THE MAJESTIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 115, 5 August 1927, Page 15

THE MAJESTIC

“THE BELOVED ROGUE” “An unsurpassable entertainment” describes the new array of attractions being offered at the Majestic for the first time to-night. It is the honest opinion of the management that “The Beloved Rogue” is one of the greatest pictures ever screened at the theatre. It is a veritable screen classic, by virtue of its fascinating story, the superb acting and the magnificent production. John Barrymore has never been so versatile or so lovable as in this rollicking story of Francois Villon, the daring poet of 15th century France. A programme of splendid music has been arranged by the Majestic’s musical director, John Whiteford-Waugh, for the new orchestra. It is not merely an accompaniment, but a glorious attraction in itself. Wostenholm’s great composition, “Question and Answer,” will be featured by the orchestra in connection with a novel competition. The audience is asked to interpret the meaning of the question and answer. The best interpretation will win a beautiful and valuable prize, a brass bowl, hand wrought in a curious peacock design, with coloured enamels. Symbolical motion picture settings, reflecting with rare fidelity the sentiment and tempo of the action shown against the various backgrounds, are achieved for the first time in “The Beloved Rogue,” at the Majestic tonight. Credit for what is destined to be acknowledged the greatest piece of art direction on the screen belongs to William Cameron Menzies, art director for the Joseph M. Schenck organisa-

tion. His stupendous and entirely original settings in the latest Barrymore classic climax all his previous efforts, in such productions as “Kiki.” “The Thief of Bagdad,” “The Eagle,” “Rosita,” “The Son of the Sheik,” “The Bat” and other outstanding screen successes. In “The Beloved Rogue,” Menzies has endeavoured to make his settings, depicting Paris in the 15th century, actually express the “feeling” of the various sequences. That he has succeeded is apparent in the statement of Alan Crosland, director of the picture, that never before have such animated sets been built for the screen. The picture has been produced on a lavish scale, with many other settings of unaparalleled magnificence. Included in the settings are the town of Rouen, intriguing shots of Paris streets, the Hotel St. Pol with its tremendous throne rooms, the walls of Paris, with its massive catapults and engines of war. the Chateau of Thibault perilously perched atop a cliff and an interesting view of the colourful Court of MU ;<•*’.es, rendezvous of Paris’s petU . - as to whom the complex Villon was an idol. “The Beloved Rogue” is Barrymore’s first independent film production for United Artists release, and in his strong supporting cast there are, besides Miss Day, Conrad Veidt, great German character actor. Lawson Butt, Henry Victor, Jane Winton, Mack Swain and Slim Summerville.