NEW REGENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 976, 20 May 1930, Page 15

NEW REGENT

“THE TRIAL OF MARY DUGAN” Lewis Stone’s speaking voice is heard on the screen for the first time in “The Trial of Mary Dugan/* Bayard Veiller’s all-talking version of his successful stage play, the outstanding Broadway melodrama of last year, which is now at the Regent Theatre, as a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer attraction. This picture was filmed on the big Culver City sound stages, with Veiller, who also wrote “Within the Law,” ‘The Thirteenth Chair,” and other great dramatic successes, directing a stellar cast headed by Norma Shearer, H. B. Warner, Lewis Stone and Raymond Haekett. Hackett succeeded the late Rex Cherryman in the part of Mary's brother during the closing weeks of the play’s sensational run in New York City, and has the same role in the picture. Miss Shearer appears in the title role. Stone takes the part of the defence attorney, one of the most dramatic roles of his entire career, and H. B. Warner is seen as the prosecuting attorney. The supporting cast includes Lilyan Tashman, Olive Tell, Adrienne D’Anibricourt, Mary Doran, Myra Hampton, Dewitt Jennings, Wilfred North, Landers Stevens, Mary Dome, Wescott Clark, Charles Moore and Claud Allister. Several splendid talkie shorts are also shown, and songs sung by Titto Ruffo, the famous baritone.

WEST END, PONSONBY ROAD

“Woman to Woman,” a particularly fine dramatic film production, is now at the West End Theatre, Ponsonbv Road. It is a tale of a soldier who married a French girl in 1916, but was subsequently shell-shocked, lost his memory, and married again. Betty Compson and George Barraud are the stars. Bright supports are also shown.

CRYSTAL PALACE, MOUNT EDEN

“Their Own Desire.” the talkie now at the Crystal Palace Theatre, has a splendid cast, with such prominent film players as Lewis Stone. Belle | Bennett, Robert Montgomery and Hel- : ene Millard, while Cecile Cunningham, Henry Herbert, Mary Doran and June Nash fill the minor roles. “Their Own Desire” has as its mo- | tivation a modern daughter's discov- ! ery that her father has tired of her i old-fashioned mother and is enami oured of another woman. Seeking j peace from domestic strife, she takes i her mother away, only to meet and ! tall in love with the son of the “other J woman " j People who were fortunate enough | to see “Their Own Desire” are unani--1 mous in their opinion that it is a j worthy successor to Miss Shearer’s ; two most recent hits. “The Last of Mrs. Cheyney” and “The Trial of Mary Dugan.”

Wallace Beery, playing the convict leader in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “The Big House.” showed up at the studios with a bad cold in one eye. “I can’t work —my eye’s all swelled up!” he informed George Hill. the director. “That’s all right.” said Hill. “It’s fine —makes you look tougher, and they’ll think its make-up when they see it!” No day off for Wally!;