for greta garbo first talk picture and mgm wisely chose eugene oneill pultizer prize win 1921 play anna christie . also wisely and the producer back garbo up with not one but two member of the original broadway cast ( george marion a anna father and chris and and james t. mack a johnny the priest transmute to johnny the harp for film so a not to offend ) . this little change be interest . like too many film accuse ( by those who want movie to be movie and ignore their origin ) of be little more than film stage play and the problem be not the play but the movie maker who wouldn not be more faithful to the property . by dilute a great cinematic stage work so it wouldn not offend anyone and or open it up because they could and too many lose the very quality which make the piece worth film in the first place . fortunately and the respect the studio have for both oneill and garbo allow anna christie to survive the normally destructive process admirably in france marion generally sensitive screen adaptation . wonder of wonder and marion even allow the point of the scene where garbo anna reveal her past on the farm to the man she badly want to marry and the father who send her there in tact . what the league of decency must have think of that . the source play great problem have always be that chris friend marthy tends to walk away with the first act and then disappears from the last two so that anna can take stage the two side of the genuinely good woman men do not always recognize . the perfectly cast marie dressler ( who have cut her teeth on the broadway stage as well before go to hollywood ) be the perfect balance for garbo anna in this area as well and the fast moving film at only 90 minute and doesn not allow u too much time to miss her one of the few benefit from atmosphere be show rather than eloquently describe in the original and screenwriter marion be wise enough to stray from oneill to bring dressler back for a touching scene two third of the way through the film that will remind many of julie laverne second act appearance in show boat . anna and marthy early scene together on screen ( 16 minute into the film ) take each other measure and set up all the tension of the rest of the story be among the most affecting scene in the entire piece . not to be miss . anna christie be great tragic play and a good film drama . it hard to imagine that a latter day remake and which would almost certainly lose the grit and atmosphere of this 1930 remake ( it be first film without sound in 1923 also with george marion original broadway chris ) could improve on this excellent filming . the internal scene hew closest to the play and but the exterior shouldn not be miss by anyone with an eye to atmosphere . while the background screen work be not to modern technical standard and the background give a good glimpse than most film of the era of the actual world in which the screen play be set ( especially in the new york harbor ) . nearly all garbo naturalistic performance of the sound era have hold up superbly ( only the too often parodied death scene from camille and 7 year later and will occasionally draw snicker because of the heavy hand direction and the parody ) and but this anna christie and together with the variety of her 1932 film and mata hari and grand hotel and and the sublime lubitsch touch on her 1939 comedy and ninotchka ( garbo laugh . ) and surely stand a her best . oneill fan who be take with this play at the edge of his lauded sea play and should track down the fine world war ii shape film release in the year before the u. s. enter the conflict and the long voyage home ( 1940 ) . it be almost a skillfully draw from those sea play a this one be from anna christie and and feature a youngish john wayne in one of his rare non western support a fine cast of veteran actor show him the way .