“THE SINGING FOOL”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 650, 30 April 1929, Page 19

“THE SINGING FOOL”

ALL-TALKIE AT PLAZA, FRIDAY A 1 Jolson, famed as America’s greatest blackface comedian, lays aside burnt cork for the greater part of his new Warner Bros.’ super special talkie, “The Singing Fool,” and to a great extent plays his role straight. And he plays it not as a clowning, wise-cracking comedian, but with an emotional power and depth of feeling that are remarkable. Thus the screen production presents a new Al Jolson —a finished, dramatic actor who in his new medium exercises an even greater sway over the hearts of his audience than before. “Tho Singing Fool,” which is Auckland’s first all-talkie picture, will be seen at the Plaza Theatre on Friday. There are both dialogue and singing sequences. As a singing waiter in a New Y"ork night club, and later as master of ceremonies in the gayest of the city’s cabarets, Jolson is seen as a man almost beaten down by the heavy hand of tragedy, following a beginning that seemed to promise him every human joy. Heading the star’s supporting company aro two leading ladies in the persons of Betty Bronson and Josephine Dunn, and a host of other players, including Reed Howes, Arthur Housman, David Lee, Edward Martindel and Robert Emmett O’Connor. The new talkie programme on Friday will also include a number of short features, including solos by Giovanni Martinelli, the leading dramatic tenor of the Metropolitan Opera Company; a Howard Brothers’ comedy and singing number, “Between the Acts of the Opera” and “In a Monastery Cell,” which includes a number of songs by well known artists; and pieces by Misclia Elman, the famous violinist. The box plan for Friday evening is now open at the theatre.