REGENT THEATRE.

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 127, 3 June 1929, Page 5

REGENT THEATRE.

"The Bellamy Trial," the sound picture, is now in its second week at the Regent Theatre, mere are seventeen principal players, and during the filming of the huge courtroom scenes some eighty persons were under weekly contracts, and several hundred extra players were used. As tile woman on trial, Leatrlce Joy brings to the screen an Impressively sincere character delineation that reaps' for her new honours as a free-lnnce star. George Barrand Plays opposite her as the loyal husband who stands by his wife in the face of terrible accusations. Kenneth Thompson is the man defendant, the husband of the woman whose slaying provides the motivation of 'the plot. With the preponderance of evidence against them, the defendants listen to the prosecutor demand their lives to expiate the crime of which they are accused. An eleventh-hour development saves them from a conviction, but the murder remains unsolved until the last reel dramatic thrill shows all the amateur detectives in the audience how very wrongly they suspected perfectly innocent persons In the cast. The supporting sound pictures include solos by the famous jazz pianist, Victor Lopey, the appearance of Miss Ella Shields, the polished male impersonator, and songs by James Regan, the Irish tenor. The synchronised music is excellent throughout. For their second "talkie" picture, the Regent Theatre management have succeeded In securing "The Jazz Singer," which tells the life story of Al Jolson, Broadway's jazz singer. Jolson, for the purposes of this picture, lives his own life over again. It is the story of ,one who, through love of ,fame, left his home, and was brought back by a great love. For generations, the men of the Rabinowitz family have been the cantors of tjie Orchard Street Synagogue. Jakie has no wish to follow his father. He wants to sing in a dies- in a beer garden, 'Jake is "whipped by his father. Jakie runs away rather than be compelled to sing in the Synagogue, and for the next ten years makes his rounds of vaudeville. Hard up, Jakie, in accordance with custom, sings in a coffee-house and thrills all. It Is realised a genius has arrived. Sponsored by a charming little dancer, Jakie has a quick rise to fame. His mother receives from him a letter telling of his success and his friendship with the little dancer, Mary Dale. Jakie goes next to New York and is scarcely recog- . nised by his mother, so handsome and big has he grown. He goes to the piano and sings one of his songs and is forbidden the house by his stern and relentless father. He joins Mary at the theatre in a co-star act. The producer Is staking everything on the girl's judgment and Jakie feels tliat he must make good, riie last rehearsal takes place on tile night before \om Kippur and Jakie receives news that tlie cantor is very sick and cannot sing on that Jewish religious occasion. Never has there been a Yom Kippur without a Rabinowitz to sing and he is asked to flu the gap. He makes a decision and a theatre full of nrst-nighters is angered by the postponement ? w . Performance, but twelve months 1 later Jakie triumphs when he sings, "I'd Walk a Million Miles for One of Your Smiles, My Mammy, and Mary and his mother, who listen,^ know the sincerity and depth of feeling of. the singer.