ENTERTAINMENTS

Taranaki Daily News, 26 March 1930, Page 7

ENTERTAINMENTS

EVERYBODY’S THEATRE. BILLIE DOVE’S FIRST TALKIE. Billie Dove, and one of the finest allstar casts ever assembled in one picture, talk all through “Careers,” which opens a three-night season at Everybody’s to-night. This is the first all-talking picture Billie Dove has ever made. Her voice adds so much to her charming personality that First National Vitaphone Pictures, the producers of “Careers,” recently announced that Miss Dove will make only all-talking pictures in the future. Antonio Moreno, Thelma Todd, Noah Beery, Carmel Myers all speak their parts under the direction of John Francis Dillon. Even Sojin, the Oriental actor, has his say on the Vitaphone. The story of “Careers” is laid in the tropical atmosphere of Indo-China, and concerns love intrigue in the diplomatic corps. Incidental and colourful music adds much to the action and drama, and Andre de Segurola, former Metropolitan Opera House star, sings in one of the scenes. The supporting programme of talkie featurettes will include Eddie Conrad (entertainer), John Barclay (famous baritone singer) and “The Chaf Caupolican.

PEOPLE’S TALKIES. TO-NIGHT’S ENTERTAINMENT. “Drag,” the all-talking and singing picture starring Richard Barthelmess, will head the change of programme at the People’s Talkies to-night. “Drag,” has two leading ladies, a blonde and a brunette. The blonde, Alice Day, marries the hero, but their home life is wrecked because of her excessive devotion to her own kinsfolk, especially her parents. The brunette, Lila Lee, an equally nice girl who is less enslaved by the ties formed in childhood, finally wins the affections of David Carroll, as Dick Barthelmess is known in the film. Director Frank Lloyd selected Misses Day and Lee to play these roles because of a theory he has long held that blondes are nearly always of a more passive disposition than brunettes. ’ They are, he believes, steadier and more reliable. And in this connection he quotes a published statement by the Commissioner of Police of New York City some years ago that brunettes are arrested for careless driving oftener than are their fair-haired sisters. But the blonde in “Drag” was too domestic to preserve her marital happiness, and the dark-haired girl conquered his wounded heart and shared with him the glory of his great musical success on Broadway. An entire musical show, “The Love Prince,” was staged as part of “Drag,” the featured number beirj; “Song of the Nile.” The talkie supports will include Fox Movietone News, Don Cummings (vaudeville entertainer), Roy Smeck ■ (wizard of string instruments) and the Florentine Choir (in excellent renditions).