LIGHT SOCIAL DRAMA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 254, 27 October 1938, Page 3

LIGHT SOCIAL DRAMA

"MANPROOF” AT MAJESTIC BRIGHT AND AMUSING A light social drama in which witty conversation and the ultramodern “streamlined” type of acting play big parts, "Manpouf,” commencing on Saturday at the Majestic Theatre, is bound to keep its audiences amused and entertained. It is not really a comedy, although it is exceptionally bright, with the drama in it not too heavily emphasised. Handled by the wrong actors, it might have become rather boring at times, as it approximates more to the stage' play than does the usual screen story. The tale is that of Mimi, a young society girl who fancies she is in love with a man-about-town of the real American type. Unfortunately he marries a girl with a great deal more money than Mimi, who, after creating several scenes, recovers to find herself a man-hater. On the return of the couple from their honeymoon, however, she manages to capture the husband back fcr a while, and the result might be permanent were it not for the shrewd generalship of the wife. Franchot Tone gives a performance with all his usual easy grace as a newspaper artist, a friend of Mimi's novelist mother and one who is very concerned in preventing Mimi from making a fool of herself. He has some very clever lines to say, and he delivers them with that touch for which he is famous. As Mimi, Myrna Loy is also in her best form. Rosalind Russell, as a normal type of gracious, sympathetic, understanding society giri, gives a performance which again shows her calibre as an actress. Walter Pidgeon is the typical man-about-town.