NATIONAL AND LYRIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 4, 26 March 1927, Page 12

NATIONAL AND LYRIC

BRIGHT COMEDY “Dedicated,” so the foreword ran, “to those unfortunate husbands who have become shell-shocked through watching their wives eating peanuts,” “The Lunatic at Large,” the First National comedy featured at the National and Lyric Theatres last evening, gave early promise ,of providing a fund of clever and original comedy, a promise which was fulfilled as the screening continued. The lunatic in question (Leon Errol), was obviously down and out. This, he explains, was the result of his book on “berth control” having been stolen from him by a steamship company. The immediate future, however, looked much brighter when a gentleman whom he encountered on his travels offered him a large sum of money providing he would impersonate him for a few hours. He agrees willingly, but it is not until he finds himself under lock and key that he discovers that the gentleman was on his way to a lunatic asylum. His endeavours to persuade his attendants that he is not insane, and later, his efforts to escape are highly diverting. In the institution he finds another inmate who has been wrongfully detained by his twin brother in order that he might mary his girl. Errol eventually manages to escape, and takes a hand in the game in an endeavour to prevent the marriage. The ceremony is scheduled to take place on a dirigible, and when Errol manages to make his way on to the airship by means of a rope ladder just as the ship takes off things begin to happen in real earnest. In addition to contributing a large share of the bright and very original comedy with which the picture abounds, the airship scenes are also responsible for a number of incidents which, even in these days of enterprise and originality, are unusually exciting. The picture was filmed from J. Storer Clouston’s three famous books. “The Lunatic at Large,” “The Lunatic at Large Again,” and “The Lunatic Still at Large,” from which a number of pithy and humorous extracts are used in the sub-titles with decided effect. “Wild Oats Lane,” a comedy-drama of New York underworld based on the regeneration themes, is also well handled. A strong cast includes Viola Dana, Robert Agnew and John MacSweeney. “The Goat Getters,” a very bright juvenile comedy, and one of the latest English Topicals, proved two very suitable supports, while the appearance of .Miss Billie Andreassen in “The Brass Door Knob” also added variety to a well-balanced and decidedly interesting programme.