Fox Musical Comedy Full of Entertainment

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7242, 23 August 1933, Page 5

Fox Musical Comedy Full of Entertainment

“IT'S GREAT TO BE ALIVE” IS TO BE SEEN LOCALLY ON SATURDAY In “It’s Great to Be Alive”, the new Pox musical comedy which will commence at the Regent on Saturday, fans will have a full season of hilarity. In story, acting, music and dancing, it is as satisiying a piece of entertainment as has "been seen hereabouts in a long —too long-time.. Telling the story of a man who finds nimself literally the last man on earth, the film depicts a world populated entirely by women, each of whom has one end in view—to get that solitary male. It is a dread disease that wipes the globe clean of the masculine sex. The women are unprepared for such a contingency, and what goes on toward a solution, of this emergency forms the extremely funny basis for the picture.

Raul Eoulicn, the South American star, plays tlio highly enviable role of being the last man. The fact that he is a castaway on a desert island when the scourge of men occurs, merely adds to his own amazement when he nds in himself a complete sex. In the, ftory he is an aviator, popular with the women even in a world of men, but devastating as the only man in the world. Eoulien’s performance is excellent. He .5.9 a finished actor, and a man who knows how to sing songs. In this, his first effort at American stardom, ho is .wholly successful. With the comedy in the expert hands oE Edna May Oliver and Herbert Mundin, “It’s Great to be AH I"*’ 1 "*’ has a generous supply of scintilating moments. Gloria Stuart is lovely in leading feminine role, and the actors in support of the principals, are each splendid in the individual portrayals. Among these are Joan Marsh, Dorothy Burgess, Emma Dunn, Edward Van Sloan and Robert Greig. Tho music, for which William Ivcrncll is responsible, is of the type that one keeps humming. Especially contagious are “Goodbye Ladies”, •‘l’ll Build a Nest,” “It’s Great To Be the Only Man Alive,” and ‘'Women! Women! Women!” Sammy Lee has created and staged a number of dance ensembles which force themselves upon your memory and stay there. The direction of the production is by Alfred Werker. “It’s- Great to be Alive” is indeed a feather in his cap.