MAJESTIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 301, 12 March 1928, Page 15

MAJESTIC

“FUN IN THE CLOUDS” A most successful laughter campaign —“a real Majestic Laughter Campaign” it has been described—is being carried out at the Majestic Theatre. • Laughter makes good blood,” is a medical truism, and for mental health, a poet says, “Gaiety is the soul’s health, sadness is its poison.” “One laugh is worth a hundred groans,” says Charles Lamb, and the Majestic management is confident that laughter will exclude all groans during the screening of this hilarious programme. Orchestra and pictures are inoculated with joy germs, especially the feature picture, “Fun in the Clouds,” or “Publicity Madness,” with Edmund Lowe and Lois Moran. To begin with Edmund Lowe is cast in another character of the go-gettum type and plays the part to perfection, tie is the breezy soap salesman whose advertising schemes make over an almost defunct soap works. His characterisation leaves nothing to be desired and through it he adds one more success to his long list of triumphs. Lois Moran reveals a new self in her interpretation of Violet Henly, daughter of the owner of the soap works. Her change from a shy little old-fashioned girl into a sophisticated stenographer and her subsequent adventures proved her to be a truly clever actress. More than that her portrayal of the role puts her into the class of comediennes as well as adding to her reputation of a dramatic actress. A comedy in which thrills and humour are cleverly intermixed is “Slipping Wives,” starring Priscilla Lean and Herbert Rawlinson, two well-known comedians. Priscilla Dean appears in the amusing role of the wife, who, finding life rather quiet and uneventful, hires a man to make love to her. Stan Laurel is very amusing as the paid lover. Another amusing film is one of those popular Aesop Fable cartoons, “House Cleaning.” A most unusual and picturesque film i$ “Romantic Alhambra,” showing Granada. The ever-popular Majestic Magazine contains very notable scenes of the dense fogs which enfolded London last November, novel scenes of tanks wrecking wooden buildings and, for the special benefit of our many lady patrons, a short colour film showing the latest Parisian fashions.

Mr. Whiteford-Waugh and his Majestic Orchestra must be complimented upon their musical programme this week. A most attractive musical interlude are two duets by Mr. Frank Poor© (flute) and Mr. J. McGregor (clarinet), who cleverly render “The Mad Scene” from "Lucia Di Lammermoor” and "Two Little Bullfinches” (Kling). Among the many musical gems rendered are a fantasia on the opera, "Inquisitive 'Women’' (Wolf-Ferari), “Suite Mignon” (Sibelius), "Norwegian Dances” (Grieg), "Wit hes’ Dance” (MacDowell) and delightful selections from the musical comedy "Mary.” John Gilbert was the guest of honour at a very odd party during the making of “The Cossacks,” his new Metro-Gold wyn-Mayer picture, when the Cossacks brought from Europe specially for the picture held a native festival in the evening in the Cossack village built for the production. They sang Russian songs, played Russian games, and generally had the time of their lives. Renee Adoree, the wellknown French player, has the leading feminine role,