SINGING IN THE SOUTH

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22436, 24 June 1938, Page 5

SINGING IN THE SOUTH

No southern romance is complete without weeping willow trees, magnolia blossoms, moonlight, and mocking birds, to say nothing of crinolines, mint juleps, and fox hounds. All these have their picturesque part in “Follow Your Heart,” starring Marion Talley and Michael Bartlett, which will begin to-day at the Plaza, with “Reckless Living.” Marion Talley is the famous operatic singer, and Michael Bartlett is a well-known young American tenor. The story concerns the impoverished Forrester family, Uncle Tony, Aunt Louise, Papa Henri, and daughter Marian, who occupy a run-down mansion near Louisville. Tony is offered a band-directing job in a neighbouring town, but when, after a few weeks the show falls through, he and Louise bring home the whole troupe to stay with them indefinitely. Marian was soon to be married to Harrison Beecher, but has now to change her plans until the non-pay-ing “guests” depart. The advance agent, baggage man, publicity manager, and principal singer of the troupe is Michael Williams, a man with a golden tenor voice and an equally golden smile. He admires Beecher—only for his choice of a fiancee, but at the same time determines that his shall be the stronger claim. Marian in turn dislikes Michael, and does not bother to hide it. One day while she is demonstrating how to sing before one of her father’s pupils, Williams hears, and is fascinated. He begs her to become the troupe’s star, but she refuses. However, not deterred, Williams immediately starts preparations for an open-air stage on the lawn, using the house as a back-drop, and weeping willows for the curtain. He organises a negro chorus, collects dancing girls from nearby, and keeps an ace card up his sleeve to make Marian change her mind and say “yes” to the leading feminine role. The opening night arrives, the lawn is packed, but still Michael has no prima donna; Marian still refuses to help him. “Reckless Living” is the story of an inveterate gambler. Danny Farrell (Robert Wilcox), a race-track follower, is trying to make a stake that wiU-penn# fcixn, $o go to bis home

“Follow Your Heart” and “Reckless Living”

town, but luck has been very much against him. With the rest of his friends, who live in the boardinghouse of Mother Ryan (May Boley), he is broke. Even his friend Stuffy (Jimmie Savo), proprietor of a tipsheet, is broke. Danny is in love with Laurie (Nan Grey), a night club singer, but he cannot tell her of his love, as he 13 penniless. She seems very interested in Stanley Shaw (William Lundigan), a young horse owner. Danny plays hunches, “sure things,’* and tips, but his luck is bad until he is hit by a speeding car and gets 300 dollars in damages. He bets this and wins 1200 dollars, which he swears he will not gamble away but use to start a business back home. He asks Laurie to marry him, but she is offended at his manner of proposing and they quarrel. And so further complications follow before everybody is happy.

Emulating other successful graduates from the 20th Century-Fox stock school, June Storey contributes a brilliant performance in support of Gloria Stuart and Michael Whalen, co-featured in “Island In the Sky,” * • * The film critic of the London “Sunday Express” reports as follows on the “Goldwyn Follies”: “Andrea Leeds looks ravishing in technicolour. Goldwyn’s dummy star —Charlie McCarthy—is brilliant. Vera Zorina is lovely. Phil Baker is extremely funny. The Ritz Brothers—l find they grow on me.” » « « After 56 years as an actress, Dame May Whitty, the distinguished British contemporary of Sir Henry Irving, Ellen Terry, and other stage immor tals, discovered that she had to take a course in doughnut-making to play a screen role. The occasion was Walter Wanger’s “I Met My Love Again,” in which Joan Bennett and Henry Fonda are currently co-starring. In the film Dame Whitty plays Joan’s indulgent aunt and the role requires that she turn out a batch of doughnuts. * » * Claire Trevor and June Lang will be featured as leading players in a new series dealing with the adventures of two modern girls. The first in the series goes into production at 2fith CenturyFox shortly