ENTERTAINING ‘DESERT SONG’

Evening Star, Issue 21639, 7 February 1934, Page 9

ENTERTAINING ‘DESERT SONG ’

SCREEN OPERETTA WILL RETURN The outstanding musical success, "The Desert Song,’ will start a return season at the Empire Theatre on Friday. It is a complete screen operetta, with music, songs, choruses, dances, and dialogue, and points for the way to still greater triumphs for talking and singing pictures—the presentation of entire grand operas on the silver sheet.

‘ The Desert Song ’ features artists who have had experience in reading dramatic lines in correct character as well as training and ability in singing. They are John Boles Louise Fazenda, Carlotta King, Myrna Loy, John Miljan, Johnny Arthur, Marie Weils, Jack Pratt, Edward Martindel, Robert Guzman, Otto Hoffman, and many others. Sigmund Romberg’s delightful music loses none of its charm and allure on the screen, for it is magnificently played by the Vitaphonc Symphony Orchestra.

Although ‘ The Desert Song ’ closely follows the stage production in that the songs, plot, and characters are practically identical, the adaptation contains far greater entertainment value than the stage version. The constructed stage settings and scenery 7 could not be duplicated on the stage under any circumstances no matter how big or pretentious the theatre. Its filmed exterior scenes in the real desert and dune country, vast interiors of palaces, cafes, and other scenes far excel anything that could be built on the stage. In addition, also, to the singing and talking of the principals, a chorus of over 100 trained voices is heard in ‘The Desert Song.’ The story gains in dramatic power and picturesqueness because of the natural backgrounds.

John Boles, tenor lead, sang the same role in the stage presentation, and has been a screen leading man for several years. Carlotta King, lyric soprano, is a concert and radio artist of note. Their voices register perfectly, being true in tone and sweet in quality.