If Watford be counted a London side and the drawn "local Derbies" at Stamford Bridge and West Ham be left out of account, London teams did not do badly in the English League games on Saturday. They actually took twelve points out of a possible sixteen. Outstanding victories accrued to Brentford and Millwall at Derby and Gillingham respectively. Charlton Athletic in entertaining Portsmouth scored five goals to their opponents' one and Watford performing a similar function for Reading permitted no retort whatever to their four goals. Crystal Palace did well to bring back a point from Bristol, and Clapton Orient to send the doughty Swindon men away empty. Queen's Park Rangers disappointed by conceding one point to their visitors from Mansfield, but Tottenham Hotspur did even worse by allowing Manchester United lo take a full bag at White Hart Lane. Fulham will be pleased at sharing honours with West Ham and the revival of Chelsea is indicated by ihe inability of the Arsenal to do more than split four goals with their hosts. Generally the results followed current form. The advantage of playing at home was again illustrated in that in each of the first, second and third (southern) divisions of the League only two visiting teams, out of eleven, were winners.
Known to English cinemas as the "Tudor Rose" the historical film, "Nine Days a Queen," has long been promised to Shanghai. It now appears that it is due shortly to be seen at the Cathay Theatre. Although in these days the cinemas naturally incline toward lighthearted entertainments the management of the Cathay will, no doubt, reap the full fruits of its enterprise in screening so well-commended a film. The tragic story of Lady Jane Grey on whose unwilling shoulders the burden of queenly responsibility was for a short time imposed vividly illustrates the development of the constitutional position of the Crown in England under the pressure of a powerful and assertive aristocracy. Many historical personages have, as the years passed, been subjected to a critical scrutiny which has often reversed earlier judgments either in their favour or against them. Of the character of Lady Jane Grey there has never been any divergence of view. A modest, well-educated and intelligent young girl who almost melted the hard hearts of her bitter foes, she was as much a martyr to the savagery of her time as was that earlier if more forceful heroine, St. Joan of Are. The film has been so long in Shanghai that it is permissible io disclose the fact that it has been seen privately by cinema patrons who unanimously give it high praise on all points—casting, acting, photography and production. Moreover it takes very few liberties with history. Tts most striking departure from fact derives from one of those dramatic exigencies of which playwrights, from Shakespeare downwards, have legitimately made use. Historically it will be recalled that Mary I originally decided to spare Jane's life and she ordered the execution only with the greatest reluctance when a second rising of Jane's imprudent supporters reinforced the view that the security of the Throne demanded the luckless girl's elimination. The film omits the clemency and carries the narrative straight to the fatal decision which is conveyed in a beautifully acted scene between the mature and unhappy Mary and her winsome and courtageous prisoner in the Tower. Those who take steps to see this cinema will be well satisfied, 1
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.