The Crimson Moviegoer

The great Garbos' annual offering combines all the necessary ingredients of great romance in the accepted nineteenth century fashion, even to the heroine passing away in here lover's arms, and, with excellent direction and casting, meets every conceiveable test of modern preferences. Greta reaches the heights as the charming consumptive, Marguerite Gautler. Her seductive shoulders are bared frequently with the desired effect, and the delicately ethereal effect of her appearance in the last scene is nothing short of great acting. Opposite her is Robert Taylor as handsome Armand Duval is convincing in the most tortuous windings of their love affair. Only occasionally did he seem a trifle stolid and remind us of his Pomona College years.

There is nothing obscure about the theme, which is the masterly study by Dumas fils of a young girl who leaves the country for Paris, comes to love luxury and beautiful surroundings, and resorts willingly to free love as a means of achieving them. After the manner of Manon Lescaut, she sees no object in marriage even after Armand captures her heart and they spend an idyllic summer in the country at the expense of his chances to obtain a diplomatic position.

The story is fortunately not doctored by Hollywood artistry, so that the tragedy stands as it was written, without attempt at high-speed action or crusading for social reform. Delicate handling of the whole gives an outstanding example of that art for which the romanticists strove.

Lionel Barrymore as the remonstrating father of Duval is excellent, and as coldly logical as usual. The minors are carefully chosen, and reproduce the France of Louis Philippe in a lively manner. Notable scenes are Marguerite's first wild party and the animated bee-hiving expedition.

A short, "There's No Place Like Rome" lived up to its title and had us almost expelled by the management, high points being young hopeful Flavius calling for a vanilla popsicle, Roman gladiators rowing back from conquering Gaul in approved crew fashion, and man-eating lions charmed to rest by a jazz band wearing armor.