MAJESTIC THEATRE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 126, 30 May 1935, Page 9

MAJESTIC THEATRE

•‘THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP” As enduring as the English language itself are the immortal works uf Charles Dickens, who, as a lover of the intricacies and eccentricities of human character, brought to life in the pages of his novels a host of brilliantlypainted personalities. Into “The Old Curiosity Shop,” the screen version of which is now at the Majestic Theatre, Dickens wove a deep and human drama which, through the character of that delightful and pathetic iigure Little Mell, achieved a poignancy which makes the book one of the really monumental works of English literature. It was indeed artistic justice that a British studio should have produced this classic. . It has handled the long and diverse original in a most convincing style, attaining one of those rare examples of faithfulness which only occasionally adorn the screen. It has caught with remarkable clarity what Dickens intended to convey in his story—the tragedy of Nell and the loneliness of her pathetic little figure. Thomas Bentley, the producer, is a Dickens connoisseur, and the result of his great experience is a picture which is undoubtedly a screen classic. One characterisation especially calls for mention; it is that of the unforgettable Quilp, who, as played by Hay Petrie, must become one of the most brilliant characterisations of film history. All the loathsome, domineering, and bitter rascality of Dickens’ original pendrawing is given MTe in a manner that will remain a memory with all who see this remarkable picture. Nell is played by Elaine Benson and the grandfather by Ben Webster; their acting is delightful, while such figures as Brass (Gibb McLaughlin), the scoundrel lawyer, Dick Swiveller (Reginald Purdell), the lighthearted ne’er-do-well, and the frightened Mrs. Quilp (Beatrix Thomson) Bre portrayed with wonderful realism. The picture is one of Britain’s outstanding successes, and its cast is undoubtedly one of the finest combinations yet seen. The supporting programme is of the usual high Majestic standard. “Girls Will be Boys” An English comedy in which a naturally funny story is made still more laughable by excellent acting, “Girls Will be Boys,” which comes on Saturday to the Majestic Theatre, is excellent entertainment. As might have been expected of a film in which Cyril Maude takes the lead, there is an abundance of witty dialogue which adds appreciably to the merriment of a very good story. Masquerading as a member of the other sex is always a source of prolific amusement, as ‘ ‘ Charley’s Aunt” showed years ago, and in “Girls Will be Boys,” the predicament of a very pretty girl striving to win the affections of an aristocratic and irascible grandfather by being a very athletic and manly grandson, is productive of some of the funniest scenes that have appeared in any film.