REGENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1063, 29 August 1930, Page 15

REGENT

“THIS MAD WORLD” Metro - Gold wyn-Mayer’s all-talking ! production, "This Mad World,” fea- j turing Basil Rathbone and Kay Johnson, will open at the Regent Theatre this evening. The picture, adapted bv Clara Beranger from Francois de Curel’s play. "Terre Inhumaine, is a gripping love drama arising out of the World War. It is reported the production is unique in the respect that it resembles j a stage play .more closely than any j drama yet adapted for screen purposes. Characteristics of the work which lend itself to this situation are its small cast consisting of only five persons and its unusual time element which limits the action of the play to the hours between four o’clock one afternoon and 10 o'clock of the following morning. In lino with the experiment of keeping the picture in play form, William do Millo was selected to direct the production, Mr. de Mllle having an established reputation not only as a motion picture director but as a playwright. Among his dramatic successes were “The Warrens of Virginia,” "Strongheart.” “The Land of the Free” and “Classmates.” He recently directed the all-talking adaptation of the Broadway stage success, “White Collars,” renamed “The Idle Rich.” The new de Mille production deals with a phase of the World War rather \ than with actual military operations, the drama being based on an emotional crisis brought about as the result of a meeting between a French spy and the wife of a German general who is billeted in the home of the spy’s mother on German occupied territory. Four outstanding talkie items complete the programme. They are a brilliant British comedy, “Ilis First I Car,” a review of dancing entitled j “Modern Rhythm,” jazz items by “The I Capitolians,” and an Aesop fable car- ! toon, . “The Night Club.”