AMUSEMENTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18497, 19 February 1930, Page 3

AMUSEMENTS.

MAJESTIC THEATRE. THE MARX BROTHERS IN “THE COCOANUTS.” The management of the Majestic Theatre have every reason to be satisfied with the results of the screening of the Marx Brothers in their great musical comedy, “The Cocoanuts.” At every screening of this picture, the building has been packed long before the starting time, due to the clarity of the voices of the siit-akers and singers, which has been brought about by the installation of the latest Western Electric talking-apparatus. "The Cocoanuts” is a musical comedy brought to the screen, the locale being in Florida. The music and lyrics were written by Irving Berlin, and the leading roles are taken by stars who appeared in the original stage production in New York. The Marx Brothers, who are among the world’s funniest comedians, provide sparkling and hilarious comedy throughout. The girl and boy of the play are Mary Eaton and Oscar Shaw, two wellknown musical comedy stars of Broadway. Mary Eaton is seen in many delightful dances, and her fine voice is heard in the theme song, “When My Dreams Come True”. The picture is remarkable for the richness of the settings, and the wide variety which gives a musical comedy a better continuity of story than is possible on the actual stage. There is clever dancing by a special ballet, and at one time, more than sixty girls and bathing beauties appear in a dancing spectacle. There are so many wonderful things to be seen and heard in this production, with its infectious comedy, delightful melodies, and dancing, that the picture has to be seen two or three times in order to appreciate them all. Joseph Sautley, who collaborated with Robert Florey in directing “The Cocoanuts,” was one of the favourites of the musical comedy stage before turning to moving pictures. The story or satire ridicules with much hilarity the real estate boom, amid the colourful environment of Palm Beach and Cocoanut Grove. A debutante is

“wintering” in one of the exclusive hotels with her socially ambitious aunt, and the girl and a poor hotel clerk fall in love. So, of course, the hotel clerk falls for the get-rich-quick schemes with dire results, until the happy ending. A slight plot, like all musical comedies; but with opportunity for an array of richly-dressed girls and sumptuous scenes and sets. Besides his inimitable clowning, Harpo plays the harp. Although he violates all accepted technique, he is considered to be one of the finest harp players in the world, and his music usually stops the show. Chico, also an excellent comedian, is an accomplished pianist, employing an unusual finger technique that causes much laughter; while Groucho, considered by many to be the funniest of the four, is supplied with most of the comedy lines. Zeppo, the youngest and handsomest, also is a clever comedian. Mary Eaton and Oscar Shaw supply the romance. They sing the featured song numbers composed by Irving Berlin. The supporting programme is a fine one, consisting of several numbers by the Squire Octet, who transported the audience on a tour of music through Russia, Finland, Italy and Ireland. “Listen Lady,” a collection of vocal gems, was well received, while “Amateur Night” provided plenty of laughs and amusement. The evolution of sound on pictures was the basis of a most interesting film, which was of both an educational and amusing nature.

“THE UNHOLY NIGT.” AT THE GRAND. “The Unholy Night.” the latest super-mystery picture from the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, is still proving its entertaining qualities by continuing to draw crowded houses to the Grand Theatre. Almost everybody delights in mysterious and uncanny sights and sounds, and these are to be found in abundance in this production. Roland Young, a famous British stage star, whom Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer have signed for a long-term contract as a result of his great ability and fine personality, is seen as the whimsical Lord Montague, who jests in the face of death, but possesses the Englishman's skill to conquer his enemies in the end. Claude Fleming is Sir James Rumsey, of Scotland Yard. Dorothy Sebastian is the mysterious and beautiful Turkish girl, Lady Efra. Ernest Torrence, a well-known master of characterisation, appears constantly in evening dress —a notable change for Torrence—as Dr. Ballou. Sojin, the Chinese identity, appears as a spiritualistic medium and delivers thrills aplenty. Altogether there are no fewer than eighteen screen and stage stars of genuine repute in this outstanding picture, which every movie-lover is advised to see. Lionel Barrymore, who directed “Madame X.” so successfully, is the genius behind the scenes in “The Unholy Night.” He located professionla “spirit mediums” and hired them to stage their tricks in a seance under the camera and microphone, filming the first actual “spirit seance” ever seen in a picture. “Ghosts” materialise, disembodied heads float in the air, and ectoplasms form out of nothing in an uncanny exhibition that is a turning point in the odd detective story. Queer camera effects, with strange shadows and stranger noises were achieved by special machinery, in what is claimed to have revolutionised the technique of talking pictures. “The Unholy Night” is a drama of a group of British army officers trailed by an uncanny enemy through the London fog in a strange revenue plot, and is based on Ben Hecht's fiction success, “The Doomed Regiment.” Elaborate sound effects and strange optical effects, such as the “tapping” of the “Green Ghost” in a tense scene, and an odd “flash” of the" apparition” in a sensational episode, mark the production, and thrills cram its rapid-fire action. Short talking featurettes include an Our Gang comedy, and a Metrotone news.