Cinema: The New Pictures Jan. 28, 1929

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Adoration. A Russian prince (Antonio Moreno), works as a waiter in a Paris restaurant, cherishing a revolver with three bullets in it—one for his wife (Billie Dove), one for a certain count, and one for himself. Miss Dove is photographed in clinging gowns, with turbans, without turbans, with headdress, without headdress. Before the end Mr. Moreno sees his mistake about the count. Best shot: General Alexis Muratov shutting up his shoeshine parlor.

A Lady of Chance. Cinema racketeers and crooks, sensitive to a waning interest in their mode of life, have shown in recent films a happy tendency to satirize themselves. Love is all they take seriously now, and they may even change their attitude about that for the better. Norma Shearer, at least, outwitting Lowell Sherman, a rival racketeer, or finding out that the fellow she wants to gyp is not as rich as she hoped, provides an entertaining hour.

The Strange Case of Lena Smith. A series of patient, beautifully photographed and slightly academic incidents record the suffering which life lays bit by bit upon Esther Ralston, a Viennese servant-girl. It isn't always clear why she should bear so much—the loss of her child, the concealment of her marriage, the insults of the Chief of the Bureau of Morals, in whose kitchen she works, but she is a meek one—until the last, that is. Although he has told his story too carefully, perhaps, and dedicated it too consciously to the majesty of suffering, Josef von Sternberg, director of Underworld, often gives this unusual picture the Spartan, grand effect he tries for. Best shot: Austrian officer brushing his hair before he shoots himself.

The Rescue. Few scenarists have understood the literary methods of the late Joseph Conrad, or discovered until too late how his tales of adventure, seemingly straightforward enough, are complicated with struggles about something called honor. "Take out that honor, we can't have it in" exasperated directors declare at last, but when pencils scratch and honor disappears, Conrad has gone too. Blank spaces must be left for the honor: Ronald Colman, adventurer, loves Lily Damita, wife of another, but tries to preserve her ____; besides, he has sworn on his ______ to restore a certain Rajah to his throne. Even superb photography cannot make more than a routine film out of this brooding but somehow unreal and tormented story. Best shot: Capt. Jorgensen blowing up the ammunition ship.

Lily Damita is 24 and a brown-eyed blonde, famed in Paris as a ballet dancer, in Germany as a cinemactress, in Spain as one of those received by King Alfonso. U. S. Cinemagnate Samuel Goldwyn spotted her in Berlin and recently brought her to Hollywood.