MAJESTIC THEATRE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 221, 18 September 1934, Page 7

MAJESTIC THEATRE

“FOOTLIGHT PARADE.” Hollywood outdoes itself in lavishr.ess of spectacle in its latest musical extravaganza, “Footlight Parade,” showing finally to-day at the Majestic Theatre. Like the memorable “Gold Diggers, ” it depends on the endless colour of the backstage to provide its theme, which is by no means the weakest point of the production. However, it deals with an aspect of backstage musical comedy that is quite apart from the hackneyed basis of “42nd Street,” and the “Gold Diggers” film. It confines its angle of appeal to the producing side of a series of “prologues” staged as preliminary entertainments to cinema shows in American theatres, and centres round the adventures—comic, heroic, romantic and even tragic—of a bustling “idea man.” His task is to think up the construction and programmes or the various companies he sends out as playing units, to overcome difficulties and engage players—in fact, he is tjie show. James Cagney plays the? type to perfection. Ho keeps up his flow of activity with amazing persistence, surmounting the greatest obstacles with a praiseworthy doggedness that cannot be defeated. His matrimonial difficulties, combined with the thrice-welcome fact that the final real and culminating romance does not throw hero and heroine into a elincli, infuse more than just mere entertainment into the production. They give it a breath of human life and make the story, above all, plausible. “Happy.” Unanimously acclaimed by the English Press as “real entertainment,” “Happy,” Stanley Lupino’s riotous musical comedy, is certain to be tremendously popular throughout Australasia and New Zealand. In addition to the redoubtable Stanley, who is, of course, Britain’s laughter leader, 8.1. P. have gathered together a really brilliant cast of comedians, including Laddie Cliff, Will Fyffe, JJarry Tate, Jimmy Godden, and Gus McNaughton. What a cast! and what convulsing comedy they provide. The riotous story which comes to the Majestic to morrow, concerns a great invention of Lupino’s to check car thieving, but, unfortunately for Stanley it doesn’t work, and he, naturally, has considerable difficulty in selling it. Meanwhile he and his pals, George (Laddie Cliff) and Simmy (Will Fyffe), also rich in ideas and musical powers, in fact, everything but actual cash, manage to eke out an existence by attracting people to a cafe with their orchestra, snappy singing and clever dancing. It is here that Stanley meets “the only girl in the world.” The course of true love, however, is beset with all sorts and conditions of difficulties, for although the girl’s wealthy father, to whom Stanley is endeavouring to sell his “Police, police, stolen car” invention, thinks he is rich in worldly goods and of considerable social prominence, the humble inventor knows only too well that this is not the case, and that he may expect trouble when the truth is discovered.