ENTERTAINMENTS

Hawera Star, Volume L, 5 February 1931, Page 2

ENTERTAINMENTS

OPERA HO'USE “TALKIES.” •KING OF JAZZ.” Only a modern motion picture studio could possibly have procured the vast resources necessary to bring into being such a super-spectacle: as Universal’s “King of Jazz,” the all-talking, alldancing, all Technicolour “revue of revues,” playing at the O'pera House theatre finally to-night at 8.10 p.m. As -seen and heard ui>on the, screen, the “King of Jazz” is the superlative in entertainment. But in order to build and present such a production, technical 'problems which would have been insurmountable jn any other industry were met and solved. Since the entire film was photographed in Technicolour, a tremendous amount of electrio energy was necessary to bring out the impressive beauty of the huge sets and the delicate shadings of the thousand of costumes. Batteries of hundreds of high-powered incandescent lamps were assembled. As much as 4,000,000 cand’le-power was used as one time on tlie tremendous “Melting Pot” set alone. Throughout the picture, which con sists of eight musical numbers ill addition to specialties and black-outs by famous stage and screen stars, enough light was used to illuminate the entire area of Los Angeles for several hours. And many of the hundreds of lights used were equal 111 power to the biggest searchlight on a modern battleship. Because “King of Jazz” is essentially a musical picture witiu I aul Whiteman and his entire band 111 the starring role, elaborate measures were taken to ensure a sound quality which has proven to be incomparably superior to anything hitherto heard on the sound screen. Reserve at Miss Blake s phone 2713. OPERA HOUSE “TALKIES.” Coming to the Opera. House to-mor-row night for a season of three nights and one matinee will be Frederick Lonsdale’s brilliant comedy with the original Aldwyeh Theatre London Cast, the cast which made “Rookery Nook.” “Oil Approval,” from the pen of Frederick Lonsdale, considered by many to be England’s greatest comedy writer, is having a wonderful measure of success throughout the Dominion. Everywhere it is screened the results are the same, packed houses and roars of laughter. If there are any shortcomings in the picture, it is in the fact that the laughs of the audience are so loud and so long, that at times they drown i.hc following dialogue. If British producers continue to send out productions of the standard of “ltookery Nook” and “On Approval,” there will be no need to talk about British quotas and other protective measures, to ensure British pictures having a successful run. Hie cast is almost the same as “Rookery Nook.” Tom Walls is the irresistible, don’t-care, impecunious Duke of Bristol, Winifred S-hotter as a charming woman, and Mary Brough, etc., in those kinds of parts which made them so famous in “Rookery Nook.’’ it is sophisticated, yes, but a wonderful nights entertainment, chock (full of humour and laughs. Reserve at Miss Blake’s, ’phone 2713. GRAND THEATRE “TALKIES.” TO-MQR RO W’S PROGR AMME. Wh on, right on the eve of his wedding, a young man learns that he lias just become a father ... it isn’t hard to imagine what hilarious consequences may follow. That is the situation in “Little Accident,” Universal’s sparkling comedy-drama, coming to the Grand Theatre to-morrow night and finally on Saturday at 8 p.m. “Little Accident” is replete with laughs from start to finish. The plight of the hero, with a three-weeks-old baby on his hands and entanglements with three prospective wives in the offing, furnishes the motif for what bids fair to be the fun smash of the season. The picture has one of the most distinguished casts ever assembled for a screen play. It includes such names as Douglas Fairbanks, junr., Anita Page, Slim Summerville, Sally 'Rhine, Zasu Pitts and Joan Marsh, who are featured, and Roscoe Karas, Henry Armetta, Myrtle Stedman, Albert Gran, Nora Cecil, Bertha Mann, Gertrude Short and Dot Farley. “Little Accident” was directed by William James Craft, who has produced many of Universal's most popular comedies. The picture is based on the sensationally successful stage play of the same name, written by Thomas Mitchell and Floyd Dell.