RAMON NOVARRO, WITH SPANISH SONG AND FUN.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 63, 16 March 1931, Page 3

RAMON NOVARRO, WITH SPANISH SONG AND FUN.

A delightful Spanish romance, under the title “In Gay Madrid ”, is the feature this week at the Theatre Royal. Spanish melody and humour combine to make it a striking production. Ramon Novarro takes the lead, appearing as a dashing young undergraduate, a part which suits him well, and as the central figure in an attractive romance he is 'in his element and makes the very best of it.

The story opens, as the title would suggest, in gay Madrid itself. There a young man has been playing fast and loose. Wine, women and song provide his relaxation, but his term of idleness ends when he gets himself mixed up in a brawl in a cabaret. Explanations are of no use to his father, who has not been so ignorant of his doings as the son fondly imagined. He is ordered to pack his bags, and follow them to a, university in a quiet village well away from the scene of his many adventures. Instant popularity falls to his lot, and he becomes the leader of the . younger set. He meets the daughter of his father’s firmest friend, and he finds his previous loves eclipsed. Once his conceit has suffered some solid knocks the stage seems set for a peaceful matrimonial cruise. The engagement has already been announced when one of his previous loves appears on the scene, and the affair between the pair seems to have come to a sudden stop. This is not all. for the girl's brother insists on fighting a duel with the man who was supposed to have deceived his sister. It ends dramatically. He is seriously wounded, and all differences are forgotten in the sequel. There is a strong vein of humour running through the picture to add variety, and it is more than successful. The talking voices are clear and unaffected, the musical numbers efiarming, and the Spanish scenes well selected. It is a dashing romance. with a fascinating plot accentuated by fascinating actors. The supports include a number entitled “The Pirates”, in colour, in which singing and dancing combine to make it most attractive.