PLAZA

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 663, 15 May 1929, Page 15

PLAZA

“THE SINGING FOOL” The talking picture which is merely the reproduction of sound and scene perfectly synchronised, is not only an achievement of high scientific importance, but it is an event of far-reaching significance in human affaii'S. It is natural to see and hear at the same time. We may, and we do, artificially adapt our mental processes to either effect alone, but the combination of the two is what the mind instinctively needs. Perhaps the most outstanding of the talking pictures yet seen in Auckland is “The Singing Fool,” which is daily attracting record houses at the Plaza Theatre. , . . , A waiter in a New York cabaret, A 1 Jolson later becomes the proprietor of a fashionable night club. His happiness is shattered when his wife, a beautiful revue artist, deserts him. His misfortunes culminate in the death of his only child. The father sits by the bedside of his dying son while back at the theatre the crowds are clamouring for his appearance. The intensity of the story is accentuated by the Vitaplione reproduction. A feature of the production is the singing of A 1 Jolson, the famous American entertainer. Both new and old songs are rendered in a perfect manner. Supporting A 1 Jolson are Betty Bronson and Josephine Dunn, and a strong cast. The full sound programme of sunports is notable for the appearance of two really outstanding artists, Mischa Elman, violinist, and Giovanni Martinell i. the leading dramatic tenor of the Metropolitan Grand Opera Company. New York. The Howard Brothers are seen and heard to advantage in a comedy. “In a Monastery Cell,” comprising songs by well-known artists, adds to the value of the entertainment. An overture, “Tannhauser,” is played by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.