“Waltzes From Vienna” Lives On the Silversheet

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 100, 1 May 1935, Page 5

“Waltzes From Vienna” Lives On the Silversheet

JESSIE MATTHEWS HAS ROLE IN FINE ROMANCE

(State: Screening To-day.) Tired of the jeers of his father at Ms lack of musical ability, young Scbani Strauss, at his sweetheart’s behest, leaves music to join her father in his pastrycook business. That is the theme of tfie gay musical romance “Waltzes From Vienna,’’ wMch is the film version of a play which proved a sensational success at the London Alhambra Theatre where it was presented.

Now the Gaumont-British company have brought this wonderful stago presentation to the screen so that thousands more may delight in tho lilting music of Strauss and tho gaiety and lightness of the Viennese settings. Naturally the wider scope of tho moving picture camera has made a more pretentious offering of the film than the limited area of the stage could provide. Alfred Hitchcock, tho director, has wedded the story to the exquisite melodics of Strauss, the musical peak of perfection being reached with tho performance of “The Blue Danube," during which the camera cunningly ranged from group to group of tho - leading characters, and to aud from the orchestra in the old Viennese beer garden, never once missing the heart-tugging beat of this famous waltz. Tho story, though slight,’ is intriguing. It shows how that favourite of all waltzes “The Blue Danube," came to be written in a romantic pretty story which is enacted by Jessie Matthews, Esmond Knight, Edmund Gwenn and Fay Compton.

As a production, “Waltzes From Vienna," has aroused considerable interest, as Alfred Hitchcock can always be relied upon to present something novel in the way of filmic art.

He was in his clement with such a subject as t/his, working with Hubert Bath, who acted as his musical director. Hitchcock planned that- the lovely lilting music should be used as a background to the story and thus avoid holding up the action. When a song is sung by any character it is introduced into the sequence of tho picture, and is a distinct part of the story. The result of this experiment is rhythmic action which makes the whole production go with a smoothness that is a sheer delight.