NEW REGENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 732, 3 August 1929, Page 15

NEW REGENT

“BROADWAY MELODY” As its first all-talking and singingfilm, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer took a specially-written story with a theatrical Broadway background by Edmund Goulding; gave it to Harry Beaumont to direct with a cast headed by Charles King, Anita Page and JBessie Gove; got James Gleason, author of “Is Zat So?” and Norman Houston to write the sophisticated dialogue; secured lyrics by Arthur Freed and music by Nacio Herb Brown; dashed in a bit of Technicolour in order not to lose the beauty of sets and costumes, and called the result “The Broadway Melody.” This picture, which enthusiastic advance information says is a splendid spectacle, and can be heard plainly, will be presented for the first time in Auckland at the New Regent Theatre today, guaranteeing some of the greatest screen entertainment this city has ever seen. If any credence is to be given to the assertions of those who are responsible for this particular film and those who witnessed its sensational debut at the Astor Theatre in New York City, where it carried the motion picvture critics and the huge first-night audience by storm, it Reserves special attention as the most brilliant alltalking, all-singing, all-dancing motion picture yet screened. Its sponsors expect large things from it, an expectation that has been overwhelmingly justified wherever the picture has been shown. Unusual enthusiasm, even of motion picture makers, might be regarded as news, for it means that no device has been overlooked by them to make that particular production worthy in every respect. Unusual enthusiasm by the critics is even greater news. That means that the picture is as great as its sponsors say it is, and that is the reward that has been meted out to “The Broadway Melody.” Of course the proof from an individual point of view is how one likes the picture when one sees and hears it; from the box-office point of view, how many individuals will like it so well or so little that they -can or cannot, as the case may be, stay away from it. So far, “The Broadway Melody” audiences have been among the greatest, numerically speaking, of any in the history of the screen. Another item speaking well for “The Broadway Melody” is the fact that Metro-Goklwyn-Mayer decided that it . was the best vehicle obtainable for breaking the ice with an all-talker, largely because there is so much music in it. They have “The Trial of Mary Dugan” and other all-talking pictures on the way, but elected to open the campaign with a singing and dancing entertainment. In order to let the music into the situations as naturally as possible, the author wrote of two sisters who come to New York to go on the stage, and of their adventures in “Tin Pan Alley” and on the stage, back and front. Opportunities that this sort of theme gives for songs are obvious. “The Broadway Melody” has the enchanting air of a musical comedy and all the drama of a serious story. A full musical comedy chorus is used and the music includes “The Broadway Melody,” “You "Were Meant for Me” and “Love Boat.” The cast is a notable one, including beside the three principals, Jed Prouty, Kenneth Thomson, Edward Dillon, Mary Doran, Eddie Kane, J. Emmett Beck, Marshall Ruth and Drew Demarest.