AKAROA PICTURES

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LXIV, Issue 6579, 25 October 1939, Page 3

AKAROA PICTURES

CELEBRATED TENOR AND NEW FILM "FIND" SEEN IN MUSICAL ROMANCE

The world's gi'eatest living tenor and one of the screen's most recent discoveries —Nino Martini and Joan Fontaine—are linked in sparkling romance in "Music for Madame."

The picture, which conies on Saturday to the screen of the Akaroa Theatre, is a musical with a Hollywood setting, and features a cast that includes Alan Mowbray, Billy Gilbert, Alan Hale and Grant Mitchell. With its abundance of comedy and an ingenious plot, it is said to be one of the season's most notable offerings.

The story revolves about Martini's struggles to win a foothold in Hollywood—and at the same time avoid arrest as a participant: in a daring t'oobeiy thai, hp»* turned the screen world upside-down. luduced by a pair of crooks to sing a "Pagliacci" number at a big wedding reception in the belief that this will bring him to the attention of prominent film executives, Martini discovers too late that he has been a catspaw for the thieves. They have stolen a priceless necklace under cover of his singing, and warn him that they will kill him if he "squeals," while -the police are industriously searching for the mysterious tenor as an accomplice.

From this unique situation stem the many comic develope'ments of the plot. The efforts of a noted impressario who was present at the reception, to discover the owner of so remarkable a voice. Martini's shy romance with a little extra girl who has ambitions to become a great composer, the manhunt conducted by the district attorney and his staff, an attempted kidnapping, and the singular "singing duel" over the radio when Martini decides to give himself up and discovers that a rival tenor also claims to be the wanted man, all keep the story swinging

Woven into the action are many opportunities for the famous operatic star to reveal the famous voice. In addition to the "Pagliacci" song, "Vesti la Giubba," Martini sings five other songs: "Una Furtiva Lagrima" from Donizetti's opera, "Elixir of Love"; the well-known Neapolitan fisherman's song, "Santa Lucia"; the title song of the picture, "Music for Madame," wiitten by Allie Wrubel and Herb Magidson, two songs ol' Rudolph Friml. the famous musical comedy composer, and Gus Kahn — "Bambino" and 'I Want the World to Know."