Evening star., 1932-02-06
"Mata Hari"
Garbo at Her Best.

IN reviewing a Garbo picture all
l. rime and reason fly out Of the
window. "Mata Hari," at LoeWs
Columbia. in which the Svelt emo
tings of this enigmatic lady are cur
rentlv displayed, is no exception to
the rule. Say what you will about
the plot the words, the action, the
general hang" Of the whole, it Is a
stimulating film, and more edlfy-
ing spectacle of what single actress
of phenomenal ability can do TO
make an average picture climb into
the ranks of the supergood
But for a dance. which dance Is
said not to have been executed by
the star herself, Miss CARLOS per-
formance in this corresponds to the
excellencieS of her past perform
ances. She is, in fact a shade bet
ter than she ever has been before.
This means that she is definitely in
the out-of-reach class. AS suave,
handsome, human lady-Spy, whose
faculty for falling in love finally
lands her at the feet Of young Of
ficer she is a luStrouS and not too
languid figure. who. when finally
doomed to death by musket fire,
seems more vitally radiant than
time and the screen and the
camera have ever allowed her to be
before. The sight of Miss Carlo
being torn from her blind lover, and
marching away to an early-SunrlSe
execution is one of those things
that bring to mind the old adage
See 'em and weep"
The chief complaint to be found Is
that the narrative is a somewhat
confused and hackneyed tale Of the
lady whose actual life is said to have
been far more exciting than the
screen depicts. From good many
points of view, Mata Harl was the
outstanding feminine personality OF
the late War-aS a firSt-claSS spy.
Her career has become more and
more instead of less and less, ro-
manticized, until now fiction has
lodged her way ahead of great
many armies.
You don't, OF course, feel this in
the picture. She is merely hand
some woman who is finally overcome
by the emotion of love" which
sounds the death knell in her par
ticular business.
Miss Garbo. as hinted above, is
utterly devastating. opposite Carlo
appears Ramon Novarro in a role
which he handles with great re-
straint and with his customary
f1nesse. Others who swell the ranks
of a particularly satisfying cast are
Lionel Barrymore and Lewis Stone.
E. de S. MELCHER.
michael and Mary"
On the Screen at the Rialto.
T IKE a delicate surgical operation
IL in which a thin tissue separates
success from complete failure is the
crisis in Michael and Mary" the
film now offered at the Rialto.
Based upon A. A. Mines intensely
dramatic play of the stage, Its
transfer to the screen has been &C
complished without sacrificing much
of its emotional value.
TheatergoerS who saw the original
have vivid recollections of the scene
in which Scotland Yard, by fall
ure to discover the facts that would
be damaging to happily married
couple, saved the pair from the
penalty for bigamy and responsible
lity for a death which might have
been classed as murder. 1t Is the
high point both in play and motion
picture. Through the outcome, do
mestic serenity is restored, and the
marriage of the son Is accompanied
by happy circumstances.
There is only a touch Of the Boer
War in this English story, but
enough to offer some picturesque
incidents, while the lapse of many
years between the opening scenes
and the conclusion is sure to be
considered favorable to the cinema
version The intervening time is
sufficient to enable the child of the
couple to grow to marriagable
maturity.
Starring Herbert Marahall and
Edna Best, the offering gives as
surance of trained acting. The
Milne skill, with quaint bits of out
spoken human nature, Is shown to
best possible advantage in the in
cident at the British Museum. where
the rising young author undertakes
to minister to the agony Of q
stranger who has been deserted by
an irresponsible husband and left in
poverty in war time. Mr.. Marshall,
effective both in moments of action
and in quieter scenes, should be
welcomed in Michael and Mary
as one who has the capacity to play
consistently in role which repre-
sents distinctive personality. Miss
Best presents the unusual combina-
ion of almost statuesque dignity and
strength in moments Of stress.
The story concerns the husband