MAKING A MAN

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 418, 28 July 1928, Page 15

MAKING A MAN

"SMART SET” AT MAJESTIC

The humiliation of the vainglorious and their subsequent change to a more palatable course of conduct is a theme that has been worked over in fiction often enough, but never has the story been handled in a more entertaining and gripping manner than in “The Smart Set,” the feature film shown at the Majestic Theatre last evening. The story is simple enough, but it is developed in such a way that the interest never flags. It moves along from incident to incident, finally ending with a thundering climax, and just that little suggestion of love that should season all good pictures. From the start there is not the slightest doubt that Tommy Van

Buren is the most objectionable young bounder ever shown on the screen. Mastered by appalling egotism, he lost no chance of humiliating those less gifted than himself. Fur- , ther. h e was thoroughly selfish and nauseatingly 5 assured. He imag- : ined that no girl could resist his charm and he im-

1 a-ined too, that no champion polo ’ team could play one chukka without r him. However, it was a bright-eyed 1 girl who finally had the pleasant task of bringing him to his senses. The great ambition of tbe Van Buren parents was to have the precious ! Tommy playing the champion polo team of America. To get into the i preliminaries it was necessary for him ! to supersede an elderly player in his j club’s team, but the trouble was that ! the elderly player happened to be the I girl’s father. I That point, however, did not trouble i the confident Van Buren. Riding the ! best pony in the States, he monopoli ised the games, and thought only of i his own grandstand efforts, having no ; ; care for the welfare of the team. This I j scarcely added to his popularity, and 1 : as a result of a thoroughly objectionable incident on the field, he was [ thrashed by his captain, and removed from the team. The irate parents de- ; cided that the time for stern measures . had arrived, and Tommy was further humiliated by having his string of ponies sold at auction. Pronto, the . best of them all, was bought by the girl. It was now that the transformai tion of Tommy began. He saw how . foolish his ways had been, and set ? about mending them. It happened i that he did get a game in the big polo match after all, and it was his selfless - play that brought the championship to - his club, and won for him the affection s of the girl. The admirably-balanced cast in- ! eluded William Haines, Jack Holt, and

Alice Day. Mr. Haines did brilliant work as Van Buren, and M iss Daymade a completely captivating heroine. The vaudeville interlude on the programme was provided by Mildred and Connie Harris, charming girls who are able to play almost any musical instrument. They both have personality and pep, and their turn goes with an engaging swing. Their duets are mirth-provoking, and their music, light and fascinating, speeds time along. The supporting picture programme includes “The Tale of a Dogfish,” a nature study film, and an “Our Gang” comedy. The Majestic Orchestra, under Mr. J. Whiteford-Waugh, played an excellent programme of incidental music, which included selections from “Rio Rita.”