PLAZA

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1034, 26 July 1930, Page 14

PLAZA

“THE ARIZONA KID” A price on his head . . . but reckless enough to ride into town and win the hearts of that sparkling senorita. Lorita the dancer—and Virginia, loveliest blonde of the nortli. He was the Arizona Kid, the swiftest Caballero with a six-shooter—or a woman’s heart in the great wide canyon country. And he’s none, other than ‘Warner Baxter, hailed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as the best actor for his “In Old Arizona.” And his “The Arizona Kid,” which is now at the Plaza Theatre, is his most important role, despite past .glory. Mona Maris and Carol Lombard are two of the ladies he loves in this Fox Movietone Alfred Santell production. Bright talkie supports are also being shown. TIVOLI, KARANGAHAPE ROAD “CONDEMNED” Additional proof that Ronald Colman is one of the finest actors on the screen in this era of talking pictures will be seen at the Tivoli Theatre today in “Condemned,” his latest starring picture for Samuel Goldwyn. His performance of the handsome, gallant convict of this picture of life in prison accented just that combination of romantic appeal, understanding humour and genuine tragic appeal which have long been features of his acting. The other members of the cast performed brilliantly as well. The producers seem to have ransacked the slums of California for criminal types in the mass scenes of the French convicts, and Ann Harding as the appealing heroine made good use of both her extraordinary blond beauty and acting talent, in a striking contrast with the sordid surroundings of the picture. "Condemned” would be an event in pictures even without the services of such a cast, since its locale and direction earn it an extraordinary high place. Laid on Devil’s Island, the notorious French penal colony on the coast of South America, it gave remarkable. and well-exploited opportunities to director and scena»rist to exploit the picturesque possibilities of “The Island of Living Death.” The sound effects achieved in the storm scene sequence and the remarkable flexibility of the dialogue and sound effects in general make it a new departure on the talking screen. Its story is that of love growing between the mistreated wife of the war den of Devil’s Island and one of the convicts who serves in th warden's house as the wife’s helper. The mad rage of the warden at hearing gossip about his servant, and his wife throws them into each other’s arms before either of them had dared speak feelingly to the other. The working out of this situation is too subtle and too satisfying to be described here—it is an absolute novelty and a complete varlai tion on the conventional happy ending. A long and most interesting supporting programme will also be shown.