SHRAND

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 865, 8 January 1930, Page 14

SHRAND

“THE GREENE MURDER CASE” ‘The Greene Murder Case” was a great murder mystery story, but as a moving picture (it is appearing now in film form at th/e Strand Theatre), it is even more gripping, more exciting. The reason for this can be ascribed to the intelligent character portrayals furnished by the actors and the excellent direction of Frank Tuttle. The plot has to do with the strange killings which occur in the Greene family’s liouseinold. An elder son, his younger brother and then their mother succumb to thee fiendish hand of an unknown murderer. William Powell, as Philo Vance, is called in on tlbe case by his friend of a, former murrder mystery film (“The Canary Murder Case”), E. H. Calver, the district attorney. Working on the case with Powell is Eugene Pallette, the practical-minded and blundering comedy detective who was also one of the figures in “The Canary Murder Case.” After a series of uncanny and thrilling events, Powell solves the deep mystery with tihe suavity and super-intelli-gence that S. S. Van Dine wrote into this character in his novels. Powell’s performance is flawless. If you like your thrills dished up with machine-gun rapidity, if you like entertainment that keeps your pulses tingling, don’t pass by “The Greene Murder Case.” It is one of the season’s best. The Strand programme includes a number of splendidly-varied and entertaining short talkie featurettes. “THE WONDERFUL LIE” AT LYRIC Brigitte Helm, who appears in the Ufa super production, “The Wonderful Lie,” which is now screening at the Lyric Theatre, will go to prove that the day of good silent picture plays has not yet passed. “The Wonderful Lie” is certainly a fine and typical Erich Pommer production. The passion theme is wonderfully presented, both by Brigitte Helm and by the two male stars, Warwick Ward and Franz Lederer. The screen play is an excellent example of the silent technique, and one which encourages the hope that the older form of screen art will still survive. “The Canyon of Adventure,” the (Second feature, is an exciting Western istory starring Ken Maynard. LAURA LA PLANTE IN FRANCE Universal City exuded French atmosphere during the filming of “Hold Tour Man,” Laura La Plante’s highly amusing dialogue farce-comedy. Much of the action of this hilarious picture is laid in Paris, and French types were heavily in demand. A feature of the production was the construction of a perfect replica of a Paris railway station, exact to the smallest detail.

All this work was performed merely to allow the taking of a single scene in the picture. Of especial interest were the Parisian street scenes designed to give the proper background to the French action of the story. “Hold Your Man” is one of the most amusing of Miss La Plante’s long series of successes as a comedienne. It deals with the matrimonial mishaps of a young American couple which result when the wife conceives a desire to study art abroad. The action is laid in New York and Paris. Eugene Borden and Mildren van Dorn have important parts in the production, which is based on a story by Maxine Alton. The film was directed by Emmett Flynn. It is the first role since his outstanding triumph with Ruth Chatterton in “Madame X.” Peggy Wood, famous stage star, and Leila Hyams appear opposite Stone in this picture, the story of which is tense in its human interest plot, and depicts the life and loves of a temperamental German composer. Early release is set for “Speedway,” a spectacular drama of the auto race : track, filmed at the famous Indianapolis races, in which William Haines, whimsical comedian of the screen, turns to thrills, heart throbs and romance. Anita Page is the heroine, and wears some very fetching outfits in. the scenes where she is shown flying an open model airplane.