STRAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 717, 17 July 1929, Page 15

STRAND

“FOUR DEVILS” ON FRIDAY j This evening and tomorrow evening will see the final screenings at the Strand Theatre of the fine all-talking production, “The Doctor’s Secret,” in which the leading roles are taken by Ruth Chatterton and IT. B. Warner, both of whom have established reputations as stage players. Another movietone entertainment of talking, singing and sound pictures will be presented at the Strand on Friday. The principal attraction is the spectacular 10-reel production, “Four Devils,” which has been acclaimed one of the year’s most outstanding films. Nothing approaching it in sheer thrill, drama, romance and pathos has been seen in Auckland for many months. The theme is of tinsel and tears — saAvdust and sorroAA' —the chalked face of a professional cloaaui who masks his love for and his devotion to four orphaned children to whom he is mother, father and instructor. His life work is croAvned Avith success, but his happiness at the result obtained is but fleeting. Overnight his air castles, which had assumed definite shape, tumble. The devastation is wrought by the “lady,” who, through love and passion, tears down what he had built so well. A famous reviewer on seeing ‘Four Devils” wrote: —“When you think of ‘Four Devils,’ don’t think of a motion picture—think of ‘the greatest show on earth,’ and you Avill positively be closer to the truth.” Murnau has taken a circus story and made the screen version actually more thrilling and more entertaining than the real thing. Janet Gaynor, Nancy Drexel, Barry Norton, Charles Morton, Farrell McDonald and Mary Duncan head the excellent cast of players. The short section of the Four Devis” programme is of surpassingly high standard. The first attraction is the Fox Movietone News. Outstanding features are a speech by King Alfonso of Spain, Gertrude Lawrence (star of “I Don’t Know,” shown a short time ago) in “Early Morning,” and “The Bath Between,” an hilarious all-talking comedy with Clark and McCullough.