MAJESTIC THEATRE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 154, 26 March 1938, Page 16

MAJESTIC THEATRE

* “Big City” Close on the heels of their selection for the academy awards of 1937 comes the:costarring appearance of Luise Rainer and Spencer Tracy in "Big City,” the new attraction at the Majestic Theatre; Yet although it is well above average entertainment, as any price with such stars must be, one feels that if .the academy awards bad depended on “Big City” instead of on •''l’he Good Earth” and "Captains Courageous,” Miss. Rainer and Tracy would not

have won them. “Big City” is a distinctly novel but curious mixture of ■ racketeering melodrama, sentimental romance and slapstick comedy, and in part of such surroundings at least the stars seem rather out of their element. Perhaps it is, best to view “Big City” as the adventures of a Ru-

nianian immigrant girl in New York. She has married a most.. endearing taxi-driver (Spencer Tracy), but has not been long enough in the. country to become a naturalised American; There are some exquisite. movingly' human scenes showing their happiness together, and here the acting of the stars and the direction of Frank Borzage is at its best. Miss Rainer piquantly suggests- domestic bliss both by madcap pranks and soft glances of devotion toward her husband. Drama and tragedy enter the story with a "war” between rival groups of taxidrivers. Gangsters are employed by one of the groups, causing an explosion in a garage which results in the death of Miss Rainer's brother. Faked evidence pins .suspicion on Tracy’s innocent group and his wife is also implicated. The district attoniey, whtTdoes not trust the evidence and .vet has to prosecute someone, sees, in the fact that the heroine has not'yet become an American citizen a solution to his problem. He orders her to be deported as- an alien. The story then resolves itself into the efforts ofthe.police to catch Miss-Rainer and the efforts of Tracy and hist friends to save her from deportation. The situation is emotionally complicated by the fact that the heroine is about to become a mother. And so we come to the remarkable “stunt” finale. This is exciting and ludicrously funny, but seems to haVe been tagged on just to. provide a robust'comedy finish. Tracy calls to his aid a collection of famous prize-fighters and wrestlers (they appear in person and include. Jack Dempsey, Man Mountain Dean and Bull .Montana), who put the gangsters to rout in a whirlwind battle that i>- mainly sheer burlesque. While the fight rages the heroine—-released from the deportation order—is laving her baby in an ambulance.' The ending will send audiences home laughing, but to find two such distinguished stars ns Miss Rainer and Spencer Tracy involved in such a lurid climax, and'in such Tough company, was—to me —rather disconcerting.