DE LUXE THEATRE.

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 102, 27 October 1938, Page 15

DE LUXE THEATRE.

"Something to Sing About."

Hollywood's latest musical- film, 'Something to Sing About" commences at the De Luxe Theatre tomorrow. This picture is remarkable not only for its quality, but for the story behind it, which would put many movie plots to shame. It seems that there was a movie star, a dynamic little man spoken of by those who knew as one of the few real actors in Hollywood, who was in a fair way to being elected box office enemy No. 1. Cast in several roles which the public did not like, he played his parts with such gusto that he was soon accepted at face value, and receipts fell accordingly. At this stage another company offered to take over his contract for two pictures, after which, if he was a success in the new roles, the original company would have the option of taking him back. The pictures were made, their success surprised all but the canny backers of the rescuing company, and the star went back to his zenith. "Something to Sing About" was the first of the two pictures which brought about the change, and James Cagney is the star. Even when his popularity was at its lowest ebb, there was something different about Cagney's acting. It had power, character, a quality which marked it as above the ordinary. In "Something to Sing About" it has all this, and besides, a lighthearted gaiety and zest which raises the picture to a status above that of a mere musical. Cagney returns as a tap-dancer and band leader who, discovered by a talent scout, goes to Hollywood to become a star. The result is a brilliant satire on Hollywood, with all its glamour, its pose, and its deceitfulness. It proves one^thing, and that is that Hollywood can laugh at itself. This is a redeeming feature that must confound Hollywood's fiercest critics. New Zealand audiences will welcome this picture and enjoy it.