ENTERTAINMENTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 121, 25 May 1931, Page 11

ENTERTAINMENTS

grand theatre “song o’ jiv heart” John McCormack’s fame as a singer is household knowledge throughout, the world. In “Song O’ Aly Heart,” his first, audible picture for the screen, the world's greatest lyric tenor sings eleven numbers, logically introduced in the action of the delightful lyrical romance. “Song O’ My Heart,” which is now showing at (he Grand Theatre. Through the, medium of Fox Movie- I tone, the voice that has always been i proclaimed great is considered to lie j made greater via the singing screen. Of the entire repertoire, ‘‘l Hear Yon j Calling Me,” “Rose of Tralee” and “Little Boy Blue,” are perhaps the,’ most appreciated numbers. ‘‘.Little Boy Blue” is based on the poem by Eugene Field and set to music by Ethel bert Nevin. .In singing “Little Boy Blue.” Frank Bondage, who directed a. pictorial effect of a little boy, his dog and his toy soldiers, giving an added human touch. “1 Hear You Calling Me,” which is so identified with the great tenor that he rarely fails to include it as an encore timing his concert programmes, is a composition of Charles Marshall with lyrics by Harold Hartford. “Hose of Tralee” is a GloverDitson number. “Song O’ Aly Heart” is the story of a broken romance, which j mars the life of McCormack, a young and ambitious singer in Ireland. The girl, Alice Joyce, marries another, becomes the mother of a boy and girl and I is deserted by the husband. In after years, McCormack appears in concerts in America, is a success and is booked from coast to coast, but, on the opening night of his concert tour, he has a strange premonition that something is wrong across the seas. After the concert he learns that his former sweetheart died in Ireland approximately at the time a great audience was acclaim- ' ing his singing of “I Hear You Calling Me.” He abandons the concert tour, goe; back to Ireland and sees that . he , daughter of the woman he had always loved is happily married to the young man of her choice. In addition to Miss Joyce, the supporting company includes such favourites as Maureen O’Sullivan, J. M. Kerrigan. John Garrick, Parrel Macdonald, Eftiie Ellsler and Tommy (.' I i 110 rd. REGENT THEATRE “ Till-: CALL OF THE SLA ’’ AI’PEA LS. I here is no doubt about the appeal of “The Call of the Sea,” which is the feature film of the programme being screened at the Regent, and its blend of romance, drama and humour sent Saturday night’s audience home in jovial mood. “The Cali of rhe Sea’’ is an invigorating adaptation of Captain Frank Shaw’s naval story. Henry Edwards, star of the “Flag Lieutenant” series, once again dons naval uniform. and gives a delightful portrayal of Lieut. Good, K.N. Chrissie White, as the charming English wife of the villainous half-caste deputy-governor, brings all her cultured English charm, which made her such a favourite in the “silent” days, to the talking screen, and Bernard Nedell. as the deputy-governor, adds another brilliant portrayal to his gallery of successes. The story deals with the mysterious happenings on Pablo Island, which prompt the naval authorities to send Lieut. Good to investigate. He suspects Torres, the de-puty-governor, who is married to an old sweetheart of his, and it. is not Jcmg before he discovers that Torres is secretly operating a platinum mine. He determined to carry out some investigations, and from a dancing girl vailed Poquita gradually elicited the information that the missing officers had been kidnapped by 'Torres ami

MAJESTIC THEATRE. ”A BACHL'LOIi lATHER.” One of the bust. That is, perhaps, what everyb V - was saying when crowded houses had seen “Thu Bachc lor Father” on Saturday. Alariuu Dav ireally excells herself and is full of humour and odd sayings while rhe sup porting cast is all that can be asked for and mure than is often expected. The very title leads one to expect thai the film is a little different frutu others and it is. There are some ” risque' situations and conversation, but the. are so natural and so graceful thai they' are more appreciated than anything else. I’he story is that a bache lor baronet of England, who does uut possess the best of health and who admits that his one care in life is look after himseJJ’, is taunted by his doctor that he has no. children he can Jove and nobody to Jove him in his old age. Nettled, the old man declares that he has “several children dotied about Die points of the compass” ami he gives his young lawyer, Ralph Forbes, the duty of finding them out and bringing them to bis house. Marion Davies is one of the children and in her haste tu welcome her failicr she embraces the butler, then the doctor, and finally when the baronet does ap pear after he has been fishing, he finds his three children making themselves at home. One is playing jazz, another doing (he latest, steps, while the third is singing with a grand opera voice. He is mistaken for a fishmonger and told that he can go away. Then the fireworks begin. The ‘‘old man” turns out to be a “bit of a pili” and the children form what they call “the S.D. and y.B. Union’’ and put their father on a month’s probation to see whether he will lit the part or not. Imagine an .English baronet, with the gout, being informed by his butler at six o’clock in the morning that if he does not get up and go out for a ride with his daughter, she will “jolly well come and pull him out of bed.' Marion is a scream when she returns from the ride, and declares that, it will take a major operation to get her off the horse and then, when she is off. walking about as if she has a permanent bandy-legged “wave.” She claims to be a hundred per •cone. British amt to have learnt the language in three weeks. What is the result? 'l’he baronet begins to lose his gout and the butler with relish relates the game of “hot dog” and gives an exhibition or the latest step in the jazz world. Marion invites Ralph to “write his own ticket,” which he does with pleas ure and the (diildren become an estab lished part of the household and for mcrly accept their father. But there is a climax, which of course is the proper thing, and Alarion leaves tho house and starts on a voyage to America in a ’plane. But she doesn’t get verf far for it crashes and is brought back and we leave her soothing the baronet and Ralph as to who shall have her. It. is a delight fid picture I'rom start, to finish. As usual, the support ing programme is good. A wool sole, so much in the minds of people these days, is seen while 'the views of Tonga riro are photographic gems.

were being forced to work for him in the platinum mine. He then confronted Torres with this discovery, and made a pretence of playing into his hands, allowing himself to be. kept a prisoner on the island. Torres, however, found out too (late that, all the lime the British Navy had been backing Dickie —and the game was up. In the fracas that ensued a stray bullet accounted for Torres, and left Iris and Dickie free to continue the romance that had had its beginning in their childhood. The supporting will be fotniil equally entertaining.