“TELL ME TO-NIGHT.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 935, 4 December 1933, Page 3

“TELL ME TO-NIGHT.”

Popular Musical Show in Third Week. The splendid British musical pioduction, “Tell Me To-night,” entered the third week of its extremely successful season at the Civic Theatre on Saturday. Jan Kiepura’s beautiful tenor voice rings through the fun and sentiment of this delightful entertainment. It is a feast of glorious melody and rich comedy. Kiepura has the happy faculty of suggesting that lie sings because he must. This Polish star is boyish and charming, and so liuppy that he expresses the joy of living through his superb voice. “ Tell Me To-night” has that adorable quality of infectious entertainment which made “Sunshine Susie” and “Marry Me ” such emphatic successes. Kiepura is by far the most fascinating member of a really outstanding east. Tall, wellbuilt and handsome, he has a voice that for sheer beauty of quality places him in the first rank of tenors of the Italian school. The story of “Tell Me Tonight ” was filmed in the lakes district of Switzerland, and the photography is superb. The music in the piece ranges from the most lilting of modern melodies to tuneful excerpts from grand opera, and sparkling comedy and pleasing romance round out a story that should appeal to every tq-ste. Sonnie Hale, a comedian whose comedy is distinctly new and wholly delightful, adds to the joy of the picture with liis bubbling laughter. Edmund Gwenn and Athene Seyler contribute to the fun, whilst Magda Schneider makes a wholesome, laughing and lovely heroine. On the same programme is a splendid film, entitled “ Our Fighting Navy.” which gives a remarkable impression of the efficiency and the thoroughness of the training in the “ silent service.” Beginning with the birth of the great naval tradition as the Empire to-day knows it, the picture shows the death of Nelson in his hour of victory. The modern side of naval warfare is described in graphic outline by manoeuvres and practice at sea, in battleship, cruiser, destroyer and submarine, and in aircraft machines. There is perfection of mechanism, but one is made to feel that behind it all, and still the most important factor in supremacy of the seas, is the training and courage of the men behind the guns.