ENTERTAINMENTS

Southland Times, Issue 21576, 14 December 1931, Page 3

ENTERTAINMENTS

THE REGENT.

GEM OF BRITISH HUMOUR

RONALD COLMAN IN FREDERICK LONSDALE’S “THE DEVIL TO PAY.”

English in almost everyway—story, speech, cast and presentation—“ The Devil to Pay” conies as a real treat and excellent entertainment. Capacity business should be enjoyed at the Regent throughout the season of this Lonsdale play. Ronald Colman is the star. He is ideally cast as the devil-may-care philanderer, who is completely charming and wholly irresistible. We first see Willie Hale cheerily disposing of his effects in Africa in order to raise sufficient cash for his passage Home. Arrived in London, he proceeds to “blue” fifteen of his last twenty notes on George, a terrier who becomes his bosom pal and making his way to the house of the irate old lord, his father, from whom he extracts a cool hundred pounds despite the old man’s threats to ‘‘kick the young puppy out.” Dorothy Hope, only daughter of a pompous Uno manufacturer, falls under his spell, and at her engagement party, breaks her troth with the Grand Duke Paul because of his insulting treatment of Hale. She becomes engaged to the latter, and makes him promise that he will never, never, see his old flame, the dancer, Mary Crayle, again. However though he does promise this, he has a last decent interview with his exflame, who persuades him to accompany her to her flat. Dorothy’s father learns of this through the services of a detective agency, and on the girl hearing of it, she presents Willie with £5OOO as the “price of her experience.” Instead of as she thinks, Willie taking Mary Crayle to Paris for a hectic time, he forwards the money to the impecunious Paul, and sends the acknowledgment to Dorothy. Ashamed of her suspicions, Dorothy goes to Willie and explanations being made, all ends happily. There are many sparkling situations in this delightful romantic comedy, with some touches of canine appeal. Who will forget Willie’s conversations with “George”—his effort* to break with his ex-sweetie over the telephone—his whimsical orders to the astonished tramp on Epsom Downs to look after a luncheon basket until next year—and the wheedling of a “packet” from his apoplectic ally furious old dad. Loretta Young gives evidence in this film that she is a finely capable young actress. Her portrayal of the love-lost Dorothy is a fine bit of work. Frederick Kerr is a sheer delight as the harassed old father of the irresponsible Willie, while Myrna Loy, Ernest Torrence and Paul Cavanagh give good performances. The latter is notably good in the very small role of the Duke Paul, his foreign accent and mannerisms making the part stand out. The dialogue, which is amusingly daring, is perfectly delivered. Excellent supports are listed—a Vagabond adventurer travelogue, one of the Secrets of Nature series, Newsreelander, most amusing comedy featuring Charlie Murray. THE MAJESTIC. BROAD HUMOUR AND SUBTLE. “PARDON US” AND “SHIPMATES.” For once an old saying has been proved incorrect. That is “Anticipation is better than Realization” for the Majestic Theatre has reversed the order. For some time past slides have announced the coming of those popular comedians Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel in their first long-feature film “Pardon Us” and all those Invercargill thea-tre-goers who have been reduced to a state of helpless merriment by the past excrutiatingly funny comedies starring the inimitable two, have been eagerly awaiting “Pardon Us.” This irresistible mirth-pro-voker received its initial local screenings at the Majestic on Saturday to large audiences at both sessions when it was discovered that indeed realization was better than anticipation. Laughter loud and long greeted the appearance of the popular comedians. Hardy can speak such volumes merely with an inclination of his head and the rolling of his comically-expressive eyes, and Laurel simply has to scratch his head of wiry hair, screw up his funny face, and grin, to send the audience into paroxysms of mirth. There is real art in this slapstick custard pie comedy in which Hardy and Laurel shine. < takes one back to the day of the earliest silent farces when comedy was comedy. Laurel and Hardy have contrived io preserve the essence of that oldtime entertainment which our fathers enjoyed, and the result is that their attraction never palls. They convert everything into fun and nonsense, and their play-act-ing is so spontaneous and full of incident that one is inclined to believe that not all their bon mots, their wisecracks, and their excurciatingly funny antics are rehearsed. Each does so much that is new and unexpected that it is difficult to believe that their own fertility of invention is not every now and then outrunning the production itself and introducing into the programme a great deal of sparkling humor that the producer had not bargained for when he commenced to make his film. The story is more substantial than is usually the case in any talkie in which the pair appear, and, in addition to the hilarious humour, there are one or two well sung songs, including negro spirituals. The inseparables get into trouble through brewing illicit ale and trying to sell a bottle to a policeman. Gaol is their punishment. In prison Laurel, who has a loose tooth which buzzes after he has finished talking, arouses the ire of everybody, from the terrible “Tiger,” a fellowprisoner, to the superintendent. Just when things are going nicely, Laurel’s tooth buzzes the effect being that of the “raspberry” being administered. An exciting escape is engineered, and the two heroes find themselves hiding from justice in the cotton fields. At length Laurel’s loose tooth again betrays them, and the pair are bundled back into gaol. It is more by good luck than good management that they win a pardon. The situations that lead up to this happy state of affairs are screamingly funny. “Shipmates,” the other main feature, is noteworthy for humour of a more subtle nature, and for acting of a very high order. The leading light in the male cast is Robert Montgomery, a talented artist who contrives to get bis laughs with the least possible effort. He is a tall man, of good appearance, and seems suited to romantic acting, as .well as to comedy. In “Shipmates” he is both a sailor who manages to get into plenty of trouble with those above him, and a lover who will not be deterred from seeking the admiral’s daughter even by the admiral himself, and certainly not by the lieutenant who has been assiduously courting her. The object of his attentions is Dorothy Jordan, a praity little actress. She is the girl who falls in love with Montgomery while he is posing as an oil king, and who still sticks to him when he has been revealed in ffis true colours as a seaman of the lower deck. There is other talent in the cast. Ernest Torrence enacts the role of Scotty, the bos’n’s mate, who is the trial of the hero s life Hobart Bosworth plays the part of the admiral of the fleet, while others featured are Cliff Edwards and Gavin Gordon. The story is simple enough, but good. A battle-ship provides most of the scenes, and there is some firing practice with big guns to provide a break from the comedy. And there is a final thrill when an ammunition barge is menaced by an oil fire. The supports include the ever popular Mickey the Mouse in a cartoon entitled “Traffic Troubles” and also the latest news reels.