"ROOKIES."

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19165, 23 November 1927, Page 13

" ROOKIES."

A SERIES OF LAUGHS. A "Rookie" is a species of soldier. But why be concerned with just what he if, when all that those interested in "Rookies" will be concerned about is the immense humour, sly wit, and really clever comedy of the picture. This Metro-Goldwyn-Msyer production will be presented at the Liberty Theatre next week, and unblushingly is proclaimed, if not the funniest of all very funny pictures exhibited locally during the last year, it is in the first flight thereof. George K. Arthur, who has been seen in some exquisitely humorous parts in such films as "Kiki" and "Her Sister from Paris," plays the chief Rookie, or Citizen Trainee, and Karl Dane plays the Ser-geant-in-Command, who pursues, like an unrelenting Fury, the unhappy recruit. Always it is the sergeant who causes the trainees to melt in tears, and rend the high heavens with lurid language. But he gets its back, or, at least, he gets it in the neck—in this case it is in the shin, because before the judge sentenced the hero to be a Kookie, he was a fancy dancer. It is quite true that old soldiers never die; but it is equally true that Rookies drive them mad. This story is very bright and nmusiug, but if any other actor had been cast as Greg Lee (played by George Arthur), the picture would have been a dismal failure. It is original, it is in parts slapstick, it is very often perilously thrilling, and always it is riotously funny, but comedv is always difficult to describe, and the most "and the best that even the best critic can write is to reiterate that it is hugelv funny, brilliantly smart, and at every turn and in everv scene- characterised by George K. Arthur, "the coming funny man of the. Universal screen. As Sergeant Diggs, Karl Dane, who also plays the only comedy role in "The Big Parade," is likewise a rare tonic, while Prank Currier, Tom O'Brien, nnd Lincoln Steadman complete the humorous cast, Marcelinc Hay plays the feminine lead To-morrow morning the box plans will open at The Bristol Piano Company, where patrons are urged to book seats.