COMEDY AND DRAMA.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 829, 1 August 1933, Page 3

COMEDY AND DRAMA.

“ The Monkey’s Paw ” and “ Easy Street.”

A " thriller ” that offers no mystery, and which contains satisfying elements of romance and whimsical humour—such is “ The Monkey’s Paw,” which heads the current programme at the Liberty Theatre. The screen play is based upon W. W. Jacobs’s famous story of the same title, and its vigorous drama is ably interpreted by a strong cast of British-born players. America’s only representative in the cast is Louise Carter, as Jenny White, wife of an elderly, middle-class English clerk, to whose household a mummified monkey’s paw brings sudden tragedy. Most of the action takes place in old John White’s country cottage, on an evening when the countryside is lashed by a furious storm. Suspense is heightened rapidly until the story reaches a totally unexpected ending. As John White, the meek, harmless old clerk, Ivan Simpson is always natural and convincing. So, too, is C. Aubrey Smith, in the role of the not-too-truthful old soldier. Bramwell Fletcher and Betty Law ford capably furnish the romantic interest. Supporting the main feature is a reissue of one of Charles Chaplin’s old silent successes, •* Easy Street.” Synchronised sound and musical effects lend a modern touch, but the film preserves all the Chaplin tradition. The story is well-known; briefly, it pictures Chaplin as a vagrant who rises suddenly to the rank of policeman and in meteoric fashion, converts a district of thugs and similar gentry into a collection of mission-going citizens. Topical events are featured in a number of newsreels, which, with a clever cartoon, make up the supporting programme.