The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-05-08
Legion Film
Packed
Fast Drama
Story of Action, Heroic Love
Best Since Bengal
Lancer

SANDS OF Lne ARABIAN desert have
been ably sprinkled beneath the feet
OF Ronald Coleman, Claudette Col
bert, Victor McLaglen and Rosalind
Russell by Director Frank Lloyd,
and the result is the best screen
entertainment Of its kind since
Lives Of Bengal Lancer"
The picture, Under Two Flags, "
opening at the Apollo today, COM
bines excellently the best portions
of the Ouida novel with the splen-
did acting of the above quartet, and
for almost two hours hela this
reviewer in state of boyisn excite
ment.
1t is the story Of young Brit
ish officer who enlists in the French
Foreign Legion under the name of
Victor TO escape arrest for crime
which his younger brother commit
ted and for which he had shoul-
dered the blame. In Africa his
brilliant military knowledge and
able command of his troops under
difficult conditions wins him a pro-
motion from the company major,
Doyle.
Chooses English Lady
AT cafe, run by girl camp fol-
lower. Cigarette. Victor repulses her
advances. Later he meets her in the
market place. challenges her to a
horse race with kiss as the prize,
wins. Of they race into the desert.
And meath the romantic desert
skies, she learns to love him.
When Victor returns he accident
ally meets Lady Venetia, English girl
who had accompanied the English
High Commissioner to his post, and
falls in love with her. He dares
jail to court her and captures her
heart, Then comes news of the
gathering of Sidi-Ben Yousiffs
forces in the desert and Doyle, made
a colonel, is given the task of fight
ing the Arabs. He tells Cigarette
the glad news, receives a cold re-
ception, forces from her admission
of her love for Victor.
In the battle with the Arabs,
Doyle sends Victor three times
against the enemy with a deliberate
attempt to have him killed. But
Victor always comes back. At last
he is trapped with a few comrades
in an old fort. Doyle then relents,
takes his entire force to the res
cue. The result is that the whole
army is surrounded by the willy
African tribes. Facing extermina-
ton, Doyle and Victor make up.
Gives Life for Rival
But Cigarette rides at the head of
a rescue party from the base camp
and, although she pays with her lite,
saves the man she loves. In his
arms she dies after telling him;
Tell your English lady that l
saved you for her."
Back in the city, all of Victors
past is cleared up with no blemishes
left on his record and Cigarette is
buried with high military honors.
The one drawback to Under Two
Flags" is that it is too long. The
speed 1t picks up during exciting
episodes carries 1t right past the
place where it should have stopped.
The ending seems to be a rather
childish attempt to explain all"
Direction Is AdrOit
Director Lloyd has handled cum
bersome subject artistically. The
battle scenes are among the best
the screen has produced. Natural
settings and technical excellence is
only surpassed by the super normal
cast.
Mr.. Colman is his usual breath
taking self as Victor. He has the
opportunity to get his face dirty
fighting the Arabs and to display
his flawless romantic technique with
two lovely ladies.
Miss Colbert'S performance is just
another role at which to mar
vel, The reserve of this young
actress is remarkable. The way
she takes the part of Cigarette, in
which she does not win out in the
end and makes of it a dramatic
masterpiece is ingenious.
For All the Family
Mr.. McLaglen busters and roars
entertainingly as Doyle. and Miss
Russell continues her upward climb
in the sympathetic role of Lady
Venetia. Deity has Director Lloyd
balanced this part with that of Ci-
garette so that audiences won't feel
that the wrong" girl was killed.
Among the smaller roles, that of
Ivan. played by Gregory Ratoff,
stands out as a gem of comedy. Nigel
Bruce also appears in an excellent
comedy part. J. Onslow Stevens
plays the Arab chieftain with verve.
Here is film fare which is health
full food for the whole family. And
there won't be a dull moment for
the most blase. It's four-star pic
ture in more ways than one. (By
@. w. To