‘PRIVATE IZZY MURPHY’

Evening Star, Issue 19855, 2 May 1928, Page 3

‘PRIVATE IZZY MURPHY ’

AH EXCELLENT COMEDY The two most humorous peoples on earth are the Jews and tho Irish. Unconscious, perhaps, hut both aro gilted with the sublime gift of the ability to laugh at themselves. Motion-picture comedies centring around this evergreen theme aro becoming frequent, but the public never seems to tire of the engaging spectacle of Jew and Gentile mixing it in some way or another, and those folk seem to mix it most happily. Come to swell these ranks is ‘ Private I/.zy Murphy,’ which will be I lie starring attraction at the Octagon Theatre next week, with a new and better comedian in tho title role, one, George Jesse I, a comic gentleman ol whom it may truthfully he said (hat on tho one hand he knows his potatoes, and on the other he knows his, well, whatever it is our Jewish neighbour most relishes. Private T. Patrick Murphy did not always rejoice in that good, round name. Isaac Goldberg ho was born, but when he set eyes on Eileen, he thought it tactful to become Iho proselyte—f. Patrick Murphv. All the good Hibernians in the neighbourhood would immediately know that the “ I.” stood for Ignatius. At least that is how the innocent creature reckoned. And that was the origin of Private 1. Patrick Murphy, whose history is set forth on the screen in a series of hilarious happenings, sometimes intermingled with tho pathos that is never far distant from these most emotional people. The good old war is dragged in as a further excuse for amusing incidents, and it also forms the basis of the slight, but wholly delightful plot. When Murphy, true to his name, is obliged to join the Fighting Irish Regiment of Now York, and when their Murphy docs not seem to act up 1., the name in France, things begin to move, and in an unpleasant manner for ]y,y.y. alias Ignatius. Rut even wars cml sometimes, and with the appearance of that ironical lady with tho torch on New York harbour, comes romance, in large capital letters. Also comes some iierce differences of opinion, expressed by the Goldbergs _ and the Noonans after the manner nt their respective tribes. “Does Eileen marry a Jew, then?” “Oil Does our'lzsy marry a Gentile?” The screen bubbles with titles of genuine wit at times. George Jessel. as Privae Izzy steps into the front ranks of comedians in this picture', he may he long and thin and nasal, but he “ gets there.” Patsy Raith Miller is his-leading lady, and Vera Gordon is very good as Mrs Goldberg.