“MOULIN ROUGE.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20361, 19 July 1934, Page 3

“MOULIN ROUGE.”

Constance Bennett’s First Musical Comedy. “ The Silence of Dean Maitland ” will conclude its successful season at the Plaza Theatre to-morrow night. Of all the Reds which have troubled parents and puritans down the ages, and have titillated the Philistine hosts of the earth none has retained its piquant popularity like the old Red Mill of Paris. Although but a screen representation, “ Moulin Rouge,” which will be presented at the Plaza Theatre on Saturday, has the piquancy of its notorious namesake in that it provides beautiful and bizarre settings, haunting music, bursts of drama, romance and humour—all in a joyous, devil-may-care atmosphere. “ Moulin Rouge ” is a refreshingly different type of musical film. It is a'comedy-romance in which the musical scenes, while important, are definitely subordinated to the intensely interesting plot. Acting honours go to Constance Bennett, whose dual role is her greatest achievement to date. She portrays two widely-dif-fering characters with consummate skill, masquerading as a French actress who has been brought to New York by her husband’s firm. In this guise she finds her husband infatuated with her, which leads to many interesting and comical complications. Catchy songs form one of the many features which, with half a dozen unusual supporting characters and large-scale spectacles of stage magnificence, contribute to the all-round gaiety of the production. “ Moulin Rouge ” provides excellent entertainment. Box plans at the D.I.C.