ENTERTAINMENTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 438, 2 December 1930, Page 11

ENTERTAINMENTS

KING OF JAZZ. PAUL WHITEMAN AT THE MAJESTIC. Paul ‘Whiteman, King of Jazz! His throne of. the moment —The Majestic Theatre, Wanganui, it may be said from the start that this is a picture out of the ordinary ’Tis a picture of music, dancing and song—not oy auy means all jazz, but a combination of many gems of musical beauty sq blended as to tell the story of that fascinating new rythm which mortals of a modern age have entitled “Jazz” So prominent a part does jazz play in life of to-day that it needs must have a King. Who better to fill the role than Paul Whiteman who, appropriately enough, went to Darkest Airica to be crowned? Did he not set the jungle l ’throbbing to jazzy pulsebeats regulated by a fiddle and a bow he somehow managed to find in a hip pocket when the lion was about to enjoy him as a meal. Alas! That lion did not know the power of Jazz; the hypnotic influence which made his paws beat time, called the palms about him to develop a rythmic movement, the monkeys to plirek cocoanuts, beating two and one and twu and one! Even tnc elephants drank counting time So instead of with a hunter’s trophies Paul Whiteman came back with the crow?' of jazz and his band in a box. And such a band and company! The picture unfolds pages from Whiteman’s scrapbook. The leaves are pulled apart one by one, and each succeeding move brings charm more wondrous than the last. {Scenery of outstanding brilliance, f»ong, story and dance without equal, all, seemingly, guided by the magic wand of the King of Jazz. To recall any pages separately would be to stamp them as being above the others. Two fall readily under this category and in both the spell which is •cast comes from the voice of John Boles. “In Old Monetery,” he passionately tells of a lost heart when he fled to “leave her in Old Monetery” ’mid the palms, the sombreros and the mantillas of Mexico. In this he is attired in cowboy rig and is supported by a male chorus. But the whole picture keeps the interest alive. One is anxious to know what lies behind each page The theme does not hold to music and song only, but interspersed there are little humorous sketches, the most note-

worthy of which pictures a sub-edi-torial department Three reporters pass through, each bringing the result of her assignment The first tells a story three weeks old, the second half an hour old, the third ten minutes. “And what ha Vi you done?” asked the sub of the next. “Woman shoots husband,” said the rep breathlessly. “How long ago?” the sub wants to know. “Hold on a bit,” replied the reporter, placing a hand on the sub’s arm. With that comes the sound of a revolver shot.

The real purport of the picture is left till the last page, however, when America is shown as the melting pot of Jazz. There, are staged the old folk songs and dances of years ago, “D’ye Ken John Peel, 0 “Killarney“ and suitable tunes from all the nations. A song and a dance and then each, with a fanfare of trumpets, is lowered to the melting pot. The pot is stirred by the King of Jazz and the singers and dangers como forth in their gilded costumes to the tune of a new song—“ All the world is singing the Song of the i Dawn.” Truly an extraordinary picture, remarkable for its novelty, its scenery, its music, and its humour. — D.S. BRILLIANT EXTRAVAGANZA “SHOW ‘OF SHOWS” THE REGENT PROGRAMME Scores of stars, natural colour, happy songs and clever dances make “Show of Shows” at the Regent a super revue that will not easily be forgotten. Gorgeous colour provides a setting that is seldom seen. There is something of everything in the way of revue. It is not often that applause breaks out from a “talkie” audience, but Saturday night’s audience at the Regent, more than once applauded acts that bring forth the saying: “The Americans know how to put it over.” In this case Warner Bros, have excelled themselves. All known revue dances, are on the programme- Dances, songs, special turns, follow without the delay of the stage to make an extravaganza that is really an “extrav.” Every sort of theatrics has its especial “spot” during the panorama of tinselled glory. John Barrymore magnificently presents a scene from Shakespeare’s “King Henry V 1.,” Irene Bordoni sings her chic songs in her delightfully broken English; Winnie Lightner does her tomfoolery with the aid of gentle Bull Montana; Myrna Loy and Nick Lucas put on a Chinese fantasy which has all the magic of the East; there are songs tuneful and haunting; Georges Carpentier and several hundred athletic maidens do calisthenics in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower; there are famous stage heavies doing swashbuckling pirates with as famous ladies of stage and screen as their “damsels in distress,” and so on ad infinitum.

The Grand Finale is provided by ten specially dancing teams, three hundred and fifty dancing girls and men, a hundred and fifty negro artists. The whole is led by Alexander Gray and the Queen of the Revels, Betty Compson.

Warner Brothers have constructed a picturesque pirate ship that would have delighted the heart of Captain Kidd as one of the special numbers in “Show of Shows,” the musical extravaganza which Darryl Zanuck personally supervised. Ten of the screen’s most famous heavies portray the pirates in this number, which is filmed entirely in natural colours. Noah Beery, Tully Marshall, Wheeler Oakman, Bull Montana, Kalla Pasha, Johnny Arthur, Anders Randolf, Otto Matieson, Jack Curtis and Philo McCullough are the bad men of the briny deep.

