“MOULIN ROUGE.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20364, 23 July 1934, Page 3

“MOULIN ROUGE.”

Constance Bennett’s First Musical Comedy.

“Moulin Rouge," the musical film which was presented to capacity audiences at the Plaza Theatre on Saturday, is a triumph for Constance Bennett, who appears in her first musical cornedv role and gives a strikingly successful performance. With a refreshingly original story, superb acting and perfect ballets and musical ensembles, “Moulin Rouge" is delightful entertainment in which comedy drama and romance are blended. Based on a French stage success of the saqii; name, the play was specially written for Constance Bennett by Harrv Warren and A 1 Dubin, who composed "Gold Diggers of 1933," “ Forty-second Street” and “Reman Scandals.” Two sparkling song numbers. “Coffee in the Morning and Kisses in the Night” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams," are presented by Constance Bennett with full orchestral and ballet accompaniment. Important roles are taken by Franchot Tone, Tullio Carminati and Helen Westley. and Andrew Tombes and Russ Brown, famous New Y ork stage comedians, and the Boswell Sisters and Russ Columbo, well-known radio stars, appear in speciality numWi-f. Tullio Carminati sings “Seng of Surrender.” The story concerns the attraction the stage holds for a young married woman named Helen, whose husband, a successful playwright (Franchot Tone), thinks she should sit at home and sew and cook. Previous to her' marriage she had been on the stage with Raquel. a girl who resembles her in everv detail except colouring. Raquel has since become famous on the Paris stage and is engaged to take the leading part in the play which Helen’s husband has written. Helen, however, still has ambitions to appear on the stage, and she takes advantage of Raquel’s desire to be relieved of her engagement by taking her place. This necessitates her changing from a brunette to a blonde, and she plays the part of Raquel so successfully that her husband becomes a slave to her charms without being aware that she is his wife. This unexpected development nearly wrecks her conjugal happiness, but by a twist of fate everything becomes straightened out before disaster is re_ached. The production of the film is" especially good, and Constance Bennett’s portraval of the widely-differing roles «>f Helen and Raquel is excellent. The supporting programme is a fine one and includes the first of a new series entitled “March of Years.” This consists of important news happenings of bygone years presented in pictorial form. There are also newsreels, a fine “organlogue” by Jesse Crawford entitled “Trees,” a fascinating nature study concerning of prey, and a Mickey Mouse and Pluto cartoon.