THE BITTER TEA OF GENERAL YEN IS FINE PICTURE By F.LBAXOIt BAKNLS Reversing the customary story of a missionary converting a China- ' !man, film fans had the strange e-iperieneA of seeing a Chinaman con-i vert a beautiful girl to the mysteri. s j of the Orient in "The Bitter Tea i,t General Yen," a Columbia picture which opened at the Hi!! street RKO yesterday. Grace Zaring Stone wrote the story which Edward . Parumore adapted to the screen. Frank Capra, mi 11 imaginative director, with the aid of Josepn Walker, his cameraman,' priservid the misty illusion throng ii delicately screened photography mid an interesting presentation ol Nils Aster' as the Chinese' ge neral, who sought . to believe that the lovely missionary . wasn't uttering only woriis when she admitted that race, . color or creed' made no difference to ncr in her administration of honor and justice. The story, graphic and fascinating, shows the Chine:, army in. action, and reveals the ounger confronting tourists- cauyhi in a war ' zope. It to doubtful if me Cliintva will like "The- Bitter T a of General Yen, as it' shows them at. a. disadvantage. ", BARBARA GLOWS Barbara Stanwyck, as .he beautiful missionary girl, give!' a glowing interpretation of a zealous religions worker caught ln the st.iiiige love-net with the handsbmc and dominating head of the House of Ytn. He, In turn, reveals a certain sinister humor, but like the prediction of the., renegade American,' who handled the celestial's financial' matters, Yen sae.ificed his province, his people and his lift for the woman with whom he was infatuated. The cast' or ' this pro;?u?tk.n Is especially good. Nils Asthir, as the Chinaman, has compleUly lost all traces of Swedish accent and gives -good accounting ol himself in ilia film..'
