ENTERTAINMENTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 262, 5 November 1930, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS.

EDUCATION BY THE "TALKIES."

' (To the Editor.) As one of the public I am unable to overlook "Vaudeville Artist's" letter. In ,| the past eighteen years, and until eighteen months ago, I saw every professional, flesh and blood entertainment given in Auckland and was quite satisfied with them, j because, never having'been out of the country, I knew no better, although friends returning from visits abroad, and having seen London, Continental and New York shows, remarked on the inferior productions we saw in this country. The "talkies," bringing some of the world's best talent, to us, have shown us what V mediocre talent we had been receiving, and as it is the public who pay for their enter-,, tainment, they have a right to the best when " they can get' i£ , Personally I could never sit out another show from Australia after seeing and hearing such magnificent productions as. - "The Vagabond King," "The Rogue Song," "No, No, Nanette," "King of Jazz," "The Love Parade," "The jLast of Mrs. Cheney," "Madame X," "The Laughing Lady," "Sarah and Son," "Anna Christie,' '"Charming Sinners," "Disraeli," "Condemned," "Seven Days' Leave," etc., and if the "talkies" were taken away from us many of us would just lose interest and stay away from the theatres altogether. It is just a case of the survival of the fittest. There are just as many cases of unemployment amongst actors, singers, dancers, muSicicns, stage hands, etc., in the countries where the, studios are situated, but the public always demands the-best; and when the "talkies" can bring to us better entertainments than we can see in flesh and blood, shows, why should we not have them? "The show's the tiling," irrespective of nationality. Do these small-minded people who are so prejudiced against America ever stop to think of the dozens of English actors, directors, et<s., who would be unemployed but for the American' ' studios? Clive Brook, Ronald Colman,-Regin-ald Denny, even Charles Chaplin', to mention only a few, migrated to the United States after-fruitless efforts to obtain work on the'. London stage. ONE OF THE AUDIENCE. ' \