THRILLING!

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 690, 15 June 1929, Page 14

THRILLING!

"CANARY MURDER CASE” ALL-TALKING TRIUMPH Never has the healthy public appe- I tite for the mystery play been better '< satisfied than in the Paramount alltalking film, “The Canary Murder Case,” which was presented at the Strand Theatre yesterday. A thriller in every sense of the word, it is simply wrought, and the climax comes with a series of smashing revelations that almost steal the breath away. The pleasure that the picture brings to the mind of a spectator is enough to dethrone the power of critical judgment, but that is not to be mourned, for “The Canary Case” must be classed among the greatest of the “talkie” triumphs to date. “Who Killed the- Canary?” that is the question that looms big after the crumpled body of the brightest and most unscrupulous star on Broadway is found on a sofa in her apartment. The night before her death she had blackmailed at least three men, and with two others eager to have her operations cease, it is difficult to find the one on whom the crime may be fastened with certainty. Powerful as the story is, and the convincing manner in which it is unfolded, are not the only reasons why “The Canary Murder Case” is a distinguished production. It stands out too because it is a genuine “talkie” triumph, and shows that this new medium can be the rival of the legitimate stage. The power of the “talkie” is revealed, and the stage will have to make adjustments to meet the opposition. Louis© Brooks played the part of the designing “Canary,” a revue star, in a cold yet appealing way. The scheming character really lived, and it was possible to have full sense of her sinister influence. William Powell made a brilliant detective, and the way in which he made his deductions from clue to clue was startling but not extravagant. Charles Lane, as Charles Spotswoode, one of the men who had some wish to have the “Canary” cease operations, gave a suave character study. The whole of the cast worked well," and from the acting point of view there was not a solitary weak link. In the play itself interest was never allowed to flag, and those who have taste for the real mystery play will find something here to quicken pulses. The supporting programme is notable because it introduces the first products of British “talkie” studios. All people will respond to the solemn record of the Armistice Day ceremony at the Cenotaph in London. In spite of the bleak grey day the photography is perfect. The extent of the public assemblage is fully shown, and the sound record of the martial music from the great bands of the British Army is marvellously recorded. In the picture the event loses none of its impressiveness. Every detail of sound comes through clearly—the shrill of the Last Post, and the solemn billowing music of the hymns. “Smith Wakes Up,” an English “talkie” comedy, is a delightful sketch with a “hen-pecked” husband as hero The voices are excellent, and there is genuine humour in the dialogue. A Fox j Movietone News completes a programme that satisfies in every particular.