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ByAlice Alwortbin the part of Mildred. Louise Glosser Hale and Ivan Simpson are both clever performers, and Bette Davis is a revelation in the part of Grace. Miss Davis, hitherto a box containing numbered stock expressions, has become, under expert direction, a living, learning and good-looking actress.Laurels for the direction go to Mr. John Adolphi. The play, by Jules Eckert Goodman, was based upon thestory by Governeur Morris.* * *“The Hatchet Man”Warner Brothers score again with the new Edward G. Robinson film with a Chinese storv, “The Hatchet Man.”It seems that a “hatchet man” is a dealer of justice among the Chinese. Each “tong” (meaning “clan”) has its “Honorable Hatchet Man,” the titlebeing handed down from father to son. When a tong leader desires to deal out a bit of justice he calls in the hatchet man to perform his duty—-which means that the hatchet man must plant a well-aimed hand-ax in the base of the culprit’s skull.The story opens with a tong leader calling on Wong Get to kill his best friend. Wong must obey, since it is his duty as hatchet man for the tribe. The friend forgives the innocent hand which brings him death, and gives his daughter to the care of the hatchet man. Ten years later the lovely Chinese girl marries the now wealthy merchant, who has long ago buried the hatchet. The happiness of the couple is destroyed when Mrs. Wong Get is seduced by an opium peddler from New York’s Chinatown. He takes her from her home in San Francisco to a living death in China. The ever-faithful Get hears of the plight of his beloved wife, and, with the help of his retrieved hatchet seeks out the evil-doer.Robinson is excellent in this Chinese role. His sincerity makes the part believable and sympathetic. Loretta Young, who underwent a Chinese torture in putting on the make-up for the role, is like a lovely, fragile Chinese doll. Loretta is a talented actress who already has some very fine work to her credit. Dudley Digges made himself magnificently repulsive as the villain—a praiseworthy performance.The picture is now at the WinterGarden Theatre.# * #Don’t miss “Sooky” now playing at the Bronxville Theatre. “Flying High” is also a good picture—-if you like Bert Lahr. “Ladies of the Big House” isentertaining, and is another feature inthe cap of Sylvia Sidney. “Taxi” is a fast-moving show with the pugnacious James Cagney. Westchester can be proud of the Bronxville Theatre, which always shows, in addition to the feature, a good choice of diverting and cultural short subjects.
Newspaper Details
Bronxville Press
Bronxville, New York, US
Fri, Feb 19, 1932
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Rotten T.
USA 08 Sep 2021
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