‘THE BROWN DERBY,” AN ORIGINAL COMEDY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18091, 26 February 1927, Page 6

‘THE BROWN DERBY,” AN ORIGINAL COMEDY.

JOHNNY HINES STARS IN A LAUGHMAKER. : ' r ThoP p people who have been lifting up '' their voices in lamentation over a dearth * of good comedies or a plethora of pooi $ ones—born arc the same to the pessi- . mist —will no longer have cause to be--1 wail the sins of the motion picture producer. for Johnny Hines, gayest of the fav , blithest of the blithe, has made -.v The Hrovn Derby." and this, mirth■P. ful concoction will be presented at the Queen’s Theatre next week. V ith the * remembrance of all his other pictures still green, one avers that “ The Brown Derbv.'* is the superior, by a long way. wof al 1 bis previous efforts, and from "‘‘■every possible angle he lias extracted '•fiumour and comedy, and exploited, to ,'TOie fullest advantage, every possibility -. of action and speed. Now. we are told -‘that the age of miracles is past, and attaining years of discretion, we "'cease to be beguiled by whimsical tales or gnomes and hobgoblins, which is. of course, supremely rational and quite as it should be. But there is at least one adult who refuses to laugh at miracles and fairies, and he is none other than ■' johnny Hines. For purposes of deleci -table entertainment and the more read- : Hy to arouse the risible faculties of a 'weary and disillusioned world, he has ’ taken unto himself a brown derby, a poor thing, but his own, and with no authority from Sir James Barrie or Hans Anderson, has invested it with peculiar and very agreeable and convenient powers. In short, he makes the brown just such a piece of headwear as might successfully have reclined on the yellow head of Titania, or. less incongruously, on that of her spouse. It is a fairy hat. or so he believes, and although a timid fellow, he accomplishes wonders while wearing it, wonders that are nothing more nor less than an exquisite tornado—if a tornado can be exquisite tornado of boisterous mirth. •' The Brown Derby ” Is no simpering comefiy of well-bred chuckles and po-litely-restrained laughs. It leans to the vociferous; it jocularly tends to-: wards injured ribs and pleasantly tearful eyes; it is such a comedy as to call Instantly for, not for one viewing only, but for two or a possible three. For in it Johnny Hines is more original, more engagingly nonsensical than ever; more cheerfully does he take enormous risks in the pursuit of his story. The supporting artists are excellent, Ruth Dwyer, a charming ingenue with a decided flair for comedy, plays an important part, and Diana Kane, Flora Finch and Barney Sherry are other players who acquit themselves creditably In this delightful production. A story from the pen of Harold Bell Wright is the second picture to be shown, a thrilling tale of out-door life, " The Re-Creation of Brian Kent,’’ with Kenneth Harlan playing the leading role. This is told in the author’s virile and compelling style, full of melodramatic situations of power and colour, and the necessary human interest to lend balance; Helen Chadwick, Zasu Pitts and * Alary Carr a re-the main supporting players. The box plans are at Webley’s, seats may be reserved.