STRAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 848, 17 December 1929, Page 17

STRAND

“THE RED DANCE” "The Red Dance,” which is the feature attraction on the screen of the Strand Theatre, is a picture that thrilled and held at concert pitch the interest of every capacity audience which witnessed it. Dolores Del Rio, Charles Farrell and Ivan Linow, a giant Russian, are cast in the principal roles and give splendid performances. The story of this latest Fox feature deals with the Russia of the revolution and shows the turbulent scenes of the times in a logical story. Dolores Del Rio as the peasant girl Tasia, who becomes a leader of the revolutionists and the famous ‘‘Red Dancer” of Moscow, is seen probably in the most colourful role of her career. Charles Farrell, as Grand Duke Bugen, again scores as he did ,in ‘‘7th Heaven and “Street Angel.” Ivan Linow, a burly six-foot four bulk of a man, plays his part of the peasant who becomes a general with humour as well as a certain ferocity. He it is who fully appreciates the topsy-turvy state of affairs of the times, when he says that it is strange that he should be a general. Tasia a dancer in the Moscow theatre, and the village barber a Minister of Education —that is when he can read the appointment. Some of the sequences, those showing Del Rio performing her Red Dance, are made in technicolour. There are plenty of thrills, a fine romance and scenes of unusual historical interest in this production. The Tsar and his family, Rasputin, the black monk, Trotsky, and other famous characters of the revolution play their parts and help round a nearly perfect entertainment. The direction of Raoul Walsh is splendid and the maker of “What Price Glory” proves that he is still the master of them all. The talkie items on the supporting programme include “The Knife,” the all-talking version of the famous English play by Henry Arthur Jones, also a Fox Movietone Mews.