HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19472, 6 May 1925, Page 8

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE

“ THE BROKEN TOG.” It was an expectant house that greeted in His Majesty's 'theatre last evening the second production of the Thurston Hall season here. The piece chosen for the change of programme was the fantastic Mexican comedy, ‘"The Broken Wing.” The scenes of the four acts are nil hud in and about the. home of Luther Farley, an Englishman living in an isolated part of Mexico, with his beautiful adopted daughter Inez. “The Broken Wing" labours throughout under the disability that its humour is largely based on American antipathies and prejudices against Mexicans, antipathies that lose much of their point in this part of the world. The broken half-foreign speech of the swashbuckling Mexican bandits, mixed ns it was with not a little picturesque slang, added another nnfamilar element that was not always easy to follow. The central figure in the story is Inez, the passionate Spanish orphan girl. The loud and swaggering* Captain Innoceneio mans to have her for his own, hut: Inez hates dirty “greasers”—apparently the American term of affection for Mexicans — and prays to have a nice clean “gringo”— which being translated is a white man, for her own. The stage effect in which most interest centred occurs at the very end of the first act. when during a storm an aeroplane comes crashing through the side of Farley’s house with sufficient noise, din, and destruction to satisfy the most jaded appetitite for sensation. One of the intrepid aviators is killed. The other, I’hillin Marvin, Inez promptly adopts as her heaven-sent “gringo,” and makes no secret of the fact that she has got him and intends lo hang on to him. Marvin loses his memory of iho past as a result of the crash, am! ihe remainder of the story depends on the various erratic turns Hint his consciousness, takes. The braggart. Caplain, or sometimes “General,” Innoceneio finds out that Marvin is Iho wealthy head of a big firm, and sees a chance of making 100,000 dollars ransom money out of him. To this end he secures the services of an American vouth named 'Cross, who journeys to New York and brings back Marvin's wife Cecilia —and her jttvvels. Marvin quite fails to recall her but in his dazed state is persuaded to agree to return with* her, though he lias already gone through a form of marriatp* with the insistent Inez. Cecilia leaves her jewels with Innoceneio as security for the ransom. At the verv Inst moment of the play Inez and Marvin whizz oil in their aeroplane, dropping from it as a parting shot a message which explains Hint both Cecilia and Cross are merely brilliantly ingenious members ol the United Stales secret service, who have outwitted Innoccneio's ransom scheme and loft the bloodthirsty brigand, with noth mu bill a few paste jewels to console him. J lie entjmsiasVn wilh which Ibis denouemen would be received by a patriotic American audience could be readily imagined. It. must,be franklv admitted that, neither story nor dialogue give opportunity to t.'e actors to show their highest capabilities, and it would be scarcely fair to judge them on this piece. Most would agree that, much the best performance of the evening wn> that of Miss Oladvs Webster, who gave a verv consistent study of Inez, the hotblooded. loyal Spanish beauty. Her pretty broken speo~h wa.s maintained without n flaw and towards the dose she infused not only passion, but a touch of real nathns into her acting. Mr Thurston Hall presented the conventional portrait of a rioisv, blustering brigand, who shoots anybodv he doesn’t like, and who makes the blond run cold with his throaty, piratical chuckles over his gruesome work. A* Luther barley the English sen contain, who has brought , up Inez. Mr Reginald Carrington had a somewhat difficult, part lo play, and it was not. easy to imagine why a man of his apparent good character should be so anxious for Inez to wod the ndTinmy Innocencio. As Philip Marvin, Mr Leslie Bairio made of the most of a part whose inconsistencies and improbabilities were not easy tr, cover over, and lie left the impression of the handsome, honest, good fellow who thoroughly deserved to win the willing beautiful bride. Mr Monty olf made something of a burlesque of the part of Cross, the secret sendee agent, but doubtless that was all part of the deception. The part of Cecilia was not a big one, but it was well and effectively done by Miss Madge North. Mr Cnrleton Stewart, ns General Aguilar, another bombastic brigand chief, and Air helix Bland, as Bassiles. and Mr Herbert T.eigh as Marco, contributed not a little broad burlesque comedy of tlio clown type. Ouiehifa (Miss Holeuor Bnvnn). the Mexican servant maid, had also a considerable share in the humour of the piece. There is a m;oat deal of fun ‘both in action raid in dialogue spread through the play, and it kept the heartily amused, though most of i( is of a Iron that- would bo more keenly appreciated in the country of its origin than here. . > Great attention has been paid to Iho scenery of “The Broken Wing,” and- the distant perspective looking' out across barren Mexican downs bathed in sunlight is very finely managed. The music supplied hv the orchestra during the intervals was delightful. “The Broken Wing" will lie presented here for Ihe last time thisevening.