AMUSEMENTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18848, 10 April 1931, Page 10

AMUSEMENTS.

“QUEEN HIGH” AT GRAND. “DESERT SONG” RETURNS ON SATURDAY. “Queen High.” one of the biggest hits of Broadway in recent years, is now showing at the Grand Theatre, with Stanley Smith, Ginger Rogers, Charles Ruggles and Prank Moran in the cast. “Queen High” was originally produced as a stage musical comedy, by Schwab and Mandel, highly successful impressarios. It was based on the famous farce comedy, “A Pair of Sixes,” by Edward H. Peple. The filmisation, which was written by Frank Mandel from the original show by Lawrence Schwab, B. G. De Sylva and Lewis Gensler, combines the best features of the original play, and the original musical show. Entirely new music for “Queen High,” was written especially for Paramount's screen version. Two of the songs which seem destined for hit class are “It seems to Me.” and “I’m Afraid of You," both sung by Stanley Smith and Ginger Rogers, the leading juveniles of the production. Smith was the boy friend of Nancy Carroll in "Sweetie” and “Honey.”

Just to what extent Vitaphone has revolutionised business methods in the film industry is illustrated by the arrangements made by Warner Bros, for the presentation of “The Desert Song.” one of the most successful light musical works of recent years, as a talking and singing motion picture, which opens at the Grand Theatre tomorrow. One of the particularly intriguing things about this operatic work is the romantic colour of its story. Heretofore when the story of a musical comedy appealed to a producer hi acquired the rights of any stage work. In the finished picture of a musical work, however, all that remained was the title and the theme song, the latter being retained for the accompaniment of the action by the theatre orchestra. This was sufficient; it was all that could be used. This day has passed ! however. In securing the rights to I “The Desert Song.” the Warners I obtained the entire musical score and i the libretto as well. In other words they brought all the rights just as if they were to produce the musical work on the legitimate stage. In presenting “The Desert Song” on the screen all of its original numbers have been retained. The score is played by the Vitaphone symphony orchestra of 100 musicians. It was the intention to make an even more imposing production of the musical comedy on the audible screen than did its original

producers on the legitimate stage. The screen has this advantage, all of the desert scenes can be taken out in the open. “The Desert Song.” in addition to a cast including John Buies. Cartolla King. Myrna Loy. Louise Fazenda. Johnny Arthur. Marie Wells, Jack Pratt. Robert E. Guzman. Otto Hoffman. Del Elliott and others, has a chorus of 100 voices.

“SONG OF THE WEST.” AT TIIE THEATRE ROYAL. “Song of the West.” which is now at the Theatre Royal, is a story of covered wagon days, from the beginning of the trek of a wagon train, accompanied by a troop of soldiers from Fort Independence, across the Sierras, with their snow-capped peaks and great wilderness of space to California, the land of gold, of brawling mining camps, of San Francisco, of the Golden Gate, in the days of the Vigilantes. It is an epic of colour, and through it runs every moment a tremendous drama, enacted on the plains, under the stars, around camp fires, and with the wagon train, of the roaring days of '49. The singing comes naturally, just as it came to the pioneers, who whiled away their tedious hours of march across 2000 miles of mountain and plain, and the music by that master of melody, Vincent Youmans. who was also responsible for “Hit the Deck” and “Rio Rita,” weaves a background of song and harmony that is truly representative of pioneer life. The cast of “Song of the West" includes Vivienne Segal, who plays the lead opposite John Boles. Other prominent artists are Joe E. Brown, leading comedian. Marie Wells. Sam Hardy. Harion Bryon. Eddie Gribbon, Ed. Martindel. Rudolph Cameron, and a chorus of 100 voices. A charming piece of drama, “Playing Around." wit> Chester Morris and Alice White in the leading roles completes the programme.

“HOLIDAY" AT THE MAJESTIC. “ROMANCE” COMMENCES TO-MORROW. “Holiday,” will be screened at the Majestic Theatre for the last time tonight. In entrusting Ann Harding with the leading role, the producers made a fortune and nappy choice, for there can be no question That as the wealthy young girl, the daughter of a ! family whose only God is wealth, she ; scores a veritable triumph. It must not ; be thought that the part she is called on to play is that of the conventional type of screen heroine who. backed by her parents’ riches, pursues her heartbreaking way until her spirit is broken by an equally conventional hero. She has to portray a very natural modern girl with all a modern girl’s whims and fancies, who is at heart a rebel against society, and who is not afraid to let the world know it. So completely has Miss Harding identified herself with her part, that it is almost impossible not to forget that she is acting. Miss Harding stands supreme in the cast, but the characterisations of the remainder of the players are none the less arresting. There is that inimitable funmaker Edward Everard Horton. Monroe Owsley and Robert Ames also draw two accurate and very lifelike portraits as the father and the prospective son-in-law respectively, and William Holden is a complete success as the somewhat weak-willed but entirely lovable son. Mary Astor Is well cast as Ames’s fiancee, and makes an admirable foil to Ann Harding. To recapitulate the theme of the picture would be useless; it is one of those altogether Intriguing productions that must be seen to be appreciated. None of the dialogue is hackneyed, and although Americanisms creep in here and there, they leave only the impression that they have been used quite legitimately. “Holiday” Is decidedly one of the film features of the year, and it is one of those exceedingly rare pictures which one could witness a second time. Special interest attaches to the first screening in Timaru of Metro-Gold-wyn’s screen reproduction of Edward Sheldon’s celebrated play, “Romance,” with the distinguished actress Greta Garbo in the appealing role of “Rita Cavallini,” whose love story forms the base of the powerful plot. “Romance” comes to the Majestic on Saturday. and patrons may anticipate a dramatic treat of an unusual order. The "Auckland Herald" writing of its presentation at the St. James Theatre. Auckland, said: “Dramatic acting of an exceptionally high order is contained in ‘Romance, a screen adaption of ».the successful stage play. Interpreted