TWO FILM GENIUSES

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 79, 30 September 1930, Page 5

TWO FILM GENIUSES

Ml-. Frederick Lonsdale, the English dramatist, who recently returned from 110-Uywood, after having supervised the filming of one of his plays, writes in the "Daily Mail" to say that he found many clever people, some extremely clever, and two geniuses—Charles Chaplin and Fred. Kcrr, both Englishmen. I bclievo (Mr. Lonsdale says) that future ages will resurrect Chaplin s tattered comedies and study them as reverently as they -iow study Italian primitives. He will bo spoken oi as people' now speak of Grimaldi, only his fame will be a hundredfold greater than Grimaldi's because the film audience is universal. While in Hollywood 1 saw Chaplin's latest film, "City Lights." It' is magnificcntj a riot of wit and broad comedy, shot through with pathos. In-my judgment Of is the best thing even he has ever done. Charlie plays thevpart of a tramp with a millionaire) friend, who is only a friend when he is drunk. The millionaire, duving an acute attack oi friendship, lends the tramp his Rolls-Eoyce, and there is a delightful scene in which Charlie drives tho glittering vehicle in state without even sixpence in his pocket to buy a packet of cigarettes. Anxionslv he watches'the gutter as he drives, and the climax is reached when another hobo glimpses :i tempting butt-end in the gutter, and is about to pick it up when tho man in the Eolls-Boyce jams on the brakes, jumps out, and snatches the prize from under his astonished eyes. The finest character-actor in Hollywood is Fred Kcrr. The story of this London I actor —au old Charterhouse and CamI bridge man, who went to Hollywood lat the age of 72 to do his first picture ■ and jumped into fame through a single 1 performance—is one of ' the real ro- [ mane.es of filmland. The scene in which ■he has a bath is the perfection of unforced comedy and he has scored anI other great hit in "Raffles."