MAJESTIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 265, 30 January 1928, Page 13

MAJESTIC

SYD CHAPLIN’S MIRTH-MAKER A most successful laughter campaign Is being carried out at the Majestic Theatre this week. The whole programme is bright and varied, with not one dull moment. Each film is different, and yet each one is sparkling. There is just one long laugh. Heading the hilarious programme is one of the funniest comedies of all time, “The Missing Link,” with Syd. Chaplin and Akka, the monkey actor. Of all the remarkable animals that have figured in motion .pictures of late, the most astounding is Akka, the chimpanzee. There have been any number of intelligent animals seen in the movies, but it is doubtful if there has ever been one to exhibit more "“camera sense” than this four-year-old simian, that is held to be actually worth his weight in gold “The Missing Link” is a riot —a good old-fashioned slambang burlesque, where trousers are lost, labels accidentally pasted on prominent portions of the anatomy, paste buckets and brushes applied ad lib, and stuffed clubs wielded with deadly effect to the humorous sensibilities of the audience. The picture has the distinction of being utterly devoid of any subtlety. nothing is suggested; everything is shouted, each laugh is pounded home with the same lusty red-blooded vehemence with which Akka slams the unprotected dome of his brother dromeo. Akka’s best piece of work is felt to be in a scene he has in the kitchen of the African camp. Coming into the room, and jumping on a chair, the chimpanzee spies a plate filled with eggs. Looking slyly around, Akka is assured that no one is watching him. Picking up one of the eggs, Jie lets it fall to the floor in an experimental manner. After regarding the results for a moment, he throws the next. Then, with increasing force, he throws the remainder of the eggs, jumping higher and higher, and laughing harder ancl harder at the results. The supporting programme is in accord with the main pictorial feature, and is composed of the Majestic Magazine, with scenes of the Wild West rodeo brought to a New York theatre, racing at Plimco, a giant spotlight in New York, a very interesting film of two elephants, Sir Allan Cobham leaving for Africa, a naval Soccer match at Southampton, and last, but not least, the latest Parisian fashions for Eve. A highly entertaining cartoon. “Aged in the Wood—Second 200 Years,” described as a comedy out of the ordinary, and a beautiful scenic of Alaska, conclude a notable pictorial programme. The popular Majestic orchestra, under the conductorship of Mr. Whiteford-Waugh, renders a superb musical programme, and specially features as its overture “Ler Freischutz” (Weber). Among the many musical gems rendered are selections from the musical comedies “Tangerine” (Sanders) and “Blue Paradise” (Romberg), “Three African Lances” (Ring), the ballet music from “Salammbo” (Arends), “La Fontaine” suite (Mouton), and Xerdi’s “Prelude.”-