EMPIRE

Evening Star, Issue 22456, 29 September 1936, Page 11

EMPIRE

‘ Wife versus Secretary,’ in which Metro-Gold wyn-Mayer present “ the perfect - triangle,” is having its Dunedin season at the Empire. In recent years Hollywood producers have specialised in stories which provide wide scope for the introduction of bright and witty dialogue, combined with a delightful flavouring of romance and the merest suspicion of • drama. The present film has all these ingredients, and the combination is an ideal one. For the audience in search of a change from the usual run of romances, murder mysteries ,and adventure stories, no better entertainment could lie suggested. ‘ Wife versus Secretary ’ is a brilliant example of the modern trend in screen entertainment. Apart from the care

which has been taken with the direction, the film is chiefly notable for the excellent performances of its three leading players, Myrna Loy, Clark Gable, and Jean Harlow. Both Myrna Loy, as the wife of a wealthy business man, and Jean Harlow, as his attractive secretary, aro_ perfectly suited for their roles, and it is seldom that either has been seen to better advantage. ‘THE BOHEMIAN GIRL.* The colourful favourite of the legitimate stage, ‘ The Bohemian Girl,’ is transferred to the screen with no loss of charm in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film of that name, which will commence a season at the Empire on Friday. Apart from the inherent attractions of the story, the two whimsical humorists Laurel and Hardy give one of their best performances yet seen, reminiscent in many ways of their role in ‘ Fra Diavolo ’ The whole setting is picturesque, the quaint gipsy caravans forming thencamps in beautiful rustic settings. The story deals with the adventures of the two gipsy comrades, Laurel and Hardy, who have placed in their care the stolen daughter of Count Arnheim, kidnapped by Devilshoof, another gipsy, as revenge for a flogging imposed by the count. The vagaries of the plot present plenty of opportunity for mirth-provoking incidents, and the final stages are humorous in the extreme. Throughout the film the tuneful music of the opera is introduced, the choruses and individual singers being beyond reproach. ) -