“WHY LEAVE HOME?" IS FIRST-CLASS COMEDY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19034, 1 April 1930, Page 7

“WHY LEAVE HOME?" IS FIRST-CLASS COMEDY.

With “Why -Leave Home?” as the star attraction for the week, the Liberty Theatre cannot but be well patronised. The wonderful reception those who attended last night gave the picture showed just what they felt, and, as has been said before, a satisfied audience is a wonderful advertisement. Last night the audience was more than satisfied, for the picture gave them gay scenes, rollicking and never-failing comedy, and a few musical interludes of a light nature, which were of the very best kind. The story is simple in itself, and its real mterit lies in the scope it opens up for mirth. Three husbands are in the habit of telling their wives they are going duck shooting, and, once safely out of the way, picking up three chorus girls and having a happy though innocuous party at a cabaret ■well out of town. The wives have well-founded suspicions, and one of them suggests that they should get three young men to show them the sights, and initiate them into the “technique” of the flapper. They hope that way tb make themselves more attractive to their husbands and keep them at home of their own free will. The three ballet girls have made an appointment with the three young men, but that is broken for financial reasons. The married ladies are willing to give their young escorts two hundred dollars each for the experience and “coaching.” Needless to say, the parties meet at the same road The opportunities are great, and the author has made the most of his happy theme, to the satisfaction of all concerned. The main fun-maker of the evening is Walter Cartlett, as one of the husbands, and another great comedian in the pi*eee is David Rollins, who plays as one of the boys. Sue Carol is a winsome little heroine, while Nick Stuart plays admirably opposite her. The second feature is “The Climax,” a drama of musical life, in which a young and promising soprano (Kathryn Crawford) is taken to Milan from America to have her voice trained by a maestro, and falls in love with his son. A doctor also falls in love with the girl, and, after an operation on her throat, deliberately kills her singing voic*> with a corrosive spray on the throat. In the end, of course, her voice comes back, and she marries Pietro. There is a great deal of sentiment in the drama, of that peculiar variety of which America has the patent rights, but there is some excellent music also. Miss Crawford lias an attractive voice,

though to the critical ear it falls more than a little short of the extravagant praise btestowed on it by the other characters in the play. Previous to the feature pictures, there is an excellent news reel, the most noteworthy event portrayed in which is the advent of AJr .Ramsay MacDonald in America. Taken all round, the programme is an excellent one, and, indeed, "Why Leave Home?” is a programme in itself.