AMUSEMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 246, 17 October 1929, Page 21

AMUSEMENTS.

ROXY THEATRE. Splendid entertainment is contained in the new programme at the Rosy Theatre, Not only is the main feature an attractive picture, but the short subjects, with novelties, singing and dancing, are bright and refreshing. "Manhattan Cocktail," which is a. sound-synchronised and singing film, has a distinguished cast headed by Richard Arlen and Nancy Carroll. The story concerns a pair of lovable youngsters in a. romantic melodrama of back-stage. There are ballets and gorgeous scenes that lift the picture out of "the ordinary. Fred (Richard Arien) and Babs (Nancy Carroll) are sweethearts at school, but when the boy is offered a faculty position upon graduation Babs, longing for success on Broadway, refuses his offer of marriage so that she may go to New York with Bob, also staze-struck. The story proceeds with Bob and Babs going to the great city, and the abandonment of Babs by Bob on account of another woman. Fred goes to New York to straighten out the tamrle, and is accused of forgery, and there is a risflit between Babs and a show manager. Another fight occurs between Bob and the showman, the latter being floored by an iron bar, and Bob leaping from the flys of the theatre to make his, escape is killed. It all ends happily tor the lovers of schoolday times, and they are wiser yet sadder people. The acting "s exceptionally good, and all the painstaking steps taken in producing a big Broadway musical comedy are shown. The picture should have a successiul S6cLSOH* REGENT THEATRE. In "The Letter," which is to be presented at the Regent Theatre on Saturday, the public is to be offered one of the greatest dramatic hits of the screen j or stage. W. Somerset Maugham gives a story of life as it is lived by some of the "white men and women who have been ensnared by the intriguing spell of the East. The star of the production, Jeanne Eagles, is one of Broadway 3 best known stars. This is her first picture and it is said that her histrionic ability and personality class her as a great actress. In this story Miss Eagles has great opportunities. Blinded by the fury of passion she commits a murder because she was in despair on account of her lover discarding her for a Chinese woman. She forgot she had written a ■ letter, and the question arises of who has the incriminating document? The fatal note, written in a moment of desperation, lays bare a woman's soul— a woman overcome by the monotony of the East, lonely, out of place, whose husband thought only of his business and the making of money. Accused of murder, fighting for her freedom, the letter is. a menace. What happened to it? This will be the question set the audience during the screening. There i.T-1 rmn-ir nnlnnrful spts- fl.ll of them DTe-

are many coiouriui sets, an 01 mem yicsenting the usual life of Singapore and the Orient. These include a bungalow in the midst of a rubber plantation, a courtroom holding 200 persona, a Chinese gambling house, homes of colonial settlers and jungle and. street scenes which could not be attempted on the stage. The jungle setting is emphasised throughout. Associated with the star are 0. P. Heggie, Herbert Marshall and ! Reginald Owen. The featurettes will ali be of an entertaining character. MAJESTIC IHEATKE; Popular as they are on the legitimate stage, mystery plays lend, themselves in even a more special degree to talkie reproduction. This ia demonstrated in the all-talking and sound picture, "Through Different Eyee," which opens at the Majestic Theatre to-morrow. Not only is the dialogue actually reproduced, but effects are included which, on the ordinary stage would be impossible. The whole story hinges on the varying effects on spectators in a court of justice conveyed by the examination and crossexamination of witnesses in a murder trial and the successive argument of: counsel for the prosecution and for the defence, and the presiding judge's summing up. Members of the jury and spectators evidently change their opinions over and over again as tie trial proceeds —they see, in fact, the whole thing "Through. Different Eyes." Arrested on a murder charge, the accused faces trial in a crowded courtroom. Witnesses are called for the prosecution and for the defence. They are examined and then severely cross-examined. Every word is distinctly heard—perhaps even more distinctly heard than by those who would attend such a trial. So perfectly is the mystery maintained that until the final scenes the solution remains in doubt. All in the courtroom appear to be spellbound, many clutching their seats in intense suspense. Whispering in the court is distinctly heard and then comes the crucial wait for the verdict. Edmund Lowe and Warner Baiter, who ecored such a sensational success in their first Fox Movietone all-outdoor production "In Old Arizona," are reunited in this picture, which has been made entirely indoors. Mary Duncan ia also featured. In addition the cast includes Natalie Moorehead, Earle Foxe, Florence Lake, Sylvia Sydney, Nigel de Brulier, and Dolores Johnson. There will also

