THE PRINCE OF MIRTHMAKERS AT GRAND THEATRE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18469, 22 May 1928, Page 7

THE PRINCE OF MIRTHMAKERS AT GRAND THEATRE.

Charlie. Chaplin, the prince of mirthmakers, will continue this week to entertain Christchurch picturegoers with his latest effort “The Circus.” For years this marvellous humorist has been before the public and his popularity never seems to wane. Just when everybody is beginning to say that' Chaplin is a back number and cannot command the favour he once did, he comes out

with aching ribs and a firmer conviction than ever that in his line he is supreme. Even in the days before the motion picture industry was the colossal organisation it now is, the pame !of Chaplin was one to conjure with, and a sure guarantee of perfect comedy. One of the strongest indications of the popularity of this great actor is the number of imitators he has had, none of whom has ever been able even to approach the original. Charlie Chaplin is now so well known that he has become almost an institution. His little mannerisms and quaint features of dress are known the whole world over. “The Circus” is undoubtedly the best picture of a career filled with re-cord-breaking productions. The story of the film was written by Chaplin himself, and here he has shown a touch of genius in bringing into it all the well-known figures of the circus. There are the clown, the vanishing lady, the fat man, the weight-lifter and the equestrienne, all of whom from a delicious background to the fooling of the world’s funniest buffoon. He is in a typical role in “The Circus,” that of a tramp tricked by fate into a sphere in which he is utterly lost. It is in this kind of character, essentially humorous but with a touch of pathetic appeal, that Charlie Chaplin has made himself famous. Mistake after rpistake gets him deeper into the mire and provides for the audience one long laugh. Never before has \ he been so devastating fn his wit. The old boots and tattered frock coat have taken a new lease of life, the battered derby hat seems to have undergone a rejuvenation, and the cane has become as expressive as the average actor's face. During the making of the picture at his own studio at Hollywood. Chaplin announced that it would be a “low-brow comedy for high brows," and how ad mirably he has succeeded is amply shown by the crowds who flocked to see him last week There were many who were not *ble to get. in, and it is for them to take the opportunity of seeing “The Circus** before it moves on to delight other towns in this country. In the picture. Charlie is the sport of fate, from the time he is thrust into the circus by the unwel-

come attentions of the police, who believe him to be a pickpocket, to the time when he is finally “socked” and stands in the road watching the troupe disappear to another city. Appropriate music is provided by the Grand Quality Orchestra.