ENTERTAINMENTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 439, 3 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 any means all jazz, but a combination of many gems of musical beauty so 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 Africa to be crowned? Did he not set the jungle ’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 plu'ek cocoanuts, beating two and one and twu and one! Even tne 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, rang, 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

vast 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 docs not hold to music and song only, but interspersed there arc little humorous sketches, the most noteworthy 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 hav >. 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 conies 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 arc staged the old folk songs and dances of years ago, “D’ye Ken John Peel,’’ “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 come forth in their gilded costumes to the tune of a new song—“ All the world is singing the Song of the Dawn.” Truly an extraordinary picture, remarkable for its novelty, its scenery, its music, and its humour.

GRAND THEATRE

“SONG O’ MY HEART” THREE SESSIONS TO-DAY “Song o’ My Heart, now showing at the Grand Theatre, is acclaimed as the greatest of all musical talking productions, it rightly deserves the ho i. 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, io 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 % 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 “Song 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 t > McCormack. An argument follows regarding the quality of his voice. One claims it to bo superb, the other criticises it for its lack of Irish expression. McCormack (Scan) overhears what they are saying and laughs quietly. They hear him and the “critic” hastens off. McCormack goes back to the house with his admirer and continues to sing. Alary, deserted by her husband and left penniless comes into the play and takes residence in her aunt’s home, opposite Scan’s. Sean, a favourite of the children of the village helps Alary. 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 sung in English and one in Italian. Seats should be secured early for to-night, tomorrow and Friday’s screenings. Plans are at theatre officei

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 11 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 are 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 Leo and ,Tulanne Johnston. Ted Williams and his famous adagio dancers also contribute to this individual number in “Show of Shows,” with scores of others.— J-H.Ct.

MISSIONARY PAGEANT PERFORMANCE ON TUESDAY A missionary pageant entitled “Contrasts” will be given in the St. Paul’s Hall on Tuesday, December 9, at 8 p.m. The pa'geant deals with India, its ill and the great good that the teachings of Christ through His servants the missionary workers are bringing to the people. The characters make actions tell of the great reforms that are being

carried out by the missionaries through their teachings. The teachings of Christ are slowly breaking down the old systems of chile* marriage, the Purdah system, the caste system, and widowhood. SALE OF WORK. ST. DAVID’S CHURCH FUNCTION A sale of work, the proceeds of whicn are to go to the St. David’s Presbyterian Church. Aramoho will be held on Saturday. The function will be staged in the Aramoho Boating Club’s Shed. Stalls will be well stocked with produce, sewing and clothing. Christmas cakes will be a specialty. Seekers of real bargains will be well advised to attend.

REGENT THEATRE HUMPHREY BISHOP COMPANY COMING SATURDAY The term “artist’’ has been prostituted to such an extent that it has almost lost its original connotation. It is a term which has been applied indiscriminately to anyone who “does something” however badly before the footlights; and the very sound of which might engender mistrust. But when we say that the members of the Humphrey Bishop Company are artists, we mean artists in the true sense of the word. For with them you will find no cheap, flash in the pan cleverness, but a solidity and true worth that could have been acquired only by thought and concentration, and maintained only by sincerity and perseverance. As a matter of fact, “Solidity” might be taken as the key-note of the show, in which there is nothing that will not bear close inspection; while super-im-posed on this reliable structure is a breath-taking riot of colour. sparkle and effervescence—a veritable fairyland. And the wizawl of the fairyland is Mr Humphrey Bishop himself. One remarkable feature of the Humphrey Bishop show is the way in which the various nuances of comedy arc represented. There are no less than three comedians, all specialists in their own right, but each serving as a foil to the other; so that the public is enabled to appreciate comedy which ranges from subtle satire to broad farce, and throughout there is a clean wholesomencss that is as rare as it is refreshing. This wholesomer.ess extends, naturally enough, to the Terpsichorean side of the show; and in all the dancing, up-to-date and varied as it is, there is nothing that is not pleasingly and delicately attractive.

For the vocal strength of the company, it is sufficient to note that Grand Opera goes hand in hand with the latest. jazz extravagances; and that, these latter are given additional strength by the culture and restraint of the voices that render them. One might quote several press notices in which the complete absence of what is termed the ‘ vaudeville voice” is happily appreciated. However, it goes without saying that the musical section of the show is under sound and capable direction, for Mr Humphrey Bishop himself was a well-known singer in tlio Old Country before he hr.pplly decided to launch the talent of orner singers, and let them have some of the benefits of his fruitful experience.

It must be noted that while solidity, reliability, experience are the accepted characteristics of the mature, there is nothing to suggest age in the Humphrey Bishop Company. Rather, there is a sprightliness, a verve, an elasticity, a delightful abandon, that could have their very being only in the presence of

a vivid and eager youth. The season here commences at the matinee at the Regent Theatre next Saturday. Two shows in one at ‘talkie” prices. Box plans open this morning at the Bristol Piano Company.

“THE ROMANTIC AGE” A. A. Milne’s play “The Romantic Age” has all the ingredients necessary for a first-class comedy. The heroine, Melisande, as romantic as her name, is charmingly played by Catherine Stone. The hero. L. Mumford, who first appears as the dashing knight of Nlelisande’s dream, realises that this '‘funny foolish child” must come back to the twentieth century—so he brings her back, very skillfully and tenderly. A temarkably good character sketch of the selfish, nervous invalid, is given by Vai ma i Piper, whose husband, Mr Knowle (played by R. Davis) is continually wounding his wife’s susceptibilities by his fondness for a joke. The chief comedy of the play lies with those two who play excellently together. Jane (Tris Socberg), Melisande’s cousin, uses her sympathetic powers to such effect that, she completely wins over Bobby (M. Broadhead), formerlv a devoted admirer of Melisande. Bobby and Jane have some subtly humorous dialogue and are most convincing—the one as the disconsolate lover, the other as the consoling woman. The peddler, with a bet for literature and the fine arts, is interpreted in most whimsical fashion by C. Sharland; while Aithnar Kcarse as the attractive maid “walking out with Peters.” and H. Whiting as the thick-headed little ‘Ern’’ complete a strong cast. Old students are expected to rally round on this occasion, and to fill the Opera House to capacity. All proceeds go to charity. The plan is at the College office where seats may be reserved at no additional charge.