“ON OUR SELECTION”

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 662, 16 January 1933, Page 3

“ON OUR SELECTION”

Great Australian Comedy in Second Week.

On Saturday, the great Australian talkie, ”On Our Selection,” began its second week at the Crystal Palace Theatre to crowded houses. Mum, Dad and Dave have become almost national figures through the pen of Steele Rudd, in a story of happy contempt for hardship and disappointment. Every actor contributes his portion to the humour. Bert Bailey as Dad, Fred Macdonald as Dave, Alfreda Be van as Mum and William Drjscoll as the uncle, all play their parts exceptionally well, and the serious theme adds the necessary balance to the tram of lighter incident. The photography merits praise out of the ordinary, and the Australian pastoral scenes give the film a particular interest to s>ew Zealanders. The picture opens on the Rudd selection, where all the family do their best to get into scrape after scrape, while the love affairs of the son and daughters give another twist to the already tangled skein of the picture. It is a glorious cartoon of life in the backblocks, and, if accepted as such, can be appreciated to the full. / he venerable Dad. with flowing whiskers and genial outlook, is a captivating figure as he tackles his many setbacks, starts afresh when ruined by the drought, and finally ends as a member of Parliament. The whole theme of the film, however, is wrapped up in the humour of the situation and the dialogue. It would be difficult to imagine a family born to more trouble. It is a picture everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, will enjoy. There is an attractive list of supporting items.