REGENT

Evening Star, Issue 23124, 25 November 1938, Page 13

REGENT

(Billed by Mctro-Goldwyn-Mayer as their most lavish musical, ‘ Rosalie,’ which heads thenew programme at the ißegeat, is “ big ” in every respect. Filmed on a grand scale, it has a cast of the world’s most popular screen celebrities, and the production is highlighted throughout with fine singing, racy comedy, intricate dancing, and wonderful spectacle. Nelson Eddy and Eleanor Powell are teamed in this tuneful melange, which varies in locale between a football game ? a military college, a transatlantic airplane, and the colourful mythical kingdom of ‘ Romanza.’ The pairing of Eddy and Miss Powell is a brilliant feat. Not only do they dance and sing in the manner of stars of their magnitude, but as lovers they are decidedly in the top rank among romantic teams. Those who thought they had seen “ tops ” in immense motion picture sets when ‘ The Great Ziegfeld ’ came to Dunedin have something to think about when they see ‘ Roraanza,’ the tremendous white and silver kingdom presided over by Frank Morgan as a king with an eye for a pretty girl and Edna May Oliver as a queen quite able to curb such tendencies. Ray Bolger, he of the rubber legs, is really good as comedy relief, and, of course, in his comedy dancing specialties. Ilona Massey is a newcomer whom playgoers can well watch carefully. This beautiful European, who makes her American debut as the second lead of the picture in the part of Countess Brenda, confidante to the Princess Rosalie, not only proves herself a delightful comedienne but a singer of extraordinary range. In fact, all of the music of the piece is tuneful and finely created, as one might expect after seeing that all are credited to the highly competent Cole Porter.