LUISE RAINER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 October 1939, Page 4

LUISE RAINER

CRITICISED IN LONDON. The recent appearance of the famous Viennese actress, Luise Rainer, on the London stage in Jacques Deval’s comedy, “Behold the Bride,” earned her at least one stern critical reproof. Mr Ivor Brown, writing in the London Observer, comments: — Miss Rainer is, by general consent, a great and discriminating artist of the films, capable of poignant and delicate work, lii this feeble “star-vehicle” play, in which she makes her first appearance on the English-speaking stage, she immediately proves that she knows her business, can rattle off the >. 'total gamut and gaminerie of the Viennese school of comedy, and has abundance of magnetism, vitality, and athletic grace. That a great artist should choose to appear in a trumpery play is nothi ing novel; but that, having so chosen she should choose to over-act preposterously and turn a performance into an exhibition of fidgets and tricks is difficult to understand. If somebody has told Miss Rainer that the British play-public arc even more fat-headed than the British film public, she has been deceived. A theatre audience has a right to resent being treated as it was on Tuesday night, and I suggest that Miss Rainer now starts to use her enormous

gifts of charm and talent instead of misusing them, and that she begins to act a part in a play as befits an actress, instead of hurling herself about like a human projectile. After the bedroom scene in act 11, in which Miss Rainer and Mr Griffith Jones were “ever such romps,” it was apparent that Messrs Nervo and Knox (English music-hall comedians) must iook to their acrobatic laurels and by the end of the evening there seemed to be nothing left for Miss Rainer to do but play the finale balancing on a tight wire or juggling with 12 billiard balls, a top hat and a cigar. (She could probably do both feats enchantingly). What is so vexatious is the assumption that the theatre public want to see great capacity so employed. It was hard on the rest of the company, who were really trying to pct while Miss Rainer was indulging her high spirits and often playing straight at the audience] instead of co-operating with a team. It| is furthermore an excellent company. I