"THE MAN I LOVE" DELIGHTS AUDIENCE AT MAJESTIC.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 35, 13 March 1930, Page 2

"THE MAN I LOVE" DELIGHTS AUDIENCE AT MAJESTIC.

A first-class all-talking picture witb a diversity of backgrounds, but act-ually the simplest of tbemes, Paramount's latest success, "Tlie Man I Love" provided great entertainment for a packed house at the popular Majestic last nigbt. Mary Brian and Richard Arleu were tbe featured playeors in tbis fine production in which they bave added considerably to tbeir great reputation on tbe talking sheet. An old favourite seen in a typical role was Baclanova, who delighted Iflst nigbt' s audience with her modern por-ti-ayal of a vamp of tbe brightest type. Tlie production, tbe work of William A. Wellman was a wortby successoo* to "Wiugs," "Beggars Of Life" and others of that great producers successes, for it represented screenic entertainment on the highest plane, while the reproduction was as perfect as could 'be wished for. The story hriefly was that of Dum-Dum Brooks, a second grade fighter around Los Angeles who fell in love with a girl named Celia Fields. They decided to get married and despite the protest of llis manager Brooks headed for New York, where he won a contract and incidentally the admiration of an exotic society woman. During the next six months Brooks won fifteen fights and was booked for a bout with the champion. Celia, knowing of Brooks' affair with Sonia, was deeply hurt, and the society woman's lover saw his chance of revenge. He induced the boxer to drink heavily and then precipitated a brawl in Sonia' s apartment. The next morning Brooks learned that Celia had left him and that he had been signed to fight the champion. The night of the championship 'bout found him nervous and things were going badly for him in the ring wlien Celia stood up amongst the audience and cheered him on. From thenceforward the aetion moved rapidly to a happy and satisfying conclusion. It was all splendid entertainment and was thoroughly appreciated by last night's audience. In support was a really excellent programme of short features, which ineluded two screaminglv funuy comedy items, "Put On Your Old Bonnet" and "My Wife's Birthday," which had the audience almost weeping with excessive laughter prior to the start of the big feature. The selection of sound topicals was also one of the finest that has been seen at the theatre for a long time. Taken as a whole, the foill was first class entertainment and would take a lot of beating as far as popularity with the audience was concerned.