‘THIS IS THE NIGHT’

Evening Star, Issue 21232, 13 October 1932, Page 5

‘THIS IS THE NIGHT’

CLEVER COMEDY FOR EMPIRE Witty and clever comedy has never been presented in a more delightful manner than in ‘ This is the Night,’ the Paramount production which will open at the Empire Theatre at a midnight matinee to-night. By its gaiety, scintillating dialogue, lavish settings, and unusual photography, the picture wins for itself a leading place in the deservedly popular class of comedy introduced by the Maurice ChevalierErnst Lubitsch combination. ‘ This is the Night ’ carries out even more effectively the wedding of songs to action which was such a charming feature of ‘ One Hour With You,’ the film with which it demands first comparison. Although Hie musical score of ‘This is the Night ’ is particularly rich in calphy lyrics, they never obtrude themselves artificially, but form an integral part of the action. Humour is, of course, the keynote of every scene and every song. Audiences are nurried along in a breathless succession of hilarious situations, droll witticisms and amusing escapades. Charlie Buggies and Roland Young, who were largely responsible for the comedy in ‘ One Hour With You,’ form an irresistible pair in their latest production. Young is inimitably droll in the part of Gerald Grey, a bachelor man about town, while Buggies once again has the role of a rather ineffectual and interfering friend, Bunny West.

At the time the story opens Grey is entertaining Claire, whose husband has left Paris to compete as a javelin thrower in the Olympic Games. The role of Claire is taken by Thelma Todd, who was last seen in the Marx Brothers’ comedy, ‘ Monkey Business.’ She adds to the charm of her personality a delightful sense of humour. Grey’s interest in the young woman cools perceptibly when ho discovers the sport in which her husband is apparently so proficient. He is destined to receive a greater shock when the pair return to Claire’s home and find the javelin-throwing husband, who, unable to remain for long away from his loving wife, has flown back from London. Two unfortunate circumstances add to the difficulties of tho intriguing pair. The first is that, on leaving her car outside the theatre. Claire’s dress has become caught in the door and almost torn off. The second is that Bunny has delivered almost into her husband’s hands a double ticket to Venice, where Claire and Gerald had proposed to go for a little trip. In order to get out of the difficulty, the ill-advised Bunny says that the double’'ticket belongs to Grey, who, be said, was to travel to Venice with his wife. A single ticket should have been delivered to Claire. This unfortunate explanation makes it necessary to find a wife for Gerald, and eventually a “ down and out ” chorus girl is induced to take the roll. In this part Lily Damita, the Austrian actress of the silent days, whose exotic roles won her a wide following, gives a fine charaeteristion. She invests her role with vivacity, heightened by sincerity and dignity in those scenes where such qualities are called for. The adventures that occur to the ill-assorted four, for Bunny has decided to travel with them also, make a clever and most amusing film.