"THE BROADWAY MELODY."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20324, 3 August 1929, Page 17

"THE BROADWAY MELODY."

OPENING OF SEASON. The long-awaited premiere of " The Broadway Melody," concerning which such favourable reports have been ieceived, will take place at the Begeut Theatre to-day, when an extended season will open. Breaking new ground and exploiting new methods of production, this remarkable picture presents at tho same timo both a brilliant spectacle and a human story of endeavour, ambition, disappointment and final success. Enacted against a background of tho theatre in New York, the homo of revue and musical comedy, tho story concerns tho lives of three struggling artists, who arc striving to make their mark on Broadway, tho Mecca of every revue performer in the country. Tho first of tho three to meet success is a song composer, who also appeal's on the stage as a ballad singer, and by his influence two girls, who produce an act known as tho Mahonev Sisters, are able to gain a footing. Through the whim of a wealthy and powerful producer the two are separated, and while one is singled out. for honours, the other suffers disappointment. The efforts of the two girls to help each other, together with a pleasing romance, which runs through the production, make a story of rare appeal. As a background tho picturesque scenes of large revues provide spectacles of unusual brilliance, while the most striking is " Tho Wedding of the Painted Doll." which has boon filmed in colour. At (he same time a number of musical numbers, specially written for the picture, aro sung from (lie stage in many of the scenes. The production is all-talking, tho dialogue being crisp /ind witty, as befits a picture dealing with the excitement pervading the usual theatre backstage. Considerable care was taken in selecting the players for their roles, and an excellent choice has been made, all tho principal characters being taken by performers who combine very real acting ability with exeollont voices. Particular mention must, he made of the work of Charles King, who is a product of tho speaking stage and who sink's a number of ballads in pleasing fashion. The two sisters aro Anita Page and Bessie Love, both of whom give admirable performances.