Ted Lewis and his famous band arc featured in the sketch. A group of the outstanding leading ladies of the screen also appear in the colourful number— Carmel Myers, Ruth Clifford, Sally Eilers, Viola Dana, Shirley Mason, Ethlyne Claire, Francis Lee and Julanne Johnston. Ted Williams and his famous adagio dancers also contribute to this individual number in “Show of Shows,’’ with scores of others.— J-H.G. Humphrey Bishop Company The Humphrey Bishop Musical Comedy Company will appear on Saturday next, commencing at the matinee, at the Regent Theatre, after an absence of nearly four j •—s. The only company on the road which has travelled the world without a break for more than 10 years, they have recently returned from an extended tour throughout Australia, and come to you direct from the record-breaking season at the New Regent Theatre. Melbourne. This company has played tn rough all the principal metropolitan theatres in Australia. The comedy will be mainly in the hands of Maurice Barling, Arthur Homsley (from Lancashire), and Fred Keeley (well-known to Australian audiences), while the more serious side will be supported by Walter Kingsley, the eminent London baritone; Thelma Trott, the Queensland soprano, and Denis Sheard, the Irish tenor. Every artist is a star in his or her particular line of entertainment. Ensembles, gems from the operas, comedy sketches, and vocalists follow one another in such rapid succession that the theatregoers

can look forward to an entertainment that will leave them without a dull moment. The performance will occupy the best part of the programme, whilst the first half will be taken up with “Children of Pleasure, ’’ an nil-talking classic from the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio. The box plans will open at the Bristol on Wednesday morning.

Box plan at the Bristol Piano Com pany to-morrow.

GRAND THEATRE

“SONG O’ MY HEART” “Song o’ My Heart, now showing at the Grand Theatre, is acclaimed as the greatest of all musical talking productions, it rightly deserves the hot our. John McCormack has claimed thousands of ardent admirers through the medium of gramophone records but it remained for the talking screen, in the absence of a personal presentation by the singer with the golden voice, to provide an opportunity to hear him at his best. The crowded audiences at the Grand are loud in their praise of his work. Without exception patrons were held spell bound as McCormack sang his songs. There was a breathless silence among the patrons, rarely if ever heard within the walls of a theatre. It was uncanny. It showed the wonderful, compelling and unequalled drawing power of McCormack. He must be acknowledged as the greatest of many great stars who have come into prominence since the introduction of talking pictures. But by no means can it be said that “Bong o’ My Heart” is a one actor picture. It is not. From an original story by Tom Barry, its theme is far removed from back stage.

Stating off on an Irish village the picture shows twe Irishmen listening to McCormack. An argument follows regarding the quality of his voice. One claims it to be superb, the other criticises it for its lack of Irish expression. McCormack (Sean) overhears what they are saying and laughs quietly. They hear him and the ,l critic” hastens off. McCormack goes back to the house with his admirer and continues to sing. Mary, deserted by her husband and left penniless comes into the play and takes residence in her aunt’s home, opposite Sean’s. Sean, a favourite of the children of the village helps Mary. Later he realises his ambition to sing in America. His opening concert proves a triumph and he is immediately booked up for an extensive programme. On his return to Ireland he takes over the guardianship of Mary’s two children. He sees the girl happily married to John Garrick and takes the boy back to America with him. There he continues to sing. In the course of the picture Mr McCormack sings eleven songs. Ten of these songs, which include several of his most famous ones, 'as well as many never before sung by him, will be in English and one in Italian. WANGANUI SCOTTISH SOCIETY OLD TIME DANCE In this morning’s issue the Scottish Society are advertising their fortnghtly old time dance. Originally organised as a night for the committee and friends these dances have become very popular with the general public, especially those who prefer the old style of dancing to the present day jazz. In the programme appear the following numbers: Lancers, d’Alberts, Eightsome Reel, Maxina, Scottishe, and Monte Carlo waltz. Dancing will commence at eight o’clock and continue until midnight with the saKhmiri Orchestra supplying the music. Prices for admission are absurdly low and a pleasant night’s entertainment is assured for all. To-night’s the night and the place is the Lyric Hall. POSTER PARADE One of the great attratcions at the forthcoming Coster Ball will be the Poster Parade. Three prizes will be awarded for the best and most original costume poster. First prize value £3 3s, second prize value £2 2s and t prize value £1 Is. Posters can represent almost anything and is left entirely to the ingenuity of the individual; there is wonderful scope for originalty. No fixed limit for entries. You can enter right up to the commencement of the ball. Full particulars may be had from Mrs Hilton-Osborne, ’phone number 3(597, 6 Konini Street, Gonville, or from any member of the Coster Ball Committee.