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CRIMSON PLAYGOER

Despite Excellent Acting of Elizabeth Bergner "Melo" Is a Poor Picture

Without Elizabeth Bergner in its leading role, "Melo" the current feature at the Fine Arts, would hardly have merited importation from Germany. Subtitled "Die Traeumende Mund" this picture is based upon a dull and utterly outworn plot. Happily married to her devoted violinist, Gaby suddenly realizes that her true love is Michael, another, and vastly superior, fiddler. She is unwilling to leave her husband who is completely dependent upon her, but the strength of her love for Michael gives her no rest. She settles her little problem by tossing herself into a conveniently located river. The film is raised from the abysmal depths of its story by the delicate interpretation of Miss Bergner, by magnificently transcribed excerpts from Beethoven's violin concerto, and by a considerable amount of unusual and vivid photography.

It is indeed a tribute to Miss Bergner's talent that she could manage to be impressive while struggling against the combined efforts of a hackneyed plot and a supporting cast which spent most of its time in striking poses which, though they were undoubtedly Teutonic to the core, removed most of the life from the proceedings.

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