be a. special programme of talking and sound featurettes. NATIONAL THEATRE. Fast-moving, its plot condensed -within twenty-four hours, the time elapsing between a prisoner's escape from the penitentiary and his settlement with law and justice, "The Voice of the City," will commence a season at the National Theatre to-morrow. "The Voice of the City" was written and directed tby Willard Mack, who also plays one of the leading roles in it. The story deals with the escape "of a man from prison who was sent : there for twenty years, although innocent. The chase of this man by Bif£, hard-boiled detective, his hiding by Johnny, a weakling, hia

snatched romance with his sweetheart, and his eventual release from the unjust charges, will provide theatregoers with an abundance of vivid and gripping entertainment. Willard Ma'k plays the detective, and Robert Ames and Sylvia Field play the leads. A second feature will be a British release, "The Flying Squad/ , an Edgar Wallace story. !j special, musical programme will add con-| i siderably to the entertainment. ■ ■■•' CRYSTAL PALACE.: f The Doctor's Secret," which Is the present headline attraction at the Crystal Palace Theatre, is one of the best dialogue pictures yet seen ia Auckland. It has at the head of the cast two famous players in the persona of Ruth Caattertoa and H. B. Warner. The dialogue is fine, and the acting of the whole cast far above the'average. The artists are English and the voices splendid,, The snpporta are varied and interesting. EMPRESS THEATRE. "The, Younger Generation," which had a successful ran on Queen Street recently, is the main attraction at the Empress Theatre, Newton. It is a talking, singing and dancing film, with Jean Hersholt, lina Basquette, and Ricardi Cortez in the leading roles. There is also-being screened a fall programme of taEdng and sound feataretiee.

STRAND THEATRE. AI Jolson in "The Jazz Singer" will j commence a season at the Strand I Theatre to-morrow. The long-awaited singing and talking presentation of the picturisation of Samson Raphaelson's comedy-drama, which continued to be a potent attraction on the legitimate stage, will be made a gala event. Of the production of "The Jazz Singer" it ie said that the Warners have lavished so much thought, care and attention that j they look upon the completed work as their supreme achievement. For nearly six months the picture was in active preparation. The story of the rise of the son of the cantor who deserted his home to become a jazz singer and at last was torn between the desire ox his father that he succeed him in the synagogue and his own desire to shine on Broadway is well known. Alan Croeland. who directed the picture, is said to have treated the story in the spirit in which it was conceived. That Jolson is the logical exponent of the story of the picture is clear from the fact that tie story of hie own life parallels it in many places. Chief in Jolson'a support is May MeAvoy as leading woman in the role" of Mary "bale Warner Oland has the role of the "elderly cantor. Among others in the numerous cast are Otto Lederer, Eugenie Besserer Cantor Josef Rosenblatt, Anders Randolf, William Demareat, Bobby Gordon, Richard Tucker and Nat C'arr. The supporting programme of talking featurettes has been chosen with discretion and contains many interesting items. PLAZA THEATRE. _ Eddie Bowling, one of the best-known singing comedians and romantic actors of the Broadway stage, who had great success in musical comedy, will be seen at the Plaza Theatre to-morrow in "The Rainbow Man." This is an alltalking and singing feature, the cast including Mariou Nixon, Frankie Darro and Sam Hardy. Critics have variously described Misa Nixon's speaking voice as "great," "gorgeous," and "pleasingly intelligent." "Tuo Rainbow Man" deals with the struggles ox a young minstrel trouper to rise to f<ime. He meets the girl while stopping at her father's hotel in the provinces. They fall in love, but he is ejected from the hotel, and from the show when he is found in a love scene with the girl, a/ter her father had forbidden her the company of actors. Later he is allowed to join his old troupe, and it is while they are playing a small city near the girl's town a year later that he sees her in the audience while he ia singing his song , , "Sleepy Valley." He breaks the song and pleads with her for a return of her love, as the audience gazes, thinking it is part of the show. But it is very real to Eddie and Marion, and the audience does not realise that it is genuine lovemaking until Sam Hardy, the producer of the minstrel show, steys forward and folia tiiom tiln trn+Ti na t>lo mit+jiJti falls

teii3 mem tne trnin as me curtain rau.« about the romantic pair. There will be a full programme of all-talkie supports. TIVOLt THEATRE. "The Divine Lady," ■'hieh is at present being shown at the Plaza Theatre, will commence a season at the Tivoli Theatre to-morrow. It is the love story of Lady Hamilton and Lord Nelson—the 3tory of an obscure girl who through her beauty and talent was able to sway the destinies of an Empire. There will be a full programme of talking supports.