latin quarter, with a woman’s tremendous sacrifice for the man she loves, and an even greater sacrifice for her child, the offspring of a loveless marriage, as its theme. The scenes shift from the romantic poverty of an artist’s studio to the mansion of a wealthy man. There is a court scene of crushing grief when the heroine bares her soul after being accused of a murder committed to avenge the theft of all she holds most precious. A marvellous, heart-stirring story of mother love, with Pola Negri at her best! Miss Negri is in love with a young artist who paints her portrait. Poverty and illness bring him to the edge of the grave. But her loyalty does not falter. She takes a means, at tremendous sacrifice to herself, of obtaining money to care for him, namely, by marrying a wealthy man whom she does not love, and whose jealously nearly wrecks her life. When she shoots the man who is responsible for the loss of her one interest in life — her child— she is brought before a Paris Judge and jury and freed. “The Woman on Trial” is taken from “Confession,” a stage play by Ernest Vajda, Hungarian playwright. The role of the poor artist is portrayed by Einar Hanson. Another important part is taken by Arnold Kent. The usual excellent musical programme is given by the Regent Orchestra under the baton of Maurice Guttridge. Leslie V. Harvey provides new numbers on the Wurlitzer.