AMUSEMENTS.

Wairarapa Age, 22 August 1929, Page 6

AMUSEMENTS.

COSY THEATRE. “THE MAN WHO LAUGHS.” Everything about “The Man Who Laughs,” the Universal super-produc-tion now at the Cosy Theatre with Mary Philbin and Conrad Veidt in the starring roles, has been executed on a lavish and unprecedented scale. The settings, the costumes, the stars and featured players —even the extras —were the finest obtainable. Paul Leni the director, needed atmosphere players of exceptional ability for the important sequence depicting the English nobles in session in the tremendous House of Lords set. With the aid of the Universal casting office, Leni was able to obtain, as atmosphere players, many actors who have all been featured at some time, and a few of whom were ssars a few' years ago. The result was the best acted mob scene that has e ver been presented on the screen. Among the so-called atmosphere players were Henry Barrows, Broderick O’Farrell, Jack Fowler, Templar Saxe, Henry Roquemore, Archduke Leopold of Austria, Anton Vaverka, Allan Sears, Howard Davies, Les Bates, Charles Brlinley, D’Arcy Corrigan, Scott Seaton, Louis Stern, Al. H. Stewart, Charles Hancock, and Richard Barilo ct and many equally as well-known. The featured players supporting Miss Philbin and Veidt are George Siegmann, Olga Baclar.ova, Brandon Hurst, Torben Meyer, Julius Molnar, Jnr., Cesare Gravina, Stuart Holmes, Nick de Ruiz, Sam de Grasse, Edgar Norton, Charles Puffy, Josephine Crowell, Frank Pugila and Carmen Costello. An added attraction is the new Wurlitzer organ played by Miss M. Holmwood who features a special music score for “The Man Who Laughs.’’ Box plan at Vane’s. “RIO RITA.’’ A MUSICAL COMEDY TRIUMPH. Sir Benjamin and Mr. John Fuller, as the directors and controllers of the Fuller organisation, occupy a unique position in the world of the theatre, and they are acknowledged to be the most diversified caterers to the Australian and New Zealand amusementseeking public. There is no branch of entertainment into which they have not ventured, no form of theatrical attraction with which their names have not been associated. Now, as a cap to cheir achievements, comes the greatest musical comedy production of the age, °Rio Rita,” which will commence on Wednesday next at the Opera House. “Rio Rita” comes to the Dominion in its entirety, nothing having been deleted, and will be presented here on tho same lavish scale as ait the St. James’s Theatre, Sydney, where, it broke all records by playing for seven months to full .houses at every performance. Australia has long been recognised as the home of the world’s finest ballet girls and the very cream of these has been chosen for “Bio Rita.” The result is a beauty chorus and ballet, one of the finest that has ever been seen on the stage. As Rio Rita, Gladys Moncrieff has the part that suits her, an intense Mexican girl of the Texan border, loving and hating and singing with equal enthusiasm. Her song, “Bio Rita” is the hit of the piece. Delightful and attractive Janette Gilmore, who makes an outstanding personal success as Dolly, the cabaret girl, performs amazing acrobatics as she dances in eccentric and tireless style, doing a remarkably dexterous act on roller skates Dave Mallen is responsible for most of the laughs with which the show is well sprinkled. Mexican in theme, “Rio Rita ’ ’ lends itself to picturesque treatment, to gorgeous scenic effects, vividly aglow and pulsating with life. There is a delicious- quality of freshness, a kind of musical naivette about “Rio Rita” that captivates and delights. The box plans for the season will open at the Arts and Crafts on Saturday morning at 9 am.