PLAZA AND TIVOLI

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 543, 21 December 1928, Page 15

PLAZA AND TIVOLI

TWO GREAT COMEDIES According to some coiner of epigrams, “a drop of ink makes millions tliifik,” but to this journalist, when considering Johnny Hines’s latest picture, “The Wright Idea,” which was shown at the Plaza and Tivoli Theatres last evening, “a drop of ink makes millions laugh.” For such is the case when Johnny is behind the ink bottle. Johnny Hines has to this reviewer been the most original of comedians, and with this latest harlequinade of his. Johnny keeps up the pace and sets it speedier for others to follow if they can. A young man with tireless energy is Johnny, creating hilarious gags, smashing them home, and then springing a new one on us before we can recover from laughter at his first antic. “The Wright Idea” gives Johnny Hines the chance to be an inventor —an inventor of an ink that is both luminous and blotterless. It shines at night and it won’t smear. Well, that is the beginning, and is so often the case with we of the sterner sex, Johnny’s troubles commence when he encounters the girl. A harmless encounter to be sure, but some bonds are stolen from the girl’s purse, and she thinks Johnny stole them, although she hates to. So while Johnny tries to put his ink on the market, he is followed about by the girl and an absurd detective. And great comedy it is, too, leading to a hair-raising and hilarious episode aboard a yacht which I won’t tell you about. *lhe director has given his comedian an elaborate production, for besides the excellence and lavishness of the settings he has surrounded Johnny with an unusually large cast for a comedy production. Pretty Louise Lorraine is a charming heroine, and that admirable actor, Edmund Breese, scores heavily in a “nut” role. The second picture was also quite delightful. It is a picture where the fun of the waterfront and the thrills of the sea unite in a beautiful romance—quite the most charming that Dorothy Mackaill and Jack Mulhall have ever indulged in. This is “Waterfront, ' and tells of a girl from the land who wanted to go to sea and a sailor who wanted a farm. *

_ _ Al \ the Plaza Theatre, Mr. Howard Moody’s Symphonic Orchestra played tor the overture a Christmas Medley, incidental music included:—Suites, “Intermezzo” (Rosse), “On the Briny” fCarr), “Sea Nymphs” (Purdy), and Nautical Scenes” (Fletcher); selections, “No, No, Nanette” (Youmans), Half-past Eight” (Rubens), “Poppy” (Jones); also ballet, “La Source” (Delibes).