THEATRE ROYAL.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20168, 21 February 1931, Page 11

THEATRE ROYAL.

ft ' :.', f "QUEEN HIGH" TO-DAY.

SPARKLING' MUSICAL COMEDY. f

■When you talce two such jtibla funny men* as Charlie Buggies and Fratik Morgan,' arid" pnf them in a play with the hilarious possibilities which "Qufcen Sigh" provides, you need nothing more for an evening, or afternoon or morning for that matter, of flrst-class entertainment. Paramount has taken 'just thoßO'ingredients and'a whole bagful more,, in filmicating the explosion of • laughs that is "Queen High," which opens at tlio Theatre Royal to-day. "Quoon High" was originally a ■ Schwab and Mandel musical comedy smash-hit in New York. In its audible celluloid form it retains »U the sure-fOB-laugha craftsmanship o£ the producers (who are hilled as th© makers and stagers of-the film), and all-the original wit of the basic piece, "A Pair of .Sixes," the firce-comedy by EdwaVd H. Peples, which started it all.- Buggies and Morgan-are the partners in a garter-pro-ducing business, who know how to support ladies' garments with their wares, but who do' not know how to support- each other's opinions with any degree of paelflsm. After many fights,- their lawyer suggests that- they each draw a hand of poker, to determine who - will be the other's butler. Buggies loses, and thereafter is the mantervaut in the home of Morgan. : Laugh follows.'.laugh as the humorous situations pile up in swift tempo. But the luckless Ruggles learns of,a way to end ail Morgan's Itfrdly ordering about. He makes up to his "master's wife." That fetches the indignant Mortcan. In fact, it nearly- drives him cuckoo. The finale is, good tor a ■ prolonged' howl of laughter. Stanley Smith and Ginger Rogers .are great as the, romantic juveniles of the piece. Fine character comedy is provided by .Betty Garde, Helen Carrington, Nina Olivette, and Tom Brown.. There . are several catchy melodies in the production, ''lt ; Seems to Me" and. "I'm Afraid of You," Bung by Stanley Smith and Ginger Rogers, seem . to" be the outstanding love ■ songs. -"Queen High" is sparkling- divertissement. The.box plans are as usual.