NATIONAL

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 556, 8 January 1929, Page 15

NATIONAL

“LEGION OF THE CONDEMNED” Flying by day or flying by night, but always flying. The men of the Legion of the Condemned laughed at death, even welcomed it. But one of them suddenly foiind a new interest in life and the story reveals his predicament. The great aviation picture, “Legion of the Condemned.” now at the National Theatre, tells of a squadron of young and desperate war fliers, whose past life was such that their only honourable discharge was a death certificate.. Gay Price was a young American newspaper man who disappeared because of an affair with Christine, the. only girl he had ever loved. The Legion soon takes young Price to its heart, as does also the Legion’s rendezvous, “The Lame Rabbit,” with its godmothers. Pi'ice becomes one of the most daring pilots of the group, always fighting with his comrades for the most dangerous exploit of all. the “Mission Speciale.” that of landing spies behind the German lines. Ypung Dash wood receives that assignment when orders come thi'ough; takes his passenger behind the lines, is caught and summarily executed, meeting death with a smile. Follow other exploits by the Legion with one or two dropping—like young Dashwood, their debts to society paid. Another order for a “Mission Speciale” comes through, and Price gets it. He awaits the coming of his passenger, to him known only as Agent 137. At dawn the agent arrives, and ?ls they are preparing to take off, a sudden shift of the propellor reveals—Christine. But duty was paramount and he had to land her in Germany and return alone. “The Legion of the Condemned” was written by John Monk Saunders, the author of “Wings,” and directed by William Wellman, the man who made “Wings.” Fay Wray has the role of Christine and Gary Cooper that of Price. An excellent supporting programme is also being shown at the National, and a fine musical programme presented by an augmented orchestra under the baton of Mr. F. Bartlett.