Salt Lake Telegram | 1934-06-14 | Page 8 | 'Witching Hour,' Famed Drama, Lives Again on Victory Screen

WI Witching H Hour F Famed Drama Lives Again on OIl Victory Screen By FLICKER FAN Hypnotism and heartaches a fantastic fantastic fan- fan murder and a 1 weird courtroom scene cene in which an almost forgotten love sends a retired jurist back to his last triumph feature the screen version of Au Augustus ustus Thomas Thomas' famous play lay The Witching Hour which opened at the Victory theater on Wednesday Theatergoers of ot the early whose reception of the original production pro pro- kept it on Broadway two years ears will accent accept the screen version as enthusiastically From the opening scene in the southern mansion right down to the dramatic courtroom climax there was not a dull moment The stor story woven about an aristocratic gamblers gambler's peculiar peculiar pe pet pe- pe culiar capacity of reading other peoples people's peo peo- pIes ples thoughts and communicating his own brings brings' in a youthful love of an aged jurist long since retired who accepts one more case casc to save the grandson of the girl he loved Ja Jack k Brookfield the gambler played by John Halliday unwittingly unwitting unwitting- ly hypnotizes his to son into murdering a cheap politician whom Halliday detests The boy Clay Th Thorn rn played by Tom Brown Drown is saved from further tragedy by Sir GU Guy Standing as Judge Prentice the aged jurist A cats cat's e eye e ring treasured luck luck- piece of Halliday's is instrumental in hypnotizing Brown to kill the politician The boy declares his ignorance ignorance igno igno- rance of anything that tha t happened Hallida Halliday aware of his own part put in inthe inthe inthe the murder desperately endeavors to build a defense No lawyer Jawer though will accept the fantastic defense Finally he and the boys boy's mother molher appeal appeal ap ape ap- ap peal to Sir Guy St Standing who finally finally final final- final I ly consents moved by his almost forgotten forgotten for for- for I gotten love for the youths youth's grand grand- I mother In Iii the courtroom Sir Guys Guy's resourcefulness resourcefulness re re- re- re I is almost lost last on a skeptical skeptical 1 jury foreman when Halliday I comes to the rescue hypnotizing the jury foreman into picking up the identical revolver which killed the politician and with it attempting to shoot the district attorney An acquittal acquittal acquittal ac ac- ac- ac is speedily reached With Brown and his sweetheart once more reunited the old jurist goes back to his quiet library his books and his dreams of an old love at the Witching Hour In the Victory's second feature Manhattan Love Song Robert Armstrong and Dixie Lee do a snappy version of the old age-old rich girl theme Only this time the roles are arc reversed re Dixie and her sister lose all their shekels when their banker defaults which leaves Armstrong to support the household Pancake Annie Jones wealthy western mine owner played by Cecille Ce Ce- cille Cunningham complicates matters matters mat mat- when she brings her son Phineas Phin Phin- cas portrayed b by Harold to the big city to meet the right people Dixie attempts to do her bit toward toward to to- ward wage earning and is hired as fan dancer in a burlesque show A police raid stops the show but Dixie is bailed out in time for a happy finale with the chauffeur sound news completes the double bill biU Bill Bill McDougall