EMPIRE

Evening Star, Issue 23124, 25 November 1938, Page 13

EMPIRE

Brilliant performances are given by Constance Bennett and Brian Alierne m the Metro-Goldwyu-Mayer comedy * Merrily We Live,’ which is enjoying an extended season at the Empire. As in ‘Topper,’ Muss Bennett reveals herself as an accomplished player in comedy roles, and is responsible for much of the humour in the film. The excellent supporting cast includes Billie Burke, who takes the part of Mrs Kilbourne. Alan Mowbray, Patsy Kelly, and Tom Crown. The Kilbournes are a homely American family who frequently entertain passing tramps and often invite them to spend a few days with them in order to attempt reformation. A young novelist, Wade (Rawlins (Aherne), who happens to call, makes use of the Kilbournes’ telephone, is accepted as a tramp, and asked to stay. He is rather surprised, but decides to remain to find material for his new novel. He becomes involved in a series of amusing adventures which do not please the family, and all except the mother attempt to eject him. When Mr Kilboume invites a senator to the house, Rawlins is taken into the service as second butler, but is inadvertently introduced to the party as a guest. In this role he is an instant success, for he wins the favour of the Senator and persuades him to agree to one of Mr Kilbourne’s schemes—a feat which his host had never been able to accomplish. Rawlins disappears for a few hours, and on his return finds all the family, including Jerry (Constance Bennett) very upset, as they had believed him to be dead. A romance develops between Rawlins and Jerry, who had previously scorned him as another of the innumerable tramps who were “ guests ” at the Kilbourne home.