Laurel and Hardy, flushed by the success of "The Devil's Brother," their first venture into light opera, have taken another plunge into musical fantasy and come up with "The Bohemian Girl," unquestionably their funniest production to date.

Although certain liberties have been taken with the original score and libretto, Balfe's opera has lost nothing by the addition of Mr. Hardy's slightly anachronous remarks, and Mr. Laurel's somnambulistic expressions. The production is beautifully mounted throughout and all the familiar music is there, although the audience is somewhat diverted during the song "I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halis" by Hardy's face, which shines like an electric light bulb and Laurel's phlegmatic consumption of three breakfasts.

Kidnapped Princess

The well known story of the little princess who was kidnapped by a band of Gypsies, is skillfully handled. In this version of the opera, the princess is taken from her father's castle by Mr. Hardy's unfaithful wife, who then rides away with another Gypsy, leaving the kidnapped child in the capable hands of Oliver and Uncle Stanley. Somehow she thrives and becomes a blonde young lady, played by Jacqueline Wells, while Laurel and Hardy demonstrate pickpocket ability that should make Harpo Marx wince.

Eventually the princess is restored to her father, but only after she has been rescued by Uncle Stanley, who is emboldened by several gallons of gypsy wine, absorbed inadvertently while he was bottling the liquid by a siphoning process. Incidentally, this bottling scene ranks as possibly the funniest we've yet encountered; and for an effective drug to ease you back to work after the pleasures of vacation, we can recommend nothing better.

Radle Racketeers

"You May Be Next," the rest of the program at the State only, is a rather unconvincing melodrama about racketeers, who get control of a device for interfering with radio programs and proceed to extort money from broadcasting companies. Lloyd Nolm, who plays the company engineer, is supposed to be the here, but has antagonized the audience so that he is roundly hissed when his rescuers free him. Ann Sothern is his lady love, and Douglas Dumbrille, who has been a villain for so long that he must have a criminal mind by now, is the racketeer.

The second picture at the Orpheum is "The Lady of Secrets," starring Ruth Chatterton and released with the comment that it is a "throbbing love story of a gallant lady who defied the tragedy of her past." C. W. W.