A Gangster Who Mixes Music With Murder

Radio Record, 8 July 1938, Page 26

A Gangster Who Mixes Music With Murder

["Dangerous to Know." Paramount. Directed by Robert Flory. Starring Akim Tamiroff, Anna May Wong, Lloyd Nolan. First release: Wellington, July 8.]

SUPPOSE it is part of the price we must,pay for having a . Morality Code in Hollywood gangster films these days are seldom. as enjoyably violent as they used to be... When a bumping-off has to be done, it quite often happens offstage, and we only hear about it after-

ward, instead of being metaphorically splashed with the blood. Psychology has been substituted for sawn-off shotguns; and all your best . racketeers nowadays are quaint, mentally- unbalanced creatures who would delight the ‘heart of Frend. Take, for-example. Akim Tamiroff. 0 "Dangerous t, Know," which is the rather heavily disguised’ film versiou of Edgar Wallace’s "On. the’. Spot." Tamiroff plays, the role of Steve Reck. political Big’ Shot ‘and cold- -blooded murderer. But Recky has q Sonl, anid a very, wide appreciation of, enlture. His ‘house is filled with busts and pie

tures "of Napoleon, and with a slightly different upbringing he could probably have been. a great general himself, for he has all the required ruthlessness and flair for organising. After any par ticularly dirty work, however, Mz. Recka . relieves his. tortured . soul by playing ‘the organ-preferably Bach or Handel, but his culture is wide enough to #dmit swing music on Occasions. © Too -Polite PERSONALLY, | I prefer my screen gangsters to be slightly less complex, with fingers more at home on the trigger than the organ stops. . Yet, although’ a simpler and not-s0-polite treatment of "Dangerous to Know" would have improved it immensely, one has to acknowledge with gratitude that Tamiroff gives a remarkably. vivid and well-controlled performance as -the underworld king, who discovers to hig cost’ ‘that’ "dames is. dynamite." Not content with gaining control of his ‘city’s finances, he seeks ‘recognition from its social set. To he asked to tea by the best people will.be his. final triumph. (A study of Mr... Recka’s pre-natal history would probably . reveal that hig mother was..charwoman to.one of the Van der Hoosita of Teng z Tsland).. Woeful Wong O Mr. Recka seeks marriage with the poor but aristocratic Miss. Margaret Van Kase (Gail: Patrick), and does not let the fact that she is in love with someone else stand in his-wa¥. But when a screen gangster’ "starts mixing social ambitions with business, there can he only. one end for him. Mr. Recka’s end is brought about.in ironic fashion by his Chinese "hostess" (cous -tesy title only). That Mr. Recka’s establishment should eontain such an exotie figure, is just another instance of his quaintness. It is also the excuse for:-Anna -May- Wong to display Oriental fatalism, mixed with quite Occidental jealousy. She does so at ‘great length through a series of immense tear-dewed close-ups. . With less psychology and more xe-tion-especially in the finale-"D:a-gerous to Know" would have been a better picture. But-it still hus its good points, including (in addition to. Akim Tamiroff), Lloyd Nolan as q detective. The Heads Arrive HERE has been an influx of .prominent movie men into New Zealand from Australia in the past week. ‘They include Messrs. ©, Von Hake (Fox). Bernie Freeman (M.-(.-M.), Tlarry Winnter (Paramount), Here. Mcintyre (Universal), and: rordon (His (B.E.F.). oe This "invasion" has some’ connection with the internal trouble in the. film industry, caused by the Government's Theatre Licensing Regulations, which was dealt with in a special articte,in the "Record" last week. The heads of the industry in this part of the world are yery interested in the present situation, as if is felt that whatever jis done in New Zealand. kegarding theatre licensing, etc., may be made a basis for similar legislation | in Australia,’