“INNOCENTS OF PARIS” HAS EXTENDED SEASON AT THEATRE ROYAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18939, 9 December 1929, Page 7

“INNOCENTS OF PARIS” HAS EXTENDED SEASON AT THEATRE ROYAL.

To the majority of local picturegoers Maurice Chevalier, the famous French comedian, is only a name; but it is safe to say that there are few who attended the Theatre Royal last week who could not understand, after seeing and hearing him in “The Innocents of Paris”, how he won his title, “The Idol of Paris”. Than this picture no more appropriate vehicle could have been chosen to demonstrate every phase of Chevalier’s unique genius. He is a singer, certainly, but a singer with a style all his own; he is a comedia i, but he is a comedian with an all-too-rare aptitude for taking his audience to his heart, and being one oC them. He sings and talks, not to them, but with them. Above £ll, he is very human, and as the last scene fades out it leaves his hearers with the impression that his appearance had been all too brief, and that they would fain have seen more—much more—of Jjim. The supporting programme is an unusually varied one, and in it pride of place must surely be given to a novelty cartoon which introduces the old song “After the Ball”. A unique feature is the introduction of Mr Charles K. Harris, the composer. Dorothy Helmrich, the inter-nationally-famed concert artist, is also heard in two delightful numbers.