SPICE AND SPARKLE IN EMPIRE FARCE

Evening Star, Issue 21504, 31 August 1933, Page 13

SPICE AND SPARKLE IN EMPIRE FARCE

JOHN BARRYMORE AND MYRHA LOY IN ‘ TOPAZE ' There is nothing ponderous or melodramatic about ‘ Topaze,’ a very smooth and brilliant version of a play that was an outstanding success in Paris and New York, which will open its Dunedin season at _ the Empire Theatre to-morrow. It is the essence of absurdity made important by expert mood-juggling, snappy lines, and superlative acting, and shows John Barrymore as he really likes to be. It is brilliant, satirical, light comedy, with an indefinable element of novel entertainment. John Barrymore has the title role, that of Auguste 'Topaze, a French schoolmaster. Incredibly honest and altogether lacking any mood for adventure, even mentally, he is constantly bewildered by the sophistication about him. Then chance takes him very suddenly from the schoolroom to the position" of consulting chemist and head of the Latour Chemical Works, with a mineral water of his own formula, named after him—" Sparkling Topaze.” He finds ho is a principal actor in a groat fraud being practised on the public. “ Sparkling Topaze ” is alive with germs, but the profits arc enormous. His honesty is up in arms! He also discovers that the enchanting and beautiful Coco, whom he admired and respected, belongs to Baron De LatourLatour, the arch-conspirator. If a worm can turn, it can also discover that the creed of “ honesty is the best policy ” can be reversed, and it is not long before Topaze is a more impudent scoundrel than his teachers, and has even stolen the baron’s woman, Myrna Loy is delightful ns the siren who is almost as naive as Topaze, and the baron is engaging as portrayed by Reginald Mason. Others in excellent characterisations are Luis Albcrni, Albert Conti, Jobyna Howland, Frank Bcicher, Lowden Adams, and Jackie Scarl.